Northern Star Business Awards 2014 Winners Review

It’s time to shine! northern star business awards 2014 Winners Review

Principal Sponsor:

It’s time to shine

Our winners!

The Northern Star Business Awards event is the highlight of the North-east business calendar; not just as an outstanding night but as a springboard for even greater achievements for award winners.

Five charities benefited from the generosity of those attending the gala evening – Aberdeen Cyrenians, Glencraft (Aberdeen) Ltd, Macmillan Cancer Support, Shopmobility Aberdeen and Somebody Cares.

Around 800 people attended the gala dinner for the eleventh annual ceremony at which the achievements and continuing success of all the finalists and the 14 award winners were celebrated.

Category sponsors were Aberdeen City Council; Aberdeenshire Council; Aberdeen International Airport; Aberdeen Harbour; ASET International Oil & Gas Training Academy; BG Group; Clydesdale Bank; HGF Limited; IOSH; Petrolplan Ltd; Robert Gordon University; SuSe; Swire Oilfield Services and Village Urban Resort. The Chamber event was also supported by AECC, Anastasia, Crerar Thainstone House Hotel, Town and Country Apartments and Leasing, United Utilities and XIC.

Principal sponsor for the event was Aberdeen Harbour, a valued and long-standing member of the Chamber.

The host for the evening was Fiona Armstrong, a familiar face on national and regional news for many years. Fiona’s work ranges from news, to features, to sport. She is currently reporting and presenting for ITV’s Borderlife and Lookaround programmes in Scotland.

Entertainment for the evening was provided by Jazz Cannons who are a classic swing band, jazz band, soul band and pop band led by the magnetic vocalist and saxophonist, Jimmy Cannon.

Photographs can be viewed via the Chamber website at www.northernstarawards.co.uk and are also available directly from the official photographer, Donald Stewart, at www.donaldstewartphotography.com.

Lifetime Achievement Gifted by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce and Aberdeen City Council in recognition of outstanding, on-going commitment and achievement.

WINNER:

Sir Ian Wood

Sir Ian Wood is one of Scotland’s most successful businessman, a philanthropist and most recently the provider of the blueprint for future North oil and gas prosperity.

He was educated at Robert Gordon’s College and graduated from Aberdeen University in 1964 with a first class Honours degree in Psychology.

Sir Ian Wood

Award Sponsor: Aberdeen City Council is delighted to sponsor the lifetime achievement award as it offers us the opportunity to recognise the outstanding contribution made by an individual from the region who demonstrates an entrepreneurial spirit and an innovation approach in their everyday working life.

He would later receive an honorary LL.D from Aberdeen University, an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration from Robert Gordon University, an honorary Doctor of Technology from Glasgow Caledonian University, an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering from Heriot Watt University and an honorary Doctor of Science from Strathclyde University.

Following his graduation he joined the firm which his grandfather had founded as a ship repair and marine engineering business in 1912. His father had taken over as chairman of what was by then John Wood & Son in 1955, a role he would step into in 1982.

During 30 years in that role, including quarter of a century as chief executive, he was the visionary and the driving force behind the growth which has made Wood Group one of the world’s leading energy companies.

It currently operates in 50 countries and earns around $7billion in sales.

It employs more than 40,000 with a further 5,000 in its joint ventures.

In 2007 Sir Ian Wood and his immediate family established The

Wood Foundation which invests in economic, community and enterprise initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa and the UK which develop and support individuals to become caring and contributing members of society.

In 2013 he was asked to lead an independent review of UK offshore oil and gas recovery and its regulation to provide a strategy for maximising economic recovery from the UK Continental Shelf.

His radical recommendations presented earlier this year have been widely welcomed and are already being implemented.

He has held numerous posts within and outwith the energy industry and has received many accolades for his achievements.

Current and past appointments include membership of PILOT, the joint government and oil and gas industry Initiative and joint chairman of the Oil & Gas Industry Leadership Team; Chairman of Scottish Enterprise; Chairman of the British Trade International Oil & Gas Export Board (previously OSO); member of the Scottish Sea Fisheries Council, member of the Scottish Energy Advisory Board, Chairman of Commission on Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce, Leader, appointed by UK Government, of a Review on Maximising UKCS Oil & Gas Recovery Since 2004 he has been Chancellor of Robert Gordon University.

