2007 WINNERS AND SHORT-LISTED COMPANIES

HSBC Insurance Brokers 'Growth Business of the Year' Award

WINNER: ASOS
The rise of online fashion retailer ASOS has continued with recent sales doubling in the year to March. Operating in a competitive space, ASOS is now one of the top-two online clothing stores in the UK. During the past 12 months, it has seen sales rocket 111 per cent to £38.4 million. Its strong performance comes despite its warehouse being destroyed by the Buncefield Fuel Depot explosion on 11 December 2005.

Nominated companies for 'Growth Business of the Year' Award
ASOS
Central Trust
Creston
Innocent Ltd
Pharmaceuticals Direct
Rowan International
Zen Net

M&A Magazine 'Acquirer of the Year' Award
WINNER: Claimar Care
Led by energetic chief executive Mark Hales, this domiciliary care services provider to local authorities throughout the Midlands and the North West has seen turnover increase 61 per cent in the past 12 months. It just recently completed it ninth – and largest – acquisition since its admission to AIM in January 2006 – making it the third largest player in its sector in the UK.

Nominated companies for 'Acquirer of the Year' Award
Celsis
Claimar Care
Group NBT
Mears Group
TelecityRedbus
TMN

Institute for Family Business 'Family Business of the Year' Award
WINNER: Bayford & Co
Bayford & Co sells and distributes fuels, lubricants and fuel cards and has seen revenue rise over 50 per cent to £392 million during the past year after a number of acquisitions. Many family businesses falter during succession; however, the West Yorkshire-based company has succeeded after Jonathan Turner conducted a buy-out from his father and uncle to become CEO.

Nominated companies for 'Family Business of the Year' Award
A1 Pharmaceuticals
Bayford & Co
Nisa International
Roy Hankinson Group
The Hood Group
Vascroft Contractors

'New Markets' Award
WINNER: Skinkers
Skinkers, a technology company headquartered in London with offices in New York and Sydney, has developed a multi-channel Live Notification Platform, which allows high-priority information to be ‘pushed’ directly to the screen of users. Skinkers’ clients include the BBC and the London Stock Exchange, and last year it formed a partnership with Microsoft to further develop the software giant’s technology.

Nominated companies for 'New Markets' Award
Ceuta Healthcare
Energetix
ExpoMedia
Packet Exchange
Skinkers
YouGetItBack.com


'Rising Star of the Year' Award

WINNER: Blinkx
Founded in 2004, Blinkx is a pioneer of internet video searches and has indexed some 12 million hours of video content. Blinkx successfully floated on AIM in May, raising approximately £25 million.

Nominated companies for 'Rising Star of the Year' Award
Blinkx
BrainJuicer
First People Solutions Group
Highswan Associates
Streetcar
Vividas

'Green Business of the Year' Award

WINNER: Shepherd Neame
Shepherd Neame might be the UK’s ‘greenest brewery’. It uses less water, less electricity and makes fewer road journeys than its competitors. It also recycles 90 per cent of its raw materials. These measures are not add-ons but an intrinsic part of Shepherd Neame’s growth strategy.

Shortlisted companies for 'Green Business of the Year' Award
Commercial Group
D1 Oils
Goals Soccer Centres
PetroAlgae
Shepherd Neame
TEG Enviromental

'Brand of the Year' Award

WINNER: YouGov
Founded in May 2000, YouGov has become the defacto choice for conducting professional market research. In the past six months. YouGov improved its client base by 46 per cent and delivered record pre-tax profits. It is now expanding globally with aplomb.

Nominated companies for 'Brand of the Year' Award
Eat Natural
Humberts
Interior Services
Primark
Wall to Wall TV
YouGov

'Best Technology and Innovation of the Year' Award

WINNER: IXEurope
One of the fastest-growing datacentre services companies in Europe, IXEurope’s aggressive growth strategy and focus on business continuity has seen the company’s revenues increase more than 30 per cent year-on-year since it was founded in 1998. Little wonder is was recently subject to a takeover approach valuing the business more than five times its initial market value on admission to AIM in 2006.

Nominated companies for 'Best Technology and Innovation of the Year' Award
Apertio
IXEurope
Moixa Energy
Plastic Logic
Portrait Software
XL TechGroup

Business XL 'Company of the Year' Award
This goes to the most outstanding company from the individual award winners and the enterprise that best demonstrates strong growth, innovation strategies, entrepreneurial endeavour, exceptional financial returns and impressive market leadership.

WINNER: ASOS
There were many contenders among our winners for this overall award – with YouGov and Shepherd Neame running close,

But ASOS stood head and shoulders above them all. It has clever technology, an innovative business model – which is being mimicked by all of its larger rivals – and has firmly established its brand among its target audience. Not only has it radically improved sales, profits and earnings in a short period of time, but its shares have soared almost 500 per cent.