Glasgow Business Awards: The finallists

Clyde Blowers announced a definitive agreement to acquire an entire business unit from American Fortune 500 company Textron. The innovative and groundbreaking deal, with a total value of $1 billion, involved the purchase of four separate businesses from Textron, one of the world's largest and most successful multi-industry companies. This was a highly complex deal, involving four major companies with 45 businesses, operating in 18 countries.

Eastlake Work Group Ltd The Eastlake Group is a market leader in the provision of workplace services and products across a range of business sectors. Formerly Georgesons, the company was subject to an MBO by David Eastlake in 2003.

Eastlake Group announced a merger with Work Inc Group in an £8m deal in late August 2008. The new company, Eastlake Work Group, has a UK-wide presence and a combined turnover of over £75m this year, making it the biggest in the workplace interiors sector. Whilst the deal in itself, which was completed within four months, was a natural progression for both companies and therefore not hugely complex, what posed a challenge to the organisations was securing the level of funding and commitment in the current economic climate.

The Taylor Clarke Partnership In November 2007 the Taylor Clarke Partnership (TCP) won a major contract with Yemen LNG (YLNG), a joint venture company formed by the Yemeni Government and a group of eight different private shareholders to design, construct and operate a Liquefied Natural Gas plant to extract, refine, market and export the LNG produced.

The project, branded "Project Excellence", is a company wide cultural change project incorporating a range of people and performance development initiatives all delivered locally in the Yemen by UK based TCP consultants working on rotational secondment. This YLNG contract will generate fee income of around £1m in the next 12 months and will account for around 40% of Taylor Clarke's turnover in 2008. It is the company's largest ever single contract delivered within a 12 month period during its 25 year history. EVENING TIMES AWARD FOR GLASGOW'S FAVOURITE BUSINESS Mr Singh's India Run by Satty Singh, it's the restaurant where the waiters wear kilts and is a favourite with Old Firm and Scotland football stars.

Slater Menswear The world's biggest menswear store, which is still run by the same family and has its headquarters in Howard Street.

M&D's Funpark In Strathclyde Park, it's a major tourist attraction for Lanarkshire.

McGhee's Bakery It supplies hundreds of businesses in the city, including Glasgow City Council, and also sponsors Partick Thistle FC from its premises in Townhead.

Powerleague It is the biggest five-a-sides firm in Britain, with 125,000 enthusiasts playing at its centres every week.

Rainbow Room International The top hair salon which has styled stars such as Denise Van Outen , and won a top award at an industry event in Hollywood this year. BEST PERFORMING BUSINESS (over 25 employees) Buro Happold Since it was established in 1996, Buro Happold has grown from a small staff base of 2 to its current strong level of 150 in Glasgow and 209 members throughout the region. Their multi-disciplinary engineering staff offers structural, building services, civil, infrastructure and façade engineering, as well as a broad range of specialist consultancy services.

As a business they have excelled since regional governance, outstripping the impressive performance Buro Happold has experienced globally. Buro Happold Glasgow created a 3 year strategy plan which set out their future plans. Following the first year of their 3 year plan, they are well on track for the future. International work has grown to 51%.

John Lewis Partnership, Glasgow John Lewis Glasgow opened March 1999. It is part of the John Lewis Partnership which is one of the UK's largest retail businesses. John Lewis Glasgow stocks more than 350,000 lines and are renowned for their unique price pledge "Never Knowingly Undersold". Their Partners, as they call their employees, work hard to offer customers everything they need under one roof.

The company's model of success is founded on the Partner - Customer - Profit circle. They believe that investment in Partners leads to greater customer satisfaction and ultimately increased profits. John Lewis Glasgow has had continued growth over the last three years, 2007 was a year of record growth.

Thales During recent years, Thales' Optronics business in Scotland has achieved significant growth, both in terms of Order Intake and Sales. Specifically, sales increased by 10% and their order intake grew by 100% in 2007 following significant investment in new technology, new, world-beating products, a more focused and better trained sales staff, and in a much more efficient operation. These figures are predicted to be sustained in 2008 The net result of the company's success in 2007 will be an increase of 16% in their Glasgow based workforce by the end of 2008. BEST PERFORMING BUSINESS (25 employees or under) La Bonne Auberge La Bonne Auberge was originally founded in 1975. The business has evolved and today La Bonne Auberge Glasgow, is located within the heart of the city's Theatreland district.. La Bonne Auberge has been marketed as a stand alone restaurant.

