WELCOME to the third annual Clackmannanshire Business Awards.
After the huge success of the last two years we are gearing up for another fantastic evening, where we will be recognising the very best in Wee County businesses.
The event creates a platform for local businesses and their employees to demonstrate how their work, products, business strategies and services are making an impressive contribution to Clackmannanshire’s economy and further afield.
There are nine categories and you have until Sunday, July 3 to enter.
The prestigious awards dinner will take place on Thursday, September 1 at Alloa Town Hall, where the drinks reception will be sponsored by Diageo.
For more information and to nominate, go to clacksbusinessawards.co.uk
Outstanding Performance Business Award – sponsored by Ceteris
This is the big one, for the company that can best demonstrate outstanding commercial performance or growth, with particular recognition given to innovation in products or processes.
Most Promising New Business Award – sponsored by Business Gateway
It takes something special to make your mark in business. This award will go to a new Clackmannanshire business that best demonstrates an organic growth strategy and has achieved outstanding levels of sales, profit and market share improvement.
Best Not-For-Profit Organisation Award – sponsored by Forth Valley College
Selfless serving. From public sector agencies to the third sector – charities, community groups social enterprises and voluntary organisations of all shapes and sizes – Clackmannanshire has them all. This award is to recognise the incredible work they tirelessly undertake.
Success through Sustainability Award – sponsored by Clackmannanshire Business
Responsible and remarkable. The winner of the award for sustainability will be a company that can show commitment to environmental improvements as part of its economic strategy. It will have systems in place to improve resource efficiency, have capacity and responsibility to contribute to socio-ecological improvements and engage with communities and other businesses to create a more sustainable economy.
Food, Drink and Hospitality Award
This award will go to the establishment which not only achieves excellence in the service of meals, refreshments and providing accommodation, but demonstrates a unique, customer-focused approach and actively encourages people from outside the Clackmannanshire area to visit the county.
Retail Business of the Year Award
This award is for an established business that plays a vital role in supporting the local economy and serving the community in which it resides. It will reward a retailer by recognising the important bond with their community.
Most Impressive Employee of the Year Award – sponsored by Defence Relationship Management
We understand that most businesses wouldn’t be where they are without the strong workforce behind them and so we want to hear about an employee that has gone above and beyond the call of duty over the last year. Let’s celebrate their hard work, achievements and outstanding contribution to their role and business. Who in your business has shown true dedication and inspires others?
Excellence in Customer Service Award – sponsored by ACE Recycling
Customers are very important in all businesses. We want to recognise a business that has gone above expectations, so we want to hear about the amazing customer service you have received from a business you have dealt with over the last year.
Exemplar in Improving Staff Health Award -–sponsored by NHS Forth Valley
We are looking to recognise an employer that takes the health and wellbeing of their employees seriously, showing how this reflects positively on the reputation and culture of the organisation. This is an opportunity for employers to demonstrate their commitment to the health and well-being of their workforce, providing a supportive and productive environment in which employees can flourish. A healthier workforce really does make for a healthier business.
Success is nothing without staff and punters
THE Crown Inn remains a fixture of the community in Alva and has been recognised with a handful of awards in recent years.
Just months after being named Community Pub of the Year in a UK-wide competition, the Crown picked up High Street Business of the Year at the 2015 Clacks Business Awards.
The Crown Inn prides itself in strengthening local links through customer involvement and by giving back to the local and wider area.
The family-run business is a focal point in the community and is committed to raising funds for local charities and volunteer groups in a safe and friendly environment.
The proprietors Stephen and Mikey Polley have invested in the business through an extensive major refurbishment programme using only local companies and tradesmen in the process.
Looking back on their win, Mikey said: “It’s been great exposure for the pub with the addition of the award as its shows as a family run business we are doing something right.
“However, no matter how well we run our business without our great staff and punters all of this wouldn’t matter.”
He added: “The whole process has been great, win or lose it’s something we would advise others to do as we have had a lot of positive feedback.
“Through this we have been able to grow our business and branch out to others who weren’t aware of the pub before.”
Wyvis B&B continues to thrive in Tilly
A TRUE Scottish home away from home, five-star gold Wyvis Boutique Bed & Breakfast in Tillicoultry won in the Food, Drink and Hospitality category in the Clackmannanshire Business Awards last year.
The former Victorian mill workers’ cottage dates back to around 1830 and is the family home of owners Irene and Terry Goddard in the oldest part of the Hillfoots town.
An exceptional place of comfort and relaxation, the B&B has spacious bedrooms with a mixture of modern and antique furnishings.