He was awarded the CBE in the 1982 New Year’s Honours List and a knighthood in 1994.

Student Placement This special award recognises the important contribution business makes to students through their participation in RGU’s Aberdeen Business School student placement programme.

WINNER:

KCA Deutag

KCA Deutag was nominated for the award by Sonja Cammaert, a management student, who emphasised how seriously it takes the responsibility of being a placement company.

Nine students were taken on this year and five students from the previous year were kept on part-time.

In her nomination Sonja outlined how the company had gone to the effort of extending her department budget and creating a new flexible position for her when she expressed an interest in staying on through her last year of university.

Sonja Cammaert KCA Deutag

Award Sponsor: With a 97.7% employment rate, Robert Gordon University has a global reputation for producing highly skilled graduates in a number of sectors. The professional education provided by the university from undergraduate level through to PhD owes much to RGU’s long-standing and close relationship with business. With work placements featuring on over 90% of our courses, we are proud to sponsor this award in recognition of the contribution North-east companies make to our students’ learning experience and to the content of our courses.

“Along with boosting my confidence, the extension of my contract will further enhance my CV and allow me to build upon the skills and competencies I have gained so far,” she said.

Students are provided with the same benefits as other staff and given all the relevant training they require to fulfil their roles and also invited to take part in sports and social activities which offers a further chance to network. Sonja underwent multiple SAP training courses and was also trained to be both a SharePoint and BusinessObjects Key User which will be relevant and attractive for future employers.

Students are also offered the chance to attend lunch and learn training sessions.

Above all KCA Deutag gives the students responsibility and Sonja was entrusted with testing business critical processes, setting up a test system for a vital interface, training staff, setting up weekly communications between the IT department and the business, administering a helpdesk which supports more than 1,500 users, organising the reconfiguration of the helpdesk software, drafting nondisclosure agreements for future contracts and performing important monthly and yearly audits.

She said students are made to feel part of the team and the company and KCA Deutag excelled in providing a valuable and comprehensive industry placement experience.

“Their efforts in developing placement students’ confidence, soft and technical skills, fully integrating us into the teams, keeping some students on and allowing us to get out as much as we put in shows that the company and managers within the company are fully dedicated to the placement scheme,” said Sonja.

Rising Star Awarded to an individual employee who has shown outstanding potential and is proven to have made a major impact and contribution within the company.

WINNER:

Andrew Ferguson, Eden Scott

Andrew Ferguson is an inspirational leader and respected professional in the Aberdeen recruitment market, having progressed from consultant to director level at Eden Scott in five years.

Andrew, a university of Aberdeen graduate, first entered the recruitment industry in 2006 and in 2009 established Eden Scott’s commercial team in Aberdeen servicing the accountancy, legal, HR and business markets across the North-east.

Andrew Ferguson Eden Scott

Award Sponsor: Aberdeen International Airport is proud to support the Northern Star Awards, and specifically the category of ‘Rising Star’. Encouraging and developing our own work-force, providing them with opportunities to grow and learn, is reflected in the criteria of this category and ultimately in the calibre of nominees. We wish them every success.

Before the Aberdeen office was launched in 2009, Eden Scott had no presence in the city and Andrew approached the challenge of changing that with both optimism and enthusiasm.

The team has grown from two to eight consultants and has become one of the best performing divisions in the business - placing more than 350 candidates into new roles.

It is a reflection of Andrew’s commitment to finding the right person, rather than the right person on paper, and his focus on quality and development, that there has been no staff turnover in last five years.

One of his first hires was a professional with very little commercial experience and

didn’t come from a recruitment background. Through coaching, nurturing and development, this employee is now the single highest biller across all three of Eden Scott’s offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Andrew generated well over £1million for Eden Scott’s Aberdeen office in 2013-2014, 10% of the £15 million total business turnover, the company’s most successful year in its 11 - year history.

