Awards recognise top Courier Country firms

Courier Business Awards trends nationally on Twitter as 2016 winners are revealed at black tie dinner

“An amazing celebration of a business community on a roll.”

The verdict of broadcaster and national treasure Gyles Brandreth as he stepped off stage after hosting The Courier Business Awards 2016.

Almost 700 guests gathered at the Apex City Quay Hotel in Dundee for the business event of the season.

Gyles was fulsome in his praise for the winners and shortlisted finalists and said the whole region was pulling itself up by the boostraps.

“Brexit, schmexit,” he declared to a huge round of applause.

“No one knows what the future will hold – for Scotland, for Brexit, for anything – but the businesses in this part of the world are just getting on with it.

“They are thriving. It is just fantastic to see.”

Guests arriving at the hotel were treated to a drinks reception provided by Solid Liquids and entertainment from a fire artiste, piper Ben Flack and the Dundee Gaelic Choir.

The main ceremony was held in a spectacular bespoke marquee built specifically for the event.

First to the stage to kick the night off was Courier editor Richard Neville, who invited Alan Davis, chairman of principal awards partner Henderson Loggie, to speak.

Mr Davis said the depth of talent was incredible and said the businesses in the room employed thousands of staff and had a collective turnover running into hundreds of millions of pounds.

Prior to dinner a total of six awards were presented including Deal of the Year which went to UK Games Talent and Finance CIC and Retail Business of the Year, which was scooped by Davidsons Chemists.

The three-course dinner was an event in itself with Apex Hotels drafting in chefs and servers from across Scotland to seamlessly cater for one of the largest black tie dinners ever held in Dundee.

The second part of the evening started with a speech from DC Thomson Publishing executive chairman Ellis Watson, before Gyles took over at the helm once again.

As he took to the stage, Gyles informed guests to great ovation that the hashtag #CourierBizAward was trending nationally on Twitter.

Links Park Community Trust was immediately recognised as Social Impact Business of the Year and in quick order Crosbie Matthew Funeral Directors was named as best Small business, Caledonia Housing Association picked up the Services prize, Graham Pest Control took home the Family Business of the Year award and globetrotting “business braveheart” and Insights CEO Andy Lothian scooped the Entrepreneur of the Year title.

2015 overall winner CXR Biosciences was also back on the winning rostrum after being named as 2016 Science and Technology Business of the Year.

However, the most prestigious prize of the night – the 2016 Courier Business of the Year – went to Michelin Dundee’s tyre factory. The accolade followed a year in which the site’s performance saw it secure tens of millions of pounds of new funding as well as a visit from none other than Her Majesty the Queen.

Factory manager John Reid was delighted to receive the night’s top prize and immediately dedicated it to his staff.

“We have had some difficult times but by pulling together we have managed to get through and we’ve secured some big investments for the factory as a result,” he said. “It is our people that have made the difference.”

Before guests took to the dance floor to the sounds of Revolution 7, one last prize was presented.

The 2016 Outstanding Contribution Award went to Jack Robertson, the longserving chairman of the region’s largest legal practice Thorntons.

A shocked but “elated” Mr Robertson was lauded in a video message from his peers, before being surprised on-stage by members of his family.

He said: “I’m a bit numb at the moment actually, particularly when my children turned up to present the award.

“That was a lovely touch.”

No one knows what the future will hold ... but the businesses in this part of the world are just getting on with it. They are thriving. GYLES BRANDRETH