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Hosted by British athletics legend Steve Cram CBE, the 2019 North East Entrepreneurial Awards honoured the many business success stories in the region, recognising those who are driving growth, creating jobs and ultimately making the North East a place of prosperity where successful companies are established and scale-up.
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EMERGING TALENT
Dan Martin
Dan Martin was presented the Emerging Talent award for his success so far with Elmtronics. An electrician by trade, when Dan discovered the rising market of electronic vehicles, he quit his day job and launched Elmtronics in 2014 with just a van for an office and £500 investment. In just five years, Dan has grown the business from a small start-up supplier into a UK-wide operation, working with some of the largest councils, NHS Trusts and private companies across the UK.
MENTOR OF THE YEAR
Graham Sleep
Graham Sleep was presented with the Mentor of the Year accolade in recognition of his work with multiple North East entrepreneurs and business professionals. Those who have worked closely with Graham described him as a ‘fantastic mentor’ and a ‘great visionary’ whose support and guidance has enhanced career progression and overall business performance. Raising £5,000 for local charity COCO (Comrades of Children Overseas), around 400 people attended the celebratory diner at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead and the five categories of the Awards, held in partnership with Fairstone Group, were supported by Ward Hadaway, The Malhotra Group, IA Growth, North East Growth Hub and Brewin Dolphin, with Ithica Films and Westray Recruitment supporting the brochure and networking.
SCALE-UP AWARD
Toby Bridges
The 2019 Scale-up Award was presented to Toby Bridges of the NBT Group. Toby took over the 111-year-old family business during the recession of 2008 and has led the company through an extreme transformation. Once a wholesale distribution company, the NBT Group are now a supply chain management tech company. Since 2015 turnover has increased from £3m to £14m while the number of employees has jumped from 12 to nearly 50.
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Tony Cleary
Tony Cleary was presented with the Entrepreneur of the Year award for his business, Lanchester Group. Tony and his wife Veronica set up Lanchester Wines in their living room in 1980 and have since grown it into one of the UK’s leading suppliers of quality wine and spirits to the trade. Over the years, the Cleary’s portfolio has expanded and includes several leading businesses including Greencroft Bottling and Lanchester Gifts.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Lorna Moran OBE
Founder of NRG, Lorna Moran OBE, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award. Lorna began her working life as a recruitment consultant before founding Geordie Job Finders in 1976, which later became NRG. Lorna also co-founded the Entrepreneurs’ Forum in 2003 with the aim of providing inspiration and a helping hand to established North East entrepreneurs. Her work with cancer charity Maggie’s was also applauded, and in particular, her tireless fundraising for their centre of excellence, the Maggie’s Cancer Centre.
