The Window Company was tonight named Business of the Year at the Altrincham & Sale Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.
And on a night of double celebration for the Sale-based company, Dean Smith picked up the Employee of the Year prize.
Judges praised the way its growth had led to the recruitment of two more fitting teams, and also its support for local charities, including fitting free windows for the Cheeky Monkey Centre in Sale.
At a glittering ceremony held at the Cresta Court Hotel – with host Darren Proctor standing in for Gordon Burns, who was in America for family reasons – Altrincham-based The Zipyard won Retailer of the Year after growing from just one member of staff and two seamstresses in 2011 to having George Osborne open their second centre in Wilmslow last year.
Now employing 12 seamstresses and four sales staff between the two centres, they are on track to hit their target of £500,000 turnover by the end of the year.
Slater Heelis, which now has an office in Timperley, won the Provider of Professional Services award in recognition of its continued growth through the recession that has established it as “one of the leading legal practices in the North”.
Other awards went to photographer Martin Hambleton, who won Small Business of the Year, and The Cresta Court Hotel itself, which was handed the Leisure & Tourism prize.
Sue Aldridge, Chamber President, said: “After the success of the awards last year, it was vital to continue to recognise the outstanding businesses and the people behind them within our community.
“Tonight is a celebration of our local businesses that have been nominated and voted for an award to recognise that they have achieved excellence in their category. We thank our event sponsors Virgin Atlantic for their support.”
The full list of winners:
Small Business of the Year (Sponsored by Slater Heelis)
Winner: Martin Hambleton Photography
Start Up Business of the Year (Sponsored by Sale & Altrincham Messenger)
Winner: Trafford Business Connect Magazine
Retailer of the Year (Sponsored by Dr Jackie Campbell)
Winner: The Zipyard
Property Team of the Year (Sponsored by Trafford Business Connect Magazine)
Winner: Bridging Finance
Young Apprentice of the Year (Sponsored by Trafford College)
Winner: James Bagnall
Provider of Professional Services (Sponsored by The Web Studio)
Winner: Slater Heelis
Leisure & Tourism (Sponsored by Virgin Atlantic)
Winner: The Cresta Court Hotel
Charity of the Year (Sponsored by Myerson)
Winner: Alex Hulme Foundation
Employee of the Year (Sponsored by Colemans ctts)
Winner: Dean Smith, The Window Company
Business of the Year (Sponsored by Trafford Council)
Winner: The Window Company
