The Halls Wolverhampton hosted the 2025 Express & Star Business Awards.
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00:00Black Country business and bow tie or no tie, I'm certainly here to enjoy it this evening.
00:15Tonight is about recognising the people, the places, the potential of this very important
00:21part of the West Midlands and I'd like to particularly thank the Express and staff
00:26for hosting the event tonight.
00:28We don't back ourselves enough, do we?
00:30Oh yeah, I'm up for an award, you know, I'll pop along, I might not win.
00:33But it's massive.
00:34Who's actually up for an award tonight?
00:36Can you stand up?
00:37We've got it.
00:38Go on, stand up here for an award.
00:40Go on.
00:41Come on, stand up.
00:42Let's see ya.
00:43Let's give yourselves.
00:45This evening to the businesses that have taken the risks, the businesses that have grown
00:50ideas and demonstrated enterprise and created jobs and created the jobs that really importantly
00:56change lives here.
00:58To the apprentices, the engineers, designers and doers, the people that prove every day
01:02that this region and this part of the region has everything it needs to succeed.
01:08It needs to provide a perfect backdrop for this event.
01:11It really is a famous venue that the city should cherish.
01:15I'd like to say it's been a straightforward 12 months for business.
01:19But as we know, there's been many challenges from national insurance rise, extra minimum wage
01:26costs, inheritance, tax of farmers, that kind of thing.
01:29It certainly hasn't been a smooth ride.
01:31And that's what I mean increasingly is our intervention.
01:35It's an announcement.
01:36Can we accomplish this year?
01:37Go on, you say.
01:39Come on, everybody.
01:40Come on.
01:41Come on.
01:42I'm not even very serious with one word.
01:43Come on.
01:44Congratulations.
01:45I love that.
01:46You're here.
01:47Come on.
01:48Love that.
01:49As you just said, Goughborough just stands out at a remarkable family business.
01:53It's deep-rooted understanding of the heritage.
01:55Really quickly can you tell us what it means to you to win the award?
02:11Can I just say that we interpret Family Group as the founding of the business, not the fact
02:19that Jonathan and I are third generation of the company, which is important, there's the
02:24fact that there's a lot of people behind us and we don't think of this as a family business.
02:31That's absolutely right.
02:32There's a third of a millennia of people went up on that stage, 350 years of service between
02:39us and we'd like to think that although they own this business as much as we do and we'd
02:47like to dedicate it also to our fathers and grandfather for the first 60 years and we're
02:57just doing the last 40.
02:58Congratulations guys, well done, thank you so much.
03:04Congratulations!
03:05It's been a beautiful week for you guys, hasn't it?
03:09And how has it done to win the award?
03:14Well congratulations, it's been a great day for you guys isn't it and how's it going to win the award?
03:26Yes, very nice, I've worked hard, especially this year when we were at the challenges and it's nice to be recognised.
03:35It means a lot.
03:37Yeah, it means a lot to us. Especially a lot of people realise now I'm at work.
03:41And I think if there's some challenges going forward or something, you don't know what will affect you going forward, what will I think you'll profile on?
03:48It's nice to follow the website and show people that are really serious company.
03:53Something to be proud of.
03:55Congratulations, well done.
04:08The judges said that their strong commitment to training and reinvestment will set this business apart
04:13and they then have complete, sorry to compete rather with larger companies in the sector, which is I suppose a testament to their outstanding product and service offering.
04:21Signing my strong core values, the build channel.
04:25That's D-A-M-G. How does it feel?
04:27It's been an active year.
04:29It's quite ecstatic.
04:31It's fantastic.
04:33What does it all mean to you?
04:35It's fabulous.
04:37It's a lot. It's a lot.
04:39It just shows what we're doing this recently season.
04:41It's been a few years ago.
04:43We had a great start and this is the full fruits of where we're going.
04:47It shows what we're doing.
04:49And the winner is John Joseph Donovan.
05:01Tell me how you feel.
05:03Shocked and nervous because I didn't even realise how big this was for me.
05:09Going to the finalists I thought I was just on the short shortists.
05:13So it was quite surprising.
05:15And did you know you'd been nominated?
05:17What does it mean to you to win the award?
