BOOTHS HAILED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

from Live Preston & Fylde Issue 102 (October 2021)

‘THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN WORLD CYCLING’

This issues Business Hour was actually six hours that Helen Sanderson spent ‘wine-ing’, dining and dancing with the business elite from across Lancashire. The business community came to together on the 17th September, in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom dressed in their finest clothes to celebrate their resilience over the past 18-months. Photography: BIBAs/Clive Lawrence

The Be Inspired Business Awards is the longest running, largest and most prestigious business awards ceremony. Run by the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce the BIBAS is hailed as ‘the one award they all want to win’.

North West supermarket chain Booths was named the Business of the Year in front of a sell-out crowd of more than 1,000 people who were entertained by The Shane Richie Band, fronted by the Eastenders’ actor who performed a lively selection of hit songs from the 80s.

Babs Murphy, chief executive of the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce which organises the awards, said the event was “a perfect celebration” after a tough 18-months for the county’s business community during the Covid-19 pandemic. The last time it was held was in 2019.

She said: “Lancashire businesses have used innovation, enthusiasm and sheer hard work to overcome so many challenges over the past 18-months, and The BIBAs was the perfect way to recognise them.

“Regardless of the sector they are in or the size of the business we have had to dig deep and rely on the character of our people to get us through this tough period.

“Now we are hopefully coming out of the other side we can use the inspiration of all those businesses involved in the BIBAs to help return us to growth.”

Northern food and drink retailer Booths won the top prize of business of the year. Graham Booth, Director said: “It has been an incredibly difficult 18-months for everyone, this award comes as something of a recognition for all the hard work everyone has put in. We are delighted to have won this honour.”

For the first time, the awards judging team decided against presenting its annual lifetime achievement award, Lancastrian of the Year, instead focussing on recognising the achievements of the companies across the county. Babs said: “The successes we celebrated at The BIBAs were a recognition of a real collective success by so many people, it did not seem right to single out an individual this year.”

Despite the relaxation of restrictions around gatherings, the BIBAs’ organisers still had restrictions in place with all guests showing negative Covid-19 test results upon arrival. Inside the Tower Ballroom, all guests had access to hand sanitiser on their tables to ensure all attendees remained safe.

The night belonged to those Lancashire businesses which had overcome adversity, including the owners of the Longlands Hotel near Carnforth, which collected the Most Resilient Business of the Year award sponsored by UCLan Business. Other winners on the night included Preston chemicals firm Evans Vanodine which won the Family Business of the Year, Lancaster textiles firm Standfast and Barracks which collected the Manufacturer of the Year and Preston Vocational Centre, the winner of the Education Establishment of the Year. Ross Brown of Lytham-based Melling Performance Springs won the Apprentice of the Year prize and Blackburn-based Sales Geek was named the Scale Up Business of the Year.

The night was hosted by top business commentator and former investment banker Justin Urquhart-Stewart with Lancashire-based international opera star Sean Ruane performing for the audience, and celebrity Shane Ritchie entertaining guests until the early hours. Justin Urquhart-Stewart said: “This night was about what Lancashire business have achieved in the past year. Lancashire has always had a great spirit as shown throughout the pandemic. The winning businesses have proved the red rose is blooming!”

Each award came with a cheque of £2,000 for the winning businesses to invest in a project of their choice. Booths have decided to donate their fund to the Harris Charity of which the original EH Booth was a founder in 1883. The Harris Charity helps young people in hardship move forward in life.

Edwin Booth, Chair and CEO of Booths says: “My great, great grandfather Edwin Henry Booth believed in giving back. Orphaned at the age of 11, by age 19 he was a tea dealer, opening his first shop in Blackpool. He found what he excelled at and became a founding trustee of the Harris Orphanage, now the Harris Charity, which supports young persons in difficulty, ensuring that talents are not constrained through lack of opportunity. It seems fitting that winning an award in Blackpool, just a few yards from the very beginnings of Booths, should be reinvested to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.” n

THIS NIGHT WAS ABOUT WHAT LANCASHIRE BUSINESS HAVE ACHIEVED IN THE PAST YEAR. LANCASHIRE HAS ALWAYS HAD A GREAT SPIRIT AS SHOWN THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC

