A pair of leading Lancashire companies are in the running for four prizes at one of the county’s leading business awards.
Chemicals firm Evans Vanodine and Blackburn-based Flavour Warehouse, which trades as Vampire Vape, are all up for the prestigious Business of the Year prize at this year’s Be Inspired Business Awards, the BIBAs.
Evans Vanodine, which is based on Walton Summit, is also among the finalists for the awards’ Exporter of the Year, Family Business of the Year, Green Business of the Year categories, with the Flavour Warehouse also on the shortlist for Manufacturer of the Year, Exporter of the Year and Medium Business of the Year awards.
Francis Egan, chief executive of the awards’ headline sponsor Cuadrilla Resources, said each of the awards’ finalists had achieved a great deal to reach the BIBAs ceremony night which takes place at The Blackpool Tower in September.
He said: “Each year we look forward to the BIBAs judging rounds because we get to meet so many inspirational people from businesses across the spectrum of Lancashire’s business community.
“The businesses in the running for the Business of the Year category this year are no exception and the judging panel really struggled to decide which we would put through to the next round of judging.
“It reinforced to me that despite all the challenges which face our businesses every day, there are people out there who are passionate about delivering the best service and the best products to really make a difference.
“That is what Lancashire’s business community is all about, the people who make it so special.”
The other finalists for the headline Business of the Year prize include current holder Utiligroup along with Preston tile supplier Roccia and textiles firm Standfast & Barracks from Lancaster, which are both up for three prizes.
The BIBAs announced the shortlists having conducted its first round of interviews and will get its second round of judging underway later this month.
From June 17, the awards will send its judges out on the road, sponsored by Preston RK Dining, to visit each of its finalists before selecting the winners of its 20 prize categories.
BIBAs 2019 – finalists
Manufacturer of the Year
- Nutree Life
- Scorpion Automotive
- Flavour Warehouse
- Submarine Manufacturing and Products
- Room Makers
- JJO plc
- Pakawaste Group
- Private Label Nutrition
Exporter of the Year
- Evans Vanodine International
- Flavour Warehouse
- Hoofcount
- DB Agencies
- Submarine Manufacturing and Products
- Firesafe Fire Rated Ductwork
- Standfast & Barracks
- Storth
Service Business of the Year
- Suresite Group
- Sunshine Events UK
- Cutting Edge Services
- FTS Merit
- Walton’s Coach Hire
- Lantei
- UK Media & Events
- Viddyoze
Small Business of the Year
- Nextday Freight
- Blackburn Distributions
- JFN Integrated Solutions
- Ground Heat Installations
- The Low Carbon Energy Company
- Relative Insight
- Media Village
- Private Label Nutrition
New Business of the Year
- Nutree Life
- SAS Self Storage
- Cybelé Vélo
- Sales Geek
- Bar Lounge Venues
- Code Galaxy
- Lateo Boutique
- The Small Business Academy
Micro Business of the Year
- Hoofcount
- Direct 4 Baby
- UK Media & Events
- Firth Architects
- Specialist Training & Consultancy Services
- Firesafe Fire Rated Ductwork
- Crowberry Consulting
- Glazey Days Creative Cafe
Leisure & Tourism Business of the Year
- Winter Gardens Blackpool
- Hallmark Hotel Preston Leyland
- Sunshine Events UK
- Merlin Entertainments
- Cybelé Vélo
- Rossendale Leisure Trust
- GetStaffedUK
- Legacy Preston International Hotel
Third Sector Business of the Year
- Burnley FC in the Community
- Pendleside Hospice
- Preston Vocational Centre
- Rossendale Leisure Trust
- UR Potential Community Interest Company
- Blackpool FC Community Trust
- The Sewing Rooms
- Streetwise Youth Community
Construction Business of the Year
- Anderton Gables
- David Cox Architects
- StormMeister Flood Protection
- Mahoney Contracts
- FTS Merit
- Pinington
- Permicoat
Engineering Business of the Year
- Pakawaste Group
- Cutting Edge Services
- Caswell Engineering Services Ltd
- Ainscough Industrial Services
- Storth
- StormMeister Flood Protection
Professional Service Business of the Year
- David Cox Architects
- Brabners LLP
- Specialist Training & Consultancy Services
- Firth Architects
- Brown & Co
- Rotherham Taylor
- Rivington Accounts
- Key Accounting Solutions
Digital & Marketing Business of the Year
- Learn Live
- Viddyoze
- Blue Wren
- Red-Fern Media
- Get Your Mobi
- Blabbermouth Marketing
- Sherbert Lemon UK
- YUDU
Growth Business of the Year
- Hoofcount
- Direct 4 Baby
- Cummins Mellor
- Nextday Freight
- Are You Owed Money
- Utiligroup
- Intalinks
- Rossendale Leisure Trust
Family Business of the Year
- Evans Vanodine International
- Roccia
- Cummins Mellor
- Firesafe Fire Rated Ductwork
- Ainscough Industrial Services
- Lantei
- Delta Care
- Greenlite Lighting Solutions
Employer of the Year
- Service Care Solutions
- Blue Wren
- Utiligroup
- Connect Childcare
- Pendleside Hospice
- Sunshine Events UK
- Tharstern
- FTS Merit
Green Business of the Year
- Ground Heat Installations
- JJO Plc
- GA Pet Food Partners Group
- Evans Vanodine International
- David Cox Architects
- The Low Carbon Energy Company
- Greenlite Lighting Solutions
- Crowberry Consulting
Medium Business of the Year
- Roccia
- Lantei
- Tharstern
- Standfast & Barracks
- Are You Owed Money
- Cutting Edge Services
- Flavour Warehouse
- FTS Merit
Business of the Year
- GBA Services
- Roccia
- Utiligroup
- Ainscough Industrial Services
- Cutting Edge Services
- Flavour Warehouse
- Standfast & Barracks
- Evans Vanodine International
