What the Judges said about the winners of the Growing Business Awards

YOUNG COMPANY OF THE YEAR

Winner: Corndel

Training Provider

What the judges said: “Together with clear, strong leadership and a very impressive business model, Corndel was a stand out winner for the award this year. Not only have they been growing incredibly rapidly year-on-year to date, but the company is incredibly well positioned for the current global situation.”

INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

Winner: Peak

Artificial intelligence provider

What the judges said: “The business demonstrated clear goals and vision with a very innovative product, while collaborating with a good customer base. Peak shows good exploitation of its market and strong growth in revenue.”

SANTANDER TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Winner: The GP Service

Online doctor service

What the judges said: “The GP Service is the only private company to date to be able to access the patient’s NHS medical records, allowing doctors to assess this information during the consultation. The platform is highly scalable and growing strongly.”

ONLINE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Winner: Howsy

Property management company

What the judges said: “The founder seems to really deeply understand the industry he is operating in and the challenges and problems that need to be solved, while at the same time empathizing with both landlords and tenants and understanding their specific needs.”

MICRO BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Winner: NLT Electrical Limited

Electrical engineer

What the judges said: The NLT team are engaged with their customers in a very focused and driven way to drive growth. They have a clear understanding of their customer type and have built a trusting relationship.”

SMALLER COMPANY OF THE YEAR (TURNOVER UP TO £10M)

Winner: bOnline

Telephony services

What the judges said: “bOnline has a credible growth strategy and its products clearly meets the needs of their customers. The business is extremely scalable and has excellent use of automation while providing its clients with comprehensive support.”

SANTANDER SMALLER COMPANY OF THE YEAR (TURNOVER (£10M TO £25M)

Winner: Snag Tights

Online hosiery retailer

What the judges said: “The business has a compelling USP - tights that actually fit - and has considered potential competitor activity. The brand is disruptive and exciting and customers feature in the advertising, making it real and talked about.”

MID-SIZED COMPANY OF THE YEAR (TURNOVER £25M-45M)

Winner: MPB

Online photography retailer

What the judges said: “The business demonstrated a strong compelling vision, excellent growth and strong quantifiable growth ambitions moving forward. It has carved out a strong USP in the market with a very strong value add from their product.”

MID-SIZED COMPANY OF THE YEAR (TURNOVER £45M - £60M)

Winner: Company Shop Group

Online surplus products retailer

What the judges said: “Company Shop Group has clearly demonstrated a strong purpose, and market impact. The business has spotted a gap in the market and has scaled up at impressive speed. They have a strong purpose and fantastic social impact.“

LARGER COMPANY OF THE YEAR (TURNOVER £60M PLUS)

Winner: Reassured

Life Insurance broker

What the judges said: “The significant financial achievements for this company speaks for itself, and what came across very clearly was an organisation driven by an environment of autonomy with a burning desire and passion to create a world class business for its employees, customers and stakeholders.”

THE ECI PARTNERS CONSUMER BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Winner: Farewill

Funeral services provider

What the judges said: “The judges were particularly impressed by the innovative way the business is disrupting a traditional sector with its range of consumer-focused end of life services.”

THE BRIDGES POSITIVE IMPACT AWARD

Winner: WhiteHat

Apprenticeship Provider

What the judges said: “WhiteHat is a hugely impressive company with a very important mission to build a high-quality alternative to university education through apprenticeships. It is democratising access to good careers.”

THE ECI PARTNERS B2B BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Winner: Kubrick

What the judges said: “Kubrick have a clear vision for their business and understand how to capitalise on the market opportunity. They are differentiated through their focus on most in-demand skill areas and have excellent retention and feedback from blue-chip clients.”

FAMILY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Winner: Undercover Brothers (Crep Protect)

Shoecare products brand

What the judges said: “The trio of brothers leading this business showed energy, innovation and vision. Sneakers have gone from being a utility purchase to being a hot trending, fast selling and highly fashion-conscious product and the brothers have leveraged this knowledge, segmented their market and created products to suit.”

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR

Winner: Croud

Digital marketing agency

What the judges said: “Croud impressed in all areas and it’s clear they are very in touch with how their employees feel and what they need to be successful. Their growth as an agency is impressive, as is their resilience.”

MARKET DISRUPTOR OF THE YEAR

Winner: Farewill

Funeral services provider

What the judges said: “Farewill are disrupting a market that is currently completely under-served and they are doing it with style and flair and a deep understanding of their customers needs.”

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND LOYALTY AWARD

Winner: The Company Shop

Online surplus products retailer

What the judges said: “Balancing the social responsibility with commercial success is tricky but The Company Shop seem to be getting it just right. Their growth and performance are very impressive and their impact on society is very high.”

DIGITAL CREATIVE INDUSTRIES BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Winner: Investis Digital

Digital communications provider

What the judges said: “The judges were particularly impressed by the team’s vision for the business and the future, and their singular focus on telling the right story, to the right audience at the right time on the right device.”

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

Winner: Brie Read, Snag Tights

What the judges said: “Brie had great enthusiasm for the business and its future and knows exactly where she wants to take it to. She is a true entrepreneur who saw a problem and had the steely determination to fix it.”