This year 19 trophies were awarded to delighted companies and entrepreneurs at the Courier Business Awards – here are all the winners.
More than 600 guests attended the awards, held in association with Henderson Loggie, at Apex City Quay Hotel in Dundee.
Comedian Ed Byrne hosted this year’s event.
The top Business of the Year prize went to Balhousie Care Group.
Judges remarked on the firm’s strong leadership and determination to raise standards in the care industry.
Our Outstanding Contribution award was awarded to Stagecoach co-founders Sir Brian Souter and Dame Ann Gloag.
More comment and reaction can be found here.
Courier Business Awards 2022 winners
Apprentice Award sponsored by D&A College
Winner – Lucy Morrison, NCR
- Lucy said: “I feel absolutely overwhelmed. I left school at 15, went on to study beauty therapy and now I’m in a technology-based role at one of the largest companies in the world. It’s a fairytale come true. For four years I was working full-time and doing a full-time degree at night – for a long time I was wondering was it really worth it, but now I know it was.”
Business Leader sponsored by Ninja Kiwi
Winner – Tony Banks, Balhousie Care Group
- Terry Banks, Tony’s sister, said: “It’s great recognition for the work Tony has put into the business over all the years. He is trying to take a step back and this award is quite a fitting way for him to bow out. We have tried to deliver the best level of service of care for all our clients and this is well deserved for him.”
Community sponsored by Insights
Winner – Dundee Bairns
- Project coordinator Genna Millar said: “I’m absolutely over the moon delighted that we have won tonight. It means everything, it’s recognition for all the hard work we’ve done. There’s been a lot of real passion and dedication going into what we do and it’s so great to have that recognition for the charity but also our volunteers.”
Family – Dundee & Angus sponsored by Thorntons
Winner – Gillies
- Managing director Ian Philp said: “We’re absolutely over the moon to win the Dundee and Angus family award. We had some fantastic competition this year and we’re really delighted. It is well-deserved recognition for all the team – we couldn’t do it without them.”
Family – Fife sponsored by Thorntons
Winner – Fisher & Donaldson
- Eric Milne said: “I’ve never entered any awards, but I’ve been pushed in by my younger family to do awards this year and they’ve done a very good job with it. I’m staggered. They’re going to be able to use this to push Fisher & Donaldson forward over the next generation, that’ll be fantastic for the business.”
Family – Perthshire sponsored by Thorntons
Winner – Auto Services Perth
- Managing director Steve Crozier said: “It’s a great surprise for us as this is the first time we’ve done anything like this, but we’re thrilled to win. We do things differently to others in our sector and this shows that we’ve got it right. It will be great to take the award back to the staff on Monday.”
Family – Overall sponsored by Thorntons
Winner – Fisher & Donaldson
Independent Retail sponsored by Marsh Commercial
Winner – Kerr’s Dairy
- Kelvin Kerr said: “This award means a lot to us, all our staff have worked really hard over the last three or four years. We’ve worked over Covid supporting everybody, since everyone needs milk. We’ve gone out of our way and it’s great to be recognised.”
Innovation sponsored by Research and Innovation Services, University of Dundee
Winner – SoilEssentials
Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality sponsored by Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce
Winner – Carnoustie Golf Links
- Deputy chief executive Adair Simpson said: “This award is not just for us, it’s for all the tourism industry. We all realised through the pandemic that we’ve got to work together. It has been a really challenging time for the whole industry – but we are really over the moon.”
Resilience and Recovery sponsored by Forth Ports
Winner – Balhousie Care Group
- Balhousie operations director Grace Sloan said: “Winning the award hasn’t even sunk in yet. This is for the homes. All 26 of our homes deserve this for all the work they’ve put in over the past two years, which has been a really challenging time.”
Service sponsored by Apex Hotels
Winner – Fresh inc. Medispa
- Founder Elaine Kenneth said: “We pride ourselves on the level of care we provide to our clients and this is great reward for that. We’re absolutely over the moon to have won.”
Small Business sponsored by Elevator
Winner – Clootie McToot Dumplings
- Owner Michelle Maddox said: “I’m thrilled. The award means everything to me and to the staff – many of whom are not able to attend events like this – so we’ll have our own party back at Clootie McToot HQ for all their hard work.”
Social Media sponsored by Purple Imp
Winner – Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance
- Chief executive David Craig said: “This is deserved recognition for all of the hard work that has gone in to our social media. Over the past two years, our social media channels have become an important fundraising tool and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds, which will keep us in the air.”
Technology sponsored by Blackadders
Winner – Broker Insights
- Chief executive Fraser Edmond said: “I feel very excited, I did not expect this. It’s massive, we set this business up as a completely new idea, we built a team in Dundee and I’m so proud of everything we’ve achieved and to be recognised.”
Transition to Net Zero sponsored by Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc
Winner – Forth Ports
- Forth Ports director of energy David Webster said: “It’s amazing to win this award. Our commitment to the transition to net zero has been well recognised, we’ve put a lot of time and effort into it. It’s a combination of a lot of teamwork, a lot of time and a lot of effort into develop what we’ve done and to win is fantastic.”
Young Business sponsored by NCR
Winner – International Testing Services
- Operations director Michael Oates and quality director George Shields said: “We’re blown away. To be nominated and to come away with this is really humbling. It’s much a privilege to be part of this and it’s a lot of hard effort from our employees as well. We’re a service business so it’s solely down to our team that we’ve achieved this.”
Business of the Year sponsored by Henderson Loggie
Winner – Balhousie Care Group
- Operations director Grace Sloan said: “I feel overwhelmed, I can’t believe it. This award is not for us here tonight, this is for the 26 care homes that have given their all over the past two and a half years.”
Outstanding Contribution sponsored by The Courier
Winners – Dame Ann Gloag and Sir Brian Souter, co-founders of Stagecoach
- Sir Brian Souter said: “It’s been an amazing journey. In business you have to choose something you’re passionate about. The Courier Business Awards highlights the importance of family businesses, which creates most of the employment in this country. I want to wish all the winners here all the success for the future.”
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