The building has tastefully been converted into the now prestigious luxury boutique bed and breakfast for a maximum of four guests.
Owners Irene and Terry strive to take excellent care of their guests with a warm Scottish welcome, tasty Scottish food and drink and traditional Scottish hospitality.
Irene’s homemade afternoon teas are legendary with her cake of the day, biscuits, tray bakes and cream teas.
These are best enjoyed in the lovely mature cottage garden on a glorious sunny day, but guests can also indulge in the lounge or the dining room.
The B&B was also awarded the VisitScotland Taste Our Best award in recognition of the quality and Scottish provenance of its food.
Irene and Terry have had a busy years and are fully booked this season. A testament to their work is the numerous glowing reviews their guests have been leaving after a visit. On TripAdvisor, the B&B has 42 ratings of excellent, one commenter said their stay was very good and no one to date felt their experience was average or worse.
CETERIS (Scotland) Ltd is a non-profit distributing organisation set up in 1991 to foster economic regeneration within Clackmannanshire.
Ceteris provides a range of support to businesses, including delivering the Business Gateway contract, providing support and advice for new and existing businesses as well as a wide range of business training programmes.
They provide high quality business properties: office, workshop and industrial, either purpose built or refurbished.
They provide business conferencing facilities and meeting rooms at Gean House and in all their managed Business Centres.
Gean House is also becoming an exceedingly popular wedding venue, with local and international bookings.
Ceteris is also heavily involved in Developing the Young Work Force activities, aimed at improving employer engagement with schools, and improving young people’s job prospects.
Go to ceteris.co.uk.
Forth Valley College is committed to supporting businesses to help them develop a strong and sustainable workforce; this includes delivering more than 1,000 apprenticeships per year and the delivery of specialist training in line with the needs of industry.
The college is delighted to support the 2016 Clackmannanshire Business Awards, which promotes excellence and offers the opportunity for businesses to showcase their success.
This success complements Forth Valley College’s Making Learning Work ethos and demonstrates that they are passionate about nurturing quality through effective skills development, which in turn helps businesses to thrive.
Go to forthvalley.ac.uk.
Within the Ministry of Defence, Defence Relationship Management are dedicated to supporting your organisation – whatever its industry sector or size – to become a powerful force for positive change at a national and regional level.
The MoD is keen to establish open, strategic relationships with employers, tailoring partnering opportunities to mutual needs and business goals.
Within that, employees who are Armed Forces Reservists will develop positive attitudes and gain valuable transferable and leadership skills. Ex-Regulars, meantime, have a raft of skills and experience to offer their new employer.
The MoD is proud to support employers through the 2016 Clackmannanshire Business Awards, which showcase some of the most dynamic organisations in the UK.
Go to gov.uk/government/groups/defence-relationship-management.
Business Gateway provides assistance and impartial advice to people starting or growing their business.
It provides a range of professional resources, support and tools to help you learn new skills, create new opportunities and develop suitable strategies for growth by a combination of:
-Advice to suit specific business needs through a network of experienced business advisers
-Online support – a comprehensive website with practical information and useful guides
-A programme of free local workshops and events held throughout Scotland
-Business information – a dedicated team providing information and support on all aspects of starting and growing a business
For more information on Business Gateway Clackmannanshire and to book an appointment with an adviser, call 01259 726430 or go to bgateway.com/clackmannanshire.
NHS Forth Valley is committed to supporting businesses to help them develop a healthy sustainable workforce.
This includes the delivery of a wide range of specialist training programmes and support in physical and mental wellbeing.
Free information and resources to support staff health and wellbeing programmes are available from NHS Forth Valley’s Health Information and Resource Service (HIRS) – please contact scottfindlay@nhs.net.
NHS Forth Valley is delighted to support the 2016 Clackmannanshire Business Awards, which promotes excellence and offers the opportunity for businesses to showcase their success.
This success complements NHS Forth Valley’s commitment to reducing health inequalities and demonstrates that they are passionate about nurturing health through effective training and support, which in turn helps businesses to maintain a healthy happy workforce.
Go to nhsforthvalley.com/health-services/health-promotion.
Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Many of the brands have been around for generations and Diageo’s great range of brands and geographic spread means that people can celebrate with the products at every occasion no matter where they are in the world. This is why ‘celebrating life every day, everywhere’ is at the core of what they do.
Diageo believes that the Clackmannanshire Business Awards is an excellent way through which the community can celebrate and recognise the success of local business and indeed inspire them to even better achievement.
Diageo is proud to support the awards and the community, and look forward congratulating the nominees and winners on the night.
Go to diageo.com.