THE WINNERS

Business of the Year: Booths Digital & Marketing Business of the Year: Soap Media Innovative Business of the Year: Levity Crop Science Medium Business of the Year: Cherry Tree Bakery Community Business of the Year: Pendleside Hospice Green Business of the Year: Old Holly Farm Micro-Business of the Year: Hoofcount Family Business of the Year: Evans Vanodine Construction Business of the Year: Elektec Employer of the Year: Service Care Solutions Scale-Up Business of the Year: Sales Geek Most Resilient Business of the Year: Barry Robinson Leisure, Longlands Hotel Global Business of the Year: Levity Crop Science Apprentice of the Year: Ross Brown, Melling Performance Springs Start Up Business of the Year: Scoff Paper Education Establishment of the Year: Preston Vocational Centre Manufacturer of the Year: Standfest & Barracks Service Business of the Year: Cube HR Small Business of the Year: Nutree Life

MATTERS BUSINESS

Business continues to boom across Preston and Fylde

If you have any business news to share then get intouch with the editor at: helen.sanderson@live-magazines.co.uk

LANCASHIRE MANUFACTURER GROWS TURNOVER BY 80% AFTER INNOVATING THROUGH COVID-19

A Lancashire company which manufactures energy management systems has set its sight on continued high growth following rapid expansion over the past 18 months. EnergyAce, based at Buckshaw Village, manufactures energy saving systems, helping businesses to reduce costs and improve their carbon efficiency. The firm has grown around 80 per cent after developing a range of new products and services as its customer base was hit by Covid-19. EnergyAce received support through the pandemic from Two Zero’s Scaleup Resurgence programme and the company has now set its sight on continued fast growth over the coming years.

BLACKPOOL HOLIDAY FIRM TOASTS LATEST EXPANSION

A Blackpool-based provider of self-catering holiday accommodation is toasting the staycation boom after its latest expansion allowed it to create jobs and offer guests a new bespoke drinks service. Blackpool Resort has created 24 new jobs since March 2021 and has plans to further expand its property portfolio after witnessing strong demand for quality family accommodation. The company recently secured a premises licence for its Blackpool Resort Coffee Lounge which is next to its Reads Court apartments just off Central Drive. The company secured its licence with help from the leisure and licensing team at Lancashire-based law firm Harrison Drury solicitors. MEDIATION SERVICES NOW AVAILABLE

Nineteen Legal, Preston’s bespoke legal service now offers mediation services. Headed up by Jane Peters, an accomplished Commercial Lawyer and Mediator who is also a Magistrate sitting in the Family Court. Having qualified as a commercial/corporate solicitor over 25 years’ ago with a national law firm, in 2005 she became Senior In-House Counsel for manufacturing company with a turnover of £40M. She formed Nineteen Legal in 2011 offering a bespoke legal service to the SME market. Nineteen Mediate was launched this year to provide mediation solutions to business and the consumer market. Jane is a CMC (Civil Mediation Council) Registered Mediator is experienced in both civil/commercial and workplace mediation.

A BIG BOOST FOR BUSINESS IN LANCASHIRE

Thousands of businesses have accessed support from Boost, Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, which has helped them to grow. A report to Lancashire County Council’s Cabinet has outlined some of the key achievements from Boost’s successful programme. Boost helps Lancashire business owners and leaders to find the right support for their business. It also delivers a number of funded programmes for start-up, established and fast-growing businesses. During the Covid-19 lockdown, Boost also reconfigured its support to help businesses to deal with the effects of the pandemic. From January 2019 to the end of June 2020, more than 2,770 businesses accessed Boost’s services and support for the first time, which involved a diverse group of businesses, not just repeat users. Boost helped to support an increase in employment numbers in 567 supported enterprises. MHA MOORE AND SMALLEY WELCOMES 22 NEW STAFF IN CLASS OF 2021 TRAINEE INTAKE

Preston-headquartered accountancy and business advisory firm MHA Moore and Smalley has recruited 22 new staff members as part of its 2021 trainee and apprentice intake. The new recruits have joined across the firm’s Manchester, Preston, Blackpool, Lancaster and Kendal offices and will be part of its corporate services and tax teams. It is one of MHA Moore and Smalley’s largest ever intakes of graduates and apprentices with the firm seeing record interest in the positions available. The firm will now support them as they go through their training and qualifications, as well as helping them to gain vital experience of working with clients.

