Winners of Staffordshire University Business Awards 2024 announced

We had the pleasure of attending the Staffordshire University Business Awards 2024 at a formal dinner and awards ceremony held in the Catalyst Building this week (5th September) with the UK’s leading trade supplier and manufacturer of first aid and medical supplies, a charity that supports people in furniture poverty and a digital forensics and cyber security company among the winners.

More than 350 guests attended the event at Staffordshire University where accolades were presented in 13 categories including Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Growth and Innovation.

A lifetime achievement award was also presented to David Brown of Staffordshire transport firm Browns Distribution and our Staffordshire Ambassador of the Year 2024 finalist Cris Cohen of Feasted was named Entrepreneur of the Year.

Reliance Medical was one of the evening’s big winners, winning both Business of the Year and the Growth Award, SYTECH Consultants was named Small Business of the Year and Team of the Year.

Jake Burgess and his business, Castle Artisan Events, were also double award winners, picking up both Young Business Person of the Year and the High Street Impact Award.

The charity Emmaus North Staffs was presented with the Business in the Community – Charity accolade in recognition of its work to ensure every child in North Staffordshire has a bed to sleep in.

Other winners included Nathan Heron of Unitas Stoke-on-Trent receiving Apprentice of the Year, KMF receiving the Business in the Community – Business Award, Carson Powell Construction receiving the Skills For The Future Award, Lucideon receiving the Innovation Award and Wes Wilkes of Net-Worth Ntwrk being named Alumni Business Person of the Year.

Professor Martin Jones, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Staffordshire University, said:

“Running a business awards campaign reinforces our commitment to being a Civic University and a Catalyst for change, not only for our own students but for the communities within which we are based.

“The campaign has shone a light on wealth-creators, entrepreneurs and innovators. It attracted an incredible number of entries that told stories about exciting new products and services and the stand-out individuals and companies behind them.

“I’d like to thank our generous sponsors and our extremely diligent and hard-working judges and of course congratulate all of the winners.”

The full list of winners is:

Lifetime achievement Award

David Brown of Browns Distribution

Business of the Year

Winner: Reliance Medical

Highly commended: Browns Distribution

Highly commended: Comp Door

Small Business of the Year

Winner: SYTECH Consultants

Highly commended: Play@ Lower Drayton Farm

Highly commended: Ask The Chameleon

Entrepreneur of the Year

Winner: Cris Cohen

Highly commended: Dave Williams

Highly commended: Rachel Hayward

Apprentice of the Year

Winner: Nathan Heron, Unitas Stoke-on-Trent

Highly commended: William Latham, Leoni Witing Systems UK Ltd

Highly commended: Jasmine Pugh, Jonathan Cornes Associates

Innovation Award

Winner: Lucideon

Highly commended: Therser UK

Highly commended: Bri-Stor Systems Ltd

Growth Award

Winner: Reliance Medical

Highly commended: DJH

Highly commended: Trentham Foods

Young Business Person of the Year

Winner: Jake Burgess

Highly commended: Natalie Jenkinson

Highly commended: Bradley Brookes

Team of the Year

Winner: SYTECH Consultants

Highly commended: Art UK

Highly commended: Ten Count Boxing Gym

Skills For The Future

Winner: Carson Powell Construction

Highly commended: Fifteen Group

Highly commended: TMT First

Business in the Community: Business

Winner: KMF

Winner: CabAbility

Highly commended: Little Athletes

Business in the Community: Charity

Winner: Emmaus North Staffs

Winner: Saltbox

Highly commended: YMCA North Staffs

Alumni Business Person of the Year

Winner: Wes Wilkes

Highly commended: Birgit Allport

Highly commended: Daniel Hatton

High Street Impact Award

Winner: Castle Artisan Events

Highly commended: ADS Truck Parking

Highly commended: Chris Ward of Longton Exchange