The Duke of Westminster and Princes Foods were the big winners at the Daily Post’s celebration of business success in Merseyside and Cheshire. Business reporter Alistair Houghton was there

THE Duke of Westminster won the top honour at the Daily Post’s Regional Business Awards last night. The Duke was named DLA Piper Business Person of the Year for his company Grosvenor’s development of Liverpool One, the £1bn retail and leisure complex which opened its first phase in May and has already changed the face of the city centre.

The awards ceremony, the most prestigious event in Merseyside’s business calendar, attracted hundreds of leading business figures to St George’s Hall.

The black tie dinner saw a speech from music impresario and tycoon Pete Waterman, while the ceremony was hosted by newsreader Peter Sissons.

Other winners included Liverpool’s Princes Foods, Home Bargains owner TJ Morris and Runcorn manufacturer Ventcroft.

The Duke was unable to attend last night’s ceremony, as he was abroad. But he told the Daily Post he was proud of how Liverpool One had helped shape the regeneration of the city centre.

He said: “Looking at it from a personal perspective, over all these years that I’ve been involved in development, whether it be here or overseas, it’s the one scheme that I’m particularly proud of.

“It’s not because it’s next to my home in Cheshire, it’s because I believe it has regenerated the city and given the city new hope. It has given the city a vision of the future which I think probably five or seven years ago it didn’t have.

“I’ve known this city for many years and for many of those years it has drifted. It has been very much regarded as the poor second cousin to all our other great industrial cities throughout the United Kingdom. But now it has a project which is a flagship. It has something it can be deeply proud of.

“It provides, yes, jobs and prosperity. But above all it provides hope for the future. It provides hope for young people who hitherto have left Liverpool to seek pastures green. It provides stability Liverpool can now build on.”

THE Duke said the scale of Grosvenor’s investment in Liverpool showed the depth of its commitment to the city.

He said: “Grosvenor and my family have been always in business for the long term. We’re not a quick hit and run merchant.

“My own family have been based in Cheshire for nearly 1,000 years, so longevity and stability is nothing new to us. We have great confidence in Liverpool One. We know it will be a huge success.”

The winner of the KPMG Business of the Year award was Liverpool’s Princes Foods.

Princes is a £900m turnover group with a portfolio of market-leading brands and products which are bought by millions of people every day.

The company describes its driving forces as “quality, innovation and convenience”. The runners-up in the category were Liverpool wealth fund managers Rensburg Sheppards and retailer TJ Morris.

The O2 Small Business of the Year category was won by Liverpool internet consultancy New Mind.

The company offers a leading e-tourism system and is selling its expertise the length and breadth of the country. The award judges recognised the company’s clear and creative business strategy.

The runners-up were Wirral marketing group ICE and Liverpool’s Northern Brickwork.

The Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank Medium Business of the Year award was won by Wirral’s B&M Waste, formerly Bagnall & Morris.

The judges were impressed by the fast-growing company’s strong financial performance and by the way it is addressing environmental concerns.

The runners-up were Knowsley accident claim investigators Hoopers, and Birkenhead construction company Roy Hankinson Group.

The University of Liverpool Corporate Social Responsibility Business of the Year category was won by chemicals group Croda’s Bromborough plant in Wirral. The former Uniqema plant was honoured for the way it works closely with its local community.

The runners-up were HIT (UK), formerly the Mersey Regional Drug Training and Information Centre, and Liverpool painting and building maintenance group George Jones.

The Mersey Partnership Investment of the Year Award was won by TJ Morris, which is set to create hundreds of new jobs through its expansion plans over the next five to 10 years. It is investing £35m in its Axis Business Park base, in Croxteth, plans to open 200 new stores, and expects its turnover to reach £1bn within 10 years.

The runners-up were Wirral’s Scantec Personnel and Liverpool engineering and environmental consultancy Royal Haskoning.

The Liverpool Chamber of Commerce International Trader of the Year award was won by Ventcroft, of Runcorn, which makes cable and electronics products for the fire and security markets. It has increased its export activity by 93% since 2005.

The runner-up was fellow Runcorn company Tall Security Print.

The Northwest Development Agency Science and Technology Business of the Year category was won by Chester-based GB Group. The company, which offers data products and services to household name clients across many market sectors, was recognised for its innovation and technological know-how.

The runner-up was Liverpool IT specialist Blue Fountain.

The John Moores University Cultural Engagement category was won by Rensburg Sheppard for its keen support of Merseyside cultural projects, including its principal partnership with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.

The runners-up were Royal Liver and Royal Haskoning.

VISIT www.liverpool dailypost.co.uk to see pictures of the winners from last night’s event.

alistairhoughton