Business of the Year named

9:36am Thursday 7th June 2007

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A PACKED Tytherington Club was the scene for the inaugural Macclesfield Business of the Year awards, as guests gathered for a glittering black tie dinner and prizes were handed out in seven different categories.

Sir Nicholas Winterton gave a rousing speech, extolling the spirit of enterprise which has been a feature of Macclesfield businesses since time immemorial, and all there declared the joint venture by the Community News Group and Macclesfield Borough Council a great success.

The first award of the evening, Start-Up Business of the Year, saw child-modelling agency Model Child take home first prize, with Lanac House highly commended.

Model Child managing director Sam Crompton said: "We're very honoured to win this award because we've all worked so hard over the past year and we're really proud of what we do.

"We hope to go from strength to strength. We've around 50 children working every single day and on June 4 we're opening Modelcast, our adult side of the agency. The future is looking very positive."

Furniture and home accessories shop Cinta was up next to take home the Retailer of the Year award, with shoe shop Clarks for Kids being highly commended.

Cinta manager Jacqui Poole said: "It's very special to win this award because customer care is of paramount importance to us. Occasionally it feels like we go to extraordinary lengths for our customers and this recognition proves that's the right thing to do."

The Training and Development award was the third prize of the evening, St John Ambulance taking home first place just ahead of Clarks For Kids, who were highly commended for a second time.

St John representative Keith Barrett-Bee said: "It's a real honour. Training is vitally important to what we do and the way in which we serve the public.

"We're the biggest provider of first aid training and first aid services in the UK. Hopefully this award can bring to the public's attention just how highly trained we are and the sort of services we supply."

The Community Contribution award was up for grabs next, with housing trust Cheshire Peaks and Plains scooping first prize. JJ's Sensory Play Centre, a play area for children with special needs, was highly commended.

Rachel Fyles, from Cheshire Peaks and Plains, said: "We're absolutely delighted. Because we're a new company it's really great to see people recognise the work we're doing.

"I hope that this award will make people more aware of the different services that we offer. For example, we're getting ready to launch a programme that will invest £43,000,000 into our homes over the next five years. We'll be bringing all of our houses up to what is known as the decent homes standard'."

Anson Engine Museum was the next big winner of the night, taking home the Visitors' Choice award, narrowly pipping the highly commended Arley Hall to the top place in the only award of the night voted for by the public.

Museum representatives Geoff Challinor and Margaret Hacking collected the award. Geoff said: "We're so proud to have been recognised in this way. It's a huge honour and really feels special to be voted for by your own customers."

Margaret added: "It'll raise our profile no end and I think will help spread the word that we're a place you can visit, even if you're not necessarily an engine enthusiast."

Greggs the Bakers were up next to collect the Grosvenor Centre Business of the Year award before the crowd hushed for the final award of the night - the prestigious Macclesfield Business of the Year 2007.

Cinta was unveiled as the winner, picking up its second major award of the evening and capping off a resoundingly successful year for the business.

Manager Jacqui Poole said: "We can't quite believe it. It's proof that what we've been doing is right on all levels. We've wished success to our suppliers who often work in very impoverished countries and they share this achievement with us. I have six absolutely wonderful members of staff in Macclesfield who, at the end of each day, have thoroughly enjoyed their time with the business, with the products and with the customers. We're absolutely delighted."

The Macclesfield Business of the Year awards look set to become an annual event in the borough's business calendar.