Sandwell businesses had a brilliant night at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2022.

Held at the Wolverhampton Racecourse on Friday 14 October, the black-tie awards dinner was the Chamber’s first in-person awards experience since 2019. It was hosted by weather presenter Des Coleman, who welcomed nearly 500 people to celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of regional firms.

Des sang a perky rendition of Billy Ocean’s ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’ before the Black Country Chamber’s new CEO Sarah Moorhouse gave a warm welcome to the “room full of innovators and do-ers”.

And so the evening was off to a flying start, with attendees treated to a three-course dinner and the presentation of fourteen awards.

Members of the Think Sandwell team and our colleagues from Sandwell Council were delighted to see so many Sandwell-based businesses among the finalists and winners.

At least one Sandwell organisation was represented as a finalist in each of the fourteen award categories. Five Sandwell businesses were announced as overall winners, while four took ‘highly commended’ awards.

Well done to all the Black Country businesses championing innovation and collaboration in our region.

The results were as follows (with Sandwell businesses marked with an asterisk):

Third Sector Business of the Year – sponsored by Sandwell College

Beacon Centre for the Blind
SIPS Education Ltd* – West Bromwich
Penny Post Credit Union
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Gordon Moody
WINNER: Reach & Unite Outreach & Empowerment CIC

Excellence in International Trade – sponsored by Birmingham Airport

Build Works Solutions
Exol Lubricants Ltd
HIGHLY COMMENDED: KMB Shipping* (Tipton)
Offshore Stainless Supplies Ltd
WINNER: Alucast Ltd

Excellence in Professional Services – sponsored by Walsall Council

CS Bookkeeping Services Limited
Forresters
George Green LLP* (Cradley Heath as well as Wolverhampton)
WINNER: MET Recruitment UK Ltd
HIGHLY COMMENDED: TNM Design Group
TPSquared

Excellence in Manufacturing and Engineering – sponsored by CK Chartered Accountants

HIGHLY COMMENDED: KUKA Systems UK Ltd* (Wednesbury)
Lord Combustion Services Limited* (Oldbury)
WINNER: Ramfoam Ltd* (Oldbury)
SMART Balustrades
Vacuum & Atmosphere Services Limited* (Smethwick)

Excellence in Tech and Innovation – sponsored by EBC Group

HIGHLY COMMENDED: IPU Group* (West Bromwich)
Lets Sanify Ltd* (Tipton)
WINNER: Nant
Sandwell College* (West Bromwich)
Walsall College
Ramfoam Ltd* (Oldbury)

Excellence in Diversity and Equality – sponsored by Dudley Business First

Crowe UK LLP* (Oldbury)
Forresters
Steps to Work
HIGHLY COMMENDED: West Midlands Trains
WINNER: Wolverhampton City Credit Union

Business Commitment to the Community – sponsored by Thomas Dudley

WINNER: Halesowen Bid
Higgs LLP
Warrens Hall Riding School* (Oldbury)
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Nant
Pallet Track Limited
Sponsored Breaks
Royal Wolverhampton Trust Health & Safety Team
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
Smithridge Healthcare Ltd

Outstanding Support to the Armed Forces

Phoenix Collegiate
WINNER: Superfast IT
Tough Enough to Care* (Wednesbury)
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis & Squash Club

Marketing or Communications Campaign of the Year

ASSA ABLOY
HIGHLY COMMENDED: GMS Group* (Oldbury)
Halesowen BID
WINNER: Rothley Ltd

Large Business of the Year

GMS Group* (Oldbury)
Interclass Plc
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Juniper Training Ltd
Pallet Track Limited
Pertemps Network Group
SIPS Education Ltd* (West Bromwich)
WINNER: voestalpine Metsec Plc* (Oldbury)

Small Business of the Year – sponsored by Sandwell Council

WINNER: Building Services NOW
MET Recruitment UK Ltd
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Nant
Penny Post Credit Union
Rothley Ltd
Solvendis Ltd
Stone’s Throw Media
TNM Design Group
TPSquared
Vacuum & Atmosphere Services Ltd* (Smethwick)
Vantage 365

Start Up Business of the Year – sponsored by Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology

Charlotte the Copywriter
ERW Logistics Limited
WINNER: Let’s Sanify Ltd* (Tipton)
HIGHLY COMMENDED: MoRServ Ltd
Sponsored Breaks Ltd
WM Bookkeeping

Family Business of the Year – sponsored by Azets

Burke Bros Moving Group
HIGHLY COMMENDED: CLM Construction Supplies Ltd* (Oldbury)
WINNER: Formbend Ltd* (West Bromwich)
Lawrence Cleaning Ltd
Lord Combustion Services Limited* (Oldbury)
Warrens Hall Riding School* (Oldbury)
The Mount Hotel Country Manor

Black Country Business Person of the Year – sponsored by University of Wolverhampton

James Lane – HomeServe Furniture Repairs Ltd
WINNER: Paul Hull – KMB Shipping* (Tipton)
Stuart Smith – Lord Combustion* (Oldbury)
Abrar Ahmed – One 4 You Services Ltd
Tim Mulqueen – Ramfoam Ltd* (Oldbury).

Black Country people have deep pockets! A table collection during the evening raised over £3000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust and Parkinson’s UK.

Well done to every organisation that was shortlisted or highly commended in or won their category at the Black Country Chamber Business Awards 2022! Thank you to the Chamber for hosting a wonderful evening and bringing people together after the difficulties of the pandemic.

We love our Sandwell businesses. Did you know that we aim to post a #MadeInSandwell Monday feature every week, profiling a Sandwell-based organisation? We’ve featured many of the BCCC 2022 Awards winners and finalists in the past. Here are a selection of them:

Ramfoam, August 2021
Mayoral opening for PPE #MadeInSandwell 

KMB Shipping, July 2021
Community spirit #MadeInSandwell: shipping group KMB donates PCs to local charity

Lord Combustion, April 2021
Good Lord! It’s a double celebration #MadeInSandwell

SIPS Education, March 2020
Shining bright in education: service provider SIPS is this week’s #MadeInSandwell Monday star