Next month the winners of The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards in association with Business Gateway will be announced. They will be drawn from a strong shortlist that includes some of the most innovative businesses in the country, many of which have long and proud histories, others that are new and transformational and all of them with something to teach the business community about how family concerns can flourish.
This year there are 12 categories including Fastest Growing Family Business Award and the Business Innovation Award.
Darnoch Caravan & Camping Park
Amongst the finalists this year are Dornoch Caravan & Camping Park, a campsite on the famous North Coast 500 route that is run by three generations of the Redfern Family. Through significant investment in upgrading facilities the campsite has seen profits rise significantly, despite closures to the business caused by successive lockdowns. The Campsite is a finalist in the Fastest Growing Family Business category, sponsored by Business Gateway.
Meanwhile a contender in the Green Family Business of the Year Award is Brewster Bros, which for more than 40 years has been providing resource management services to the construction industry. Today Brewster Bros is at the heart of ‘greening’ construction, thanks to its recycling plant in Livingston that turns construction, demolition and excavation (CDE) waste into industry standard recycled aggregates and other recycled products to sell back into the construction industry instead of going to landfill.
So far, Brewster Bros have diverted almost 500,000 tonnes of waste from local landfills and replaced over 400,000 tonnes of virgin aggregates with recycled aggregate in the local construction industry.
The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards 2021 Shortlist
All categories are being judged by a panel of experts that includes Hugh Lightbody, Chief Officer Business Gateway National Unit; John Anderson from The University of Strathclyde Business School; Mark Bradford of Consultants, Family Business Solutions Ltd; Graham Cunning Corporate Finance Partner, Azets UK and Mairi Mickel of Mairi Mickel Business Families.
Graham Cunning of Azets UK, who are sponsors of the Scottish Family Business of the Year (large) category, said: “Entries this year really showcase the resilience of leading family businesses in Scotland and reinforce their vital contribution to Scotland and the wider economy.
“Scottish family businesses have adapted well to the global pandemic, tackling the challenges and seizing the opportunities, and this year’s finalists demonstrate true determination. We look forward to celebrating their achievements and successes on awards night.”
Finalists in this year’s Rural Family Business of the Year category include Gleaner Ltd from Elgin, a long-established supplier of fuel to farming, fishing and other rural businesses and MacInnes Brothers, civil engineering specialists from Benbecula.
Family Business Solutions Ltd, who have long involvement in this sector, are sponsors of this category and consultant Billy Andrew, said: “We can only imagine the challenges facing those judging the awards, but in a real sense all those family businesses applying and shortlisted are already winners.”
Other categories include Business Innovation Award; International Growth Award; Customer Service Excellence; Commitment to the Community; Next Generation Award; Small Family Business (small/medium) and the Outstanding Contribution Award, supported by Strathclyde Business School, which will be announced on the evening.
The Herald Family Business Awards in association with Business Gateway will take place on Wednesday, 8 December. For full details on how to attend visit:https://newsquestscotlandevents.com/events/familybusiness/ or contact Kirsty.loughlin@newsquest.co.uk.