Our 2019 Winners & Highly Commended!
The Wilkins Group scoops prestigious Midlands family business of the year award
Family-run global packaging and printing firm The Wilkins Group has been crowned family business of the year at the 10th Midlands Family Business Awards.
The Wilkins Group specialises in the printing of folding cartons and packaging for a range of industries and brands worldwide, and employs over 500 people operating from five global sites in Nottingham, Romania, China, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Highly Commended by the judges for the headline Family Business of the Year category award this year are Charles Bentley & Son - a leading manufacturer and importer of brushware and household cleaning products based in Loughborough, and Henley-in-Arden-based Johnson’s Coach and Bus Travel.
Showcasing the most impressive, talented and innovative family-owned businesses, the 12 winners and 22 highly commended companies of the 10th Midlands Family Business Awards were selected from 51 previously announced finalists and announced at a black-tie award ceremony on Thursday 7 November, at the King Power stadium in Leicester.
Winners of the four new accolades for the 10th Midlands Family Business Awards were Matthew Lymn Rose, managing director of A W Lymn took the winning spot for Next Generation family Business Leader and O’Keeffe Building Services won the new Construction & Property Excellence category. The winner of an extra special new category – Rising Stars - was Derbyshire based Bright Side Vets, who win not only the title, but also a package of specialist support for 2020.
Other successful winners in the Midlands Family Business Awards included global fresh produce grower and trader Jupiter Group for the Corporate Social Responsibility category. Online pharmacy UK Meds were crowned Fastest Growing Family Business and sixth-generation Charles Bentley & Son won the Manufacturing Excellence title, with Andrews Building Supplies scooping Service Excellence.
The Wool Packaging Company was awarded Best Small Family Business and Loughborough-based CR Civil Engineering was crowned Employer of the Year, as well as winning the public vote for the People’s Choice Award.
Organised and backed by The Wilson Organisation - a Midlands-based, third-generation family business – the annual Midlands Family Business Awards celebrate and recognise the success, achievements and innovations of family-run businesses, and raise funds for local charities. Ilkeston-based Lobina Transport took home the special Anniversary Award.
Attended by over 300 guests - including awards finalists, independent judges and sponsors - the awards were bigger than ever as attendees celebrated not just the achievements of the family businesses but also the milestone of the awards; reaching its tenth year of championing family businesses.
To reach the winning and highly commended spots, finalists met with an independent judging panel - led by a family business leader, industry expert and category sponsor - and all finalists were entered into the People’s Choice Award - the only award voted for externally by the public.
Group managing director of The Wilson Organisation, Charlotte Perkins, said: “Being the only independent and not for profit awards of its kind, the Midlands Family Business Awards has a sole focus on celebrating and showcasing the hugely positive impact our regions’ family businesses have on our economy by supporting those companies and building communities of like-minded professionals.
“A huge well done to all those who have been successful tonight – both winners and highly commended– the achievements of your businesses are very impressive and the awards will hopefully be a lasting reminder of that.
“As a not for profit event, it wouldn’t be possible to do what we do without the generous support of our sponsors, many of whom have been involved in the awards for a number of years. We are grateful that so many brilliant firms support us and get involved.”
Over the last 10 years, the Midlands Family Business Awards has raised over £35k for regional charities, and to mark the 10th year the awards will be raising money via a raffle for the award’s chosen charities: Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance and The Midlands Air Ambulance.
Main sponsors of the 2019 awards were OrderWise (headline sponsor), Buckles Solicitors, PwC, Shakespeare Martineau, Streets Chartered Accountants and Ward Recycling.
The full list of winners and highly commended businesses of the 10th Midlands Family Business Awards are:
Family Business of the Year (sponsored by OrderWise)
Winner: The Wilkins Group
HC: Charles Bentley & Son
HC: Johnsons Coach and Bus Travel
Best Small Family Business
Winner: The Wool Packaging Company
HC: Hunts Coach Hire
HC: Petwood Hotel
Construction & Property Excellence
Winner: O'Keeffe Building Services
HC: Andrews Building Supplies
HC: S Brown Paving
Corporate Social Responsibility (Sponsored by Ward Recycling)
Winner: Jupiter group
HC: Bright Side Vets
HC: Oakland International
Employer of the Year (Sponsored by Buckles Solicitors)
Winner: CR Civil Engineering
HC: Total Reclaims Demolition
HC: Trans-Sport.tv
Fastest Growing Family Business (sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers)
Winner: UK Meds
HC: Juice Sauz
HC: Vanilla Underground
Next Generation Family Business Leader (sponsored by Shakespeare Martineau LLP)
Winner: A W Lymn – Matthew Lymn Rose
HC: Global Solutions for Clothing - Harrison Palmer
HC: Streets Heaver – Benedict Heaver
Manufacturing Excellence (sponsored by The Wilson Organisation)
Winner: Charles Bentley & Son
HC: Grayson Thermal Systems
HC: Jointine Products
Rising Stars
Winner: Bright Side Vets
HC: Recruit 2 You
HC: SMART Balustrades
Service Excellence
Winner: Andrews Building Supplies
Special HC: Absolute Works
HC: Johnsons Coach and Bus Travel
People’s Choice
Winner: CR civil engineering
HC: Johnsons coach and bus travel
HC: UK Meds
Anniversary Award
Winner: Lobina Transport