In addition to his outstanding financial performance, Andrew regularly speaks at industry events, has implemented exemplar and efficient operational processes and is highly regarded and commended in the local and Scottish wide market.

In April, aged 30, he became the company’s youngest director in recognition of the positive impact he has had on the business.

Andrew’s framework is now viewed as best practice across the business, and the company is seeking to implement his methodology to all divisions to mirror his success in Aberdeen. He is dedicated to customer satisfaction, innovation and quality, with a focus on results, which resonates through every recruitment campaign he works on.

Outstanding Contribution to the Energy Sector Awarded to the company which can demonstrate an outstanding contribution to the energy sector within the North-east of Scotland.

WINNER:

Bibby Offshore

Bibby Offshore Ltd is a double winner this year and its commitment to its staff, for which it has also won an award, is one contributing factor to its success in this category.

The company is principally a subsea installation contractor which provides subsea construction and inspection repair and maintenance services and is part of the Bibby Line Group which has two centuries of history.

Since it was launched in 2003 Bibby Offshore has made a significant contribution to the energy sector in the North-east of Scotland and globally.

Howard Woodcock Bibby Offshore

Award Sponsor: BG Group is a major investor in the North Sea and has over 500 people working in Aberdeen and offshore. It has had a presence locally for many decades. We work with hundreds of local businesses, and the vast majority of our expenditure is with UK based companies. Sponsoring the Energy Award recognises companies that make an outstanding contribution to the energy sector and we have pleased to have been involved again this year.

It has increased the range of services it offers and used its core competencies to grow the business in new markets including Houston, Trinidad and Singapore.

That has led to turnover rising from £150million in 2011 to £200million in 2012 and £220million last year.

It has invested almost £30million in the past 12 months to increase its international fleet of subsea support vessels by more than 60% and now has eight vessels and 15 remote operating vehicles.

It also invested more than £3million in opening an international base in Houston to meet the growing demand from clients and to help explore opportunities in the Gulf of Mexico.

In May last year Bibby Offshore moved into a new 53,427 sq ft purpose-built HQ in Westhill which can accommodate more than 400 staff.

Its drive for future success makes Bibby Offshore critical to the energy sector.

There are plans for £100million in capital investment up until 2016 to set up in new region, for the acquisition of new assets and investment in people.

Bibby is ambitious and keen to develop and is a shining example of a business which has grown through investing in people, and primarily people from the North-east of Scotland.

It provides inspiration to other startup companies by demonstrating what can be achieved when the right people are empowered and entrusted to deliver the company’s vision.

The Green Award Awarded to the company which has implemented a strategy to reduce the impact its business makes on the environment or is involved in providing alternative energy supplies.

WINNER:

Élan Hair Design

This is believed to be the UK’s most eco-friendly hair salon and was established in 1971. It is led by Gordon and Lorna Milton, who are passionate about the environment, with their daughters Lanice and Lauren.

They have adopted a dynamic approach to the environment which has resulted in significant commercial benefits for the business. It is third time lucky for Élan, which employs 15, having also been NSBA finalists in 2012 and 2013.

Lorna and Lauren Milton Élan Hair Design

Award Sponsor: The Northern Star Awards are firmly established as being the most prestigious recognition of excellence in the region’s business community and Aberdeenshire Council is proud to be a long term award sponsor and supporter of the event Competitiveness of businesses and the area as a place to live and work is increasingly dependent on energy efficiency, affordable energy and the ability to avoid energy use through transacting business electronically making the Council’s sponsorship of the Green Award particularly appropriate.

As part of a comprehensive £250,000 refurbishment of its Inverurie town centre salon Élan implemented a series of innovative processes and systems which have helped establish the business as an environmental leader in its sector.

This includes the use of photovoltaic panels to generate electricity; solarthermal panels and an air-source heat pump to provide energy for hot water; LED lighting using 80% less electricity; basins which cut water consumption by 64%; a cleaning system using only cold water; energy-saving motion detectors and low temperature radiators; carbonneutral furniture; and bacteriaresistant floor tiles made from 40% re-constituted materials.