05:19Absolutely.
05:21It just means the last couple of years, all the work, the effort that I've put in.
05:25It's just amazing for me.
05:27Congratulations. Well done.
05:29Thank you. Thank you very much.
05:31Yeah, congratulations.
05:33Just tell me what winning the award means to you.
05:37Honestly, I'm absolutely stoked.
05:41Because genuinely, our entire purpose is to make work better.
05:45It's fantastic.
05:47It's part of what we do every day and we try to bring it into everything that we give to our employees.
05:55And as I said, making work better is what we're all about.
05:59So we're delighted.
06:01Great. Congratulations.
06:03I mean, you've won a lot of awards now.
06:05What was the latest one mean to you?
06:07I think this means more because we are based in the black country.
06:11We're based in Dudley.
06:13And this is a combination of, you know, everyone's work.
06:19We're a very small company and we try and use a local supply chain.
06:24But this award doesn't belong to, this award belongs to these guys.
06:28Alex the Chemist and Phoebe are creative.
06:31So thank you so much.
06:33Congratulations. Well done.
06:35Congratulations. What does it mean to you to win the award?
06:38So obviously this feels surreal.
06:41And kudos to the team who has been working with all their souls,
06:45putting everything into the business to bring it to what it is today.
06:49And obviously we will try to win the hearts of all the customers
06:53by being the UK's most wild of desserts.
06:56Just really pretty. Just tell us how you're feeling.
06:58Fantastic.
07:00Well done, everybody.
07:02Yeah, well done.
07:03What was it we'll meet to you?
07:04Oh, it's fantastic.
07:05It just shows how far we've come.
07:07A massive achievement by everyone, from everyone in the business.
07:10And for the local area, isn't it?
07:13We've given back so much locally, as well as, like, within the business,
07:18it's been a massive achievement.
07:19So, here's loads, isn't it?
07:21Fantastic.
07:22Congratulations.
07:24It's a great honour to win this award as manufacturing champion.
07:27It's a testament to the skill and expertise of our staff,
07:32our apprentices, and we're very, very proud about it.
07:35And how do you think it affects you going forward?
07:38It helps raise our profile with customers,
07:41and in terms of recruiting and retaining staff,
07:44so it's really important.
07:45Yeah.
07:46Congratulations.
07:47Thank you very much.
07:48Thank you very much.
07:49So, CCT Morris, how has it felt to be named Canadian Business of the Year?
07:50Absolutely delighted.
07:52Unexpected, but I'm really, really proud of the team,
07:55and under Alan's guidance.
07:56Very good.
07:57Absolutely.
07:58It's 100% about the team in the business.
08:00Yeah, yeah.
08:01Is that he who will dedicate any more to?
08:02Absolutely.
08:03Yeah, brilliant.
08:04Every single member of the team is so important to us.
08:07Yeah.
08:08Yeah.
08:09Fantastic.
08:10Congratulations.
08:12If you feel it to me, Andy, yeah.
08:14Right, ecstatic.
08:15Smile, Andy.
08:16Ecstatic.
08:17Fantastic.
08:18Smile, Andy.
08:19What does it mean to you?
08:21It's fabulous.
08:22It's a lot.
08:23It is a lot, yeah.
08:24It shows what we're doing this recently.
08:26Yeah, it's been a few years ago.
08:28Well, we had a great start, and this is the full fruits of where we're going.
08:32To all sectors of business, this award is to celebrate an extraordinary organisation
08:37whose exceptional track record distinguishes them from their peers.
08:41Judges, in this case, were looking for businesses that exemplify as excellence, innovation, leadership.
08:47People that set a benchmark, basically, for success, and at the same time, inspiring others within their industry.
08:53Here are the finalists.
08:54Coin the Drink Limited.
08:58JJX Logistics.
09:01And we'll say, Credit Union Limited.
09:05I really appreciate your energy, guys.
09:07So, Alan, who is the final winner of the evening, please, sir?
09:10The winner is Wallside Credit Union.
09:13Wallside Business of the Year.
09:15Tell me about that.
09:16What are your businesses?
09:18Well, we're a small business.
09:20There's only seven of us, but we do big things.
