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Enterprising Scotland Awards 2006

Celebrating the best of Scottish Business

Clydesdale Bank was delighted to be amongst the sponsors at the Enterprising Scotland Awards 2006.
The awards, held in Glasgow on Friday, 23 June 2006, honoured Scotland’s most entrepreneurial companies.
Of the ten award categories, Clydesdale Bank sponsored the "Best Performing Business with Under 25 Employees" category.

Clydesdale Bank were proud to be sponsors as:

  • We all need to acknowledge the real winners in business and public service in Scotland today.
  • We deal with a multitude of successful businesses and enterprising people so we know there is exceptional talent out there.
  • We are backing innovation and helping promote enterprise across Scotland.

Now in their 4th year, The Enterprising Scotland Awards are:

  • Firmly established as Scotland's most celebrated business accolade, with more than 100 companies across a range of sectors and industries vying for the top honour.
  • The first to incorporate Quality Scotland's Scottish Awards for Business Excellence at their 2006 awards. The award programme recognises organisations from the public, private or voluntary sectors who have achieved outstanding levels of excellence in their field.

WINNERS OF ENTERPRISING SCOTLAND AWARDS 2006

Best Performing Business with under 25 employees

Sponsor: Clydesdale Bank

Winner: BenRiach Distillery

BenRiach Distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery, located in the Speyside region in the North East of Scotland.

  • Acquired from Chivas Brothers by a private consortium in April 2004
  • Informed consumers and the independent retail sector welcomed the return of an established distillery into private hands.

The company engages in 5 key business streams including:

  • production
  • sales and marketing of the BenRiach Single Malt Scotch Whisky range
  • distillery production and supply of "new fill" BenRiach Single Malt Whisky

The business has:

  • delivered both turnover and profitability as per plan.
  • continued to operate at a healthy level supplying fillings to a strong blue chip customer base including Chivas, Whyte & MacKay and Allied Domecq among others.

Best Performing Business over 250 employees

Sponsor: Scottish Enterprise Plc

Winner - Kwik-Fit Financial Services Ltd

Kwik-Fit Financial Services Ltd (KFFS) was established in 1995 as an insurance intermediary to provide a range of financial service products to Kwik-Fit's tyre and exhaust customers including:

  • motor, household, pet, travel, motorcycle and commercial vehicle insurance, personal accident and breakdown cover.

Kwik-Fit Financial Services:

  • continues to demonstrate impressive growth with an increasing number of policies sold.
  • Kwik-Fit Financial Services Ltd now employs more than 800 people at its award winning call centre complex in Uddingston.

E-business

Sponsor: Royal Mail Group

Winner - Clyde Valley Drilling

Clyde Valley Drilling began trading in 1995 and quickly became one of the foremost drilling companies in Scotland.
The company has:

  • expanded year on year at an exceptional rate as a result of its commitment to quality, service and excellence through its team of trained drilling operatives.
  • delivers professional diamond drilling, diamond concrete sawing and concrete cutting and finishing services throughout Scotland and the North of England, 24 hours a day.

Most Entrepreneurial Young Company

Sponsor: Microsoft

Winner - GR Contracts Limited

Wishaw based GR Contracts Limited launched in 2004. The company:

  • was started by George McColl and Robert Savage to exploit their combined knowledge and contacts gained after years of working in the steel industry.
  • manufactures and installs structural steelwork and provides site services for construction projects.
  • has established itself as a key player in the Scottish marketplace by improving efficiency and building robust relationships within the construction industry.

Business in the Community

Sponsor: Rolls Royce

Winner - Cream o' Galloway

Cream o' Galloway Dairy Company:

  • was established in 1994.
  • began making quality ice cream and frozen yogurt using milk from its own fully organic dairy in Rainton Farm which seeks to incorporate the principles of sustainable development into all aspects of its work.
  • produces 200,000 litres of ice cream each year
  • welcomes more than 60,000 visitors annually to its visitor centre, enabling people to learn about and sample the ice-creams, as well as enjoying the nature trails, adventure playground and tearoom.

Best Performing Business 26 - 250 employees

Sponsor: BAE Systems

Winner - FFDR

Founded in 1998, Lochgelly based firm FFDR (Fire and Flood Damage Restoration):

  • typifies Scotland's tradition for endeavour and enterprise.
  • enjoyed rapid success with its all-trades damage restoration service, which benefits the insurance industry and disaster-hit homeowners and businesses.
  • is now Scotland's leading company in this sector, employing 80 people and operating a fleet of 60 vehicles.

Innovation & Creativity

Sponsor: O2

Winner - CXR Biosciences

CXR Biosciences is a University of Dundee spinout which applies new technologies in pharmaceutical drug development and the risk assessment of industrial chemicals.

Founded by Professor Roland Wolf and Dr. Cliff Elcombe, CXR:

  • is a profitable company with 34 highly qualified staff and an experienced management team.
  • has built up an international network of clients and a state-of-the-art laboratory in Dundee.

International Business

Sponsor: Hilton Hotel, Glasgow

Winner - Neogen Europe Ltd

Neogen Europe Ltd, which operates from an Ayrshire base, was established in 1998 to satisfy the growing need to meet higher quality and safety requirements in the food and agricultural markets.

The company:

  • is dedicated to the development and marketing of diagnostic test kits for the food and agricultural markets and supplies a wide range of products to customers in over 90 countries.
  • Neogen Europe Ltd offers quality test kits and reagents to detect plant pathogens, micro organisms, toxins, allergens, pesticide residues, contaminants and GMOs.
  • Innovative products allow rapid, on-site analysis providing real-time data at low unit cost.

Skills & Learning

Sponsor: Investors In People Scotland (IIP)

Winner - Rosti Technical Plastics (UK) Ltd

Larkhall based Rosti Technical Plastics (UK) Ltd is the UK manufacturing company for Rosti A/S. Founded in 1991 as Peter Tilling Plastics, Rosti purchased the company in 1996 as part of a global expansion.

Rosti offers a sub-contract manufacturing operation for precision injection moulded products and related services.
The factory now has:

  • more than 150 employees as well as its management team.
  • Rosti Technical Plastics (UK) Ltd prides itself in the fact that eight apprentices have graduated and achieved full-time status within the Larkhall plant over the last 15 months.

Quality Scotland

Scottish Awards for Business Excellence

Winner - West Lothian Council Housing Services

West Lothian Council’s Housing Services is recognised as one of the UK's leading local authority housing providers. The service vision is to provide homes not houses - affordable, high-quality housing within safe, sustainable communities.

West Lothian Council:

  • manages around 13,500 properties.
  • is the 13th largest local authority housing service in Scotland in terms of rented local authority houses.
  • The organisation offers a varied menu of support options to ensure the housing needs of a growing and diverse population are met and consistently exceeded.