Even customers’ shorn locks, along with the salon’s other biodegradable waste, are collected and sent to be spread as compost on local farmers’ fields – a service provided by Keenan Recycling. Élan has reduced its annual costs for electricity from £6,100 to £787 and is looking at installing a voltage optimisation unit which could save the business a further 10-12% on electricity annually.

Since the refurbishment was completed in March 2012, Élan has grown at an impressive rate and expects to record turnover of £450,000 for 2014, an increase of nearly 40% in three years.

Staff members have been involved in the process from the beginning and share the environmental objectives of the business Élan is unique, not only in the Northeast of Scotland, but in the UK for its imaginative eco-friendly approach which is helping ensure the longer term success and growth of the company.

Achievement in International Business In recognition of the company which has been the most successful in growing its international business value and market share.

WINNER: Entiér The directors and shareholders of Entiér took a leap of faith when, in 2008, they resigned from secure jobs to set up the independent contract catering and support services company to compete with multinational opposition.

They believed there was a gap in the market providing a superior service using quality local produce.

Within a week Lehman Brothers bank had filed for bankruptcy, the credit crunch began and the investment the directors of Entiér thought had been secured from a bank disappeared.

Scott Jackson and Peter Bruce Entiér

Award Sponsor: As a key driver of economic activity in the region, Aberdeen Harbour recognises the need to ensure that successful individuals and businesses are acknowledged. The Northern Star event is a prime example of an award programme that honours all that is great about business the North-east of Scotland.

Having already invested their own money to launch the company they then offered their houses as collateral to secure funding.

Momentum was gathering when, after six months, a client went into liquidation owing Entiér £94,000.

However the company also battled through this challenge sticking to its international strategy to focus only in areas in which it had strength and support and only entering new countries in which its clients could support it.

This year Entiér’s anticipated turnover is £40million and it now provides offshore catering and hotel services in 40 countries around the globe from the North Sea to Newfoundland, from Ghana to Gabon and from Israel to the Ivory Coast.

It also provides catering and facilities management services to 20 businesses and educational establishments in the North-east of Scotland.

As well as the UK, Entiér has operating companies in Singapore, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and the USA and international business now accounts for 40% of its turnover and 60% of its profit.

The company, which was the Northern Star 2013 Overall Business of the Year, is very focussed and targeted in its approach to growing its international business which is driven by Peter Bruce, Colin Henry and Scott Jackson who have almost a century of experience between them.

They carry out extensive research assisted by Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise, select local regional partners who know and understand the area, culture and legislation and PwC provides professional advice.

The services Entiér provide are also tailored to each market with menus adapted to suit the different nationalities and also product availability.

Each contract is managed by a UK expat chef manager to ensure the consistent “Entiér Standard” is delivered globally.

Excellence in Health and Safety Presented to a company that has demonstrated its organisation’s commitment, training and procedures having a positive impact on the overall health and safety of the business.

WINNER:

Concerto Live Scotland

Concerto Live Scotland is a live event and brand communication agency which is passionate about ensuring the health and safety of its staff and all those who work with them.

It was launched in 2012 by managing director Nenah Favelle with two employees. It now has 15 staff and its core competencies include organising conferences and exhibitions; venue finding; award ceremonies; incentive travel programmes; team motivational activities; product launches and experiential marketing; and digital and multimedia campaigns

Steve Kearney and Nenah Favelle Concerto Live Scotland

Award Sponsor: As the world’s only Chartered body for safety and health professionals we feel it’s important to recognise businesses who take a best practice approach to this important area. In an area like Aberdeenshire where unemployment is low and so many people work in high risk occupations it’s even more important to identify those companies that stand out as committed to the wellbeing of their workers and applaud the people who turn that commitment into an everyday reality for the business. We feel that supporting the Northern Star Business Award for Safety and Health allows us to do just that.

It has invested heavily in both time and money in its HSE policies, practices and procedures and despite being a small growing company has a big company mentality towards safety.

Concerto Live Scotland believes that by ingraining a positive safety culture early in its growth it will evolve into a stronger, safer company which employees are proud to work for and clients want to engage.

The culture is promoted through a top-down approach with the senior management team visibly, actively and repeatedly demonstrating this ethos throughout all areas of the company.

