IT WAS a triumphant night for the county’s business community as the winners of the annual Echo-backed Dorset Business Awards were crowned.

Organised by the Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), more than 700 guests packed into the Bournemouth International Centre for the glitzy awards ceremony, hosted by business journalist Jonty Bloom.

Firms fought it out in eleven contested 11 categories in what was a record-breaking year for the awards, with a panel of independent judges siphoning through the hundreds of nominations to crown the winners.

Dorset Echo:

(Janis Roe of Hamworthy Heating, Caroline Donnell of J.P. Morgan and Sam Boshier ofHamworthy Heating)

Ian Girling, chief executive of DCCI, said: “This year’s event was the largest in the history of the awards. Not only did we receive a remarkable amount of entries across the highest number of categories, we were also honoured with a record number of guests who attended to pay tribute to the outstanding businesses we have thriving within Dorset.

“On behalf of all the award sponsors, I would like to offer our congratulations to all of the winners and finalists of the 2015 Dorset Business Awards, who help make this county great.”

Dorset Echo:

(Alastair Chamorro, Aimee Looker of VoIP Unlimited with Georgina Hurcombe and Tom Suddrey of LoveLove Films)

In the Business Engagement with the Community Award, sponsored by J.P Morgan, with Poole-based Hamworthy Heating finishing in first place, with 4Com PLC and Thirty Seven Coffee shop Limited finishing as runners-up.

TestLink Services Ltd in Poole scooped won the Business Growth Award, sponsored by Advanced Exchequer, with Koh Thai Tapas and Copyrite Business Solutions finishing as runners-up.

In the Dorset Export Award, sponsored by Atlas Elektronik UK, Actisense from Poole won,were crowned winners, with Ford Famr and TestLink Services finishing as runners-up.

Phile Whitehurst, also of Actisense, provided another bit of more good news for the firm after winning won the Bournemouth University-sponsored Entrepreneur of the Year award. Calvin Samways and Adam Greenwood finished as runners-up.

Dorset Echo:

(John Grinnell of Dolphin Shopping Centre, Tracie Billington-Beardsley and Steve Taylor of Fab Frocks)

In the Excellence in Innovation Award, sponsored by DCCI and Liz Lean PR, KarbonTech Asset Management from Christchurch won, with Motorwise Online Services Ltd and Wessex Internet finishing as runners-up

In the Hays Team of the Year Award, Health-on-Line from Bournemouth finished first, with Beales Gourmet & and The Italian Villa and Investec Wealth and Investment finishing as runners-up.

TeamJobs from Poole won the Lester Aldridge and Santander Company of the Year Award, with C4L and Greendale Construction Ltd finishing as runners-up.

Dorset Echo:

(David McNair of Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital, Sarah Freeman, Lauren Barry and Hayley Johnston of Ceuta Healthcare)

Ceuta Healthcare in Bournemouth scooped the Nuffield Health Excellence in Customer Service Award, with Intergage and Strategic Solutions Chartered Financial planners finishing as runners-up.

In the Princecroft Willis Family Business Award, Hunt’s Foodservice Limited from Sherborne were crowned winners, with Norman Motors and Harts of Stur finishing as runners-up.
 

Dorset Echo:

(Danny Thrasher and Lesley Keets  of Actisense and Phil Cooper of ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK)

Fab Frocks of Westbourne from the East Dorset town won the Retail Experience Award, sponsored by the Dolphin Shopping Centre, with Jordans Jewellers and Forum Jewellers finishing as runners-up.

In the VoIP Unlimited Business Engagement with Education Award, LoveLove Films from Bournemouth won, with Hixons and Teachers Building Society.

Dorset Echo:

(Alex Fuller of Santander with Jason Gault of TeamJobs and Alex Bilionis of Lester Aldridge)