Courier Business Awards
WE HAVE OUR FINALISTS!
Thanks to all the businesses who entered this years Courier Business Awards. Some new faces, success stories, amazing development and recovery plans and even more inspiring journeys after such an unprecedented year.
Thanks also to our title sponsor Henderson Loggie and all our event sponsors as we simply couldn’t do this without your invaluable and continued support.
Our panel certainly had their work cut out for them and our shortlist is now revealed.
Winners will be announced at our glittering awards ceremony on Saturday 30th October in our specially erected marquee in the grounds of the Apex City Quay Hotel, Dundee.
Let’s unite as one and make sure our region’s business community is given the recognition it truly deserves.
Here is a reminder of what we all aim to get back to.
Key Dates
| 30 Oct 2021 | CBA2021 |
Itinerary
| 19:00: | Awards |
Shortlist
-
Apprentice Award
Sponsored By:
- Blair Manderson , Fife Council Building Services
- Courtney Bayne, Dundee City Council
- Jason Cargill, WeeCOOK Kitchen
Sponsored By:
Apprentice Award
Designed to commend an individual who has participated in an apprenticeship programme during 2020/2021 and exceeded their employer’s expectations. Entries can be submitted by the provider or apprentice.
Key Criteria:
- Commitment to personal development and progression
- Proof of significant contribution to the workplace
- Use of skills gained through apprenticeship programme
Shortlist
- Blair Manderson
- Courtney Bayne
- Jason Cargill
-
Best Social Media (NEW)
Sponsored By:
- HTS (Scotland) Ltd T/A Assai Records
- The Crystal Shop Scotland
- Verdala
Sponsored By:
Best Social Media (NEW)
Open to all businesses who have embraced social media to build their brand.
Key Criteria:
- Creative use of social media platforms
- Proof of benefits to the business
- Proof of growing numbers and/or subscribers
Shortlist
- HTS (Scotland) Ltd T/A Assai Records
- The Crystal Shop Scotland
- Verdala
-
Business Leader (NEW)
Sponsored By:
- Caroline McKenna
- Sonia Cottom
- Tim Allan
Sponsored By:
Business Leader (NEW)
Open to any individual or nominated person who has had a game-changing impact on a business operating within Courier Country.
Key Criteria:
- Track record of strong business or project leadership
- Demonstrate responses to business challenges and opportunities
- Proof of inspiring others
Shortlist
- Caroline McKenna
- Sonia Cottom
- Tim Allan
-
Community Business
Sponsored By:
- Grain & Sustain
- Hillcrest
- Social Good Connect
Sponsored By:
Community Business
Designed to reward more than profit groups and businesses who put community at their heart.
Key Criteria:
- Ability to influence customers and suppliers to adopt best environment, workplace and community practices
- Commitment to local employment, partnership working and social inclusion
- Significant contribution to the community or environment
Shortlist
- Grain & Sustain
- Hillcrest
- Social Good Connect
-
COVID Resilience Award (NEW)
Sponsored By:
- Hutchison Technologies
- Property Studios
- WeeCOOK Kitchen
Sponsored By:
COVID Resilience Award (NEW)
Open to all businesses who have shown innovative practices to keep trading throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Criteria:
- Commitment to empowering workforce
- Evidence of change of strategy and collaboration
- Evidence of positive outcomes and resilience
Shortlist
- Hutchison Technologies
- Property Studios
- WeeCOOK Kitchen
-
Energy Business (NEW)
Sponsored By:
- Coast Renewable Services
- Urban Foresight
Sponsored By:
Energy Business (NEW)
Open to all energy focussed businesses and supply chain companies operating in Courier Country.
