The final of the ‘Amazon Growing Business Awards’ took place in central London, with seventeen growing UK businesses managing to scoop an award. Gate One, a London-based management consulting firm, came out on top as one of the winners, taking home the prestigious Young Company of the Year award.
Sponsored by Amazon and supported by the CBI, The ‘Amazon Growing Business Awards’ are one of the UK’s most established recognition of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and entrepreneurial success. Since the launch in 1999, the annual competition has celebrated a range of exceptional businesses, including the likes of previous winners Innocent Drinks, Betfair, Lovefilm and Fever-Tree.
Young Company of the Year: Gate One
This year over 500 businesses were nominated for the awards from across the UK, making 2016 a record year for the competition. One of the winners, in the category ‘Young Company of the Year’, was Gate One, a specialist business transformation consulting firm. The London-based consultancy was founded in 2013 and today boasts a team of over 50 consultants – its fast track growth was, among others, highlighted as one of the main reasons why the firm managed to beat seven rivals* and scoop the award.
Commenting on the prize, Alex McEvoy, Director at Gate One, said, “Being recognised at such a highly coveted award already showed how far we have come in three years and clearly demonstrates our success in building an innovative premium quality business transformation consultancy.” He adds that actually winning the prize is a “terrific performance”, testimony of the firm’s “fresh approach to consulting”, “top consulting team” and ability to build “an enviable track record of exceptional results” for Gate One’s clients.
Gate One works across a broad range of industries, including Financial Services, Consumer Goods, Energy, Healthcare and Telecoms, with a focus on business transformations, supporting clients from strategy and design through to programme delivery and execution.
Mark Warren, Gate One’s Finance Director who on the night picked up the award, highlights that the recognition will give the firm’s leadership and staff a great boost in a sector in which competition is fierce. “It’s a brilliant achievement, at this relatively early stage in our journey. The award will help us push our business to the next stage and I’m excited about what the next 12 months have in store for Gate One – management consulting as it should be”, he remarks.
Other winners
Aside Gate One, other winners of the ‘Amazon Growing Business Awards’ include M Squared (a Glasgow-based manufacturer of next-generation lasers that won the Innovator of the Year award category), Larsson & Jennings (a watch retailer named Entrepreneur of the Year), Thermoseal Group (a manufacturer that received the Export Champion of the Year award) and Fourex (a financial services firm that allows customers to exchange money more simply). From a geographic perspective, London-based businesses took home the most awards, followed by North-West businesses, with the South West and South East next in the line-up of successful regions.
“We would like to offer our congratulations to all the winners and businesses highly commended last night,” said Doug Gurr, Amazon’s UK Country Manager. “Small businesses are the backbone of Britain, and so it’s immensely inspiring to hear such a number of success stories, showing that creative ideas and relentless drive are found around the country.”
Earlier this year Gate One won a Stevie at the International Business Awards, and tonight, during the ceremony of the UK Digital Experience Awards, the consultancy is contending for three prizes – Gate One is a finalist for the ‘Not for Profit’ sector award, the ‘Omni-Channel experience’ award and the ‘Digital Team’ award.