VIDEO: Bury Free Press Business Awards: Meet our winners from last night
Oh, what a night!
The best businesses in West Suffolk took a well-deserved bow last night.
In a glitzy ceremony at The Apex, the Bury Free Press Business Awards for West Suffolk saw Cameron Ventures Hotel Group lift the award for Best Business.
The group runs the Priory Hotel in Bury and the Cedars Hotel in Stowmarket among others - and has big plans to expand in the coming years.
Business Leader of the Year award went to Ruth French, from Stow Healthcare.
After gaining a highly commended award last year, Gavin Downes from Gavin Ashley in Bury St Edmunds, walked off with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Probably the biggest cheer of the night was saved for Judith Thomas, who came top in the Contribution to the Community award.
Opening the night, MP Jo Churchill praised the skills set in local businesses, spoke about the innovation locally while appreciating the huge challenges facing all sectors at the moment.
The night was opened by Bury Free Press and Iliffe Media Managing Director Ricky Allan, who spoke of the great work being done not just by the Bury Free Press in its community work but also by the many layers of business throughout West Suffolk - all contributing to the success of Suffolk as a powerhouse for business.
Council leaders John Griffiths and James Waters brought the evening to a close for West Suffolk Councils, and they thanked all the event sponsors for helping to celebrate the very best of business.
Here are the 2018 winners in full:
BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Ashtons Legal)
Winner - Ruth French, Stow Healthcare
THE WEST SUFFOLK AWARD FOR INNOVATION (Treatt Plc)
Winner - Orbital Media
EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR (West Suffolk College)
Winner - Justine Booth, Pocket Watch & Petticoats
CUSTOMER SERVICE (Our Bury St Edmunds)
Winner - Armstrongs Independent Funeral Service
BEST NEW START-UP BUSINESS (Menta)
Winner - FamilyCarersNet
CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY (Portcullis Group)
Winner - Judith Thomas
GREEN / ENVIRONMENT (SaveMoneyCutCarbon)
Winner - Greener Growth CIC
APPRENTICE / TRAINEE OF THE YEAR (WS Training)
Winner - Marlon Sherman, The Bell, Thetford
THE WEST SUFFOLK YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARD (West Suffolk Councils)
Winner - Paul Brown, Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (Chamber of Commerce Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill & Newmarket)
Winner - Cameron Ventures Hotel Group
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT (Abbeycroft Leisure)
Winner - Gavin Downes, Gavin Ashley Hairdressing
For a complete round-up and more pictures, see Friday's Bury Free Press.