Key Criteria:
- Evidence of energy transition and digitalisation strategies
- Investment in local operations
- Proof of commercial traction and growth
Shortlist
- Coast Renewable Services
- Urban Foresight
-
Family Business
Sponsored By:
- Powerwasher Services, Angus
- Royal Oak Tree Services, Angus
- Toll House Spirits, Angus
- Aydya Group, Dundee
- Harry Lawson, Dundee
- Hutchison Technologies, Dundee
- Craigie Farm, Fife
- Grain & Sustain, Fife
- The Crystal Shop Scotland, Fife
- Crieff Hydro Hotel, Perthshire
- Manhattan Family Restaurant, Perthshire
- The Pickled Peacock, Perthsire
Sponsored By:
Family Business
Celebrating outstanding family owned and operated businesses who call Courier Country home. Open to any business from any sector which has one family member as CEO/MD with at least one other family member in the business. A family business from Angus, Fife, Dundee and Perthshire will receive a regional award and automatic entry into the Overall Family Business of the Year award.
Key Criteria:
- Evidence of family led operations
- Local procurement and service excellence
- Proof of market traction and growth
Shortlist
- Powerwasher Services
- Royal Oak Tree Services
- Toll House Spirits
- Aydya Group
- Harry Lawson
- Hutchison Technologies
- Craigie Farm
- Grain & Sustain
- The Crystal Shop Scotland
- Crieff Hydro Hotel
- Manhattan Family Restaurant
- The Pickled Peacock
-
Independent Retail Business
Sponsored By:
- Grain & Sustain
- HTS (Scotland) Ltd T/A Assai Records
- The Crystal Shop Scotland
Sponsored By:
Independent Retail Business
Open to all independent retail businesses operating in Courier Country.
Key Criteria:
- Evidence of retail strategy instore and/or online
- Focus on customer service excellence
- Proof of commercial traction and growth
Shortlist
- Grain & Sustain
- HTS (Scotland) Ltd T/A Assai Records
- The Crystal Shop Scotland
-
Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality Business
Sponsored By:
- Crieff Hydro Hotel
- Sportsterz
- The Kirklands Hotel
Sponsored By:
Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality Business
Open to all businesses which provide the best leisure, food and drink, visitor experiences and accommodation within Courier Country; showcasing the region to the world.
Key Criteria:
- Commitment to talent and empowering workforce
- Demonstrate response to COVID-19 challenges
- Evidence of service excellence
Shortlist
- Crieff Hydro Hotel
- Sportsterz
- The Kirklands Hotel
-
Most Innovative Business (NEW)
Sponsored By:
- ATL Turbine Services
- NCR
- SP Automation & Robotics
Sponsored By:
Most Innovative Business (NEW)
Open to all companies who put innovation and continuous improvement at the heart of their business, whether through teamwork, changes to internal processes and systems, adapting or developing new products or services or pivoting through the use of innovative technology
Key Criteria:
- Ability to show out of the box thinking, problem solving and, empowering workforce
- Demonstration of efficiencies
- Proof of commercial benefits from innovative activities and practices
Shortlist
- ATL Turbine Services
- NCR
- SP Automation & Robotics
-
Service Business
Sponsored By:
- ATL Turbine Services
- Respond Healthcare
- Shackleton Technologies
Sponsored By:
Service Business
Open to all companies operating within Courier Country providing B2B or B2C services.
Key Criteria:
- Clearly defined customer service objectives and strategy
- Commitment to developing new talent
- Evidence of service excellence
Shortlist
- ATL Turbine Services
- Respond Healthcare
- Shackleton Technologies
-
Small Business
Sponsored By:
- MadeAt94
- The HR Booth
- The Malting House
- Verus Financial Planning
Sponsored By:
Small Business
Celebrating the small businesses that form the bedrock of our local economy in Courier Country. Open to any business with between 1 and 15 employees.
Key Criteria:
- Commitment to developing workplace talent
- Demonstrate innovation and service excellence
- Proof of strategy for growth
Shortlist
- MadeAt94
- The HR Booth
- The Malting House
- Verus Financial Planning
-
Technology Business
Sponsored By:
- Broker Insights
- NCR
- SP Automation & Robotics
Sponsored By:
Technology Business
Open to any company which puts technology at its heart, whether to drive its own business or to build bespoke platforms/technology solutions for customers.
