Cream of North Tyneside businesses celebrated

The best of North Tyneside’s small to medium-sized businesses were recognised and rewarded last week, when the winners of the North Tyneside Business Awards 2013 were announced.

Organised by North Tyneside’s Business Forum and hosted by comedian Brendan Healy, the event was attended by over 200 leading figures from the region’s business community, who gathered at the Village Hotel on Cobalt Business Park to celebrate the winners of the eight award categories.

Welcoming everyone to the event, Norma Redfearn, Elected Mayor of North Tyneside, said: “The North Tyneside Business Awards provide an opportunity for us to reflect on local businesses and the role they play in the life and communities of North Tyneside.

“Business is fundamental to our economic future – it is the lifeblood of our society, providing vital services and benefits to our residents and much-needed employment opportunities for our workforce and our young people.

“I am delighted to see so many local companies here tonight, representing the best of the creativity, endeavour and entrepreneurship in North Tyneside. I wish all our finalists every success and we look forward to continuing to develop our long standing relationship with the business community in the future.”

Patrick Melia, chief executive of North Tyneside Council, added: “As a council we want to support businesses of all sizes to grow and develop, and celebrate their contribution to our economy.”

“These annual awards highlight the excellence, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of North Tyneside’s companies, demonstrating the rich diversity of talent that we have in the borough.

The winners and runners-up from each of the eight award categories were:

Green Business Award

Winner: Infinite Playgrounds

Runners-up: House of Objects and Your Local Larder

A leading design-and-build natural playground specialist, this company’s playgrounds are in great demand and can be seen in schools and public spaces across the country. Their ethos is based upon using unique and innovative materials and processes. This approach has filled a gap in the market and captured the zeitgeist of education. Using beautiful materials such as oak and robinia, their designs allow children to connect with their natural surroundings.

Manufacturing Business Award

Winner: Motech Engineering

Runners-up: NRF Flooring and North East Engraving & Signs

North Shields–based Motech Engineering is mainly involved in steel fabrication and specialises in the manufacture of rotational mould tools. Diversity is key to Motech’s success, securing contracts with supply companies in the North East automotive and building and civil engineering sectors.

Service Sector Award

Winner: CRS Dispense Solutions

Runners-up: Day8 Productions and e-achieve Ltd

CRS Dispense Solutions serves the dispense and brewing sectors from their purpose-built remanufacture facility. It provides a wide range of services from keg coupler refurbishment to the production of multi-dispense units - which can pour up to twelve pints of beer in four seconds! Earlier this year, the companysupported the Hyde Park British Summer Time Festival, serving over 250,000 thirsty customers!

Construction Business Award

Winner: Team Build Construction

Runners-up: Mr Paintbrush and kyoob

Team Build Construction is a family-run business operating throughout the UK construction industry since 2003. During this time the company has rapidly built up an enviable reputation for customer service. Working with the local supply chain, they deliver cost effective, sustainable construction solutions whatever the project size or location – which has lead to a 96 percent track record of work obtained from repeat business and recommendations.

Business Start-Up Award

Winner: Low Cost Parcels Ltd

Runners-up: Wallsend Hall and Cullercoats Brewery Ltd

Low Cost Parcels Ltd, a rapidly expanding logistics company, has focussed on building up a strong customer base in its first year of trading, using innovative IT solutions which are developed in-house. The company’s ‘think different’ ethos is applied across all areas of the business with a dedication to providing great customer experience and improved efficiencies for their clients’ logistical needs as a result of the creative platforms and working practices.

Top of the Shops Wallsend

Winner: John Day Greengrocers

This small family-run business, which has been established in the town for over 40 years, was praised by its regulars for going the extra mile to please its valued customers. Its community spirit is also well known by local shoppers, often taking part in joint charity initiatives with other retailers. Many of their customers say they wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Top of the Shops North Shields

Winner: Hoults Pork Butchers

This successful family-run butcher’s shop, which has been serving North Shields residents for over 50 years, aims to provide its customers top quality, fresh food at an affordable price. Their motto is ‘Quality, Civility and Service’ and they are proud that many of their customers are third generation, having served their parents and grandparents too. Their long-serving workforce, some of whom have been with the company since it opened, have built up a good rapport with customers – in fact many of their products have been developed as a result of their customers’ requests.

Top of the Shops Whitley Bay

Winner: 129 Coffee Shop

This coffee shop serves a wide range of refreshments and homemade food to the hungry shoppers in Whitley Bay. 129 endeavours to provide a friendly and relaxed atmosphere and many customers said they appreciated the home-from-home feel of the coffee shop and like to go there if they are feeling lonely.

Top of the Shops North Tyneside 2013

Winner: Hoults Pork Butchers

The judges were overwhelmed by the number of votes this company received from its clients for excellent customer service as well as its longstanding commitment to the town centre.

North Tyneside Business of the Year 2013

Winner: Infinite Playgrounds

The judges were delighted to award the overall prize for North Tyneside Business of the Year was to Infinite Playgrounds. The panel were particularly impressed by the company’s rapid growth since its conception in 2009 despite a tough economic climate. The business has grown from strength to strength, increasing its workforce, premises and projects by almost threefold in the last year alone.

Reflecting on their success, Helen Law, creative director of Infinite Playgrounds, said: “I am delighted to receive both of these awards on behalf of our team. Being awarded North Tyneside Business of the Year is fantastic recognition and we are very proud of what our company has achieved in such a short time.

“We believe we are the only company approaching playground design in this way and we are proud to be the leading providers of cutting edge learning environments nationwide from our base in North Tyneside“.

Peter Hedley, chair of the North Tyneside Business Forum said: “Congratulations must go to all the winners and runners-up on their success. The judges were extremely impressed by the standard of this year’s applications, and in particular the achievement of the winners in what has been a challenging but successful year for businesses in North Tyneside.

“The Business Forum is proud to continue its long association with the North Tyneside Business Awards. They have grown each year and that’s really a general reflection of the resilience, strength and diversity of the business community in our borough.

“I would also like to acknowledge this year’s sponsors; North Tyneside Council, Balfour Beatty WorkPlace, Capita, North Tyneside Strategic Partnership, TyneMet College and Ixion. Without our sponsors and supporters the awards would not be possible and I would like to thank them for their generosity and commitment.”