Celebrating Family Businesses across the Cotswolds

Each year, Cotswold Life’s Business and Professional Magazine invites industry experts from across the Cotswolds to highlight the region’s best family businesses in a number of categories for The Annual Cotswold Life Family Business Awards, headed up by Business Editor and Chair, Nicky Godding. Head of Private Client and Partner at BPE, Elizabeth Saunders, was among them, along with Dani Saveker, Chief Executive of Families in Business Ltd, Ruth Dooley, Partner and Head of Tax at Hazlewoods LLP, Paul Lowe, Operations Director at Darby’s LLP and Chair of the Oxfordshire Business Awards, Claire Willcox, Relationship Director of Santander Corporate Baking, and Bill Smith, Finance Director of STL Communications.

Family businesses are an essential part of the British economy, both large and small, and often go unrecognised. The Cotswold Life Family Business Awards aims to bring these businesses and key individuals to light, celebrating both their impressive accomplishments, and their contribution to the region.  Balancing family life with professionalism raises numerous challenges, but every one of the businesses nominated in this year’s, and previous year’s awards have achieved a great deal of success.

As businesses adapt and grow to fit the increasingly demanding global market and competition, many would have thought that family businesses are in decline. But beating the stigma of the small-family-corner-shop set up, family businesses in the Cotswolds are going from strength to strength, making a vast contribution to the local economy.

Currently in its third year, the Cotswold Life Family Business Award judges investigate a range of nominated companies for a number of categories, from ‘Family Business of the Year’, to ‘Outstanding contribution to the local or national economy’. The awards recognise both family businesses as a whole as well as individuals within those businesses, who are helping to drive change and shape their future.

2015 Winners

Outstanding Contribution to the local or national economy

Oxfordshire: Blenheim Palace

Gloucestershire:  Howard Tenens

Family Business of the Year

Oxfordshire: Salter’s & Co

Gloucestershire: Badham Pharmacies

Next Generation Family Achiever

Oxfordshire: Carl Reeve – Data Plastics

Gloucestershire: Paul Bence – George Bence and Sons

Rural Family Business Award

Oxfordshire: Millett’s Farm Park

Gloucestershire: Cotswold Farm Park

Family Business Longevity Award

Oxfordshire: Symm

Gloucestershire: Mann Jewellers/GA Baker

Family Business Exporter of the Year

Oxfordshire: Tibbetts Group

Gloucestershire: Robert Welch

Corporate Social Responsibility

Oxfordshire: Aston James

Gloucestershire: Peter Hickman Hairdressers

Innovation and Enterprise

Oxfordshire: Ability Matters

Gloucestershire: Poeton Industries

For more information about The Cotswold Life Family Business Awards and for details on how to nominate a business for an award, please visit: http://www.cotswoldlife.co.uk/polopoly_fs/7.52084.1422525390!/CLFBA2015.pdf

These notes have been prepared for the purpose of articles only. They should not be regarded as a substitute for taking legal advice.