The Northern Stars of 2011An organisation which has given generations of service to the North-east of Scotland had its contribution officially recognised last night when it was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce’s Northern Star Business Awards ceremony and dinner.
The award was introduced for the first time last year in recognition of outstanding, on-going commitment and achievement and Aberdeen Harbour Board, listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the UK’s oldest business, has been an integral part of the region for more than nine centuries. Established mid-way through the 12th century, the Harbour’s contribution is greater than ever. It now generates more than £420million annually for the region’s economy and over the past 40 years it has invested more than £200million in its infrastructure and development with a further £65million planned over the next few years. Harbour Chief Executive Colin Parker and Chairman of the Board Chris Lloyd, picked up the prestigious award at a glittering ceremony in front of 800 guests at the Press and Journal Arena at the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre. Host for the evening was TV presenter Gaby Roslin. She said that the recognition of Aberdeen’s role as one of five UK cities to watch in terms of leading economic recovery and Aberdeenshire’s success in being named as the area with the highest quality of life in Scotland showed that the region had cause for celebration. When asked about the Awards Bob Collier, Chief Executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce said: “The 2011 Northern Star Awards showed once again why the North-east continues to punch well above its weight in terms of economic contribution to Scotland and the UK as a whole. The Awards bring together the brightest and best in the region recognising the hard work of both individuals and companies who are leading the way within their own companies or sectors. “This year saw a rise of over 20% in nominations for the Awards, but more importantly than the rise in volume was the high quality of entries. Our team of judges made up of the Chamber’s Board, Council and representatives from all sectors of business had a difficult task in narrowing down the entries to the finalists, and the almost impossible task of selecting the overall winners. “This year we received feedback from previous winners of the Northern Star Business Awards who had experienced a growth in sales and revenue which they put down to increased exposure and business opportunities following their success. These awards are all about promoting business in the North-east and I hope this year’s pool of winners go on to experience similar successes in the year ahead.” The award to the Harbour was the first presented in what was a night of celebration, with a further 13 awards being presented across a range of business disciplines and sectors. The Overall Global Business of the Year Award went to qedi which has achieved remarkable success in the oil & gas industry, trebling its workforce over the last three years and achieving a 35% annual growth rate over the past six years. The Overall Medium Business of the Year was AMC Engineering. The Findon-based company has seen turnover increase from £1.4million to £14 million since 2004 and staff numbers rising from 12 to 80. Ellon-based LFH Engineering Ltd picked up the Overall Small Business of the Year Award. Launched in March 2010 following a management buyout, the company has enjoyed a remarkable first 18 months in business. Also proving that you don’t have to be a big company to become a Northern Star, the newly introduced Best Campaign Award was won by Limetree (formerly Fruition), a small marketing consultancy which has around a third of its clients based in the Third Sector. Its winning campaign helped environmental charity Aberdeen Forward raise its profile and increase its annual turnover by more than 130% in one year. The first winner of the new Outstanding Contribution to Society Award was Wood Group PSN which provided significant support to help Glencraft reopen in 2010 and has since led a charitable fundraising campaign which has already brought in more than £250,000. The winners of the new Green Award didn’t have far to go to pick up the award. The AECC, venue for the ceremony, picked up the award in recognition of a range of sustainable measures it has introduced. The Energy Award, the fourth new award introduced for 2011, went to Titan Torque Services which has had an outstanding 12 months increasing turnover by 90% and doubling the size of its Aberdeen base. The Achievement in International Business Award went to Hydrasun Group Limited which has done business in a number of new areas over the past 12 months including Australia, Egypt, Angola, Ghana and Brazil. Entier Ltd, a finalist last year in the Overall Medium Business of the Year category, won this year’s Commitment to People Development Award for initiatives including its Fresh Olives scheme, a pioneering chef apprenticeship aimed at fourth-year school leavers. The company was also a finalist in the 2011 Overall Global Business of the Year category. A review of its customer service strategy paid off for DF Communications who were this year’s winner of the Excellence in Customer Service Award. The company’s customer care approach resulted in a 30% rise in business. Commitment to Innovative Use of Research and Development, the key to success for many companies, was won by Inverurie-based Zenith Oilfield Technology Ltd. The award recognises the impact which its pioneering new product, the Z-sight, is having on the company’s growth. This Rising Star Award winner this year was Rajini Sokhi who has literally revolutionised how Active Sustainable Energy Systems is run since being appointed renewables manager last year. The value of students being offered work experience is highlighted in one of the most keenly contested awards of the evening. Finalists for the Student Placement Award are nominated by students on placement and this year’s winner FirstGroup plc was nominated by Dorota Rubis, who is studying BA (Hons) in Management at the Robert Gordon University. Dorota has since been offered a post at FirstGroup. Entertainment on the evening was provided by Turriff Pipe Band and Souls of Prophecy Gospel Choir.
Northern Star Business Awards Finalists 2011
Lifetime Achievement Award – sponsored by Aberdeen City Council
Student Placement Award – sponsored by Robert Gordon University
Rising Star Award – sponsored by ARR Craib Transport Ltd
Energy Award - sponsored by BG Group
Green Business Award – sponsored by Aberdeen Energy & Innovation Parks
Achievement in International Business Award - sponsored by Aberdeen Harbour
Commitment to People Development Award - sponsored by Aberdeenshire Council
Outstanding Contribution to Society Award - sponsored by BP
Best Campaign Award – sponsored by Ledingham Chalmers Awarded to the company that has planned and implemented a successful marketing campaign for a customer
Excellence in Customer Service Award - sponsored by Bon Accord Payroll Services
Commitment to Innovative Use of Research & Development Award – sponsored by Harrison Goddard Foote
Overall Small Business of the Year Award – sponsored by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce
Overall Medium Business of the Year Award – sponsored by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce
Overall Global Business of the Year Award – sponsored by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce
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