Category winners at the 2012 Birmingham Post Business Awards.


Company of the Year Award
and Property & Regeneration Award

Winner: IM Properties

Formed in 1987, IM Properties is one of the UK’s largest privately owned property companies. It has an investment and development portfolio of circa £800 million spanning the industrial, retail and office sectors in the UK, Europe and the USA and counts BMW, Ocado and House of Fraser among its long list of high profile clients.

With its headquarters in Coleshill, IM Properties is committed to the West Midlands, with nearly 50 per cent of its portfolio in the region.

Its 400-acre Birch Coppice Business Park is located at Junction 10 of the M42 and is the West Midlands’ largest rail-served development site. The site employs over 5,000 people, making it one of the region’s biggest employment and regeneration success stories.

What the judges said : “Considering that property is a sector that has experienced the very worst of the recent downturn, IM Properties is proof that making the right strategic decisions can be extremely profitable. This is a company that has tranformed one of the biggest employment sites in the region, done major business in Europe and US and doubled its profits along the way.”

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Manufacturing, Science & Technology Award

Winner: W H Smith & Sons (Tools) Ltd

W H Smith & Sons (Tools) Ltd is a thriving plastics company based in Minworth.

Originally founded in 1933 in Aston, it has always been a local company employing local people.

It supplies direct to many UK car companies – Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota, Nissan, BMW, Aston Martin and Bentley – plus customers in electronics, healthcare products  and chemical dispensing equipment.

The company produces high quality injection mouldings and are one of the few UK companies investing in significant tool making facilities.

What the judges said :
“WH Smith & Sons represented the region’s manufacturing sector in a microcosm.
"It is a business that has experienced significant ups and downs over recent years but has adapted as well as invested and is now reaping the benefits through new orders and significant growth.”

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Environmental, Recycling & Sustainability Award

Winner: Travel de Courcey

Bus and coach operator Travel de Courcey is an industry leader in pioneering green and innovative technology.

It is the first in the UK to launch large fast-charging electric buses with three of the zero-emission vehicles unveiled in Coventry in June.

The firm is dedicated to investing in cleaner and more efficient vehicles and technology in order to reduce carbon fuel usage.

Travel de Courcey’s continued success as the largest independent operator in the West Midlands is founded on its commitment to customer service and has resulted in its expansion from Coventry and into Birmingham with the opening of a new depot.

What the judges said :
“This is a well-established company in its home city of Coventry which has continued to move with the times and is a pioneer in the green transport movement, making huge investments into the business which will ultimately have major benefits for the community they serve.”

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Communications, Marketing & Creative Award

Winner: OWB Creative Communications

OWB is an award-winning full-service marketing agency, employing 10 people, based in the heart of Birmingham.

Formed in 2000, OWB works for brands including: Rybrook Group, Princess Yachts, LDC, Lloyds Banking Group, Samsung, Macintyre Charity and UKDN Waterflow.

A member of the world’s largest owner-managed agency network – ComVort – OWB delivers UK and international campaigns in almost every sector including automotive, manufacturing, media, technology and financial services.

The new SEO and social media division is bringing new thinking to online marketing and the vibrant, skilled and friendly OWB team is focused on building lasting relationships, delivering results and providing innovative thinking for all clients.

What the judges said :  “In a highly competitive sector – and category – OWB stood out for the breadth of its work, the strength of its client roster and its continued financial success when others have fallen by the wayside.”

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Finance Award

Winner: Wesleyan Assurance Society

Wesleyan was founded in Birmingham 171 years ago.

It is now one of the financially strongest life offices in the UK with £4.8bn assets under management. The mutual provides tailored financial advice and services to select professional customers.

Wesleyan has enjoyed a period of sustained economic growth in recent years and new business sales increased by 54 per cent from 2008 to 2011, despite the faltering economy.

At a time when trust in financial services is at a low, an independent survey shows that Wesleyan’s customers continue to rate its product and services with 86 per cent saying Wesleyan really cares about them.

What the judges said :
“The Wesleyan has enjoyed an upward trajectory under the stewardship of chief executive Craig Errington.
 Over the past five years it has seen new business soar by 238 per cent and one statistic that stands out is that it now enjoys the custom of around three quarters of all GPs.”

