The National Business Awards for Scotland 2008

The National Business Awards for Scotland 2008

In July this year I was asked to be a judge in the National Business Awards for Scotland, the category was The VisitScotland Tourism Business of the Year award. All the finalists gave a presentation and we had a copy of their financial figures and statistics.

My fellow Judges were Dr Donald Macleod, Crichton Tourism Research Centre, Glasgow University, Ben Carter from VisitScotland, Brian Jukes Chairman Edinburgh C.I.M., august company indeed.

The finalists were The National Trust for Scotland: the Culloden Centre. Heritage Portfolio a premiere Hospitality company based in Edinburgh, Nae Limits a specialist adventure sports company based in Pitlochry .The Real Mary King's Close,located in Edinburgh. The Scottish Sea Bird Centre in North Berwick ,East Lothian.

So Edinburgh and the east of Scotland did particularly well in the finalists shortlist.

The Judges were unanimous in their choice of the winner:The Scottish Sea Bird Centre which was a very worthy winner. Had we had to choose a second or a third position it would have been a very different and difficult task as they were all very close in marks and position, and they were all of an equally high standard, which bodes well for the future of the tourist business in Scotland. We are all very worried about business in Scotland at this moment in time, but these Awards and their recipients showed that there is a strong light at the end of the tunnel, and this was a comfort and a pleasure to behold.

John Ritchie Editor

N.B.Below are the Press release and the Final results of the Awards which were held last Thurday the 11th of September in the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow

PRESS RELEASE DATE: 11TH SEPTEMBER 08

- WINNERS ANNOUNCED -

THE NATIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS FOR SCOTLAND 2008

James Watt and Martin Dickie - BrewDog, Lloyds TSB Scotland, beCogent and Kwik-Fit Insurance Services are among the companies whose successful feats of business and commerce were celebrated at the 2008 National Business Awards for Scotland, sponsored by Orange. More than 500 business leaders, press and other VIPs attended the glittering gala ceremony and dinner tonight (Thursday 11th September) at the Hilton Glasgow Hotel hosted by BBC's David Robertson.

The 2008 campaign has been the strongest fought to date and its total entry in Scotland has a combined turnover in excess of £65bn, employing over 200,000 people, generating over 36k profit per employee.

The National Business Awards for Scotland recognises and rewards excellence, innovation and success. Uniquely open to organisations of all sizes and from any industry sector - public or private - the best of Scottish businesses are able to showcase their achievements and benchmark their successes against firms and bodies of all types.

Philip Forrest, Chairman of Judges The National Business Awards for Scotland said:
"The 2008 entry defied the reported atmosphere of doom and gloom about the economy and produced another outstandingly high quality entry. Every category, without exception, contained organisations of such quality that the competition for finalists places could have been fulfilled twice over.

"The outlook of almost all of the finalists also remained healthy although an element of caution has been built into their forward planning, however as far as 2008 is concerned it is another very competitive year with another difficult period ahead for the judges in deciding which of the outstanding organisations to select as the final winner. Whether winner, finalist or entrant there is, from this year's entry, still a great deal of evidence that there is plenty of vigour and appetite for success in UK plc."

The Orange Best Use of Technology in Business Award went to Bright Grey, the specialist protection arm of Royal London, the UK's largest mutual insurer. Bright Grey was launched in March 2003 with the aim to tailor and deliver best practice and product services for protection insurance in addition to offer a flexible menu of life and critical illness insurance through intermediaries. Bright Grey fared particularly well this year by also winning the The Atos Origin Business Innovation of the Year Award, duly awarded for its proven ability to create and develop innovations that has substantially improved the firm's commercial performance.

The prestigious Logica Leadership Award went to Martin Oliver, Managing Director, Kwik-Fit Insurance Services. Since taking up the role of Managing Director, Martin Oliver has trebled turnover and profits and driven customer numbers to over half a million at Kwik-Fit Insurance Services. Oliver has pushed for a focus on online sales and as a result Kwik-Fit Insurance now features on the top of all major price comparison sites and has been recognised as the cheapest online insurer for motor in the UK for two years running. Kwik-Fit Insurance has also mastered the art of keeping its staff happy and was duly rewarded with the title of ‘Employer of the Year' at the National Business Awards for Scotland in 2007.

James Watt and Martin Dickie, founders of Scottish microbrewery, Brewdog Ltd, won The Tenon Entrepreneur of the Year Award, by best demonstrating exceptional vision and leadership. The duo first set up Brewdog Ltd in Fraserburgh in February 2007 combining Martin's enthusiasm for beer and a first class honours degree in brewing, with James' expertise in sales and marketing. Brewdog Ltd quickly established a reputation for producing a range of alternative ales including The Physics, Hop Rocker, Rip Tide, Paradox and Punk IPA brands.

