The winner of the Daily Post Business Person of the Year Award paid tribute to the “culture and resilience” of the region’s business community after scooping the prestigious prize.
The glittering Daily Post/North Wales Live Business Awards were held last Thursday night at Bangor University, headline sponsor of the event.
It was hosted by ITV weather presenter Emma Jesson with 10 top awards handed out - supported by category sponsors ADRA, Development Bank of Wales, Busnes@LlandrilloMenai, Cartrefi Conwy, Harlech Foodservice and M-SParc.
The Business Person of the Year award went to Askar Sheibani, MD at Flintshire based telecomms firm Comtek.
Mr Sheibani is a highly successful entrepreneur in his own right but also proudly flies the flag for North Wales as chair of Ambition North Wales’s Business Delivery Board, Chair and Founder of the UK Fibre Connectivity Forum, Chair of Deeside Business Forum and he is a Welsh Government Entrepreneurship Champion for Wales.
He said: “In the past couple of years, the business community in North Wales has gone through some major challenges. We have had the pandemic, Brexit, skilled worker shortages, inflation and now the Russian war and a huge hike in energy prices.
“These tragedies and challenges have shaken many parts of the world. What is incredible about the culture and resilience of our business community is that we never lost our nerve. We fiercely continued with a remarkable determination to fight for a bigger market share nationally and internationally.
“While in most parts of the country and indeed the world, people were busy talking about doom and gloom, we were busy planning for the future.
“The Daily Post, as an impressive regional voice and integrated part of our great fighting community, relaunched its fantastic award ceremony once again. This ceremony sent a loud and clear message to the rest of the United Kingdom that we are an upbeat and resolute community.
“It sent a powerful message to the rest of the world that North Wales is motivated, fired up and is a great place to invest and grow business. A massive congratulations to all those businesses that were nominated and those who received their awards. A huge thank you to the Daily Post for organising this fantastic celebration night, Bangor University for hosting it and sponsors supporting it financially.”
The David Williams Judges’ Choice Award – Sponsored by ADRA - went to Gwyn Jones, managing director of Castle Green Homes.
He has made remarkable progress in the construction sector - becoming managing director of MacBryde Homes in 2018, aged just 30.
The MD later lead a management buy-out of the company backed by Redrow founder Steve Morgan.
The business has since rebranded as Castle Green Homes and under our winner’s leadership has plans to quadruple in size over the next few years.
Mr Jones said: “The reason I am here is the team around me, they do a fantastic job so it really is credit to them. I love seeing a happy team and everyone excelling. It doesn’t stop and we just keep going.”
As well as talking expansion he spoke about the green commitments of the firm: “It was very important when we rebranded to Castle Green, the green in the name was one of the key ethoses, loads of people talk about green it can become jargon but we are serious because everything we do is about results and not just about talk so I want to make sure, as a man with five children, that we look after the next generation and think of them.
“It is important we are building homes for people but we have to think about the planet we are leaving behind, we are passionate about it.”
The Business Start Up Award – Sponsored by M-SParc - was won by Enhanced Healthcare, a Colwyn Bay agency that specialises in the recruitment and training of nurses and healthcare professionals.
MD Chanel Williams said: “We set up during a pandemic and it could have gone either way. We have supported loads of local health and social care services and local authorities and we are proud of that.
“The plan is to continue to grow, open new branches, go pan-Wales.”
Also shortlisted were Scuba Escape.
The Best in Food and Drink Award – Sponsored by Harlech Foodservice - went to Abergwyngregyn spirits maker Aber Falls Whisky Distillery.
Dylan Roberts, visitor centre manager, and Lliwen Griffith, operations manager, spoke about how the ‘team North Wales approach’ was paying off.
They said: “We are working with other businesses in Wales to push the food and drink industry - it is a promotion of each other rather than rivalry.
“With whisky we can’t create that ‘Welsh category’ by ourselves, we have to work with other people.”
Also shortlisted were cheesemaker Castell Gwyn Ltd and award winning Signatures Restaurant, Conwy.
In the Diversity and Inclusion category the award – Sponsored by Development Bank of Wales - went to Wrexham outsourced communications company Moneypenny.
Christine Lawn, head of recruitment at Moneypenny, said: “When we recruit we recruit on attitude, not necessarily aptitude, and we encourage people from all walks of life, different backgrounds. It is not about the skills you have, it is whether you have the personality and we can teach the skills. It means we have a vast range of people and it is the people that make Moneypenny.”
Also shortlisted were not-for-profit organisation RCS and Theatr Clwyd.
The Green Business Award was scooped by Rhug Estate, the organic farm estate near Corwen that has pioneered a sustainable eco-friendly approach.
Lord Newborough said: “It has been a wonderful journey and Mared (low carbon project officer) has been instrumental in where we have got to, sustainability is everything we do. Without sustainability we haven’t got a future.
“We seem to be right at the front of the curve and everyone is turning to Mared (Williams) for her expertise in what we are doing.”
Also shortlisted were Always Aim High Events and Anglesey Sea Zoo.
The Community Award – Sponsored by Cartrefi Conwy - was presented to Iorwerth Arms, a Bryngwran pub that was saved from closure by the community.
Nev Evans, chair of the community pub group, said: “It is out of this world, we are over the moon. It is an award for the community.”
Also shortlisted were The Little Wren and North Wales Dragons Community Football Team.
Business of the Year (up to 25 employees) went to John Kelly Construction Services, based on Anglesey.
John Kelly said “It has been two years of up and down, we’ve been lucky in our sector as we have been able to carry on while other people haven’t. North Wales is our thing, we all live here.
“We are set up to grow and the firm is set up so that it can also diversify.”
Also shortlisted were Finance firm FFP Solutions Ltd, and ice cream parlour and pizzeria Glaslyn.
Business of the Year (over 26 employees) – Sponsored by Busnes@llandrilloMenai - was presented to Harlech Foodservice, a fast growing Gwynedd-based firm supplying food to catering establishments in Wales and North West England.
Chris Gregson, head of sales at Harlech Foods, said: “It’s been such a strange couple of years and this is fantastic as we are coming out the other side.
“There are a lot of changes, we are listening to our customers and doing what they are asking us to do, and we get the competitive edge that way.”
Also shortlisted were Brenig Group and Godfrey Group Facilities Ltd.
In the Innovation and Technology category – Sponsored by Skills Factory Bangor University - the award went to Aparito, a Wrexham firm transforming healthcare by unlocking real-world patient data through mobile apps and wearable devices.
Elin Haf Davies, from Aparito, said: “We have prided ourselves on being a local North Wales team and winning the award is exciting as it acknowledges what the team has done and what we are striving to do.”
Also shortlisted were Anglesey tech companies Cufflink and Haia.
