Why the Ward Hadaway Yorkshire Fastest 50 awards are so refreshing amid these dark days
These are dark days for the global economy. The war in the Middle East has thrown the markets into chaos and consumers and businesses are likely to face rising costs over coming months. It’s hard to believe that, as recently as mid February, the economy seemed to be heading for a calmer place, with falling inflation.
That’s why it was so refreshing to take a deep breath and head to the Ward Hadaway Yorkshire Fastest 50 awards for 2026.
The Yorkshire Post has been the official partner for these awards since they were established in 2011, a year overshadowed by austerity as much of the economy remained in the deep freeze caused by the financial crash. Britain has been on a rollercoaster ride in the 15 years since the awards were launched, but the Fastest 50 awards get bigger and better every year.
The awards provide a chance to shout about the dynamic enterprises which are quietly bringing jobs and investment to Yorkshire when fainter hearts would simply batten down the hatches and focus on survival. The awards highlighted the dazzling range of Yorkshire’s business community, with companies operating across sectors including manufacturing, construction, engineering, agriculture, transport, retail and professional services all featuring prominently on the list.
This year’s overall winner was ECO Simplified, the Richmond-based home energy efficiency retrofit specialist, which also secured the title of fastest growing medium sized business.
The company supports homeowners with measures such as insulation installation and heating improvements, helping properties reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency.
ECO is likely to be rushed off its feet in the next few months as consumers brace themselves for potentially soaring energy bills.
Some of the Fastest 50 companies have been fixtures in the corporate landscape for generations; others have blossomed in the shadow of the financial crash and Brexit. What they all have in common is a simple belief; that growth must be profitable and sustainable. There is no merit in rapid expansion which erodes the core values of a business. Ambition must be matched by vice-like control; a business which expands too rapidly will soon resemble a wild horse, bringing destruction to all in its path. Growth doesn’t happen in isolation. As Emma Digby of Ward Hadaway observed, it happens when businesses are embedded in places that support them, through skills, infrastructure, collaboration and confidence. Yorkshire has that in abundance.
"There is a genuine culture of collaboration here — of sharing insight, making introductions, and recognising that collective success strengthens the whole ecosystem,’’ she said. “In times like these, that matters more than ever.” The Fastest 50 is about more than growth metrics. It’s about having the confidence to invest in your business, while embracing innovation and engaging with changes in policy. Above all it’s about taking pride in developing a business which makes your community stronger, especially when growth is achieved in the teeth of the wind.
Greg Wright is the deputy business editor of The Yorkshire Post