Here is a list of who won in each category on the night...
. Excellence in Business awards winners
More than 400 people attended the Excellence in Business awards. Photo: Gerard Binks
. Best Business Transformation - Solar Fast
BEST BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION sponsored by Endless WINNER: Solar Fast From boilers, radiators and heat pumps to a rapid change to solar panels, ev-chargers and batteries. Castleford’s Solar Fast has completely transformed itself - helping homeowners save money and become more environmentally friendly in the process. It has gone from just 10 to 15 staff members, to now having more than 100 employees in less than one year - all whilst seeing excellent profitability. Judges were impressed at how the business has not only managed to change the services and products it offered to put it in a stronger position for the future, but has done so in a way that is helping customers to save on their energy bills at a time of unprecedented cost rises. It is the type of change that has made a tangible difference to people’s lives as well as the company’s own operations. NOMINATED: Berjen; M2R Education; Rasico; Wakefield Acoustics. Photo: Gerard Binks
. Commercial Development of the Year - Guildhall, York
COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR WINNER: The Guildhall, York The Guildhall York's ambitious and successful redevelopment was completed in April. This was a ‘once in a 100 years’ restoration project; transforming one of York’s most prestigious and historically significant buildings, preparing it for long-term, economically viable and sustainable use. The project had to overcome huge logistical and engineering challenges, along with a global pandemic. More than 1,000 deliveries for the project were made by river while 40 tonnes of CO2 will be saved each year through the installation of a River Water Source Heat Pump. While up against some truly impressive competition in this category, judges believed The Guildhall project was a deserving winner for the way in which a landmark Yorkshire building has been given a new lease of life that will provide it with an exciting future for generations to come. The award was picked up on behalf of The Guildhall by Yorkshire Post business editor Chris Burn. NOMINATED: Chameleon Business Interiors' transformation of McCain Foods; Evri Superhub; The Old Sawmill; Thorpe Park Leeds. Photo: Gerard Binks
. Diversity and Inclusion Award - EyUp
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARD WINNER: EyUp NOMINATED: Corecom Consulting; Northern Trains; Thrive Law; Turner & Townsend. EyUp is the Yorkshire tech skills academy founded by technology entrepreneur David Richards, CEO of data software company WANdisco plc. Launched in 2021, Sheffield-based EyUp teaches students everything they need to know to work as a software engineer within 16 weeks. Among those to take part in the scheme are refugees from oppressive regimes who want to create successful new lives in the UK. EyUp was selected for the award for its well-thought out scheme; its ability to attract recruits from diverse backgrounds - including building sites, bartending, the police and the Royal Navy - and its determination to go beyond learning the basics of coding to ensure students become rounded software engineers. The fact that those who don’t get a tech job within six months of the course get their money back demonstrates this is an initiative putting its money where its mouth is. Photo: Gerard Binks
. Employee Health and Wellbeing Award - Forget Me Not Children's Hospice
EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND WELLBEING AWARD sponsored by Sovereign Healthcare WINNER: Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice NOMINATED: The Data Shed; Progeny; Rollits LLP; Romero Insurance Brokers. Huddersfield-based Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice works with families of children and babies with life-limiting conditions from diagnosis, through bereavement and to a life beyond loss. With staff involved in such important and challenging work, the hospice runs a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme, access to counselling and individual sessions with a qualified resilience / wellbeing coach. The hospice was up against some fantastic other entries in this category but the judges felt that the support provided to employees of the winner merited the award given the vital work done by those staff members. One worker said: “I feel like the organisation as whole really cares about its staff and is very supportive and caring. I feel like the work we do is very rewarding and it is a special place to work.” Photo: Gerard Binks
. Innovation Award - Cloud 2, BCN Group
INNOVATION AWARD sponsored by Nexus WINNER: Cloud 2, BCN Group NOMINATED: Ecoblockcrete; Environment Bank; Glistening Kicks; Vet-AI. Bradford-based Cloud2, a BCN Group company, delivers innovative data, analytics, and automation solutions for over 50 NHS customers. Its work transforming Rotherham Hospital has reduced outpatient waits by up to 65 per cent - a result of connecting multiple data sources and transforming the way their performance data is collated, presented, disseminated, and analysed. James Rawlinson, Director of Health Informatics at Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, said of their services: “It’s been a real game-changer for us. It’s being used daily, on an operation level to manage performance around activity, finances, HR, theatres, outpatient, and A&E.” In an incredibly hard-fought category with lots of excellent entries, the company won out for their work assisting NHS patients in Yorkshire receive treatment more quickly and efficiently. Photo: Gerard Binks
