South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

Celebrating the winners of SEEDA's Business Awards 2008

Digby salutes inspirational winners

Over 300 guests attended SEEDA’s Business Awards to celebrate innovation and excellence on Thursday 6th March 2008. The evening held at Ascot Racecourse was hosted by BBC News Presenter, Mishal Husain, and Digby, Lord Jones, Minister for Trade & Investment, gave the keynote speech.

In his role as Minister for Trade and Investment, Digby also praised businesses in the region for making his role of promoting the UK as a place to do business that much easier. He said: “If there’s one region which really does lead the wealth creation of this nation, and without whom there just would not be the prosperity that makes this the most successful economy in Europe it’s you… if there’s one region that pulls that off every month, month in, month out, it’s you… Your economy is worth £177 billion pounds, you’re the largest net contributor to the UK exchequer and you grow, as an economy, at about 3.5 percent a year. You’re all winners in my eyes.”

Digby stressed how important the South East region was to the UK economy. He cited the range of industries that lead the world in technology such as motorsport and R&D. He pointed out that major companies choose the South East as the location for their European Headquarters like Pfizer and Eli Lilly.

A record-breaking 300 companies entered the 2008 Awards. The winners of the eight categories are below.

• Banbury Technology Company Wins Seeda Business Award for Manufacturing
• Milton Keynes Company Wins Seeda Business Award for International Business
• Prime Care Community Services Ltd Wins Seeda Business Award for Excellence in Skills & Development
• Kent Charity Wins Seeda Business Award
• Isle of Wight Company Wins Seeda Business Award for Innovation & Creativity
• Bracknell IT Company Wins Seeda Business Award
• Surrey Company Wins Dame Anita Roddick Young Entrepreneur Award
• Hampshire Company Wins Seeda Business Award for Sustainable Business: Environment
  

Winners of SEEDA's Business Awards 2008 (Click to view larger images)
Alan Baker (left) from Crompton Technology Group collects his SEEDA Business Award for Manufacturing from EEF South Immediate Past President, John Peel OBE	Bob Adams from Beardow Adams receives his SEEDA Business Award for International Business from Digby, Lord Jones	Graham Bromham from Solsis accepts the SEEDA Business Award for Business Growth from David Rowland at Business Link
John Quin from Royal British Legion Industries collects the SEEDA Business Award for Workplace and Community from Denise Wareham of EDF Energy	Nicki Allen (left) and Liz Bracuti of Prime Care (right) receive the SEEDA Business Award for Excellence in Skills & Development from LSC Regional Director, Peter Marsh	John Summers (cen) from RF Engines Ltd, receives the SEEDA Business Award for Innovation & Creativity from Shane Slater (left) from QinetiQ and Dean Drew from Shoosmiths Solicitors (right)
Steve Rothwell (right) from Vitacress collects the SEEDA Sustainable Business Award for Environment from Environment Agency Board Member Dr Lyndon Stanton	Will Hayler (left) from Ticket to Ride collects the Dame Anita Roddick Award for Young Entrepreneurship from SEEDA Chairman, Jim Brathwaite CBE