TOP performing businesses took to the virtual stage on Friday at the Spirit of Enterprise Awards, the most prestigious annual celebration of business excellence in the Great Yarmouth borough.
Organised by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, the popular awards aim to recognise and raise the profile of the area’s top-performing businesses, while boosting investor confidence in the strength of the local economy.
While it was not possible this year to hold the usual gala dinner at the Town Hall, the finalists enjoyed an interactive online awards ceremony to find out the winners in each category, who were invited to make a live acceptance speech via the online platform.
The ceremony, hosted by award-winning presenter Lee Derbyshire, saw the King’s Arms in Fleggburgh crowned as 2020 Business of the Year. They were chosen from among the category winners by main sponsor API Microelectronics Ltd, which was the 2018 Business of the Year.
The other award sponsors were P&S Personnel, Norse Group, Barclays PLC, Itron (UK) Ltd, ASCO World, Potters Friends Foundation, GYTABIA, Equinox Enterprises Ltd, and Great Yarmouth Borough Council, plus multi-media sponsor Shaun Lawson Video.
Special crystal trophies were delivered this week to all winners to enable socially-distanced photos to take place. The category winners and sponsors are:
- Employer of the Year – John G. Plummer & Associates – sponsored by P&S Personnel
- Great Customer Service – Branford’s Limited – sponsored by Norse Group
- Director/Business Owner of the Year – Mark Dixon of the King’s Arms Fleggburgh – sponsored by Barclays PLC
- Investing in Future Growth – En-Gen Diesel Products Limited – sponsored by Itron (U.K.) Limited
- SME (Small or Medium Enterprise) of the Year – En-Gen Diesel Products Limited – sponsored by Equinox Enterprises Ltd
- Large Business of the Year – Haven Seashore Holiday Park – sponsored by ASCO World
- Great Community Contribution – The Island Cafe & Boating Lake (Access Community Trust) – sponsored by Potters Friends Foundation
- Great Family Owned – King’s Arm Fleggburgh – sponsored by Great Yarmouth Borough Council
- Leisure and Tourism Business of the Year – Haven Seashore Holiday Park – sponsored by GYTABIA
Mark Dixon, of the King’s Arms, said: “Winning the awards means the world to us. It shows that commitment, hard work and working as a team pays off. I could not be prouder of the King’s Arms family and am looking forward to what the future brings.”
Cllr Carl Smith, the council leader, said: “In addition to boosting investor confidence, the Spirit of Enterprise Awards encourages businesses to be aspirational and proud of the role they play in the local business community.
“After months of anticipation, it was great to see the winners revealed. I would like to again congratulate all the finalists and winners: you are all ambassadors of the many excellent businesses of different sizes and sectors across our borough.
“In a year that has brought additional challenges for everyone, businesses included, it was great to celebrate business success. The virtual awards ceremony ran very well, and I’d like to praise the sponsors and everyone involved in organising this.”