The atmosphere was bursting with pride and, at times, emotion as the community gathered to honour the town’s stories of exceptional talent, resilience and innovation.
The celebratory night also carried a poignant tone with a special tribute to the late Brian Beaumont, the former “Business Leader of the Year” who died last December and was instrumental in the original creation of the business awards.
And the generous crowd also dug deep to raise vital funds on the night for chosen charity Hartlepool Foodbank.
The awards’ co-hosts, Simon Corbett and Harrison Smith, praised the unmatched calibre of town talent.
Simon, chair of the Hartlepool Business Forum, which organises the event along with Hartlepool Borough Council’s Economic Growth Team, said: “It was such a fantastic celebration of everything that is great about Hartlepool’s business community. The standard of entries this year was incredibly high and it was brilliant to see so many businesses, organisations and individuals recognised for the work they are doing across the town.”
He added: “As chair of the Hartlepool Business Forum, I’m incredibly proud of how the event continues to grow. We had more than 300 people in the room, and there was a real sense of positivity, pride and community throughout the evening. A huge congratulations to all of our winners and finalists. Hartlepool has some fantastic businesses and some incredibly talented people, and nights like this are a great reminder of just how much we have to be proud of.”
And Harrison, managing director of Azalea Wealth Management, said: “I was overwhelmed by some of the incredible tales and stories from the business community.
I am personally so proud to have hosted my first awards. Congratulations to all of the winners, and we look forward to doing it all again next year.”
The emotional peak of the evening belonged to “Young Entrepreneur Award” winner Lily Rose Cockfield, of LRose.Designs, who fought back tears as she accepted her trophy.
“I am shaking, almost crying, just over the moon because I have put so much hard work in,” she said. “I am genuinely so proud and pleased to be holding this award.”
The prestigious “Peter Olsen Award” went to Frances Connolly, founder of The PFC Trust, who humbly remarked: “This award is such a great thing for the business community to do for me. I don’t know how to say thank you enough.”
The successful night relied heavily on its backers. The event was made possible by Platinum Sponsor NE Security, Gold Sponsor X-energy, and Silver Sponsor Qualitech.
Vital support and sponsorship came from the Hartlepool Business Forum, NE Screen, Jacksons, UKSE, J&B Recycling, Phoenix 2 Retail, Azalea, GLC Projects, NUS, and Cicor Hartlepool, alongside Mariners United Sporting Club and TBI. Media partners Hartlepool Life and Rephrase Media also helped champion the unforgettable evening.
The night culminated in a diverse array of businesses taking home top honours.
GLC Projects was named “Best Small Business”, while Sidequest triumphed as the “Best Creative Business”. In the professional sector, Freers Askew Bunting secured “Best Business Services or Professional Services Business”.
The Norton Hotel claimed “Best Leisure and Hospitality Business” while Sweat Recovery Zone took home the title for “Best New Business”.
Other notable victories included Anna Campbell Hairdressing for “Best Retail or Service Sector Business”, Hartlepool Carers for “Best Community Business of the Year” and Polyfoam XPS for “Best Manufacturing or Engineering Business”. Tanglewood Games was recognised as the “Best Digital Business”.