There is a “Safety Focus” item on the agenda at the weekly team meeting; monthly newsletters highlight safety news, issues and major accident risks; and the company’s business objectives are integrated with good health and safety management.

A full time senior event H&S advisor with extensive experience was appointed to the team to reinforce Concerto Live Scotland’s commitment and ambition to be viewed as a leader in H&S performance in the events sector.

He keeps management and staff up to date with new legislation, reviews company policies and documentation and runs training courses.

Concerto Live Scotland has also implemented a number of measures to ensure that its own supply chain operates to the same high standards.

Recognising that their client’s reputations are at stake, as is the wellbeing of the people they are responsible for during events, they never compromise on safety and are proud that there have been no reportable incidents, near misses, or ill health cases since the company was launched.

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Congratula tions to th e Chambe r team for

Commitment to People Development Awarded to the company which has shown the most commitment to developing its staff through skills and personal development, investment and achievement programmes and outcomes.

WINNER:

Bibby Offshore

Bibby Offshore Ltd may only be 11 years old but it is built on the foundations of its parent group’s two centuries of traditional values and competencies.

Six generations in, Bibby Line Group is still family-owned which has allowed Bibby Offshore to develop its unique employee culture which the company informally refers to as the “Bibby Buzz” or the “Bibby Spirit”.

Howard Woodcock Bibby Offshore

Award Sponsor: Swire Oilfield Services pride themselves on being an employer of choice with strong emphasis placed on the core values Integrity, Humility, Excellence, Endeavour and Continuity.

Given that the values of the Northern Star Business awards reflect these we are delighted to be the sponsor for the Commitment to People Development award. Swire believe strongly in investment in employee development to improve the competencies of the staff and in turn the organisation. We strive to ensure employees can meet their personal career aspirations and also business objectives.

The ethos is that employees should feel engaged with the company because it has been statistically shown that engaged employees are more productive and are willing to go over and above because they have loyalty.

For effective engagement the relationship must be a two-way process and can take several forms - development is a key factor in this process.

Realising the talent of its employees is at the core of its business objectives and an extensive amount of time and effort is placed into staff development to help individuals realise their potential.

Professional opportunities are identified through bi-annual staff appraisals and a dedicated training and competency department facilitates training requirements which are identified or requested.

By actively engaging with employees and providing them with development opportunities Bibby Offshore is ensuring they have all the tools they require to succeed individually in return for their efforts on behalf of the company.

Individual success can become collective success and the resultant commitment and effort from employees is because Bibby Offshore, the Subsea UK Company of the Year in 2014, is their employer of choice and they feel part of it.

Bibby Offshore does its utmost to ensure existing staff are happy in their roles and through its “People Survey” to determine the employee’s perceptions of where the business can improve.

Record turnover and employee numbers aren’t enough to be employer of choice if people aren’t enjoying the experience as the company grows.

It has launched a series of initiatives to develop and recruit staff and these include its “Lead the Way” training which provide leadership training and development opportunities through a series of modules which cover various aspects of the business.

Outstanding Contribution to Society In recognition of the organisation or company which can demonstrate a significant, ongoing commitment by aligning its values and strategy with the greater needs of society.

WINNER:

Saltire Energy

The philanthropic philosophy of Saltire Energy, driven by company owner and chief executive Mike Loggie, means that disadvantaged youngsters in the North-east of Scotland, and elsewhere in the world, are being given life changing opportunities they would not otherwise have had.

As Saltire Energy has grown, so too has the range of work being carried out to benefit thousands of young people.

The Saltire in the Community Programme was established in 2008 to support a number of local and international initiatives.

Mike Loggie Saltire Energy

Award Sponsor: Northern Star Business Awards is the flagship event of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce.

Clydesdale Bank are active members of the Chamber and are delighted to support the event, the Chamber and its wider members in recognising successful local businesses.

It encourages young people from deprived areas to be involved in new fun activities which enhance their skills and overall happiness. Many of the initiatives relate to sport because of the positive outcomes associated with fitness including health and wellbeing.

