Member Article

Notts’ Belton Massey is 2013’s Midlands Family Business

Mansfield-based manufacturer Belton Massey has been crowned the Midlands Family Business of the Year in the region’s only independent Awards initiative for family businesses.

Belton Massey picked-up the top prize in the 2013 Midlands Family Business Awards, organised by third generation family business The Wilson Organisation.

The company is Europe’s largest independent manufacturer of high quality, non-original catalytic converters. Established in 1966, it operates from two manufacturing bases in Mansfield, supplying distributors and garages in more than thirty countries worldwide.

All winners and runners-up in the Awards’ ten categories were announced at a black tie dinner at the University of Birmingham’s majestic Great Hall last night (14th November 2013).

Forty-two family businesses made the final cut and faced the judges during September. The independent judging panel included TV presenter Alex Polizzi, Simon Beckett of Becketts Farm the 2012 Family Business of the Year, President of Speedo International David Robinson, Mark Samworth of Samworth Brothers, MD of 99p Stores Hussein Lalani, Parveen Mehta of MWW, Henry Yap of Wing Yip Store and John Horrell of Dodson & Horrell.

Belton Massey is one of eight Award winners from the East Midlands – Derby’s Deaf Alerter took the Best Small (turnover less than £5M) Family Business Award, Bowler Energy won the Business Innovation Award, Cope Seeds and Robert Woodhead were joint winners of the Commitment to the Community category, Derby jeweller CW Sellors took the inaugural Retail Excellence title, Nottingham’s Halsbury Travel won the Fastest Growing Award, and Swiftool Precision Engineering picked-up the Manufacturing Excellence prize.

In the West Midlands, 4-star family-owned Lea Marston Hotel & Spa took the Service Excellence title, Tamworth’s Suncream Dairies’ MD Rebecca Manfredi the Outstanding Contribution Award, and Chris Romans, partner at PwC in Birmingham and a specialist in tax services to privately owned groups, was crowned the Midlands’ leading adviser to Family Businesses.

Commenting on the Awards, Alex Polizzi, who judged the headline Family Business of the Year Award alongside Chris Taylor of business advisory firm Smith Cooper, said: “I have been very impressed with the quality of the finalists in the Family Business of the Year Award. We should all be supportive of family businesses wherever we can and it is nice to have the opportunity to sing of their successes.”

The Midlands Family Business Awards is organised by third generation family business The Wilson Organisation. Its MD Charlotte Perkins, said: “Each of the businesses entering the Awards this year has demonstrated the incredible quality, innovation and scope of the work of family businesses across the Midlands, and each of our finalists showed a clear commitment to defining and expressing the family values inherent within their organisations.”

Chris Taylor, Partner at Smith Cooper in Nottingham, commented: “As Headline sponsor, one of our favourite duties is to participate in the judging of The Family Business of The Year Award. Each year we meet some truly incredible businesses and this year was no exception. Choosing a winner was a really difficult decision for all of the judges because we saw so many passionate and ambitious businesses.”

The firms’ Jackie Hendley, Partner and Head of Tax in Birmingham, added: “What stood out with this years’ winner was the enthusiasm and passion with which they run their business. Belton Massey is a truly deserving winner and we wish them the very best!”

Now in their fourth year, the Midlands Family Business Awards are the regions only not-for-profit, independent initiative for family businesses. All funds raised in 2013 will go to The Outward Bound Trust, the educational charity for young people. Since their launch, the Awards have raised more than £15,000 for Midlands-based charities.

The full list of family businesses and advisers winning and Highly Commended in the 2013 Awards’ ten categories, together with profiles of the judges on the independent panel this year, are available on the Awards’ website: www.familybusinessawards.co.uk.

The Wilson Organisation, based in Nottingham, provides innovative insurance and financial solutions to businesses and individuals both regionally and nationally. For more information, visit: www.wilorg.com, or Tel: 0115 942 0111.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Midlands Family Business Awards .