Member Article

John Pye Auctions crowned Midlands’ Family Business 2016

Nottingham auctioneer and second generation family firm John Pye Auctions has taken the top prize in the region’s flagship Awards for family businesses, to be crowned the Midlands Family Business of 2016.

Founded in 1968 and with an extensive network of salesrooms, offices and auction showrooms across the UK, John Pye Auctions was announced as the Midlands Family Business of the Year last night (Thursday 17th November 2016) at a prestigious black tie Ceremony and Dinner at Birmingham’s Great Hall.

Now in their seventh year, The Midlands Family Business Awards are organised by Nottingham third generation family business, The Wilson Organisation. They are the only independent, not-for-profit initiative to recognise and celebrate the achievements of family businesses in the region.

This year’s ceremony was attended by 300 guests from the Awards’ fifty-one finalists, independent judges and sponsors, including headline sponsor Bonningtons.

John Pye Auctions began life forty-years ago when John Pye began probate property clearances that no other auctioneers in Nottingham wanted. Today, the family business has over 200 employees nationwide and operates across the Midlands in Derby, Birmingham and Nottingham, as well as in London, Sheffield, Scotland and Wales.

The family business is no stranger to success in the Midlands Family Business Awards, having won the ‘Fastest Growing Family Business’ award two years ago, and has also picked-up a coveted Highly Commended award in the same category this year.

Highly Commended by the judges in the headline Midlands Family Business of the Year are Derbyshire family business Flair Rugs, and Gloucestershire-based Cotteswold Dairy.

Northampton business Bambino Mio wins the Best Small Family Business Award (annual turnover of less than £5m), sponsored by Bedrock Tax. The company was created and is run by husband and wife team Guy and Jo Schanschieff, and is the largest reusable nappy brand in the world. Nottingham business Distinction and Warwick-based Core Clinics are both Highly Commended in the category.

Other Award winners in 2016 are Redditch family owned distribution company Oakland International (Corporate Social Responsibility), Derby’s Owen Taylor & Sons (Manufacturing Excellence), and Newark-based Ballards Removals (Service Excellence).

National Locums (Milton Keynes) picked up two Awards - Employer of the Year and Fastest Growing Family Business - whilst Nottingham’s The Workplace Depot and Leicester’s MiaFleur are joint winners of the new Best Use of Digital Award.

Rebecca Muldoon of Nottingham family business Midland Conference Services was crowned the Director of the Year, and Dr Nik Kotecha of Loughborough-based Morningside Pharmaceuticals won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

All fifty-one finalists were automatically entered in to the People’s Choice Award - brand new for 2016 and sponsored by Streets Chartered Accountants – which saw them face the public vote. The overall Winner is Lincoln’s OrderWise; Fairlawns Hotel & Spa and Glazedale are Highly Commended.

Sponsors of the 2016 Awards are Bonningtons, Barclays, Bedrock Tax, Flame UK, Midland Conference Services, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, PwC, Royal London, and STENCIL.

Wilsons’ MD Charlotte Perkins, the third generation of the family to lead the business alongside her sister Annabel Prow, said: “The Awards are the regions only independent initiative to recognise the work and achievements of family businesses.

“This year’s entries demonstrate the exceptional pedigree of the Midlands’ family businesses, and all the winners and finalists together prove the family business sector’s vitality and significant contribution to the region’s economy.”

For the full list of winners, visit: www.familybusinessawards.co.uk.

The Awards are the only independent not-for-profit Awards for family businesses in the Midlands. Their organiser The Wilson Organisation provides innovative insurance and financial solutions to businesses and individuals both regionally and nationally. For more information, visit: www.wilorg.com.

Photo shows: Nottingham auctioneer and second generation family business John Pye Auctions is the Midlands Family Business of the Year 2016 (left to right): John Pye’s Giorgio Vitale, Adam Pye, Sheldon Miller and Ian Fisher (of sponsor Bonningtons).

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