Last year Saltire Energy donated £1million to Befriend a Child to allow the charity to recruit and train volunteer befrienders for each child on the waiting list.

The organisation receives referrals for children within the city, from primary through to secondary school age, who are in need of a positive role model in their life.

It pairs these young people into “befriending relationships” with a suitable adult who commits to meet them once a fortnight and engage in activities.

Saltire Energy has also donated more than £700,000 to the Saltire Sports for Schools Project, spearheaded

by Mike. It enables children from local primary schools, some in the city’s designated regeneration areas, to develop their sporting and interpersonal skills at the Aberdeen Sports Village (ASV) Aquatics Centre.

Saltire Energy is also a major funder of the ASV Aquatics Centre which opened in April 2014 and is one of only two Olympic standard facilities in Scotland. The company stepped in to donate £1million, which enabled the project to go ahead and ensured it had the facilities to make it worldclass.

Other projects which Saltire Energy has funded include the development of the Good Shepherd School in Phuket, which provides more than 150 underprivileged Burmese children with daily support and schooling in a safe environment, and the construction of a new orphanage on the Thai/Myanmar border.

The Business Diversity Award In recognition of the business which has shown its recruitment practice to be fair and open resulting in the employment of people with diverse backgrounds and abilities.

WINNER:

Glencraft (Aberdeen) Ltd

Glencraft is an Aberdeen-based social enterprise and registered charity which manufactures and supplies high quality, handcrafted beds and mattresses.

member takes great pride in the Glencraft name and works hard to produce the extremely high quality products with which the Glencraft brand has become synonymous.

It employs 46 staff and 80% are disabled or disadvantaged.

Over the past four years Glencraft has employed seven trainees into its skills academy where they learn handcrafting techniques passed down through generations of experienced craftsmen.

Its primary aim is to continue to provide “Dignity through Work” for its passionate, skilled team.

Andrew Laing and Carl Hodson Glencraft (Aberdeen) Ltd

Award Sponsor: SuSe is sponsoring this award to highlight the significant contribution that disabled people and people from diverse backgrounds make within their workplaces, and the good practice exhibited by employers. The award also is hosted by Aberdeenshire Council Employability Service, which provides a range of support for disabled people seeking to find and sustain work.

Glencraft beds are in royal residences, having serviced four generations of the Royal Family at Balmoral. They also supply some of Scotland’s top hotels and Glencraft mattresses are found in many accommodation modules on offshore oil platforms because of their quality and because the charity manufactures a highly regulated fire resistant product.

Glencraft has a history dating back 170 years but, after suffering financial difficulties, it closed down briefly.

It reopened four years ago and is proud of the community feel which has been created within the business.

A very open communication policy is in place in which all employees can approach management with confidence and ease.

They work very much as a team, respecting one another and treating each other equally. They focus on the abilities of the employees rather than on their disabilities and every team

It has also secured three government funded placements in conjunction with the Small Business Training Initiative which has allowed them to train and development their new team members.

Since reopening it has developed significantly as an independent charity and social enterprise.

It faces a constant battle to raise awareness of what it does and the difference it makes not only to its workers but also their families which ultimately has a positive effect on the local community.

The staff feel very passionately about Glencraft and all it stands for.

They are proud of the products they produce and want people to know about and purchase them.

Best Campaign of the Year Awarded to the company which has planned and implemented a successful marketing campaign.

WINNER: OilCareers.com Convenience was at the heart of the winning OilCareers.com campaign - a public convenience.

This was achieved with messages like “Not feeling too flush?” and “Career going down the pan?”

The giant of oil and gas recruitment, established 15 years ago, has an expanding global footprint and in the midst of a well documented and long standing skills shortage maintaining high visibility is vital.

Placing the ads in an area of high footfall in one of its key target markets guaranteed the brand would be seen by many regular passengers, particularly departing from the airport, a European hub for business and general travel. The length of the campaign ensured maximum exposure for OilCareers. com.

OilCareers.com wanted to raise overall awareness of the website within its target market and also increase the amount of traffic it attracts from Aberdeen and throughout the UK.

