East Midlands Chamber’s Nottinghamshire Business Awards 2024 have taken place at Delta by Marriott Hotel Nottingham Belfry, showcasing outstanding achievement from the county’s businesses.
ITV presenter Emma Jesson hosted the packed ceremony on 1st November, where 13 awards were presented across categories that included Business Improvement Through Technology, Apprentice of the Year and Environmental Impact, accompanied by a three-course dinner, followed by live entertainment.
The Nottinghamshire Business Awards are considered one of the most important events in the Chamber’s calendar and are the second of three ceremonies being held this year in each of the region’s three counties.
The Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Nottinghamshire County Council went to Murphy & Son, after first winning the Small Business of the Year Award.
The most illustrious award of the ceremony, Business of the Year is selected from any one of the winners earlier in the ceremony and its recipient then goes through to the regional and national British Chambers of Commerce Awards in 2025.
East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “Nottinghamshire’s business community is built on of a wealth of talented innovators, makers, creators, manufacturers and exceptional individuals that the county can be incredibly proud of, whether they impact their community, their journey toward Net Zero or give outstanding customer service.
“The Nottinghamshire Business Awards shine the spotlight on those that excel, from a wide range of sectors and have navigated challenges and grasped opportunities through resilience and skill; they play a key part in driving growth in Nottinghamshire and I would like to express my congratulations to all of the award recipients. Networking and building of connections over the awards dinner is valuable for the business community and I extend my thanks to all those who entered or sponsored the Nottinghamshire Business Awards.”
Murphy & Son Managing Director Charles Nicholds, after winning the Business of the Year Award said: “It’s such an accolade – never in our wildest dreams did we think we’d win. In the 2019 to 2022 period things were tough, but we’ve come out on the other side. We’ve grown in staff, in stature, we’ve grown in turnover and in profits too.
“We couldn’t do what we do without our team. We’ve invested heavily in expansion over the last year and a half. We’ve upskilled staff and done a lot of training. We’ve got high hopes for 2025 and our five-year plan is to double in size. We’ve just taken on a brand new warehouse and we’re going to be running multiple sites.”
The Entrepreneur of the Year Award, sponsored by Be Your Best Version, went to Shivani Soni, of Step Up Rehab Physiotherapy Clinic. Shivani said: “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be here tonight. I think the service we provide to our clients stood out. We’ve created a community where we really focus on impacting people’s lives, whether they’re aged 30 or 90; we’re there to support all ages and backgrounds.”
The Commitment to People Award, sponsored by Generation Next, went to Nottingham Venues. Learning and Development Manager Amy Butler said: “We put a lot of effort into investing in our people and it’s about the passion that we have for making sure that our people feel valued and motivated. The Nottinghamshire Business Awards are a great way to celebrate people’s work and their achievements. To win is wonderful.”
Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by East Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (EMAAN) went to Lucy Brown – Digital Marketing Executive/Apprentice from Shortlist Marketing. Lucy said: “It’s been amazing to win this award. I thank Shortlist Marketing for giving me the opportunity to be an apprentice and EMAAN for sponsoring this award.”
NetMonkeys sponsored the Business Improvement Through Technology Award. Managing Director Nick Gall said: “We do a lot around business improvement through technology day-to-day. So it’s great to be able to award somebody who has seen success in their business by using technology and that’s a really positive thing.”
East Midlands Chamber Nottinghamshire Business Awards 2024 Winners:
Business Improvement Through Technology – sponsored by NetMonkeys
WINNER: Shortlist Marketing
Community Impact – sponsored by Eversheds Sutherland
WINNER: First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans
Outstanding Growth – sponsored by Qinesis
WINNER: Browne Jacobson
Excellence in Collaboration – sponsored by East Midlands Manufacturing Network
WINNER: Volute & NHS East Midlands Cancer Alliance
Environmental Impact – sponsored by Vertas Group
WINNER: FSG Returnables
Commitment to People Development – sponsored by Generation Next
WINNER: Nottingham Venues
Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by East Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network
WINNER: Lucy Brown – Shortlist Marketing
Entrepreneur of the Year – sponsored by Be Your Best Version
WINNER: Shivani Soni – Step Up Rehab Physiotherapy Clinic
Education and Business Partnership – sponsored by University of Nottingham
WINNER: West Nottinghamshire College & Thoresby Hall Hotel
Excellence in Customer Service – sponsored by Delta Hotels
WINNER: Lion Secure Despatch
Excellence in International Trade – sponsored by DHL
WINNER: Greene Tweed & Co
Small Business of the Year – sponsored by Nottingham Trent University
WINNER: Murphy & Son
Excellence in Innovation – sponsored by Geldards
WINNER: Bio Mate, by Charlie and Jane Ltd
Business of the Year – sponsored by Nottinghamshire County Council
WINNER: Murphy & Son