Key Criteria:
- Evidence of creativity and implementation
- Innovation through technology
- Proof of market traction and growth
Shortlist
- Broker Insights
- NCR
- SP Automation & Robotics
-
Young Business
Sponsored By:
- Doorstep Glass Recycling
- Konglomerate Games
- Social Good Connect
Sponsored By:
Young Business
Open to exciting and innovative new companies operating within Courier Country which started trading or launched a distinct new venture within the last three years.
Key Criteria:
- Evidence of clear business strategy
- Innovation and commitment to service excellence
- Proof of market traction
Shortlist
- Doorstep Glass Recycling
- Konglomerate Games
- Social Good Connect
2021 Partners
Henderson Loggie has been serving Scotland and Scottish business for well over a century. Our vision is to be first choice in Scotland as a place to work and for our services to owner managed businesses.
Our purpose is to help our teams and our clients achieve their potential, to create wealth for the local economy now and to leave legacy for the future in the communities where we are located.
That’s why we have been so involved with the Courier Business Awards since the beginning. It fits our purpose in Courier Country. Our offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow give us national coverage and we are proud to be headquartered in Dundee.
The Awards are a terrific celebration of everything local in Courier Country. We work closely with businesses of all sizes and we see at first hand the effort that goes into making them a success.
Recognising business achievement through the Awards sends out clear messages about the calibre of the organisations operating in this region and, via the Courier, it demonstrates to the wider public the vital role that local companies play as the backbone of our economy.
The Awards represent tangible recognition and reward for the knowledge, skills, capability, hard work and determination of the workforces in the diverse award categories. Courier Country is such a desirable area to build and run a business.
Like you, we want to make a difference in our local area and to see Courier Country grow and fly. The Awards are a showcase of the talent that exists throughout the area who have the same ambition.
Visit Henderson Loggie website
Henderson Loggie has been serving Scotland and Scottish business for well over a century. Our vision is to be first choice in Scotland as a place to work and for our services to owner managed businesses.
Our purpose is to help our teams and our clients achieve their potential, to create wealth for the local economy now and to leave legacy for the future in the communities where we are located.
That’s why we have been so involved with the Courier Business Awards since the beginning. It fits our purpose in Courier Country. Our offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow give us national coverage and we are proud to be headquartered in Dundee.
The Awards are a terrific celebration of everything local in Courier Country. We work closely with businesses of all sizes and we see at first hand the effort that goes into making them a success.
Recognising business achievement through the Awards sends out clear messages about the calibre of the organisations operating in this region and, via the Courier, it demonstrates to the wider public the vital role that local companies play as the backbone of our economy.
The Awards represent tangible recognition and reward for the knowledge, skills, capability, hard work and determination of the workforces in the diverse award categories. Courier Country is such a desirable area to build and run a business.
Like you, we want to make a difference in our local area and to see Courier Country grow and fly. The Awards are a showcase of the talent that exists throughout the area who have the same ambition.
Visit Henderson Loggie website
Visit ALTAR GROUP website
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work., Prime, 1-Click shopping, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Alexa, Career Choice and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon.
Visit Amazon websiteApex Hotels is a family-owned collection of 10 hotels in the UK’s most exciting cities. The 4-star hotels are renowned for their stylish bedrooms, contemporary restaurants and bars, and above all, their warmer welcome. Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa is perfectly placed in the heart of Dundee for a getaway, whether it be for business or leisure.
Visit Apex City Quay Hotel and Spa websiteATL specialises in the repair of components for gas turbines and in particular for late lifecycle turbines. With ageing assets, parts must be refurbished as new ones are increasingly difficult to source and repair can deliver a significant time and cost savings over purchasing new parts.
