Celebrating our city’s businesses

Hats off to one of the city’s most successful businesses which really hit the jackpot in last night’s Sunderland Echo Portfolio Business Awards.

Tombola, one of the UK’s biggest online bingo sites, scored a triple triumph at a glittering awards ceremony held at the Stadium of Light.

Phil Cronin, chief executive and founder of Tombola, took the Lifetime Achievement title. He was hailed as “a real success story of homegrown regional talent and boy done good.”

Tombola’s honours also included taking the Large Business and Overall Business of the Year titles. Judges described the firm as a “celebration of Sunderland business – and still rooted in the city.”

They heard how the firm was a major employer for Wearside with workers as well across Italy, Spain and Gibraltar.

But Tombola was not last night’s only success story – a host of Wearside businesses were also honoured for their achievements.

Judges hailed this year’s standard as the best they had ever seen and heralded the area’ s business elite with 23 honours.

Some notable achievements were New World Designs, who took the Small Business of the Year title. The bullet time photography specialists boasts clients such as the England rugby and cricket teams.

The Social Enterprise champions were Bishop wear mouth Co-operative CIC for their work with vulnerable adults.

New Business champions were precision products firm Triotec, which doubled the size of its premises, and the Corporate Social Responsibility winners were the Wonderful Wig Company, which sources the best wigs globally for people suffering hair loss.

There were so many honoured but the real winner was the City of Sunderland – for having so many enterprising and innovative businesses operating on Wearside. Well done to all.