Test Valley Business Awards Gala ceremony goes wild for Ray Mears

Ray Mears with the five winners of the Test Valley Business Awards for 2008/2009. Photographs by Burlison Photography There was huge excitement as five businesses scooped Awards for business excellence at the Test Valley Business Awards ceremony at Andover's The Lights on Monday 20 April 2009. Ray Mears, famous for his woodlore and survival expertise and television programmes, presented the Awards.

Congratulations to all the winners and highly commended companies. The five Winning businesses are pictured with Ray Mears:

Richard Glover of WKD Events; Larch Gauld of Nature's Harvest; Ray Mears guest speaker; James McKenzie of PhotonStar LED Ltd; Claire Cullem Carter of Blumarine Ltd; and Geoff Link of Stanbridge Earls School.

The full list of winners and highly commended businesses is:

Test Valley Borough Council New Business of the Year Award

Winner: WKD Events, North Baddesley
Highly Commemded: PJ Landscaping, Grateley
Highly Commemded: First Impressions, Andover

HSA Business Excellence through People Award

Winner: Stanbridge Earls School, Romsey
Highly Commemded: Wellow Fitness Centre, Wellow
Highly Commemded: Romsey Dental Care, Romsey

Star Technology Services Ltd e-Business Award

Winner: Nature's Harvest, Andover
Highly Commemded: Giftbagz.co.uk, Andover
Highly Commemded: www.bid-no-bid.com (Interim Sales Management), Andover

University of Southampton Science Park Innovation & Technology Award

Winner: PhotonStar LED Ltd, Chilworth
Highly Commemded: Ace Liftaway Ltd, Romsey
Highly Commemded: Trilogy Communications Ltd, Andover.

Hampshire County Council Small Business of the Year Award

Winner: Blumarine Ltd, West Dean
Highly Commemded: iCandy Design, Andover
Highly Commemded: Thinking Space Systems Ltd, Romsey

Award Sponsors with Trevor Baylis at the Launch on 23 September 2008

L to R: Trieve Nicholas of HSA, Cllr Martin Hatley of Test Valley Borough Council, Cllr Jonathan Glen of Hampshire County Council, Trevor Baylis, OBE, Peter Birkett of University of Southampton Science Park, Emma Thompson of Star Technology.

Philip Grob Blacksmith said: "Winning the Rural Business of the Year award has really helped me grow as a business not only by the great publicity the Awards gave me but also it has inspired knowing that young people with a passion for a craft can succeed." MORE...

Ashley Smith, The Hawk Conservancy Trust enthuses: "One of the best things that could happen to the Trust was to be nominated for the Test Valley Business Award in the Excellence through People category." MORE...

Take a look at all last year's winners and runners up.

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