Manufacturers Sheffield Forgemasters, Gripple and Framptons are part of a group of 25 UK companies that have been nominated for the 2011 European business awards sponsored by HSBC.
The independent awards were founded in 2006 as a way to celebrate excellence in innovation and best practice across Europe. The awards are split into two groups of countries and 185 nominees from the first group – which includes the UK – have now been announced. The nominees from the second category will follow in July.
Judges will then choose the best 100 companies to receive a Ruban d’Honneur award across ten different categories:
The Award for Environmental and Corporate Sustainability
The Award for Customer Focus
The Employer of the Year Award
The International Growth Strategy of the Year Award
The Entrepreneur of the Year Award
The Award for Innovation
The Import/Export Award
The Business of the Year Award (Turnover €0-25m)
The Business of the Year Award (Turnover €26-150m)
The Business of the Year Award (Turnover €150m+)
Sheffield based nuclear forgings supplier Sheffield Forgemasters has been nominated in the Import/Export category. The company’s chief executive, Graham Honeyman, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be selected to represent the United Kingdom in these prestigious awards.
“The awards showcase some of the best businesses across Europe and it is an honour to be amongst some of the greats, and to recognise Forgemasters as one of the leading organisations in our country and in the engineering field.”
Dairy company Framptons of Somerset is up for the Award for Environmental and Corporate Sustainability.
Ian Harvey, managing director of Framptons, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be selected to represent the UK, and to have our efforts in sustainability and corporate social responsibility recognised by the European Business Awards. We’ve been operating for over 110 years in the food industry and it’s an honour to be recognised as one of the leading organisations in our country and in our field.
“The European Business Awards is widely recognised as the showcase for Europe’s most dynamic companies. We’re looking forward to the next round of the competition where we’ll be competing across Europe to receive a Ruban d’Honneur and hopefully win the category for Environmental and Corporate Responsibility.”
Wire joiner maker Gripple, also of Sheffield and a recent Queen’s Award winner, is nominated but has not revealed which categories it has entered. Charles Morgan, managing director of quintessentially English car maker Morgan Motor Company has also been put forward.
Susan Haird, acting chief executive of UK Trade & Investment, said: “Companies that are able to keep their work fresh and innovative, whilst still responding to the needs and demands of their customers, are an inspiration. Seeing so many listed here today from across Europe shows the standard that has been set and the competitiveness of the Awards being given. I wish all the entrants great success.”
The Ruban d’Honneur recipients will be announced on July 28 and a gala awards presentation ceremony takes place in Barcelona on November 22 where the overall category winners will also be announced.
The full list of UK nominees is as follows:
BrainJuicer Group PLC
Centrica
Robyn and Tim Jones, CH&Co Catering Ltd
Econsultancy
Ecotricity Group Limited
Framptons Limited
Greenlight
Lafarge Aggregates & Concrete UK
Darius Steponavicius, Lumena Commercial Ltd
Rackspace Ltd
Submarine Manufacturing & Products Ltd
Sykes Global Services
Telecity Group
Ten Group
The Chemistry Group
Virgin Trains
Weir & Carmichael Ltd
Willmott Dixon Group
Gripple Ltd
Harrods Ltd
Lebara Limited
Charles Morgan, Morgan Motor Company Ltd
Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd.
The Berkeley Group plc
Trimega Laboratories Limited
