Awards search begins for best of the region’s economic driving forces

Apr 16 2008 by Alex Turner, Liverpool Daily Post

The search is on for the best of the region’s economic movers and shaker. Alex Turner reports

THE Daily Post Regional Business Awards 2008, launched today, will bring together and recognise the very best achievements in Merseyside and Cheshire business.

The Daily Post is now seeking entries for the nine categories in this year’s competition, which will go before a panel of judges.

The winners will be presented with their awards at a glittering black-tie dinner at St George’s Hall, Liverpool on Thursday, July 16.

Daily Post editor Mark Thomas said: “The regeneration of Liverpool is bringing about a huge upsurge in economic activity, with businesses seizing on the opportunities afforded by the growth of inward investment and the huge increase in visitor numbers.

“The Liverpool Daily Post's Regional Business Awards are a celebration of the innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and hard work that are driving the city region forward so positively.

“This is a historic year for the city region, and it would be a great year for any business with its roots in Liverpool to win an award. I'm sure we can look forward to a record crop of entries.”

The annual awards have been running since 1992, and have always sought to recognise the successes of our region’s businesses and their contribution to local economic prosperity, whether they are a small sole trader or a locally-based multi-national.

The event represents a great opportunity for businesses of all types, ages and sizes to gain much deserved recognition from their local community for all that they have done to create jobs and local prosperity in front of an audience of 500 business people. This year’s awards will reflect the fact we are in the middle of the city’s Capital of Culture celebrations. As well as Culture Year, 2008 is also the culmination of huge public and private sector investments that have benefited the local economy and local firms.

The construction of the Arena and Convention Centre and Liverpool One have changed the look of the city, while the Big Dig has, and continues to have, a huge impact on its infrastructure.

Significant developments are under way at Princes Dock while, farther afield, Widnes and St Helens are benefiting from investment and a renewed confidence.

Our region, which has always been confident and enterprising, has continued to grow in stature.

It is in this context that we stage this year’s awards. We are looking for the firms that are bringing their own confident entrepreneurial flair to the creation of a thriving local economy.

The awards are open to any business operating in the Daily Post circulation area of Merseyside, West Lancashire (including Skelmersdale and Ormskirk) and North West Cheshire (including Chester, Runcorn, Widnes and Warrington).

THE judging panel will include Daily Post busi-ness editor Bill Gleeson, former Manchester Business School chief executive Profes-sor Tom Cannon and repre-sentatives of our three main sponsors. If you want to be a part of this year’s event now is the time to enter your business for one or more of our nine awards.

The categories are:

The O2 Small Business of the Year award:

In this category, companies with 50 or fewer employees will be judged on its business achievements and financial performance growth.

The Alliance & Leicester Medium Business of the Year award:

This award will be awarded to the company that employs 51-250 people. The judges will be looking for a firm that can demonstrate strong financial performance, growth and potential for the future.

The University of Liverpool Corporate Social Responsibility award:

This will recognise the private sector business which demonstrates the best track record of responsible and sustainable behaviour towards the environment or wider society, which may, for example, include donations of time or money to the voluntary sector and charities.

The Mersey Partnership Investment of the Year Award:

This is for the company that can demonstrate how recent investment has made a major impact on the performance of the business and the local economy. The category is open to first-time inward invest-ments by businesses that are new to the region and busi-nesses that are already estab-lished here that have made fresh investment in the area.

The Liverpool Chamber of Commerce International Trader of the Year award:

This category is for companies that can show a substantial and sustained increase in export trading with the winner likely to have created jobs in the region through its overseas trade.

The NWDA Business, Science and Technology award:

The winner of this award will be the company which can best demonstrate it has successfully commercialised a scientific breakthrough or technological innovation.

The Liverpool John Moores University Cultural Engagement award:

To mark Capital of Culture year, the judges are looking for a business which has consistently been involved in a wide range of cultural activities, or has invested in maintaining and preserving culture.

The KPMG Business of the Year award:

This is for the business with more than 250 staff that can show strong growth in financial performance combined with a major contribution to the local economy or has shown outstanding achievement in its sector.

The DLA Piper Business Person of the Year award:

This award is for the individual who, in the opinion of the judges, has done the most to improve the reputation of their business and the region, showing the entrepreneurial spirit that typifies the region’s resilience and resurgence.

alexturner