The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 42: April/May 2019 | Page 10

Cover Story: Celebrations at this year’s Chippenham Business Awards The Chippenham business community recently came together for the town’s biggest B2B event to celebrate diversity and success. The third annual Chippenham Business Awards was organised by Chippenham BID, the organisation which supports and promotes local businesses in and around the town centre. The event organisers and sponsor Awdry Bailey & Douglas welcomed 160 guests to the Neeld Community and Arts Centre to celebrate 10 awards in a range of categories. There was an increase of 38% in the number of entries received this year compared to the inaugural event in 2017. Kathryn Crosweller, Chippenham BID manager, said,“It almost sounds trite yet to be in a room with so many passionate, driven and successful people is a very humbling experience. There are some fantastic businesses in and around Chippenham, and we are delighted to be able to bring them together.” Tom Paget of Awdry Bailey & Douglas, headline sponsor of the award scheme added, “This really is a great event which we are extremely proud to support. There are so many fantastic businesses in the town which deserve recognition for what they have achieved and these awards are the perfect way to do that. I’d like to say thank you to all those that entered and huge congratulations to this year’s winners.” The winners on the night were: • Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by Wiltshire College and University Centre, Emma Benson, MJ Church. The 2019 Winners • Best Place to Work, sponsored by Nettl web studio and business store of Chippenham, Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited • Charitable Business of the Year, sponsored by Avagio ITS Ltd, Chippenham and District Constitutional Club • Customer Service, sponsored by HPH Commercial Property, Avagio ITS Ltd • Green Award, sponsored by Good Energy, Aaron and Jonathon Bewley Funeral Directors • Independent Business of the Year, sponsored by Strakers Estate Agents, Aaron and Jonathon Bewley Funeral Directors • Hospitality or Food and Drink Business of the Year, sponsored by Hughes and Hughes Estate Agents, The Three Crowns • Small Business of the Year, sponsored by 24-7 Staffing, Fab-Bricks Ltd. • Lifetime Achievement, sponsored by Chippenham Chamber of Commerce and Inspire, Phil and Maddy Crook • Chippenham Business of the Year, sponsored by Awdry Bailey & Douglas, Alliance Pharmaceuticals Limited Winner of Customer Service award was Avagio ITS Ltd. A small business of 12 employees, Avagio helps growing businesses make technology work for them, providing friendly and knowledgeable support. Adam Morris, Founder and MD, said, “We have lived here for 25 years and we love working with great local business and the different owners and managers that are driving them forward. For me now, it’s less about the benefits we can get from the community and more about how we can contribute and help others. We have 99.3% customer satisfaction and the average in our sector is 94%. “We do lots of things on a consistent basis that together make us stand out for example; surprise gifts to clients, direct access to engineers that can respond immediately with a 24/7 service included.” On winning the award Adam said, “We’re proud to have won the award for Customer Service, I feel a spotlight on local Wiltshire business is vital and we all need to continue to support each other as much as we can as business can often be a tough and lonely job.” Emma Benson from MJ Church won the Apprentice of the Year category. She added, “The award to me means a lot. It was great to get recognition from MJ Church and Wiltshire College in order for them to nominate me and then to win! “I have learnt so much since starting my apprenticeship and am continuing to learn and develop my skill set within the construction and civil engineering industry and health and safety.” The Chippenham Business Awards will return in February 2020. To find out more about the event or to enquire about becoming a sponsor please visit www. chippenhambusinessawards.co.uk or email [email protected] Emma Benson, MJ Church Adam Morris, Avagio ITS, collecting his award Industry leading document & print management solutions Headquartered in Bath since 1984 0845 688 6868 10 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2019 [email protected] www.1st-office.com