SUCCESSFUL FUNDED PEER TO PEER PROGRAMME IS BACK FOR LANCASHIRE BUSINESSES

A successful business support programme which allows Lancashire business owners and managers to learn from each other, improve their business performance and gain insight from private sector experts is set to return to the county. Peer Networks, which is being funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, is led locally by Boost, Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub. It starts in September, nearly 12 months after 300 business leaders took part in the first Peer Networks programme in October 2020. Peer Networks will bring together 35 groups of 11 business leaders to solve common challenges and create powerful long-term networks. The groups will be facilitated by key organisations from Lancashire’s business support community including the Northern Automotive Alliance, Northern Power Women and Marketing Lancashire. PLANS APPROVED FOR £5M BLACKPOOL AIRPORT ENTERPRISE ZONE SPORTS FACILITIES

Plans have been approved for phase two of the development for new sports facilities at the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone. Blackpool Council and Fylde Borough Council have approved proposals for new changing rooms, a new 3G sports pitch, a replacement grass rugby pitch and training area on land off Common Edge Road in Marton, Blackpool. The proposed new sports facilities, designed by Preston architects Cassidy + Ashton, also include a new changing and spectator pavilion and reconfigured car parking to accommodate 194 cars. The approved application represents the second phase of planned improvements to the sporting facilities and follows the approval in 2020 for the creation of 12 grass pitches to the south of Division Lane.

So it powers from 0-62mph in just five seconds? Most impressive. And it reaches a top speed of 157mph? Wow, sounds like a proper sporty motor.

Delivers up to 91 mpg and up to 1605 litres of boot space. Really? That’s incredible.

And now you’re telling me it’s an E-Hybrid? Sorry, totally implausible.

Oh, hang on, are we talking Porsche? Well, why didn’t you just say that in the first place?

Impressive, sporty, incredible, ground breaking – yes, definitely sounds Porsche.

And the Cayenne E-Hybrid certainly represents all that is great about the world-famous brand. A mix of sustainability and driving dynamics, absolutely guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of all true sports car enthusiasts.

For this superb motor represents true hybrid technology – developed on the race track – with outstanding fuel efficiency and space for the whole family.TICKING ALL THE BOXES Let’s take a closer look. Irrespective of the car you drive or how good you consider it to be, you are unlikely to have come across the build quality of a modern Porsche and the fit, Developed on the race track, the Cayenne E-Hybrid is a magnificent kit and finish of the Cayenne E-Hybrid example of Porsche engineering. Paul Agnew takes it on a test drive is quite magnificent. to find out more. Photography: Roger Moore A MIX OF SUSTAINABILITY AND DRIVING DYNAMICS, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEED TO BRING A SMILE TO THE FACE The traditional German attention to detail is everywhere you look and touch – solid and chunky, yet big on detailed design and oozing style. Dig a little deeper to find plenty of the very latest technology. Let’s take most of what goes on under the bonnet as read. This is, after all, a proven member of the Porsche family. Inside the cabin the highlights are many.

Top of the list is the 12.3 inch touchscreen that sits slap bang in the middle of the dash, along with many of the hybrid controls. The screen is responsive with all the information/entertainment you could wish for. The home screen can even be personalised to help even further with your navigation.

The model I ‘tested’ (‘enjoyed’ would be far nearer the truth) was an all-wheel drive, automatic in jet black metallic with a power output of 340 kW/ 462 hp.

Complete with panoramic roof system, Porsche logo LED door courtesy lights, adaptive air suspension, sport tailpipes, power-steering plus, 22 inch wheels in high gloss black, tinted LED main headlights with matrix beam, privacy glass, soft close doors – the list goes on.

Oh, you want more? Okay, ambient lighting, 18-way adaptive front sports seats, side airbags in the rear, heated steering wheel, compass/sports chrono stopwatch instrument dial in white, Porsche crest on the headrests, illuminated door sill guards, 7.2 kW on-board charger with mobile charger connect, keyless ignition, climate control, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, parking sensors, reversing camera and power operated tailgate.

In short, just about everything – although you can upgrade to the Turbo S E-Hybrid for an even sportier design and a few more comforts and gadgets.

As well as all the excitement and ecosensitivity elements, it is also a very safe car to drive. The official Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) crash test delivered it a five-star rating backed up by an incredible 95 per cent score for adult occupant protection.

And now for a closer look at the electric driving and hybrid performance.

We covered some of the data at the outset, but it is worth noting that the Cayenne E-Hybrid has an electric range of up to 30 miles and an electric top speed of 83mph.

The electric motor – linked to the 17.9 kWh battery – is integrated into an eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission. Working in tandem with a 3.0-litre V6 turbocharged petrol engine ensures that what you gain in efficiency (up to 91 mpg) and low CO2 emissions (71g/km) you certainly don’t lose in performance. Be in no doubt, this is a speedy and powerful car. The battery can last between three to five years, depending on weather conditions and driving habits and charging is both simple and easily available.

The Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid is every inch a car for the here and now. Show me a box and I’ll enter a tick. n

BE IN NO DOUBT, THIS IS A SPEEDY AND POWERFUL CAR