Southampton: Solent 250 honours its best businesses

From an innovative marine engineering specialist to a major UK telecoms provider, a southern-based homebuilder to a UK top-25 motor dealership group, and a family-run building services contractor to a coastal holiday park business, the 2018 Solent 250 Awards provided ample evidence of the very wide range of skilled and talented management teams and workforces operating in the Solent region.

The Solent 250 listing of top private companies in the Solent region represents a combined corporate turnover more than £14 billion, but it was individual companies and the business diversity of the annual listing compiled by The Business Magazine and sponsored by HSBC, business adviser RSM and law firm Irwin Mitchell, that was in prominence at the Dinner Awards evening held at The Harbour Hotel in Ocean Village, Southampton.

“It is heartening – despite the uncertainty of Brexit – to see such buoyancy and positive endeavour on the south coast,” said David Murray, publisher of The Business Magazine,  when welcoming the invited guests.

The six Solent 250 businesses chosen for recognition this year by an independent panel of judges were:

Innovation Award, sponsored by RSM:           MAATS Tech, of Micheldever.

Fast Riser Award, sponsored by Irwin Mitchell:           Onecom, Fareham

Management Team of the Year (over £25m turnover), sponsored by HSBC:                                   Shorefield Holidays, Milford-on-Sea

Management Team of the Year (below £25m), sponsored by Irwin Mitchell:                                       HBS Group Southern, Fareham

New Entrant Award, sponsored by RSM:           Crayfern Homes, Hedge End.

Employer of the Year Award, sponsored by HSBC:           Hendy Group, Chandler's Ford

During the evening workplace innovation consultant Kursty Groves also provided a highly informative presentation about creating workspaces that enable innovation within businesses.

* Full details of the evening in our May/June print edition.

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