The best of North Tyneside’s businesses have been celebrated at the 20th North Tyneside Business Awards.
The annual awards celebrate the huge contribution that businesses make to the local economy and how they make North Tyneside a great place to live, work and visit.
The ceremony was held at the Village Hotel, Cobalt Business Park, on Thursday night (30th November) and was attended by 200 members of the business community. It was hosted by television presenter Kim Inglis, with after dinner entertainment in the style of charity-casino gaming for Daft as a Brush: Cancer Patient Care.
This year there were five sector categories with the winner of each category being automatically entered into the prestigious ‘Business of the Year’ award.
The winners of each category were:
- New Business – Leda Transport Solutions Ltd
- Green Business and Sustainability – Oaktree Lodge, Whitley Bay
- Manufacturing and Construction – Gastech Ltd
- Retail and Service Provider – Nirvana Europe Ltd
- Leisure and Tourism – The View, Longsands
There was also a brand new category this year which was voted for by the public. The award recognises businesses which are at the Heart of the Community in their local area. The vote closed at 7pm on Thursday and the deciding votes were made by the 200 guests which attended the evening. The winner of the Heart of the Community Award was Move It Studios.
The “North Tyneside Business of the Year” award for 2017 went to Gastech Ltd.
Gastech Ltd is a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system manufacturer and installer which has been established in North Tyneside since 2005 and is based on Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate. Since establishment, the business has grown from three employees to twenty-five, taking on a new director for their mechanical division in the last week.
Craig Firth, Managing Director of Gastech Ltd, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be named North Tyneside Business of the Year. We are committed to the training and development of existing employees, and winning this award gives our team the recognition they deserve and helps us gain recognition for the work that we do from our facility in North Tyneside.”
David Bavaird, Chair of the North Tyneside Business Forum, said: “I’d like to say a huge congratulations to Gastech Ltd on winning the award, which is a recognition of the hard work, investment and ideas from so many in the company while supporting the local economy and showing the imagination and commitment that makes North Tyneside such a special place to do business..”
For the fourth year, the Special Contribution Award was presented; this was awarded to the business which has made the biggest impact on the local community and economy of North Tyneside. This year the award was presented to a business which has invested a great deal in their facility in North Tyneside in the past year. The award for 2017 went to Formica, whose head office is based on the Coast Road, North Shields.
North Tyneside Elected Mayor Norma Redfearn said: “Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists who have been recognised here tonight. It is fantastic to see so many businesses celebrating their work and success.”
