Fastest 50 win ‘a great achievement’
2nd September, 2015
WINNING an award at the Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 is "a great achievement" and "real recognition for the people who work in your business", according to the winners at last year's awards.
As the countdown continues to this year’s definitive list of the fastest growing companies in the North-East, the winning companies from 2014 have been reflecting on their achievement and the difference it has made to their businesses.
‘A special thing to win’ – Tim Rice of A T & P Rentals with the awards for fastest growing medium-sized business and fastest growing overall business at the 2014 Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Awards.
Construction vehicle and equipment hire company A T & P Rentals, which is based in Guisborough and is part of CJ Leonard & Sons, won the awards for fastest growing medium-sized business and overall fastest growing business last year.
General manager Tim Rice said: “It was a great surprise to win – everyone at the company was delighted. It’s a special thing to win.
“It was not about me or Michael or Charles Leonard, it was about the whole team and the people who have worked together to achieve it.
“It is a very prestigious thing to win and we have displayed our awards in our reception.
“It also sends a message to our professional partners in the case construction sector that they have an excellent team of people working with them.”
Techflow Flexibles won the award for Fastest Growing Large Business last year.
The Cramlington-based company specialises in the design, manufacture and supply of hoses to the oil and gas exploration and production industries.
Techflow Flexibles managing director Ken Beattie said the company’s 2014 award win had helped to spur it on to further achievements.
He explained: “It was very pleasant to win – it is a great achievement to be named the fastest growing large business in the North East and it spurs you on to the next level when you get such an award.
“We have used the award win in our promotional literature, we have the picture of our award win in reception and we do make a point of telling people about it so it has been very important to us.
“It is something which gives you great prestige, no doubt about it, so I’d definitely recommend it to other companies.”
Newcastle-based Careline Lifestyles won the award for fastest growing small business in 2014.
Careline provides nursing and residential care for people with acquired brain injuries, neurological and mental health needs, learning and physical disabilities as well as nursing, residential and social care for the elderly.
The company’s chief executive, Rahul Sharma, said it had been “fantastic” to win the award last year.
He said: “In the past we had not put ourselves forward or advertised ourselves like a traditional business so we were really proud to win. It was great to have the work and the effort which everyone at the company has put in recognised in such a way.
“It was a great feeling for our colleagues across the business who put in so much hard work to get such a level of recognition.
“We are continuing to grow and develop the business in all kinds of ways and the award win has been a great platform for us to build on.”
The Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 – devised and organised by law firm Ward Hadaway in association with The Journal – recognises and celebrates the achievements of profit-making private companies in the North East who have shown the most growth in turnover.
A list of the 50 fastest growing businesses is published in September with an awards event taking place in October at which awards are presented to the fastest growing small, medium-sized and large businesses with one of these being crowned the overall fastest growing business in the North East.
Colin Hewitt, Partner and Head of Commercial at Ward Hadaway, said: “It is terrific to hear what a difference winning the Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 has made to these companies.
“This is exactly the kind of effect we have wanted the awards to have ever since we started the Fastest 50 in 1998 – to provide a platform to celebrate the achievements of companies across the North East and to promote the great work which they carry out.
“The reactions from last year’s winners demonstrate the high regard with which the Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 is held in the business community and that being part of it can really help to boost a company.”
The A-Z list of this year’s Fastest 50 companies – compiled by independent researchers from St Chad’s College/Durham Business School – will appear in The Journal later this month.
Representatives from all 50 companies, alongside business leaders, will then be invited to an awards ceremony in October where the winners of the 2015 Fastest 50 Awards will be announced.
* Find out more about the Fastest 50.
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