09:22So, we service everybody who lives or works in the Walsall area.
09:26We promote financial inclusion.
09:27So, you can be a member with us if you're on universal credit card.
09:31We know when you come in, or you're a chief executive at the Walsall Council.
09:35We treat everybody the same that comes through the door.
09:37All our loan rates are same.
09:38And we encourage savings.
09:40So, at the moment, we've amassed £12 million in savings from an economically deprived area
09:47of 5,000 members.
09:49We just share the profits.
09:50We paid 3% dividend last year.
09:52We've had our biggest year yet.
09:53And we're smashing each year.
09:55We're going to go even better this year.
09:56Yes.
09:57And it all gets fired back to our members.
09:59We know them.
10:00We love them.
10:01And, you know, it's just what we do for the community.
10:07We've all been here a lot of time.
10:08We also have all the two people's team.
10:10Yeah, exactly.
10:11Locker family, really.
10:12I feel quite emotional, actually.
10:13Yeah.
10:14It obviously means a lot to you.
10:15Yeah, it does.
10:16It obviously means a lot to you.
10:17Yeah, it does.
10:18Yeah, tell me about the more than what it means to you.
10:20It's brilliant, because we fly under the radar.
10:24We've got the big banks, the big building societies, and we're just a little thing.
10:29But our members, we treat them like family.
10:32We know everybody that walks through the door.
10:34We work in our members' best interests.
10:36And it's lovely.
10:37We see success stories.
10:38We see them.
10:39We go through and we're unhappy times.
10:41And we always try to help.
10:43And you've got recognition to us.
10:45Yeah.
10:46And our manager, Anne, who can't be here.
10:48She's not dead.
10:49She's in.
10:50She encourages us all to use our own initiative.
10:55I was starting 23 years ago as child labour, basically.
11:00Yeah.
11:01And we're on my way up to assistant manager.
11:04And it's the encouragement of working together.
11:06She's a great manager.
11:08She's a great manager.
11:09She's a great manager.
11:10Yeah.
11:11And on the back of the wall, looking ahead to next year, I guess.
11:12Oh, we'll get the special.
11:13Oh, yeah.
11:14Oh, yeah.
11:15Exactly.
11:16Even we'll be here.
11:17We can't play hard at all.
11:19And it's small business, large business, any business.
11:22Yeah.
11:23Congratulations, guys.
11:24Oh, thank you.
11:25Thank you very much.
11:27Right.
11:28So please join me in showing our appreciation for each of them, but only when I read out the
11:32last time.
11:33Okay.
11:34So our category sponsors are Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology.
11:37In the room.
11:39Collins Aerospace.
11:40The naughty table over there.
11:41Crow.
11:42There's the other naughty table.
11:43Express and Star.
11:44Higgs LRP.
11:45Yes.
11:46I used to be a lawyer, you know.
11:47You're the only firm that never sacked me.
11:48M&A Digital.
11:50Richardson.
11:51Thank you for your support.
11:52The Goth Group.
11:53And Borsdal Pina Metsec.
11:55Can I just call you Metsec for the rest of the night?
11:56I won't know.
11:57It's a challenge.
11:58I like it.
11:59Thank you so much.
12:00And our associate sponsors.
12:01You've seen the programmes on your table.
12:02We've had a good read.
12:03You've already beat it on the side of them on the left.
12:05Yeah.
12:06I won't know.
12:07It's a challenge.
12:08I like it.
12:09Thank you so much.
12:10And our associate sponsors.
12:11You've seen the programmes on your table.
12:12We've had a good read.
12:13You've already beat it on the side of them.
12:14I'm going to say you.
12:15I'm going to say you.
12:16You've already beat it on the side of auctions, I assume.
12:19And the evening trophies.
12:21You should see these out the back, honestly.
12:22If you're not going to kill someone with them,
12:24you'll definitely put a place on the mantelpiece.
12:26Absolutely stunning.
12:27Compass Group, UK Ireland.
12:29Thank you for your support.
12:32Don't keep me in the room tonight.
12:33But thank you for your support.
12:34And sponsoring your drinks reception this evening.
12:36Again, the Goth Group.
12:37Thank you so much.
12:38So.