The company has developed strategies for growth including a strategic marketing campaign entitled A Oui Night Out in Glasgow' aimed at a younger and broader client base and has secured new and complementary partners to assist them achieve their objectives. I the past year, La Bonne Auberge has achieved an increase of around 37% in the number of diners and a10% increase in food and wine sales.

The Taylor Clarke Partnership The Taylor Clarke Partnership is a values based, independent, employee owned, leadership and organisational development consultancy. Headquartered in Glasgow, they work primarily with managers and professional level staff in a range of major public, voluntary and blue chip private sector organisations.

Taylor Clarke are a truly values driven company who attract "like minded" clients, partners and employees. The company has succeeded in building strong relationships at home and abroad and has achieved steady growth and financial stability. Turnover has increased six fold over the past 7 years, with a significant profit increase over the past year.

Thin Film Innovations Ltd Thin Film Innovations (TFI) is a start-up that has spun-out from the Chemistry Department of the University of Strathclyde. The company is dedicated to the provision of precision thin films and processes to a range of markets, but primarily for precision optics.

TFI possesses a number of unique competitive advantages based on its technology.

The company has achieved significant market traction and has an international blue-chip customer base. Over the last 18 months the company has won major contracts from the UK, Korea and China. The company's order target has been exceeded by over 50% in 40% of the allotted time. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Biopta Ltd Biopta Ltd is a life sciences company that provides contract research services to the pharmaceutical industry, The Company was formed as a spinout from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2002. Biopta's clients are pharmaceutical companies that are developing drugs to tackle diseases ranging from heart failure to cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

Biopta was able to make its presence felt in the key international markets of Switzerland, Scandanavia and East and West Coast USA by establishing credibility with its first clients and then using this to demonstrate the value of its work to prospective clients. Biopta also became the first human tissue-based company to seek accreditation by the Department of Health as a "Good Laboratory Practice" organisation. Sales started to ramp up significantly from 05/06 and have approximately doubled year-on-year. 72% of the company's sales are made outwith the UK.

Frank Sammeroff Ltd Established in 1939, Frank Sammeroff is a surgical dressings and first aid manufacturer. The company is now established as a major international manufacturer with an extensive range of quality assured surgical dressings, healthcare products and first aid kits to suit all purposes.

In recent years, there has been a strong focus on developing export markets, particularly in the private label sector. Sammeroff has proved adept at capitalising on the opportunities which the export market offers, as evidenced by the total sales growth in this sector. In the most recent financial year export sales accounted for 20% of the company's total sales, with most coming from Europe, Africa and Scandinavia. Future targets include North America and Australia.

THALES Thales design and build sensor equipment and systems, primarily for the armed forces, enabling detection and observation of objects in high levels of detail, whether its day night or poor visibility. As part of a worldwide organisation and multi domestic company, domestic versus international output at Thales has consistently risen in favour of their exports year on year and stood at a ratio of 60/40 by end of 2007. By listening to the needs of their customers they have been able to adapt their existing designs and patents to attract new customers and forge relationships within new international markets. They have utilised to considerable advantage the Thales group network in countries around the world to showcase their capabilities and products. Thales regularly enters into partnership arrangements in order to distribute its products overseas. CREATIVE MARKETING ALEA, Glasgow ALEA, Glasgow is Scotland's largest and most luxurious casino and is one of Glasgow's most popular entertainment venues.

ALEA has developed and implemented a creative and innovative marketing strategy, including most recently viral marketing and uses many forms of advertising for promotions, most importantly being the route of direct mail and creative artwork.

By developing a strategic media relations programme targeting national and local media and as well as key trades in the gaming industry and in the food, beverage and entertainment industry, each of ALEA's offerings have been clearly identified.

In February and March 2008 alone ALEA generated 47 pieces of press coverage. After six months of operation, membership is in excess of 30,000 people.

Buchanan Galleries Buchanan Galleries (BG) shopping centre is located in Scotland's shopping capital on one of the top ten shopping streets' in the world.

BG's marketing activity has centred around in-centre promotions supported by media activity at key times, with opportunities for customers to win aspirational prizes.

