Watford Observer

Business Awards 2005

Paul Cinnamon from RBS presents Richard Webster and Simon Johnson with the Business of the Year Award while Jeremy Vine looks on. Picture: Z223388 by Jane Parr.

THE great and the good were gathered at the Watford Hilton on Friday, June 3, to see Data Locator of Clarendon Road, Watford, crowned the Watford and North West London Business of the Year.

The company's founder Simon Johnson, a 36-year-old iron man contestant, was also crowned the Coutts and Co Entrepreneur of the Year.

The gala evening was hosted by BBC broadcaster Jeremy Vine who was attending his third awards night.

Data Locator was set up seven years ago and supplies the marketing industry with leads for direct marketing campaigns.

Simon's dynamism has helped craft Data Locator into a market leading force. The company has grown from employing just two staff in 1999 to more than 500 today.

The other big winner on the night was bespoke hairdresser Hair on Broadway who picked up two awards, the Matthew Arnold and Baldwin Success Through People Award and the Alliotts Small Business Award.

Established more than two decades ago and directed by Akin Konizi, Clive Collins and Paul Simbler, HOB employs more than 200 staff in 10 branches in London, Middlesex, Hertfordshire and Essex.

HOB was also short-listed for the Business of the Year award, a category sponsored by RBS/NatWest group.

Michael Blades picked up the Coface UK International Trade and Export Award on behalf of his company, Amato Distribution.

Amato, set up in 1990 by Mario Howelll who spent most of his summers DJ-ing in Italy and Ibiza, was one of the first companies to realise the potential of the fledgling dance industry and began importing club music from the continent.

Mario originally traded from the boot of his car but now operates out of a custom built office and warehouse complex in London's Park Royal and employs more than 40 staff.

The final award went to Scanmoor who won the BDO Stoy Hayward Growing Business Award.

The construction company was set up just a decade ago but is already turning over more than £40 million a year with civil engineering, construction and refurbishment contracts ranging in price from £1m to £25m.

The annual business awards are also used to support charity and this year's beneficiary was the Herts Motor Project based at Falconer School in Bushey. The project takes children and young people who are in danger of falling foul of the law or drifting out of mainstream education and offers them basic motor mechanic training, such as tyre fitting and exhaust replacement, that will bring them professional qualifications and a route into full time employment.

During the evening the award sponsors presented HMP with a brand new motorcycle for use in the project's driving course.

Chairman of the awards committee, Nick Mercer from MAB solicitors, said: "My heartiest thanks to every sponsor, judge, host and supporter who came to the Hilton on Friday and to every company that entered this year’s awards and helped make it a rip roaring success."

Pictured from left: David Bridgeman from RBS/NatWest group, John Page from HMP, Ian Gibbon from Alliotts, Nick Mercer from mab, Marios Brooks from BDO Stoy Hayward, Steve Hutchings from Coutts, Dominique Vaughan Williams from Coface UK and John Diggins from HMP at the presentation of the new Honda motorbike. Picture: Z223334 by Jane Parr.

For a full selection of pictures from the 2005 event, click here.