Sustainability Consultants, pioneering prosthetics and a pedigree sheep and flower farm based in North Wales: The FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards Wales 2024’s most inspiring small businesses.
Deeside company HJH Commercial Consultants, a thriving enterprise boasting a dedicated team of 20 are a testament to innovation, commitment, social values and the relentless pursuit of excellence in the commercial consulting and contracting arena– and one of the businesses that has beaten off stiff competition to be crowned one of Wales’s best small businesses. It was named as the Wales’s Start Up Business of the Year on 28 February 2024.
Other winners include community interest company 9Trees, of Builth Wells, Powys, which took the Wales’s FSB Micro Business Award by tackling climate change, restoring new woodland habitats, promoting biodiversity and creating jobs within the countryside sector. North Wales based Limb-art Ltd. won the Innovation Award, epitomising innovation in the prosthetics industry by revolutionizing the perception and functionality of prosthetic leg covers. The Young Entrepreneur Award went to Ellen Firth from Firth Flock Flowers a flower farm and floristry business, growing their own organic, local flowers for designs.
Ben Cottam, Head of FSB in Wales, said:
“Congratulations to all this year’s Wales FSB Celebrating Small Business Award winners. They are reflective of the vibrancy, innovation and tenacity that makes up our small business community. It’s been thrilling to see so many businesses in Wales enthusiastically take part in our awards and the sheer scale and diversity of those who entered is a testimony to the vitality of the small business community in Wales. The best of luck to all our winners for the UK national award finals in May.”
The FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards celebrate the best small businesses from the length and breadth of the country, offering national recognition for those who have made the biggest impression over the last 12 months. Finalists across twelve areas now proceed to the national UK finals taking place at a VIP attended awards ceremony on 9 May in Blackpool.
The full list of Winners from Wales:
Innovation Award
Winner: Limb-art Ltd, Denbigh, Conwy
LIMB-art is a pioneering Welsh company, established in 2018 by former Paralympian Mark Williams and his wife Rachael, specialising in the creation of distinctive and stylish prosthetic leg covers. Inspired by Mark's personal journey from a life-changing accident to Paralympic success, LIMB-art aims to empower prosthetic users by boosting their confidence and allowing them to showcase their uniqueness with pride. Based in North Wales, LIMB-art combines innovative design with a commitment to quality, offering a range of covers that are not just protective but also a form of personal expression for those looking to stand out and stand proud.
Expansion and Growth Award
Winner: Net World Sports, Wrexham
Net World Sports was Established in 2009 and stands as a global eCommerce leader, dedicated to transforming the sports equipment landscape. Renowned as a premier supplier, their ever-expanding product range boasts high-quality, predominantly in-house products that can be found in homes, schools, clubs, and organisations worldwide.
Sustainability Award
Winner: 9Trees, Builth Wells, Powys
9Trees was set up in 2019 to support the climate response, working towards economy, ecology, biodiversity, wellbeing and community. 9Trees works with landowners planting, maintaining and conserving native trees. 9Trees offer skills and experiences to volunteers and supporters who find outdoor environments beneficial for health and wellbeing.
Family Business of the Year
Winner: Blas ar Fwyd, Conwy
Founded in 1988 by Deiniol ap Dafydd and Chandra Dafydd, Blas ar Fwyd is a Welsh Food Hub. The business comprises a delicatessen, wine shop, café, outside and bespoke event catering, refrigerated wholesale food distribution to retail and hospitality sectors across Wales and the Welsh Borders, and the production of over 100 hand-made foods, with over 58 Great Taste Awards. Blas ar Fwyd sell and distribute a huge range of quality fine food and drink from over 210 Welsh producers as well international food and wine.
Microbusiness of the Year
Winner: 9Trees, Builth Wells, Powys
9Trees was set up in 2019 to support the climate response, working towards economy, ecology, biodiversity, wellbeing and community. 9Trees works with landowners planting, maintaining and conserving native trees. 9Trees offer skills and experiences to volunteers and supporters who find outdoor environments beneficial for health and wellbeing.
Self-employed / Freelancer Award
Winner: Katherine Jones, Artist, Cardiff
Katherine Jones is an award-winning artist and architect based in Cardiff. Drawing on 13 years of architectural experience & a lifetime of passion for the natural world, she takes commissions for drawings of buildings, landscapes and wildlife. Katherine’s detailed pen and ink commissions are drawn by hand. These original drawings can be used to create affordable digital prints and cards for her clients’ gift shop and customers. Katherine also creates bespoke memory boxes and curated collections of treasured objects.
Start-up Business of the Year
Winner: HJH Commercial Consultants, Deeside
HJH Commercial Consultants is a leader in Quantity Surveying and Project Management within the renewable energy, Utilities and Civil Engineering Sector. HJH Commercial Consultants has transformed from a modest start-up with a single employee to a thriving enterprise boasting a team of 20 dedicated team. Their journey is not just a story of growth; it's a testament to innovation, commitment, social values and the relentless pursuit of excellence in the commercial consulting and contracting arena.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Winner: Ellen Firth – Firth Flock Flowers, Ruthin, Denbighshire
Ellen Firth is the 20 year old founder of Firth Flock Flowers, a small-scale, sustainable pedigree sheep and flower farm based in North Wales. Both businesses work together to create a successful enterprise focused on sustainability and utilising all waste products, demonstrating that it is possible to build a profitable business on a small acreage, adding value along the production chain and ensuring nothing is wasted and therefore no profit is lost.
Franchise Business Award
Winner: My Window Cleaner Cardiff City and The Vale Ltd, Cardiff
Window cleaning business My Window Cleaner, Cardiff City and the Vale Ltd. offers professional, reliable and 100% guaranteed window cleaning, gutter clearing and cleaning and jet washing services to areas of Cardiff. Their success has been founded on attention to detail and customer engagement leading to substantial business growth ahead of plan and multiple awards.
Community Business Award
Winner: The Hideout Community Ltd., Cardiff
The Hideout team is dedicated to fostering community cohesion and breaking down barriers in Grangetown and beyond. Their coffee shop has implemented several community initiatives including free breakfasts and ‘coffee with a conscience’.
Diversity and Inclusion Award
Winner: Be.Xcellence CIC, Cardiff
BE.Xcellence is dedicated to advancing the social mobility of ethnic minorities in South Wales by meticulously identifying and addressing gaps within the domains of Education, Business, and Media. Our primary objective is to elevate representation, ensuring that every voice is not only acknowledged but genuinely comprehended through an appreciation of diverse lived experiences. As ardent advocates for diversity and inclusion, we actively strive to dismantle stereotypes, fostering an environment that nurtures understanding and appreciation for the rich tapestry of cultural backgrounds. Our efforts extend to raising awareness of various ethnic groups, fostering a interconnectedness within the broader Welsh communities.
Service Excellence Award
Winner: Brook Cottage Shepherd Huts, Pwllheli, Gwynedd
Multi-award winning Brook Cottage Shepherd Huts are a 5 star adults only luxury boutique glamping retreat featured on BBC TV and included in ‘The Guardian’, ‘The Sunday Telegraph’, ‘The Times’ and ‘The Telegraph’. Located on the glorious Llŷn Peninsula, overlooking a wildlife lake, near the border of Snowdonia National Park in North Wales with the famous Italianesque village of Portmeirion on the doorstep, Brook Cottage Shepherd Huts offers a quiet rural retreat in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with uninterrupted far-reaching views to Yr Eifl (The Rivals) mountains.
