Malcolm Scott’s incredible dedication to the city was celebrated at an emotional climax to the Hull Live Business Awards, with a Lifetime Contribution accolade bestowed posthumously.
The chartered surveyor who pushed beyond the realms of property and business to do his best by the region economically and culturally, passed away in September. And honouring his achievements at the end of the night brought the house down on an event that saw 13 individual and company winners crowned.
Receiving her husband's award, wife Alison, joined by their daughter and his former colleagues Lawrence Brown and Tim Powell, said: “It is just such an honour to receive this wonderful award on Malcolm’s behalf. He didn’t like a fuss but he would have loved this, and would have been overwhelmed and overjoyed. Thank you so much.”
Return to read more: Reaction from winners and photographs from the night will follow
Influential Hull construction and development leaders Paul Sewell OBE and Dominic Gibbons were joined by Chamber area council chair Phil Ascough and charity founder June Cook in leading the tributes to an extraordinary life at the gala dinner, ahead of a presentation to family and former colleagues before almost 500 of his former peers.
Dr Sewell said: “He was fun, he was irreverent, it was that twinkle in the eye. We didn’t do work, we didn’t do business, we got together, had some fun and got things done, that was his gift.”
Stating that the 2017 City of Culture success was part of his legacy, he added: “He used his business skills and his love of the arts, and his sense of justice and sense of right to make things better around here, the likes of which we will never see again.”
Dominic Gibbons, managing director of Wykeland Group, said: “His legacy is very diverse, he is somebody I will never forget, I really enjoyed the times I spent with him when he acted for us.
“He was a real driving force in the region trying to make things happen. He did an awful lot in the business community, then retired from practice which gave him the opportunity to spend more time on the cultural agenda.”
Mr Ascough described him as a “breath of fresh air” with always something new to talk about and new ideas. “He was always about giving people opportunities to learn and develop, would never take himself too seriously, always there to help others and just a genuine genuinely great guy.”
Ms Cook, of Butterflies Memory Loss Support Group, said: “There were very few people in Hull he hasn’t helped, and the positivity and support he offered was invaluable to myself and many, many other people in the city.”
Before the emotional finale, high growth Hull-headquartered contact centre operator ResQ was named large company of the year, with resin bond specialist Vuba taking the honours for those under 50 employees. Emerging Hull hydrogen innovator HiiROC had its proprietary technology praised too.
Entrepreneurial spirit and excellence in all areas of business were also rewarded, with Nina Hossain hosting at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.
Pride in local for ResQ
Continued dramatic growth as a mature entity earned ResQ the Large Company of the Year accolade, presented by Business Live.
It has won major contracts with huge clients, extending existing work with the likes of Vodafone and British Gas to enable such advances.
No stranger to the stage, with industry accolades and Best Companies recognition, winning just yards from the head office was special for the team.
Chief operating officer Matt Gray said: “We have been to many awards, we’ve won lots of national awards which are great, but this one feels so much better than anything we have won before. It is local, it means something and we’re really happy with it.
“The ethos of ResQ hasn’t changed since we started, it was all about doing what’s right for our clients and our clients’ customers and it is no different if that is at a small scale or a large corporate.
“We speak to hundreds of thousands of our clients’ customers a day, we make sure they get a great experience on behalf of our clients. It is a privately-owned business, a family feel and a family ethos, regardless of whether it was 50 people when I joined or 2,000 now.”
Matt had joined in 2007, a year on from Nic Marshall and Gill Marchbank founding ResQ with an initial team of 12.
It has managed to excel with Best Companies recognition through huge growth, with four separate call centres now in operation, two in Hull and two in Durham.
“We are a people business. A manufacturer may rely on machinery, we rely on people. If we don’t have people on the phones making calls, taking calls, dealing with customers day-in, day-out, we don’t have a business. We need to treat them right and look after them.”
Another big business crowned was Heron Foods, taking the Training and Development Award. Judges were impressed with how initiatives had been rolled out and accelerated.
Kelly-Marie Mitchell, Heron’s learning and development manager accepted it on behalf of her six-strong team overseeing all elements of the business.
She said: “The team is wonderful and we work so hard together, and we’re improving as we go on. It is an honour to receive this award, it just acknowledges that hard work and dedication.
“One of our main focuses has been succession, we’ve really concentrated on that, developing future store managers and area management with a programme, which starts with bite-size chunks.
“It is a privilege to look after this for the whole of the business, and the award means the world.”
High hopes for HiiRoc's hydrogen innovation
A high growth business looking to play a leading role in the decarbonisation agenda hopes early recognition in the city will help it attract top calibre team members.
Heavily backed HiiRoc is bringing forward modular green hydrogen production, with major blue chip corporations on board and recent success with one investor, Centrica, to co-inject at a regional power plant. That news came after judges for the Hull Live Business Awards had cast their votes, but they had heard enough of the impressive proprietary work to hand out the Innovation and Technology Award.
