The Twelfth Annual Swale Business Awards Launch On 28th March

Written by Wesley Horan on 28th February 2018

On 28th March 2018, the Swale Business Awards will begin accepting applications for entries into the twelfth annual awards.

After the tremendous success of the 2017 awards, which saw a historic amount of entries, the sponsors of the 2018 awards want to make this year the biggest and best year of celebrating the brightest businesses in Swale.

“Having been involved with the awards since their creation twelve years ago, the one thing that has remained constant is the quality of businesses operating in Swale,” Liz Jordan, Chair of the Awards and partner at UHY Hacker Young comments. “There is a huge and varied selection of businesses out there operating across a myriad of sectors. We continue to encourage businesses of all sizes to enter, and the only requirement is that they need to have been trading for 12 months by 30th June, which is when entries close. Last year our winners included a business that had been operating for four years and one that had been operating for nearly 140 years! The size of your business is no barrier to entry either; there is no such thing as a business that’s too big or too small.”

After winning the coveted title of Swale Business of the Year for 2017, Gallery Direct made the decision to sponsor the 2018 awards and hopes to encourage more businesses than ever to enter the awards in 2018. Peter Delaney, Managing Director at Gallery Direct discussed his experience of the awards: “We were absolutely delighted that Gallery Direct was named the 2017 Swale Business of the Year. It was wonderful recognition for all of our team’s hard work during the year and a tremendous endorsement to the strength of our business. If you are a company based in Swale then I can’t think of a reason not to enter the awards. The entry form isn’t difficult or daunting at all, the process is very straightforward and it’s a great way to meet other Swale businesses. As the saying goes, you’ve got to be in it to win it!”

Joining Gallery Direct as sponsors are ArrivaClick, C & D Logistics South East, Checkmate, COOK Trading, CS One Design, Enterprise Centres, George Webb Finn, Invicta Financial Group, Kent Event Centre, Kent Science Park, Medichem, Shepherd Neame, Swale Borough Council, Thomson Snell & Passmore, UHY Hacker Young, University of Greenwich and William Whitmey Independent Funeral Directors. The Principal sponsors of the Swale Business Awards are once again Handelsbanken, who are sponsoring for their fourth consecutive year, and Swale Means Business, who are sponsoring for their second.

As part of the launch on 28th March, the Swale Business Awards team are hosting an event from 4pm to 7pm at Shepherd Neame’s Old Brewery Store. This event will not only give attendees the chance to network with other local Swale businesses, but will also give them the chance to meet with judges and previous winners and find out how to make their application stand out. There will also be a presentation from Phil Eckersley of The Bank of England who will provide valuable insight into the micro and macro economic environment, including the international outlook and an analysis of the domestic economy.

If you would like to attend this free event, please register here.

Those wishing to enter the awards can do so via website or via post from 28th March 2018. The awards are open for entries until 30th June 2018.