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Small Business & Business Start-Up Award

Winner: Just Checking

Established in 2004, Just Checking designed and developed a telecare system that monitors movement around a property, and so enables people with dementia to live independently in their own home for longer.

Today, over 75 per cent of UK local authorities with responsibility for social care use Just Checking for assessment while families have adopted it to manage the care of their relative in the familiarity of their own home.

Increasingly it is being used as an assessment tool for adults with learning disabilities in a supported living environment.

What the judges said :
“It is small businesses that are the lifeblood of the West Midlands economy and this category was probably the most competitive.
 However, standing out from the crowd was Just Checking, a company that was well-run, innovative and tapping into an issue will affect an increasing number of us in the years to come.”

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Emerging Professional Award

Winner: Damien Hayward-Bradley

Damien is the Finance Director of construction and renewable energy specialists Alumet.

Aged 35, Damien has played a major part in improving the company’s sustainability standards resulting in ISO14001 accreditation and achieved an incredible 18% reduction on organisational Co2 output during the past year.

Under Damien’s astute leadership, Alumet became the first SME in the Midlands to become members of the Prince Charles-backed Business in The Community (BITC) initiative and the company also gained Investors in Excellence accreditation earlier this year.

A highlight of Damien’s career was meeting The Queen at Buckingham Palace following Alumet’s Queen’s Award for Enterprise success in 2009.

What the judges said :
“All those who were shortlisted are a credit to their organisations and to the wider region but we felt Damien stood out due to the absolutely key role he has played at a company that is going from strength to strength.”

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Medium to Large Business Award

Winner: Chiltern Railways

Chiltern Railways is the fastest growing train company in the UK, running services between Kidderminster, Birmingham and London Marylebone.

Chiltern was the first British train company to introduce an innovative mobile ticketing app, allowing customers to buy tickets and swipe their phones on the gates at stations.

Their groundbreaking investment of £150 million to create the Chiltern Mainline between Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone introduced fast trains from 90 minutes to the capital and has transformed their West Midlands business.

The increase in passengers using their services to London is unparalleled as customers take advantage of their fast new trains and free Wi-Fi.

What the judges said :
“In a nutshell Chiltern has changed the landscape of inter-city travel for the business community in the West Midlands.
"Its commitment to offering a viable alternative to the West Coast Main Line increasingly bears fruit and it has now established itself as a major national transport brand.”

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Legal & Business Advisory Award

Winner: SGH Martineau

SGH Martineau is a £30m turnover, commercial law firm with headquarters in Birmingham and offices in London and Brussels.

While SGH Martineau was formed following a merger in December 2011, legacy firm Martineau has a history spanning almost 200 years.

The firm has a key sector focus, delivered via a partner-led approach to provide the full spectrum of legal services.

Current clients include Lloyds Banking Group, the University of Birmingham, National Grid and Octopus Investments.

What the judges said :
“The entries for the Legal and Business Advisory category were particularly strong as you would expect in Birmingham but we felt the successful merger between Sprecher

Grier Halberstam and Martineau to create SGH Martineau and the new company’s drive to new markets while retaining its local identity gave it the edge.”

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People Development, Recruitment & Training Award

Winner: Alexander Daniels

Alexander Daniels is a Professional Recruitment Group specialising in Accountancy & Finance, Corporate Governance and Executive Search.

It was set up in Birmingham in 2010 by three respected recruiters Ian Mourbey, Jamie Rodden and Nick Pearce along with well-known local entrepreneur Andy Foote.

Alexander Daniels has continued to innovate in the recruitment market whilst providing job opportunities through growth.

The business now employs 20 people across their offices in Birmingham and Bristol.

Clients range from small to medium sized businesses up to blue chip companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, NPower, Severn Trent and Deutsche Bank.

What the judges said :
“Alexander Daniels absolutely stood out from the rest of the competition due to the entrepreneurial approach of its directors, its focus and ultimately its success in such a short period of time.”

>More galleries and videos from the 2012 Business Awards here >