Richard Scott, operations director, said: “We are super proud of this. And it is for the team. “We like to think we have a big team, but it is probably still quite small, at 70 to 80, with pretty much all of us in Hull. We were founded in 2019, four of us, and we have massively grown since then. We have massive ambition, we’re producing zero emission hydrogen, and while there are many ways to do that, we have innovated.
“We’re all facing in the same direction and it is really exciting for us to be in Hull. It can feel like a cul-de-sac, being at the end of the line, but the Humber region is a melting pot of really good engineers. This recognition may well help attract these people to come and work for us.”
There are plans for larger manufacturing space after starting up on National Avenue.
Aman Othi, head of engineering, added: “The Humber region has always been an engineering hub, there is Saltend and on the South Bank the likes of Total, Phillips 66 and Tronox. There is engineering excellence that we are right in the middle of, and our future plans are very exciting.”
Hull has really hit the right note with the founder of Start-Up Business of the Year, MediMusic.
Gary Jones came to the city for personal reasons with the healthtech business concept to launch, but no contacts.
Now he has secured significant investment, collaborated with some of the finest minds in the digital space and has secured incubator status with Abbey Road Studios. But the link to the London accelerator won’t see him head back south anytime soon.
“Hull is my new home, I lived in London for 36 years and it never felt the way this feels,” he said. “I’m honoured and emotional to receive this, but it is not just me. The guys at C4DI have been brilliant, I moved here, didn’t know anyone, I networked hard and people were so accommodating. There is absolutely no question whatsoever that I would not have been able to launch this in London. This is a really good, if small example to me, of levelling up. People can move from London and elsewhere here and do as good if not better.”
Mr Jones grew up in Somerset, and is a product entrepreneur with 30 years expertise in content management and music, and having worked on projects for Sony, Intel, Yahoo, PRS and News International. He put seven years of development into MediMusic and the MediBeat streaming device. It delivers music to ease pain and anxiety to patients using its proprietary algorithms and digital fingerprints.
He may have started his company to fund dreams of getting his hands on golf’s famous Claret Jug, but a Hull Live Business Award came close to a hole in one for Ben Ewart.
Named Young Entrepreneur of the Year, the 29-year-old behind Switch Electronics distributes electronic components around the globe with a 10-strong team.
After collecting the Hull City Council-sponsored accolade, he said: “It is a real surprise. I started the business 10 years ago, it has been quite a long journey, and I definitely don’t feel like a young entrepreneur.
“I’m over the moon, I’ve always been entrepreneurial, I had done little things in the past to make money - and started to fund a career in golf. Then the passion for it just took over.”
The two-handicap was left behind, swapping the set of clubs for 12,000 products sent to 130 countries around the globe from his Hull warehouse.
Ben added: “While it is an award for myself - and I’m 30 next year so it was my last go at it - it is also for the great team behind me, including my sister, Hannah, who has been with me for the last six years.”
Another completely taken aback was James Green, managing director of Green and Green Mortgage and Protection. While many self-nominate, the brokerage was put forward by clients for the Customer Focus accolade.
“This award, means more than any other when customers put you forward,” he said. “The service we offer can take four months to complete when buying a house, so for them to say we have put them at ease, and for them to say we deserve an award, means everything.”
The Hessle team pride themselves on consistent, open communication. “The award is going to look really good in the office,” James added.
Sharing in the surprise element was Sam Amess of Hull marketing agency Diony, named Apprentice of the Year in the category sponsored by GW Power & C3 Group.
“I’m honoured, I really didn’t expect it,” he said. “The company I work for, Diony, couldn’t be any better to work for, from the start to the end of the apprenticeship. It has been a great experience, they have supported me through it, and were all here tonight to make it a great celebration.”
Judges heard how the high achiever in his cohort has quickly shown himself capable of taking on some extremely technical and challenging work, and contributed to a range of important projects, with clients including Beverley Racecourse, Melton Stone, Allenby Commercial and Rollits.
Giacom’s Claire Jacques, head of operations, took the Employee of the Year accolade, sponsored by ResQ.
She manages a third of the cloud services business, and has restructured to provide clients with a more efficient and dedicated support, while training and launching both a customer success and cybersecurity team alongside a passion for nurturing employees.
She said: “I am over the moon, I cannot believe it. I was up against some great people, some amazing people that have achieved so much, but this goes to not just me, it is the team, the whole business.”
The Hessle operation also picked up the KCom-sponsored Business in the Community Award.
“That is fantastic for the business, as we have done so much for the community,” Claire said, having joined in 2019. “We’ve worked with Hull City, the Children’s University, and we work with some amazing companies. It is great to come away with two great recognition awards.”
