The best needs to be exceptional

Nov 25 2009 by Iain Laing, The Journal

THE Company of the Year Award is the most coveted business prize in the North East and this year it will highlight the firm that can really show its mettle in a recession.

In the toughest business environment for decades the success of the best companies is an even greater achievement than ever. And the winner of the top title in the nebusiness awards, organised by The Journal and Evening Gazette in association with Business Link, will be a truly exceptional operation.

But the list of winners has always been a roll call of great businesses and last year’s Company of the Year was no exception. Billingham-based Tracerco has shown its strength and ambition over the last year with even more expansion.

The oil and gas services company, which is part of the Johnson Matthey group, is driving its growth through exports and has recently opened new operations facilities in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Perth, Australia and now it has established a service centre in Shanghai, China.

Around 130 of its 300 staff are based at its global headquarters in Billingham with the rest employed across the world. It has an annual turnover in excess of £50m.

The Company of the Year Award is one of 12 categories open to successful firms in the region and the prizes are sought-after accolades which help to market the company.

Since 2001 when the sub-regional heats were launched, around 1,700 companies have entered. That is a fantastic endorsement of the event and shows that it really means something to the business community. The roll call of big names who sponsor and provide more than 100 judges gives the event credibility and gravitas.

They are all senior people in the region and they bring integrity, professionalism and diligence to ensuring we get the right winners.

The competition will have heats to find the foremost businesses from three sub-regions of the North East.

The judges are looking for entries from Tees Valley to the Borders, with competitions running for Tyneside and Northumberland, Durham and Wearside and Tees Valley before the regional grand final that will reveal the best of the best.

:: Click here to find out more on the nebusiness awards 2009