. International Business of the Year - Airedale by Modine
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR WINNER: Airedale by Modine NOMINATED: A-Safe; Balmoral Tanks; M2R Education; Stage One. Leeds-based Airedale by Modine offers an extensive range of air conditioning to meet demand from a variety of industries, including Data Centres, Defence, Nuclear, Healthcare and Pharmaceutical. The last year has seen Airedale’s successful global expansion strategy resulting in three new plants in the US and Spain and multi-million pound projects won in Ireland, Spain, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and the US. Having worked hard to develop and manufacture our first prototype within the US, the company has successfully won two data centre cooling orders from large players in the data centre market - one from the data centre giants, Corscale. Order books are full all the way to autumn 2023, with the first Corscale unit heading to Leeds at the request of the clients for a witness test. Photo: Gerard Binks
9. Medium-Sized Business of the Year - Mattress Online
MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR WINNER: Mattress Online NOMINATED: Green Building Renewables; Mansfield Pollard; Smart Search; Sure Group. After years of sustained success as an online retailer, Steve Adams has overseen Mattress Online’s ambitious acquisition strategy to open 10 brick-and-mortar stores - with two already open in Skipton and Sheffield. Sales rocketed during the pandemic and the size of the team went up by 60 per cent as Steve welcomed talented colleagues from across the industry who had lost their jobs. Not only that, the firm’s recycling initiative has saved more than 100,000 mattresses going to landfill - including 19,000 in the last year alone. Mattress Online is now the largest independent mattress retailer in the UK and has an excellent reputation for customer service, quality, and innovation. Customers have rated Mattress Online as Excellent on Trustpilot with 95 per cent of customers saying they would buy from the company again. Photo: Gerard Binks
10. Retail Leisure and Tourism Business - Escapism Bar Group
RETAIL LEISURE AND TOURISM BUSINESS WINNER: Escapism Bar Group NOMINATED: Dakota Hotel; Grays Court Hotel; Ingleborough Cave; Rudding Park. Escapism Bar Group was founded by husband-and-wife team Phil and Mel Harrison. After opening Mean-Eyed Cat Bar in 2004, they went on to open six other venues in Leeds city centre. They now manage a team of over 80 - double their pre-Covid staff count. Plans are in the offing to expand outside Yorkshire, firstly in Liverpool and then in ten new sites around the country in the next five years. In another category filled with excellent entries, the company was chosen as the winner for their sterling work to get through the pandemic and their ambitious expansion plans. Another impressive element of their entry was the commitment to staff training and development. The company introduced an enhanced pay structure at the start of this year, offering under-21s a third more than the national minimum wage, as well as an incentivised salary for certified bartenders. With the firm’s support, 25 of its bartenders have received certifications over the past two years. The award was picked up by Yorkshire Post business editor Chris Burn. Photo: Gerard Binks
11. Rural Business of the Year - Moss Valley Fine Meats
RURAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Sponsored by McCain WINNER: Moss Valley Fine Meats NOMINATED: Drewtons; Lowe Maintenance; Robertshawe’s Farm Shop; Rolawns. Stephen and Karen Thompson produce pork, bacon, ham and sausages in their own butchery from pigs bred and reared on their farm in the beautiful Moss Valley on the edge of Sheffield. Their customers include many other independent businesses in the South Yorkshire area. This year, Stephen did dozens of media interviews in the UK and globally highlighting the plight of British pig farmers facing mass culls of their animals. It contributed to changing Government policy with more work emergency visas issued to foreign butchers. Putting your head above the parapet about an emotional situation and helping to change Government policy is no easy task - the work of doing this was a decisive factor in the judges’ decision-making process in this category. Photo: Gerard Binks
12. Small Business of the Year - Simply Wigs
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR sponsored by Fido Money WINNER: Simply Wigs NOMINATED: Air TV; DeliVita; Hatmill; Lead Tech. Proud Yorkshire woman Emma Garrard formed a company with the intention of changing the way women with hair loss were treated after finding a lack of available support after her own children were born with a genetic condition that caused hair loss. Now working with the NHS and national charity Alopecia UK, Emma and her team have made a life-changing difference to countless people in the last 15 years. This was the most hotly-contested category, with 69 entries being submitted; meaning making the shortlist was a major achievement. Let’s take a look at the finalists who managed it. While there were some tremendous entries that really highlighted the breadth of the small businesses we have in this region, there could only be one winner. Judges decided that for all they do to help their customers, the winner had to be Simply Wigs. Photo: Gerard Binks