Green initiatives impresses judges and delight daughter
Sustainable paving solutions alongside a strong hold in the resin-bound flooring and driveway market will spur Small Business of the Year Vuba onto greater things.
International market expansion and footprint development on the home-front are being eyed by Sean Scott, already recognised as one of Britain’s fastest growing private businesses this year.
Adding the Hull Live Business Award, sponsored by Connexin, meant a lot to the founder, having grown up in the city and launched in Hull, before expanding to Beverley.
Of the business journey, he said: “It feels a lot like a 13 year overnight success story. A lot of research and development has been done, patents filed and intellectual property created to get the products we have now together. It all goes on in the dark, but now we’ve got some light.
“It is huge for our business, we have tried very hard to grow it the right way, we have been working hard, working a lot more hours than most businesses, and this is the recognition. We have our own targets and things we want to achieve, but this brings everyone together.”
The team brought three tables to the event to celebrate with as many of the 34-strong team that could make it.
Now a flood-alleviation solution is being worked on with regional bodies, with permeable paving brought forward as it looks to double turnover.
“I think we’ll hit over £20 million next year, we have plans to push on again and we’re working with the Flood Innovation Centre at Bridgehead, as we manufacture sustainable paving, and we’re looking to escalate that up next year," Sean said. “With the change in the environment we’re having now it is going to be so important.”
Poetic words of warning from his eight-year-old daughter inspired signmaker Lawrence Green to make some sustainable changes in his third generation business.
Greens the Signmakers was awarded the Environmental and Sustainability Award, sponsored by Wykeland Beal, after judges heard how the firm had invested in water-based ink printers, made printed materials fully recyclable, installed solar panels on the Hull factory and switched the car fleet to electric.
And the views of the potential fourth generation were made clear as part of the acceptance.
Mr Green said: “It has been a very important part of the business for me for the last couple of years, inspired by my daughter. She was eight at the time, and wrote a poem one weekend calling out businesses like ours and asking what will be left behind. With that pulling at the heartstrings, I said ‘let’s start making some changes’.
“Being in Hull, in our 60th year, and proud to be from Hull, makes us very proud of this.
“My daughter is certainly happy with what we have done, and she will be very happy with the win!”
Hull Live Business Awards 2022 Roll of Honour:
Apprentice of the Year
Sponsored by GW Power & C3 Group
Winner: Sam Amess, Diony
Sam joined marketing agency Diony after sixth form, coming on board as a digital marketing apprentice in the SEO department. Since day one, Sam’s positive attitude and willingness to go the extra mile have made him an invaluable member of the team. Within his first 12 months Sam showed himself capable of taking on some extremely technical and challenging work, and contributed to a range of important projects - with clients including Beverley Racecourse, Melton Stone, Allenby Commercial and Rollits. Sam’s excellence carries into his apprenticeship work, where he is one of the highest achievers in his cohort.
Runners-up: Rose Baker, Driffield School; Saffron Cartwright, Castle Employment Group
Customer Focus Award
Winner: Green & Green Mortgage and Protection
Green & Green is an independent brokerage dedicated to providing customers with high-quality, easy to understand support and advice on remortgaging, life insurance, equity release, first time buying and more. The Hessle team works to establish consistent, open communication with clients, ensuring they have all the information and support they need to make a decision that work for them. Tailoring its services to each client’s specific needs, Green & Green prides itself on impeccable customer service and ensuring clients properly understand mortgage processes.
Runners-up: Ginger Girls Food & Fitness, Northern Visuals
Training and Development Award
Winner: Heron Foods
Since the first Heron Foods store was opened in 1979, the business has prided itself on offering quality products at low prices. Now with 312 stores around the UK, Melton-based Heron is a business dedicated to developing and promoting talent from within. Every new employee receives a training programme to suit their role - with e-modules, workshops and on-the-job experience helping team members acclimatise and polish their skills. Heron also set up the Future Flyers programme in 2017, designed to help employees acquire new skills and work towards promotion.
Runners-up: HBP Systems, ResQ
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Sponsored by Hull City Council
Winner: Ben Ewart
Switch Electronics is an e-commerce distributor of electronic components, set up by Ben 10 years ago at the age of 19. In a decade he has grown the business to stock 12,000 products, and it supplies more than 1.7 million packages to more than 130 countries around the globe. Starting from his bedroom, Switch now has a team of 10 operating from a 7,000 sq ft warehouse in Hull. Ben’s dedication and skill has helped Switch thrive - with plans to grow even further in the coming years.
Runners-up: Olivia Crabtree, Danielle Madden
Environmental and Sustainability Award
Sponsored by Wykeland Beal
Winner: Greens the Signmakers
Greens the Signmakers has been operating since 1963 - and has shown the ability to adapt and thrive over the decades. With the increasing importance of sustainability, Greens recognised the need for significant change - overhauling its processes to reduce their environmental impact. The key focus was printed material - with the business investing in water-based ink printers, making its printed materials fully recyclable. Greens also installed solar panels on the roof of its Hull factory, allowing the entire business to be powered by renewables - also switching its car fleet to electric.