Alison Reid, Mark Guest and Ashleigh Pirie OilCareers.com

Award Sponsor: Village Urban Resort is delighted to sponsor the 2014 Best Campaign of the Year. We recognise the power of a strong message and are extremely proud to be associated with local businesses through the prestigious Northern Star awards. We at Village strive for such excellence and it is pleasing to see such a great range of nominations for the awards.

When a year-long opportunity became available in the toilet facilities of Aberdeen International Airport OilCareers.com realised it offered great potential to connect with its target audience.

The contract covered 31 individual spaces on the back of cubicle doors, above urinals and in hand washing areas and the campaign has proved so successful it has been continued for a second year and also replicated in Australia and Canada.

The adverts above the urinals were almost unavoidable at a time of no distractions and the same applied to the ads on the back of the cubicle doors in the ladies. But as well as being read they had to be remembered so the posters had entertain and inform, without offending or being too risqué.

It resulted in a 25% increase in visits to OilCareers.com from the UK and 12% worldwide with new visits rising by 27% in the UK and 17% worldwide.

It also showcased how innovative OilCareers.com is and demonstrated the effort it will make to capture the attention of the best potential recruits.

By targeting Aberdeen International Airport OilCareers.com reached an estimated audience of 3.5million passengers, many of whom will have a connection to the oil and gas industry.

Perhaps the greatest accolade has been the decision to roll the campaign out in other parts of the world, bringing its positive message to a new geographical audience.

Excellence in Customer Service Awarded to the company which consistently delivers outstanding customer service and can demonstrate, through structured assessment and satisfaction measurement, that meeting customers’ needs is a priority throughout its entire business.

WINNER:

Pentagon Freight

Pentagon Freight, which places unrivalled focus on customer service, is the largest of 23 companies operating in the same business sector in the Aberdeen area.

The base has 114 staff who support 750 clients, all within the oil and gas industry, and the company prides itself in providing customers with the personal touch.

This is achieved by appointing key account contacts - a face to a name - who are in regular communication with clients and on hand 24/7 to assist with urgent requests.

Neil Youngson Pentagon Freight

Award Sponsor: Celebrating great achievement and recognising performance is important within Petroplan and sponsoring the Northern Star awards epitomises this.

The opportunity to sponsor awards that celebrate our peers and partners is fantastic and as customer service is so important in our own business, it is apt for us to sponsor this opportunity at Northern Star.

While the transportation of goods is the nature of their business they see client relations as a fundamental part of what they do.

Training for the company’s own staff and its clients is integral to that philosophy.

Pentagon recognises that providing a learning environment is vital for every employee and has devised a number of training courses to support them at all levels. After identifying the training which individual staff members require, a plan is tailored to their needs.

This includes a mixture of classroom based training, one-to-one coaching sessions and on-the-job training.

They also provide specific customer service training which creates an understanding of how their actions impact on a client’s activities Pentagon has its own in-house trainers and built-for-purpose classrooms which is unique to Pentagon Freight.

A major part of its business is providing training for its clients’ logistics teams to ensure they understand the freight forwarding process, the regulations imposed and how to remain compliant. More than 650 have undertaken this training and Pentagon estimates it has saved clients more than £750,000 by identifying incorrect or inadequate processes within their supply chain and training.

They also offer a lunch and learn programme for staff and clients who may not be able to commit to intensive training.

Commitment to Innovative use of Research and Development Award In recognition of the company which has demonstrated an innovative use of research and development to create commercial growth and gain competitive advantage.

WINNER:

Plexus Ocean Systems Ltd

Research development and innovation is the cornerstone of Plexus’ success and is embedded in the company’s business plan. The company supplies wellhead and ancillary equipment to companies around the world, including the UK and Norwegian North Sea, Australia, Brunei, Cameroon, Egypt, Russia, Malaysia, Trinidad and Tunisia.

It actively pursues new and innovative engineering solutions to improve safety and reduce costs for customers and explores new products and markets for its proprietary technology.

Bret Harrold Plexus Ocean Systems Ltd

Award Sponsor: HGF Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys is delighted to sponsor the award for Commitment to Innovative Use of R & D because we consider Aberdeen City and Shire to be one of the most innovative areas in the world.

