March 29, 2018

And the winner of the Small Business of the Year Award is APS!

We did it! We are bursting with pride! After a nail-biting build-up to the final, Anglia Partitions Ltd has won the Small Business of the Year category in the West Norfolk Mayor’s Business Awards 2018.

The excitement has been building since mid-January, when we gave the judges a tour of our offices and working showroom. You can imagine how thrilled we were to receive our finalists certificate just days before the awards ceremony, which was held on Friday, 2nd March.

And, that really was a night to remember. King’s Lynn Corn Exchange was packed with people and businesses that contribute to the success of the west Norfolk economy. And with awards being handed out for outstanding business achievement in nine categories, the room was absolutely buzzing.

More than 170 local businesses applied to be considered for the awards this year. This was whittled down to three finalists in our category:  APS, K Brown Auto Repairs and White China. So, just to be on the shortlist was an honour, but when we were announced as the winner – well, you can imagine how that felt!

Committed to providing best level of customer service

Jason Hall of Mapus-Smith & Lemmon Chartered Accountants, who sponsored this category, was called on stage to present the award. Handing the trophy to our director and general manager Ian and Helen Swadling, Jason said: “We received a record number of entries in the small business award this year which made choosing a shortlist of three very difficult.’’

“The business we have chosen to win the award has invested heavily in the last year to expand and drive their business forward. They are committed to providing the best level of customer service possible, as well as a wide range of projects and services.”

Accepting the award, Ian said: “It is amazing, after 30 years in business, to have been entered for an award, let alone win one.”

“We are surprised, we just can’t believe it. It is great for all the team and everyone who has worked with us, as well as local businesses who have supported us.”

And that really is the point, we couldn’t have got here on our own. We are lucky enough to have a dedicated and passionate staff who have helped progress our small unit into a fantastic working showroom. We also owe a huge debt of thanks to all the local King’s Lynn businesses who have been both our loyal customers and suppliers.

Thanks to everyone for such a special evening

So, in the style of the Oscars, Anglia Partitions would like to thank the following people and businesses:

  • Laura at The Dukes Head: Following our exciting win on Friday night at the Mayor’s Business Awards, we wanted to thank you and all your staff at the Dukes Head Hotel for our overnight stay. The rooms were splendid, the service was excellent and we were made to feel very welcome.  We had a great evening which was enhanced by our stay at the hotel.  We look forward to our next visit.
  • Robert Fuller at Robert Fuller Associates for the APS video which represented APS at the ceremony.
  • Sharron and all the team at the Lynn News for organising a fantastic event; the night was so professional and well-organised.
  • Mapus-Smith & Lemmon: Local accountants based in King’s Lynn and the surrounding area who sponsored and judged our category. They are also celebrating 100 years in business this year. Thank you to Sharon and Daniel who visited APS for a showroom tour in January and who judged the category – and to Jason Hall who presented the award on the evening.
  • Mayor of King’s Lynn Carol Bower and her husband and consort, Simon, who were there on the night and who are the figureheads of the awards.

Well done to the other finalists in our category, K Brown and White China, and all the other winners and finalists in the other eight categories. It was very high standard this year and it’s great to see so many other local businesses and business people doing so well.

So much to celebrate as we look to the future

Finally, they say good things come in threes, and that’s certainly true for APS.

At the beginning of 2017, we relocated to our wonderful new premises which our dedicated team transformed in record time to the lovely offices and showroom we have today.

Last summer, we combined the official opening of the showroom by Mayor Carol Bower with a celebration of 30 years in business – a fantastic summer party.

And now we have our third cause to celebrate, winning the Small Business of the Year 2018 award. Well done to everyone at APS. We couldn’t have done it without you!