BG wanted to hold high profile events that would promote the centre differently, engage Retailers and Customers and raise significant funds for local charities. This culminated in the launch of Style at the Galleries' a campaign aimed at adding prestige' to BG's profile whilst appealing to target audiences and placing BG as a style icon in relevant media. The campaign excited the media and generated massive coverage (television, radio, tabloid, broadsheet and local press) achieving over 70 hits. The centre welcomes 21 million visitors annually

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport Strathclyde Partnership for Transport's (SPT) has direct operational responsibilities, running the Subway, supporting, and in some cases running, local bus services. and promoting and developing rail projects to meet the region's needs, such as Crossrail.

In April 2008, SPT created and launched the UK's first ever Subway festival. The ground-breaking festival involved over 300 performers, 50 venues and 7 themed Subway stations with activity taking place across three days. From the vibrant content of the event itself to the design - and the wealth of ideas for maximizing media coverage, no creative' stone was left unturned. Passenger numbers increased by 10,000 people over the main 2 days of the event, compared to the previous year and 66 media cuttings were achieved over a 4 week period. BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR Varry McMenemy, Bellcom Ltd Bellcom is a provider of contact centre solutions in consumer and B2B markets and has projects locally, nationally and internationally.

Since her arrival in 2004, as Operations Director, Varry has turned the company on its head, putting it on a strong financial foundation, and has broughton and developed strong client relationships with companies who share their core values such as Dell, Xerox, Carphone Warehouse and ASDA. By investing time, Varry creates an atmosphere of trust and inspires people to want to do well. Through great leadership skills and ability to motivate, Varry instils a sense of community and shared purpose that brings direct business benefit to Bellcom. In an industry where the average life-span' of an agent is 18-months,some 60% of Bellcom's colleagues have worked there for 2-years plus.

Fiona McBain, Scottish Friendly Assurance Scottish Friendly is a progressive and modern friendly society. The group provides a wide range of products, from simple savings solutions, to sophisticated whole of market open architecture wrap' investments.

Fiona McBain joined Scottish Friendly in 1998 and became chief executive in January 2006. Fiona has been instrumental in repositioning Scottish Friendly as a major player in the financial services sector via new distribution partnerships, friendly society mergers, and third-party administration deals, all of which demonstrate Fiona's convincing leadership skills. Fiona inspires people to excel - and to achieve results never before realised. She has re-defined roles across the organisation during a crucial period of change by encouraging people to adopt new responsibilities and behaviours and has created an efficient and effective outsourcing business from scratch.

David Lockwood, Thales Thales provides advanced night vision imaging, laser range finding, image processing, passive search and tracking, as well as associated counter measure systems which support the UK's armed forces and security service operations around the world.

Since his appointment as Managing Director of Thales Optronics in May 2007, David Lockwood has had a profound effect on the business. During this relatively short period David has restructured his executive team and introduced a clear set of business objectives and strategies across all parts of the business, resulting in significant growth, both in terms of Order Intake and Sales. David Lockwood has clearly demonstrated an ability to inspire, motivate and develop Thales, taking it to new heights both domestically and on the international stage. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Buro Happold Buro Happold was established as a multi-disciplined engineering consultancy, operating in Glasgow since 1996. Buro Happold Glasgow aims to be at the forefront of highly specialised engineering for the construction industry.

The company has built up a reputation for imaginative and appropriate engineering solutions for buildings and other building works. As leaders in the design of low-energy, high performance buildings and systems, Buro Happold are recognised, throughout the industry as being at the forefront of sustainable design for the built environment. Each of the company's offices are assessed on their environmental performance and are compared against best practice. General adjustments to promote sustainability within their Glasgow office have been made.

Radisson SAS Glasgow Hotel The Radisson SAS Glasgow is a striking 5 Star City centre hotel. The hotel has 250 bedrooms including business class, some superb suites and the apartment, the largest suite with all the opulence you would expect.

The Radisson Glasgow has successfully implemented a number of initiatives resulting in benefits to the environment, examples include lowered waste disposal costs significantly and has been piloting a waste recycling programme with Glasgow City Council. an Improve your health' approach to use of our service lifts motivating staff to look after their own environment sources locally produced produce encouraging suppliers to support waste management initiatives and where possible use local products and services.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport SPT's role involves planning and delivering transport solutions for all modes of transport across the region, in conjunction with its member Councils and industry partners.

