Three small Staffordshire businesses will represent the county at a national UK final after picking up awards in a regional competition.
Legionella and Fire Safe Services, Euro-matic UK and T&J Scents were recognised in various categories at the West Midlands Federation of Small Businesses Celebrating Small Business Awards.
They will now go on to compete in the UK finals on Thursday, 18 May in Birmingham.
Lichfield-based Legionella and Fire Safe Services was crowned Larger Small Business of the Year.
Since starting in 2017 with seven employees, the company now has over 60 staff and a turnover of more than £4 million. It covers all aspects of fire related work, plumbing and legionella control works all over the country.
Managing Director Steve Morris, pictured above, said: “The secret to our success is caring for our clients and our staff.
“We have a great team and there is a good vibe here.”
An employee package was launched last year giving staff a pay increase above the base rate, private medical insurance and a monthly winter fuel payment.
Legionella and Fire Safe Services has also just been shortlisted for the Customer Service Excellence Award at the ASCP Awards and as Small to Medium-Sized Business of the Year at the Express & Star Business Awards 2023.
Plastic ball manufacturer Euro-matic UK won the Sustainability Award.
The husband-and-wife team, from Cannock, have been working with a number of water authorities in the UK to roll out its floating bird ball – originally created as a deterrent for bird strike near airports – to develop a solution to help create cleaner water.
The balls help to reduce algae and evaporation so the water remains cleaner and easier to treat with no manual workload, limited chemicals and processing.
Commercial Director Helena King said: “As a small business, it always feels like such an honour to even be shortlisted for such a prestigious award and I never expected that we would be the winners in the sustainability category when the other shortlisted companies are all making such headway in this area.
“Clearly, we all have to take a more sustainable viewpoint with regards to business but for us, a plastic company, we want people to understand how passionate we are to ensure we do our bit.
“Moving forwards our dream is to transform the UK water network for a more sustainable future.”
She added: “We cannot wait to be part of the national awards ceremony and would like to wish all finalists the very best of luck.”
T&J Scents started in Audley, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, in 2018 and is owned by Josh Moss and Tom Wooding, who is profoundly deaf.
The home fragrance company won the Diversity and Inclusion Award.
Josh said: “It was brilliant to win the award.
“The company started in 2018 and most of the day-to-day running of it is done by Tom.
“He has struggled to find work in the past, but his creativity and ideas have made the business flourish.”
