Estate agency Homes Partnership has been awarded the prestigious title of Crawley Business of the Year 2007 after the town’s first ever awards ceremony on Friday.

Crawley Mayor Sally Blake joined more than 225 businessmen and women at the Copthorne Effingham Park Hotel to celebrate the town’s business success stories.

Main sponsors of the event were The Royal Bank of Scotland and Mercedes-Benz of Gatwick with category sponsors Thomas Eggar, University of Brighton, Central Sussex College, Mazars, Mayo Wynne Baxter and the Crawley Observer.

Homes Partnership was also winner of the Professional & Service Business of the Year category after they impressed the judges with a strong presentation which showed “exceptional professional standards that set them apart from their competition.”

In 2006 the company was shortlisted to the final eight in the Estate Agency of the Year Awards in the category of Best Small Estate Agent and their company has been selected as the preferred agent in Crawley by Cartus Relocation, the world’s leading relocation company for more than 10 years.

Co-presenter Tim Cobb, of event organisers Cobb PR, said: “The winning business is run by two women who worked in the company from 1991 before buying it in 2000. They have worked hard in a traditionally male dominated industry to establish their business, not only in its field but within the community as well.”

It was also a double celebration for businesswomen Gill Levett who walked away with Entrepreneur of the Year Award and Small Business of the Year Award.

The judges said that she had shown amazing determination in setting up not just one, but two businesses in completely different fields. Her children’s play centre, Arctic Jungle, overcame a difficult start when five competitors opened within the first year of trading, and in February this year Gill launched a website that helps busy parents plan their menus online – 1click2cook.com.

Afterwards Gill said: “I am absolutely thrilled to win not just one but two awards. I would urge companies who might be thinking of taking part next year to go for it!”

Best New Business Award went to “Best of Crawley” – a community website that provides an effective business directory and a great place to find local information, news and events. Numbers visiting the site are increasing by 20% every month. The company impressed judges with the community aspect of the business that had an orientation to help Crawley businesses succeed.

Aerotron was winner of the International Business of the Year Award. A company that was granted the Queen’s Award for Industry in the International Tade Category for 2006, it has expanded at an average rate of 34% every year for the last decade with export sales having soared from under 30% to more than 55%.
 
Winner of Employer of the Year Award was the Arora International Hotel that was the first of its kind to introduce E learning into their business and the first to include creative, interactive training as part of staff development using the arts to deliver “Light, camera, action” – a unique scheme focusing on team work and guest service.

Family entertainment centre, Laserhub that turned a derelict building into a leisure facility in less than 12 months on a tight budget won the Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Award.

The company achieved its targets for the number of weekly parties, that were set for its second year of business, within just four months of opening.

Customer Service Award went to Caldyne Building Contractors that impressed judges with their evidence of sound long term customer care and involvement in the local community.

Co-presenter and Senior Commercial Director of RBS Rob Clare said: “It is a construction company that endeavours to learn about its clients businesses in order to anticipate how they can be of maximum benefit to them.”

Guest speaker at the event was polar explorer Tom Avery, who at the age of 29, became the youngest Briton, and one of only 38 people in history to have reached both the North and South Poles on foot.

Tom kept the audience spellbound with the story of his amazing aim to recreate Robert Peary’s disputed 1909 expedition to the North Pole. He wanted to prove the sceptics wrong who said that Peary’s 27-day journey to the Pole would have been impossible.

Other guest speakers were economist David Fenton and Paul Toben, Business Link’s new regional Programme Manager for the London 2012 Games.

Winners and finalists at a glance:

• Crawley Business of the Year 2007 – Homes Partnership
• Entrepreneur of the Year – sponsored by Mazars

Winner - Gill Levett, of Arctic Jungle and 1click2cook.com
Runner up - Matt Turner of the Creative Pod Group

Best New Business of the Year
sponsored by Central Sussex College

Winner - Best of Crawley

Professional & Service Business of the Year

Winner - Homes Partnership
Runner-up - Alexander Lloyd
Highly commended - Search Consultancy

International Business of the Year Award
sponsored by RBS

Winner - Aerotron

Employer of the Year
sponsored by Thomas Eggar

Winner - Arora International Hotel
Runner-up - Rok

Hospitality, Tourism & Leisure Award
sponsored by the Crawley Observer

Winner - Laserhub

Customer Service Award
sponsored by Mayo Wynne Baxter

Winner - Caldyne Building Contractors:
Runner-up - Geeks on Wheels

Small Business of the Year Award
sponsored by University of Brighton

Winner - Arctic Jungle