Visit ATL Turbine Services websiteBlackadders is a leading, national law firm offering expert advice to individuals and businesses across Scotland and beyond. Our business lawyers specialise in corporate & commercial law, intellectual property, employment, commercial property and dispute resolution, acting for private companies, entrepreneurs and investors across a range of sectors including digital/tech, food & drink, healthcare and the creative industries.
Visit Blackadders websiteBrewin Dolphin has been helping people to meet their financial goals and fulfil their aspirations for over 250 years. Founded in 1762 we are one of the UK’s leading wealth managers offering personalised financial planning and investment management advice to individuals, charities, trusts, institutions and financial intermediaries.
With a network of offices across the UK, Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland, whatever your plans for life we can help you achieve them. Generating an income, funding a personal passion, planning for retirement: our first investment will always be in understanding your priorities and building a personal relationship with you.
Visit Brewin Dolphin website
With more 5-star Trustpilot ratings than all other retailers combined, more organisations across the UK are switching to Castle Water for their business water supplies.
One of the UK’s fastest growing utilities, Castle Water is the UK’s leading independent retailer. We are licensed by Ofwat and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland and serve over 550,000 businesses, charities and public bodies nationally from our offices in Blairgowrie, Ayr, Leeds, London and Portsmouth.
Coast Renewable Services is situated on the east coast of Scotland within the Port of Dundee adjacent to the Sea Green Inch Cape and NNG Offshore Wind Farm projects. The Coast team is led by Mark Robson a seasoned renewable professional with over 17 years’ managerial and construction experience within the industry, growing his company since its inception in 2013. We now have over 45+ employees. With a proven track record within the industry operating in conjunction with OEMs and major contractors we at Coast are committed to the provision of turn key bespoke solutions to all our clients. At Coast Group we provide a full range of services for the life cycle of onshore and offshore Wind Turbine Generators as listed below. We provide-
• Full turn-key projects as a single point of contact from planning to completion
• Site and Construction quality management
• Project management
• HSE managers
• Installation and pre-assembly services
• Servicing and maintenance teams
• Statutory inspection services
• Wind Turbine walkdown and quality inspections
• Wind Turbine Blade Repairs and ground breaking Leading Edge Protection solutions in conjunction with Armour Edge www.armouredgesolutions.com
• GWO Training Academy opening Autumn 2021
• Coast Projects and Developments Ltd 2021
Visit Coast Renewable Services Ltd websiteWe are the leading business membership organisation in Dundee & Angus and part of the worldwide long-established Chamber of Commerce brand. We have over 700 members who between them employ over 67,000 people. We work hard to help provide members with the business connections and opportunities they need to flourish.
We represent our members’ views and use our collective voice to influence opinion makers. We are passionate about Dundee and Angus and promote it as a world class destination, helping the local business community to thrive.
Visit Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce websiteD&A College is an anchor institution dedicated to supporting individuals and businesses to attain the skills required to flourish. They utilise industry knowledge to deliver high-quality training and through a partnership approach, work with businesses to build strong successful workforces and deliver apprenticeship training across all industry sectors.
Visit Dundee and Angus College websiteMichelin Scotland Innovation Parc, an ambitious joint venture between Dundee City Council, Michelin, and Scottish Enterprise, is a world class Innovation Parc focused on sustainable mobility and decarbonisation. With a 32-hectare site and excellent physical connectivity, MSIP has dynamic space that can adapt to all sizes of business. As well as large, flexible space, tenants will have access to an innovation campus, a skills academy, business support and competitive, green energy delivered from sustainable sources. Underpinning all activities at MSIP is a collaborative approach to achieve the goal of net zero.
Visit Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc websiteFrom small cafes to the most sophisticated banks and retailers on the planet, NCR powers the technology that integrates everything and runs the entire operation. We provide the software, hardware and services to deliver experiences that delight customers. NCR has a long history in Dundee with over 550 employees (and growing) in their Research and Development facility.
Visit NCR websiteNinja Kiwi is a computer game developer with offices in Dundee and Auckland. Founded as Digital Goldfish in 2005 by two graduates from Abertay University the company went on to be acquired in 2012 by New Zealand based Ninja Kiwi. They have accumulated over 100 million downloads on the AppStores.
