The finalists have been named for the Large Business of the Year award, sponsored by Larking Gowen, at the East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards 2023.
This award will be given to a company with turnover surpassing £5m that demonstrates all-round excellence in business.
Bacton Transport Services
Bacton Transport is a family-owned company in Bury St Edmunds specialising in pallet haulage and retail logistics.
The business was founded in 1932 by the current owners’ grandfather and offers customers a wide range of delivery options across the UK.
The business has invested heavily in its people and has also recently registered with UK customs, allowing it to help customers streamline their supply chain.
The judges said: “This company and its directors are living and breathing the values.” They were impressed by the culture within the company and the ability of management “to roll up their sleeves and muck in”.
They also praised the steps the business is taking to innovate.
Maritime Cargo Processing
Maritime Cargo Processing (MCP) is a community system provider based in Felixstowe that helps ports and airports operate more efficiently through the tracking of goods.
The business works with more than 100 ports and terminal locations across the UK and its port community system Destin8 provides a unified platform for over 1,900 stakeholders operating within these port communities.
Destin8 enables seamless collaboration and data sharing among the variety of organisations that operate in ports and is designed with interoperability at its core.
The judges commended the company’s increased investment in its training budget, adding that this “will have a huge impact on the business in the future”.
They also called MCP’s sustainable efforts “admirable”.
The Hotel Folk
The Hotel Folk is a group of six hotels situated on the Suffolk coast and countryside offering high-quality accommodation and dining.
In 2019, under the helm of now CEO David Scott, The Hotel Folk underwent a full rebrand and relaunch. Part of this transition was a large investment in IT and dynamic marketing systems.
A new focus on people has also led to the creation of a bespoke training facility.
The judges said that “this is an impressive company”, praising its customer focus.
They added that “innovation is at the forefront of this business, with the new systems and learning platforms” and commended its focus on employee awareness and training.
Thomas Ridley
Established in 1808 as a fine foods shop, Thomas Ridley in Rougham near Bury St Edmunds has seen six generations evolving to focus on delivered wholesale to the foodservice sector.
With 250 staff and 58 multi-temperature vehicles, Thomas Ridley delivers more than six million cases of food and drink a year to foodservice customers across East Anglia, London and the South East. It also ships almost 200,000 parcels a year to online customers.
The judges praised the “excellent movement of people through the business” and added that this is “clearly a company with a small business mentality in the shell of the large corporate company”.
The winners of the EADT Business Awards 2023 will be announced at an award ceremony at Kesgrave Hall, Ipswich on Thursday, September 28. For more information, please visit eadtbusinessawards.co.uk
To find out about the finalists in all categories, please click here.
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