HGF is passionate about the role of innovation in business and is committed to supporting businesses to protect and exploit their intellectual property.

HGF Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys and sister firm HGF Law together form one of the fastest growing, full-service intellectual property firms and one of the top five IP firms in the UK.

It invests heavily in R&D and now has 12 staff, 8.5% of the workforce, involved full time.

They are particularly focused on two projects, the HP/HT Tieback Connector and the HGSS® Subsea Wellhead.

Both incorporate POS-GRIP®, a proprietary friction-grip method of engineering for oil and gas field wellheads and connectors, which has been developed and patented

by Plexus and has clear safety, operational performance and time saving advantages over alternative conventional equipment.

POS-GRIP technology exploits the elasticity of the materials being used to effectively shrink an outer body onto an inner body, externally gripping and sealing at the same time.

The HP/HT Subsea Tieback Connector is designed to allow operators to tieback, or reconnect, an HP/HT well located at the sea floor - something impossible to achieve until now. It also allows operators to pre-drill HP/HT production wells and later tie-back to a platform, enabling future production.

The HGSS Subsea Wellhead uses POS-GRIP technology in full subsea wellheads, ready for subsea completion. Following recent offshore disasters, investigations found existing systems lacking in a number of key areas, particularly in HP/HT environments. POS-GRIP technology provides solutions for recognised issues while simplifying operations.

Plexus believes the technology could be applied to a range of products including: LNG tanker offloading connectors; drilling riser connectors; emergency subsea wellhead connectors; well intervention systems; and permanent well abandonment systems for mudline drilled wells.

If the company can secure even a 5% share of the subsea wellhead market over time, its sales would increase by almost 1,000%.

This is separate from the significant potential of the HPHT Tieback Connector.

Overall Business of the Year Awarded to the company which is held as an example of excellent practice and an inspiration to all businesses by attaining market prominence.

WINNER: Inoapps Inoapps, which was formed in 2006, resells Oracle across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and provides a complete Oracle applications offering including consulting, implementation and hosting.

The global recession prompted change within the company and since 2011 its turnover has doubled year on year from £4.7million to £9.3million in 2012 and £19million last year.

This trend is set to continue and it is firmly on track not only to achieve its “50 in 15 strategy” (£50million turnover in 2015) but also “60 in 16” based on year on year organic growth of 20% and acquisitions.

Gary Connel Inoapps

Award Sponsor: ASET International Oil and Gas Training Academy fully recognises the importance of the Northern Star Awards to the business community of Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland.

The awards provide the opportunity to showcase and highlight the innovations, talents and achievements of businesses across a wide range of Industries, whilst demonstrating the important and significant contribution that is being made to both our local and wider UK economy.

For ASET to be part of the Northern Star Business Awards and to sponsor the Company of the Year Category is a pleasure and a privilege for our company.

Inoapps develops innovative solutions to facilitate business growth and has diversified from the oil and gas industry, which accounts for 43% of its revenue, to deliver its intelligence to a broad spectrum of sectors, including engineering, construction, information technology, financial services, manufacturing and local and central government.

It now has approximately 200 employees around the globe with bases in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and is at an advanced stage with US expansion plans.

Last year Business Growth Fund invested £10million of growth capital

into Inoapps to support its ambitions to significantly increase the size and scale of its operations. The help from the independent company, established to help to UK’s growing businesses, will allow it to make several acquisitions and to fund international expansion. The first took place early this year when it acquired Crocus Consulting.

Inoapps was formed by chief executive officer Andy Bird who identified the need for the implementation of Oracle applications and technology solutions into the energy industry.

The organisational offering has developed and diversified and reaches a broad range of industries and geographies and is regarded as one of the top performing Oracle reseller and service providers Andy firmly believes in giving back to the community and Inoapps supports a number of schemes and projects in the North-east.

These include creating a competition at Robert Gordon University to allow students to present their business ideas, working with the Prince’s Trust and supporting local charities.

Principal Sponsor:

Category Sponsors:

Associate Sponsors:

www.agcc.co.uk

www.northernstarawards.co.uk