A firm of super solicitors picked up the top accolade at the Bedfordshire Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) awards last night (Thursday).
Osborne Morris & Morgan (OMM), based in West Street, Leighton Buzzard, was named the overall county winner at a glittering ceremony at The Conservatory at Luton Hoo Walled Garden.
When Keith Cannell, of headline sponsor The Co-operative Bank, announced they’d won the top prize of the night, OMM’s table lost their legal cool and whooped in appreciation. The firm specialises in serious injury claims.
Tim Woolford, OMM managing partner, said winning the top award was a “complete surprise”. They had already won the training and development category, sponsored by the University of Bedfordshire’s Knowledge Hub and finished runners up in two other categories. The firm wins £5,000 in advertising from media partner Premier Newspapers.
It was a night of glory for Leighton Buzzard as a whole as small businesses from the town scooped three other categories.
Shelly Shulman’s Cakes By Shelly won the enterprising business title, sponsored by Luton Borough Council. Vince Garvin’s magazine business I Love My Town won the real-life entrepreneur category, sponsored by Cowley Holemes accountants. And Fogarty Formal Hire won retailer of the year, sponsored by Environmental Population.
Businesses from Bedford and the north of the county were also very successful. TaxAssist Accountants Bedford grabbed two category wins in the franchisee of the year, sponsored by The Mansion House and the best e-business, sponsored by The Goldsmith Centre.
Optimis won best new business, sponsored by My Incubator. Foley Exhibitions of Silsoe was awarded community business of the year, sponsored by Park Woodfine Heald Mellows. Adrian Trudgill, of Franklins of Thorncote won employee of the year, sponsored by Basepoint. Baker Brothers Diamonds won the service excellence award, sponsored by Bedfordshire BusinesWomen.
Bedfordshire BusinessWomen scooped the networking group of the year category, sponsored by The Conservatory at Luton Hoo Walled Garden.
Luton-based Silvertoad won the business innovation award, sponsored by Alltech. Kathy Birch, of The Mansion House at Shuttleworth, won the coveted business person of the year title, sponsored by Mercedes Benz of Bedford. The accolade young business person of the year, sponsored by White Hart Press, was won by Georgia O’Keefe, of Potton-based video production firm Look C.
> For another chance of awards glory and a share of £8,200 in free advertising, companies should enter the Bedfordshire Business Excellence Awards. Visit http://www2.bedfordtoday.co.uk/businessawards2013/