Lloyds TSB Scotland, subsidiary of Lloyds TSB Group plc, triumphed with double victory winning both The Corporate Social Responsibility Award and The Denholm Customer Focus Award. Operating as a separately registered Bank, LTSBS is one of four clearing Banks in the highly competitive Scottish market, the only one whose market focus is primarily Scotland. Over 5 years, the Bank has doubled in size, increased market share across key business lines and delivered impressive CSR strategies whilst keeping customer focus at the heart of its business.

Impressing the judges with its exceptional financial returns, strong growth and innovation strategies, Airdrie-based beCogent, the leading UK provider of outsourced contact centre services, followed suit by winning both The Hymans Robertson Business of the Year Award and the The Weber Shandwick Employer of the Year Award.

Other successful companies based in Edinburgh were: Petroleum Experts winning The Danwood Growth Strategy of the Year Award and Maximillion taking home The Hilton Environmental Awareness Award.

Glasgow's First Scotrail took the The Marketing Strategy of the Year Award, Denvir, based in Stirling, was honoured with the The Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year Award and East Lothian Scottish Seabird Centre won The VisitScotland Tourism Business of the Year Award.

Mark Smith, Head of Business Sales, Orange Business Services said:

"Congratulations to all 2008 National Business Award for Scotland winners. In the current economic climate it is fantastic to see so many shining examples of business success. It is not an easy task to win a National Business Award, and each of this year's winners have proven that they are an outstanding organisation. We are proud and delighted to be associated with the cream of Scottish enterprise"

To obtain further information and see the full list of finalists please visit www.businessawardsforscotland.com.

THE NATIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS FOR SCOTLAND - 2008

THE WINNERS AND FINALISTS

The Orange Best Use of Technology in Business Award

Winner: Bright Grey - Edinburgh

Finalists: Forestry Commission, Prospect, Standard Life and Sykes Global Services

The Atos Origin Business Innovation of the Year Award

Winner: Bright Grey - Edinburgh

Finalists: Sykes Global Services, Independent Women, Keela International and 442 Design

The Corporate Responsibility Award
Winner: Lloyds TSB Scotland - Edinburgh
Finalists: Radisson SAS, Hotel Edinburgh, ScottishPower, Drivers Jonas, Aberdeen Airport

The Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year Award

Winner: Denvir - Stirling

Finalists: Mackie's of Scotland, Independent Women, Churchill Drilling Tools, SgurrEnergy

The Denholm Customer Focus Award

Winner: Lloyds TSB Scotland - Edinburgh

Finalists: Bright Grey, Capita Business Services - BBC Information, Kwik-Fit Insurance, Dell Corporation

The Danwood Growth Strategy of the Year Award

Winner: Petroleum Experts - Edinburgh

Finalists: Kwik-Fit Insurance, Recruitment Zone, Exakt Precision Tools

Fleet Alliance

The Tenon Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Winner: James Watt and Martin Dickie; BrewDog - Fraserburgh

Finalists: Andrew Churchill, Churchill Drilling Tools, Lesley Collins, Independent Women, Jamie Rae, Redeem, Anthony Banks, Balhousie Care Group

The Hilton Environmental Awareness Award

Winner: Maximillion - Edinburgh

Finalists: Accountant in Bankruptcy, Robert Wiseman Dairies, ScottishPower,

Macphie of Glenbervie

The Hymans Robertson Business of the Year Award

Winner: beCogent - Airdrie

Finalists: MediaCom Scotland, Mactaggart & Mickel, Harper Macleod LLP,

Petroleum Experts

The Logica Leadership Award

Winner: Martin Oliver, Managing Director of Kwik-Fit Financial Services - Uddingston

Finalists: Mel Young; President, Homeless World Cup, Anne Moises; Director of IT, Scottish Executive, Alex Linkston; CBE, Chief Executive, West Lothian Council,

Mary Dickson; Managing Director, First Group Rail, Timothy O'Shea; Principal and Vice Chancellor, University of Edinburgh, Stephen Brannan; Director for Abn Amro Integration and Seperation, Royal Bank of Scotland, Martin Oliver; Managing Director, Kwik-Fit Financial Services; George Yule, CEO, Dominion Gas and

Raymond Jack, Operations Director, ScottishPower Retail

The Marketing Strategy of the Year Award

Winner: First Scotrail - Glasgow

Finalists: National Galleries of Scotland, Companies House, Hometech Integration, Horsecross - Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre

The VisitScotland Tourism Business of the Year Award

Winner: Scottish Seabird Centre - East Lothian

Finalists: The National Trust for Scotland, Heritage Portfolio, Nae Limits and

The Real Mary King's Close

The Weber Shandwick Employer of the Year Award

Winner: beCogent - Airdrie

Finalists: Bigmouthmedia, ARAMARK Offshore, Drivers Jonas and Harper Macleod LLP