Visit Ninja Kiwi websiteThe 1,075MW 114-turbine Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm project is located 27km off the coast of Angus. A £3bn joint venture between SSE Renewables and Total, Seagreen will be Scotland’s largest and deepest offshore wind farm when complete. The project will provide a significant contribution to Scotland’s net-zero ambition and enough clean, renewable energy to power around 1.6 million homes.
Visit Seagreen websiteStarting as Tayside Security, Tayside Group has always made its goal to offer high efficiency, effective security services. Dedicated to ensuring your peace of mind at all times, we make it easy for you to enjoy thorough security. Over the years since our establishment we have offered security to a wide range of businesses, including wind farms and maritime operations.
Visit Tayside Group websiteWe deliver top quality advice and service to suit our clients and help businesses of every size – from family businesses, start-ups and SMEs through to large private and public sector organisations. With our lawyers covering every aspect of business set-up, development, compliance, protection and planning, we’re here for your business for the long term.
Visit Thorntons website2021 Judging Panel
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Dr Liz Cameron, OBE
Judging panel Chair and Chief Executive & Director, Scottish Chambers of Commerce
-
Graham Huband
Managing Editor, DC Thomson Media
-
David Smith
Managing Partner, Henderson Loggie
-
Alan Lees
Scotland Director, BT Corporate and Public Sector and Chairman of BT Scotland Board
-
Angela Vickers
CEO, Apex Hotels
2019 Winners
I’m really happy to win the award for my handmade soaps for dogs and humans. Apparently the judges were very impressed. I had to give them loads of evidence about why I should win. It was a nice surprise to be picked. I’ve had a lot of fun at the awards.
I am absolutely delighted for all the team. We are such a small team and we rely heavily on the creativity and the passion of our volunteers. The work they put into the business is fantastic and we couldn’t do what we do without them. Winning the award has come as such a lovely surprise for us. Our work is really about providing support services to people with additional support needs. We provide them with a variety of fun activities from music to drama so we’re delighted our work has been recognised.
We’ve had a great night. It’s our first time here and our first nomination. We’ve heard a lot about the awards so were very excited to enter. It’s an honour to be part of it all since it’s such a big event.
I’m feeling great and it feels awesome to have won the award. It’s amazing to think that our work has been recognised out of the whole area, it’s really unbelievable. Of course we were hoping to win and it’s great to have the support from the community. We develop games for other businesses and we have had the pleasure of working with major companies such as Disney for example so it feels like our work has paid off.
It’s really exciting and unexpected to win. It’s a special award to have. It’s really great to be appreciated and to have positive feedback. We feel honoured and priviledged. We entered last year too and it’s really great to be acknowledged for the work we do.
I am in absolute shock and I wasn’t expecting it at all. We’re still students at Abertay so it’s such early days for us, so to even be nominated felt amazing. Our project has been really good with working with children who have cystic fibrosis so it’s good to be making a difference and helping people.
I’m ecstatic to win. It came as somewhat of a surprise. We didn’t know what the chances were, realistically, so it’s great to get the recognition. This is the first year we’ve entered. It’s been a really great event. I’m really impressed by it and it’s great for the Courier to celebrate local businesses.
We are delighted and proud to have won. It’s been an exciting responsibility for us all to have developed the V&A. It’s been beyond all expectation and we’re very happy to contribute to Courier Country. We’re very pleased and proud as there are a lot of great tourism businesses in the area and it’s very nice recognition to be alongside so many other fantastic businesses. The evening is fantastic and it’s great to see it go from strength to strength each year. I’m lucky enough to have been to every Courier Business Awards and it’s always such a privilege to be here.”
I’m very happy to win. I started out in an apprenticeship that was meant to be for two years but finished it in one year and was then offered a job as a full time chef. I now cook for 100 people including 30 young people, and staff too. The award ceremony has been fantastic. The atmosphere is so relaxed. I’ve had a really good time.