SPT is taking steps to reduce the resources that it consumes; improving the accessibility and environment of the communities in its area and driving forward initiatives to address climate change in Glasgow and beyond. Examples include: SPT's carbon footprint has been established and several initiatives are underway to reduce the footprint.

Two low-floor buses have been converted from purely diesel power to the latest diesel-electric hybrid drive technology and this will be trialled on two bus services.

A number of initiatives supporting modal shift from single occupancy car travel to walking and cycling have been implemented CONTRIBUTION TO LOCAL EMPLOYMENT PARTNERSHIPS (LEPs) Bellcom Ltd Since February 2008, Bellcom Contact Training Centre has supported the Glasgow City Strategy by providing a route to sustainable employment, targeting specific demographic groups including lone parents, ethnic minorities, those suffering incapacity, long term unemployment and those in the More Choices, More Chances category. Every graduate from the Contact Training Centre is guaranteed the opportunity of an interview for a position within the industry in Glasgow. In a short space of time the Contact Training Centre has established a robust employer channel, engaged with multiple stakeholders in the Glasgow City Strategy and Glasgow Works and provided a route into employment for disadvantaged jobseekers.

Capita Plc Capita Group are the largest Business Process Outsourcer in the UK. As part of the outsourced agreement between Pearl Group and Capita Life & Pensions plc, all contact centre activity is being consolidated in Glasgow.

The main objective of the LEP partnership for Capita Life & Pensions was to work closely with Job Centre Plus and the other government agencies to reach sectors of the market that would be a sustainable source of employment ie lone parent sector, mature candidate sector, long term unemployment sector to identify untapped potential. As a result of the partnership, Job Centre Plus candidates have an opportunity to enter Financial Services gaining valuable skills that are marketable and for Capita L & P, this has expanded their labour market

The Glasgow Marriott The Glasgow Marriott is a 301 bedroom city centre hotel. The hotel is part of the Marriott brand of hotels, but has previously operated under franchise to Holiday Inn.

In February 2008, Marriott Hotels, signed an organisation wide LEP with Stephen Timms, Minister for Employment. The HR team within the Glasgow Marriott have a long association with Jobcentre Plus in a partnership role targeting disadvantaged people of working age who for any number of reasons are not working. In addition, the hotel has strong recruitment links with Support Employment and has a number of associates recruited as a result of this partnership.

It is the hotel's experience that LEP eligible recruits tend to stay longer and have comparably better attendance records than the standard recruit. For that reason the hotel's HR and training team has developed it's own mentoring programme. In the last trading year, the hotel has seen its Labour Turnover drop to a long time low of 24%. EXCELLENCE IN SKILLS & LEARNING BeCogent Established in 1999, beCogent have expanded rapidly and are within the top ten outsourced providers of contact centre solutions in the UK. The company employs around 2,750 staff across four offices in West Scotland.

Last year, the company averaged 13 days training per employee, and now offers in excess of fifty training courses/workshops all linked directly into their grading structure, performance and talent management processes. Investment in engagement initiatives and an in-house Academy contributed to a reduction in attrition levels from more than 120% to less than 40% in the last three-year period and contributed to a 2% reduction in absence year-on-year across a population of more than 2,750 staff.

Bellcom Ltd The success that Bellcom enjoys has been made through carefully planningdevelopment initiatives that have created a culture of high quality standards and continuous improvement. Successfully implemented initiatives include a 13 week programme based on the Apprentice TV show, SQA centre, contact training centre, an awards ceremony, boot camp and project pride. The company's absence levels are below 3%, all management opportunities have been filled by internal candidates for more than 2 years and 60 % of all employees have more than 2 years service.

City Building (Glasgow) LLP City Building (Glasgow) LLP is one of Scotland's largest construction companies. With a turnover in excess of £170m and employing over 2,200 skilled employees, the company provides construction and maintenance solutions to commercial and public sector organisations across the country.

The company has one of Britain's largest apprenticeship programmes recruiting a minimum of 70 modern apprentices annually (this has risen to 140 for the 2008 intake). In order to support their Modern Apprentice and workforce development programmes, City Building established its own training division of the business, which now has two SQA-approved Training Centres at Queenslie and the Construction Skills Academy. The company's in-house training framework and infrastructure has enabled the business to remain successful and competitive.