Bangor Business Awards 2007

Wednesday 2nd May saw the elite of local business come together for the 7th Bangor Business Awards.  The annual event, a key date in the local business diary, solidified its position as the premier corporate event in North Down as once again it attracted more than 400 party goers dressed to the nines enjoying the comedy of Bangor man and compere for the evening Colin Barkely.  Following the awards process guests were able to dance the night away to the music of the Housemates.

 

The evening began with President of the Bangor Chamber of Commerce, Evan Ward, thanking everyone for the tremendous turnout and said, “The awards are all about achieving excellence in business in our local community.  We believe that this should be rewarded and that those people who put something extra into their business should be acknowledged.  Hence the awards we have run now for seven years” 

 

Mr Ward suggested that a changing climate in Northern Ireland had been reflected in the business community and expressed his hope that political stability will bring with it more opportunities.”

 

Mayor of North Down, Councillor Alan Leslie also praised the awards as a chance to take note of local achievement.  “The awards” said the Mayor “provide a valuable opportunity for local firms to celebrate the economic success of the borough and the people who work with in it.”  “They have been well supported since their inception and the interest has grown year on year”

 

Head of Business at this year’s principal sponsor the Northern Bank, Trevor McMillan said “It is a great pleasure for the Northern Bank to once again be the principal sponsor of the Bangor Business Awards.  We’re proud to have been associated with the scheme since it started.  “This evening is now a very important diary entry in the business calendar in North Down and represents an opportunity to showcase and acknowledge significant contributions made by local entrepreneurs and business teams to our local economy.”

 

Following a delicious three course meal finished off with a range of chocolates supplied by Bangor’s own Curious Candy , the reason everyone was in attendance began.

 

The first award of the evening was the highly coveted Best New Business Award which was won by Management Consultancy firm QeBis Ltd who faced stiff competition from finalists Axa Insurance and Leadership Management International.  The Judges, Spotcheck, who are an independent body and subsidiary of WRTC, judge the awards through a mixture of mystery shopping visits, mystery telephone calls, written applications and judging panels, were impressed with QeBis Ltd’s logical approach to business and analysis of future direction.

 

One of the evenings most eagerly contested awards was that of the Best Website, this Year the award went to Basketsgalore, who beat off competition from the Clandeboye Lodge and Wilson Nesbitt.  They demonstrated to the judges how they “have used their website to successfully boost and expand their business while responding well to customer requirements by diversifying into new but related product areas.”

 

Armagh and Down Tourism Partnership were the sponsors of this year’s Best Guest House Award which went to Hebron House B & B for their “combination of exceptional customer service and commitment to the local tourism industry.”  Other finalists in this award were Hargreaves House and the Cairn Bay Lodge.  The evening did however pick up for the Cairn Bay Lodge as they won the Customer Service - Service & Tourism Award and impressed the judges with their “friendly personal and professional manner.”

 

Barnam’s Ice Cream, Clandeboye Lodge and Thermomax battled it out this year for the Business Growth Award.  All three finalists showed significant growth while overcoming challenges but the Judges were impressed with how “the winning company demonstrated how implementing their objectives exceeded targeted growth, and how they continually evaluate and review activities to ensure sustainability.”  The winner being the Clandeboye Lodge.

 

Gems Jewellers beat off competition from finalists Bookends Bookshop and Wallhangers to win the Customer Service - Independent Retailer Award which was one of the events most popular and competitive categories.

 

The People Development Award was this year won by DMS Ireland who demonstrated very clear objectives that had far reaching benefits for both employees and customers.

 

Robert Newberry Bangor Ltd was the winner of the Best Revamped business, beating off competition from quality finalists Primacy Food Village and Bookends Bookshop.  Judges commented that after “investing in research before embarking on a clear course of action to revamp their business.  They have successfully combined their strengths and built on their expertise to enlarge their business and meet the needs in the market place.”

 

Gillian Campbell Estate Agents ended the night triumphant as they picked up the Best Small Business Award, they impressed all the judges by “using a range of activities to sustain and grow their business including an innovative approach to marketing.”

 

Denroy Plastics walked away with the Export Growth in Manufacturing Award “due to their structured and rigorous approach to export planning” while in the Best Licensed Venue Award which was sponsored by North Down Community Safety Partnership, Wolsey’s Bar came out on top as they showed a “combination of awareness of the responsible sale of alcohol, customer safety, good neighbour hood relationships and friendly efficient service made this establishment stand out.”

 

3M tapes were the sponsor of a newly created award - The Positive Environmental Impact Award.  This was awarded to the Flagship Centre after they impressed judges with “how they identified and addressed the challenges they faced and achieved workable outcomes with very positive results.  They were able to describe the benefits achieved through their activities in terms of the environment, the community, the staff and the general public.  They were also able to report significant cost reduction.”

 

Due to the significant number of entries into this year’s Best Eating Establishment Award, this category was divided into two, - table service and counter service.  Ratz Inter-Continental Restaurant came out victorious in the table service award “due to their exceptional service and outstanding food” while in the Counter Service category, the Heatherlea Bakery reigned supreme for its “relaxed atmosphere, attention to detail and the delicious food made the visit for the mystery shopper a treat.”

 

A bit of history was made at this year’s awards, where for the first time there were joint winners of an award.  The judges were unable to separate the Heatherlea Bakery or the North Down Business Village, both being described as Design leaders in their field and the decision was made to award both companies.

 

Arguably the most highly anticipated award of the evening was that of Bangor’s Key Person of the Year which is designed to recognise the unsung heroes of local business who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure their business runs efficiently.

 

This year’s winner was Neil Walker of Feherty Travel who impressed the judges with his ‘attitude to work, attitude to life and his ability to set a great example to everyone.

The final award of the evening was the prestigious Commitment to Bangor Award.  This year the award went to Lynne Vance, Chief Executive and Company Secretary of North Down Development Organisation.  Lynne received her award after being described as “one of the most enthusiastic and effective supporters of business development in Bangor.  Her professionalism and belief have provided inspiration and vital support for companies and many individuals over many years.

For photographs of the evening click here