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
13. Start Up Business of the Year - MediMusic
START-UP OF THE YEAR WINNER: MediMusic NOMINATED: Apollo Capital; HACIEN Tequila; Yorkshire Financial Planning; YourCare Management. MediMusic uses artificial intelligence and machine learning that mimic the human brain’s response to music for the benefit of clinical pain and anxiety. It has won praise from the NHS for helping to reduce agitation in patients with dementia and recently closed a £1.2 million funding round with investment from business angels, local organisations and VC fund Finance Yorkshire. It has also been signed up for the Abbey Road Red programme - an incubator for music tech entrepreneurs. Dr Jacqueline Twamley, Senior Academic Research Nurse of the Centre for Health Research & Innovation at NIHR Lancashire Clinical Research Facility, highlighted how the MediMusic service had provided a “positive outcome” for a 75-year-old patient with dementia, helping to lower his heartrate and reduce agitation. The company has already started the process of establishing a US office and it is hoped the service can also have use in palliative care and Parkinson’s cases. Photo: Gerard Binks
14. Sustainability Award - All Seasons Group
SUSTAINABILITY AWARD WINNER: All Seasons Group NOMINATED: AES Engineering; Bluetree; Ethical Furniture Network; Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens. Formed in 2017, Sheffield’s All Seasons Group provide energy-efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies to UK home and business owners. They have helped improve thousands of previously poorly-insulated homes across the country, saving tens of millions in heating bills. The company works closely with more than 60 local authorities to improve poor energy efficient homes with high energy costs and are accredited by the UK’s leading compliance and regulatory organisations. Installs it has completed in the last 12 months have resulted in an estimated £50 million in lifetime savings. Up against some brilliant other finalists, All Seasons Group was selected by judges as the winner for their work helping thousands of people live in more energy-efficient properties and cut their bills at the same time. Photo: Gerard Binks
15. Technology & Digital Award - Radar Healthcare
TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL AWARD SPONSORED BY OPENREACH WINNER: Radar Healthcare NOMINATED: BigChange; BOXT; Resolve; Titus. Radar Healthcare is helping to digitally transform healthcare. Its technology enables health and social care organisations to harness vital data insights so they can improve care, predict future care needs and prevent clinical incidents from being unnecessarily repeated. From a team of two 10 years ago, today Radar Healthcare employs more than 80 staff and supports organisations both here in the UK and internationally. Some of its partners include the Emirates Health Services, Four Seasons Health Care Group, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and Nuffield Health. The company has also secured £9million additional funding from equity and venture capital investors 24Haymarket - money that will be used to support further product development and increase customer support. It is helping to ensure incidents of issues like patient falls are reduced - taking pressure off our healthcare system and improving outcomes. The award was picked up by Yorkshire Post business editor Chris Burn. Photo: Gerard Binks
16. Business Leader/Entrepreneur of the Year - David Bond of Sheffield Forgemasters
BUSINESS LEADER/ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR sponsored by Hall Brown WINNER: David Bond, Sheffield Forgemasters NOMINATED: Steve Adams, Mattress Online; Younis Chaudry, Regal Food Products; Kevin McCabe, Scarborough Group International; Sarah Pawson, Fruition Group. CEO of Sheffield Forgemasters David Bond led an audacious project to bring Sheffield Forgemasters into public ownership and now leads the business as it enters a new engineering age. Three years of negotiation with the Government saw the MoD take over the shares capital of the company in 2021 - securing its future for decades and releasing a £400m investment programme. Some of the largest engineered steel products in the world are produced at Sheffield Forgemasters and it now intends to play a key role manufacturing components for technologies that could supply the UK’s future energy needs. It is already working with Rolls-Royce to support the deployment of small modular reactors and has joined the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership. Photo: Gerard Binks