It’s quite overwhelming to win two awards in a row. It’s really unexpected but really exciting at the same time. Winning Entrepreneur of the Year is massive. It’s been a long road to get to the point where we are now and it’s amazing to see the growth of the company. We identify problems in aqua culture and we try to find the right partners to deal with it. What we do relies on the trust we build with other people. It’s quite a unique and innovative business model. It’s been a fantastic evening and it’s great to have Phill Jupitus here as well, he’s been great.
We’ve had a brilliant evening. Our team do excellent work and it’s been a joyful night to share with them. It was a surprise to win. There were 12 nominees so we came here not thinking we had much of a chance. We’re terribly proud and humbled.
It’s absolutely fantastic to have won, we really didn’t expect it at all. We’ve worked hard and we invest in our business and we invest in our employees. Right now we’re very lucky because butchery seems to be recognised as the place to buy your meat.
I’m absolutely delighted that we are business of the year. I’m incredibly proud. I was absolutely not expecting it. It’s the first time we have attended these awards. To win two awards and then the overall award is an amazing achievement. It’s entirely about the team. These awards are really important to our workforce. We’ve got just under 1000 people working for us across 31 sites in the UK. These awards are for our incredibly dedicated employees. The small section we’ve had at the awards tonight have had a fantastic night. The event has been incredibly well catered and the entertainment was fantastic. Although Phill was fantastic we were a little disappointed we didn’t get Rachel Riley this year though!
I feel exceptionally proud to win the award for best family business in Perthshire. It’s been 150 years of the same family and it means a lot to them, especially being up against such outstanding competition. It’s been a fantastic evening, we’ve been here a number of years and this is the best one by far.
I’m shocked but absolutely delighted to win. I absolutely wasn’t expecting it. It came as a shock to our whole table. There were some genuinely great companies so we were very pleased to have been picked. It’s our first time here and we’ve had a fantastic evening.
I am delighted and absolutely proud as punch. Last year we won Service Business of the Year so delighted to be back and win again. It was a pleasant surprise and it’s for all of our work force. We started off as a small business in Kirriemuir and we have been at it a long time but the fact that we have won the Growth of the Year and been recognised shows how we’re still progressing.
I’m having the best time ever. We also had a great time last year. We won an award last year and this year we’re sponsoring and also up for an award. Last year was the first time we’d gone for the awards and we were so impressed by how good the night was – it was by far the best event of its kind we’d been to, so we decided to become sponsors.
We are absolutely delighted as we export to 170 countries out of Dundee and were just over the moon to have won. We were not expecting it at all. The evening has been fabulous, it’s just so professional and so well organised.
I was so surpised to win – it was unexpected but I was delighted. This was the first time we’d entered and been at the awards. It’s been a fantastic night. A lot of the work we do is in the area so it’s nice to be recognised in our home patch. It’s nice to meet other similar types of businesses from the area.
It’s absolutely fantastic to have won. It’s great to have recognition for a lot of hard work over the last five years. We were really surprised as there was a lot of very strong competition. This is a fantastic event and it’s the awards we take most seriously each year. It’s just such a great event and it’s fantastic to have received an award to recognise all the work we do.
I’m delighted to win. We were finalists for two years in a row so winning this year was a great feeling. I was hopeful of winning although I wasn’t expecting it. We’ve had a great year as a business – we’ve had a lot of fun bringing lots of bands to Dundee.
It feels absolutely fantastic to have been awarded with the Outstanding Contribution. I honestly couldn’t believe it and I’m just completely overwhelmed. I find my whole life has been all about people and I’ve been lucky to be able to interact with people from all over the world. I was always brought up to treat people how I would like to be treated and that is something that I’ve tried to take forward into business. I was truly overwhelmed by the video presentation that was put together. I was totally blown away. I was just completely shocked with how great it was and I’m thankful to those who put it together. The whole evening has just been absolutely fantastic and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.