Lifetime achievement award for Black Country business leader
The chairman of Smethwick's Hadley Group was presented with a lifetime achievement award at the fourth Nachural Summer Business Ball and Awards in Wolverhampton.
Stewart Towe received the award for his commitment to business and the community.
He has overseen growth of the business from £1 million turnover in the 1970s to one approaching almost £200m. He was also recognised for this commitment to the community through his various roles including as chairman of the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership.
The business of the year winner was TPL Media, of Wolverhampton and Aldridge-based Dunton Group was small and medium-sized enterprise of the year.
The promoting apprenticeships in the workplace award went to Walsall's In-Comm Training.
TPL operates in the media, legal and customer engagement sectors. The business was recognised for its commitment to diversity, its extensive stakeholder engagement in Wolverhampton and its commitment to the local community. Employing over 450 people, its diverse set of operations has been growing rapidly generating turnover exceeding £30m.
The awards evening at Wolverhampton Racecourse on Friday was attended by 520 and produced by Wednesbury-based Nachural. The event seeks to recognise wealth creating businesses in the wider West Midlands region.
Keynote speaker was Greg Reed, chief executive of Walsall-based HomeServe, who outlined how he had to change the culture of the Black Country based business when he joined in 2012.
Chief executive of Nachural Ninder Johal, a past president of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce who sits as a Black Country LEP board member, spoke about the need for the UK to continued to innovate and for businesses to add value to their products.
Mr Johal said it was vital to involve the voice of business during the Brexit negotiations.
He also spoke about the positive future for the local region and the potential of the West Midlands Combined Authority where he sits as a member of the shadow board.
"We had a fantastic speaker in Greg Reed who gave an insight into the importance of culture and the role of investment of training of employees. We had a brilliant set of high-quality nominations from all over the Midlands and it was fitting that Stewart Towe was recognised for his role in giving back to the community in which his business operates.
"Too often business is not recognised for its commitment to society and its talent at creating wealth and sustainable communities.
"But there was also a sense on the night of the awards that SMEs were looking for greater clarity from whom ever becomes Prime Minister with regards to Brexit and a demand for greater devolved powers from Whitehall so that regions can serve the needs of their local communities much more effectively with regards to skills, infrastructure and housing," he said.
Other award winners included Wolverhampton's Fluoro Teach which won business start-up and Walsall's Bowman Stor who took home the international enterprise and innovation prize. The Dudley branch of Barclays won the diversity and inclusion award.
The headline sponsor for the event was Investec Wealth and Investment and Acorns Children's Hospice was the charity for the night when more than £10,000 was raised.