Runners-up: Helix CMS, Springfield Solutions
Innovation and Technology Award
Winner: HiiROC
HiiROC is a Hull-based manufacturer of machines that create hydrogen from natural gas - a zero emission process that avoids CO2 production and can be scaled from the micro to industrial levels. The process also produces carbon black - which is usually made using oil furnaces, and produces significant levels of CO2 and other damaging gases. In producing carbon black without these emissions, HiiROC supports the sustainable production of tyres, coatings and inks. The business’s innovative processes let it provide markets with two extremely useful and widespread products, without significant damage to the environment.
Runners-up: Fisher Security Ltd, Rolawn
Entrepreneur of the Year
Sponsored by Sewell Group
Winner: Gary Gallen
Gary Gallen is the founder of Rradar - a litigation and commercial law firm that works to bring out the full potential of technology and put it to use in providing outstanding legal services. The Hull firm provides clients with legal services for every business need - combining expertise with digital tools, to provide bespoke legal services in an efficient and innovative way. Since starting Rradar, Gary has overseen the growth to 150 employees, forging commercial relationships, pioneering digital solutions, and helping to create the innovative business culture key to Rradar’s success.
Runners-up: Charles Draper, Sean Scott
Business in the Community Award
Sponsored by KCom
Winner: Giacom
Giacom provides cloud services to more than 3,600 IT businesses that support small and medium companies in the UK.
The Hessle firm created a dedicated CSR team to ensure it plays a key role in the area. It has sponsored a range of charities including Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University and Cancer Research UK - as well as Hull City FC. Giacom also works to contribute long-term - actively recruiting locally, and nurturing talent through apprenticeships. It hosted 100 primary school pupils to help build aspiration, with 30 staff supporting activities.
Runners-up: Rollits LLP, Transwaste Recycling and Aggregates Ltd
Diversity and Inclusion Award
Sponsored by University of Hull
Winner: Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
The 10,000-strong team across Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital features 1,500 employees from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, 300 with disabilities and 2.3 per cent from the LGBT community. All these protected characteristics have their own networks within the organisation, with a Workforce Race Equality Standard Report featuring metrics to examine experiences of people when it comes to career progression and training, as well as any instances of harassment and bullying.
Employee of the Year
Sponsored by ResQ
Winner: Claire Jacques, Giacom
Claire is the head of operations at cloud services business Giacom - and since she started in 2019, has made an outstanding contribution to the company. Managing a third of the business, she has led a number of changes to make the Hessle firm more effective - restructuring the service desk to provide more efficient and dedicated support, and training and launching both a customer success and cybersecurity team. Claire also goes above and beyond to nurture employees - opening up regular communication and feedback to improve motivation, and introducing tech support apprenticeships to nurture local talent.
Runners-up: Rose James, Hull and East Yorkshire Children's University; Graham Wildridge, Transwaste Recycling and Aggregates Ltd
Start-up Business of the Year
Sponsored by Horncastle Group & MKM Building Supplies
Winner: Medimusic Ltd
Launched in 2020 at C4DI in Hull, Medimusic Ltd uses music to alleviate pain and anxiety. AI and machine learning measures the brain’s response to music, monitors pain and anxiety, and then dispenses music that is most helpful in alleviating these negative symptoms. Medimusic also aims to help improve sleeping patterns, smooth digestion, boost brain function, improve breathing, and lower blood pressure, among other benefits. In doing so it aims to make medicines more effective, and enhance recovery. Successful NHS trials have been held.
Runners-up: Art & Soul, Lift and Locate
Business of the Year (up to 50 employees)
Sponsored by Connexin
Winner: Vuba Building Products Ltd
Vuba Building Products is a business that produces resin products for a variety of uses. Originally starting as a reseller of products, Beverley-based Vuba has changed tack and grown to the point that it now produces 100 per cent of its resin products. It has maintained growth through the considered allocation of its focus and resources. When demand in the UK fell, Vuba concentrated on its US markets - but when contractors noted that they were receiving less enquiries about resin products, Vuba put together a campaign to raise awareness.
Runners-up: GTS Logistics UK, Jupiter IT Solutions
Business of the Year (over 51 employees)
Winner: ResQ
Providing outsourced sales, customer service and bureau service to businesses, ResQ is committed to making contact centres more effective. With a team of 2,000, the Hull firm works to provide both clients and their customers with impeccable service - and also strives to create a supportive and engaging working environment for employees. This dedication to quality in every facet of the business has helped ResQ thrive - with the business seeing an increase in turnover of 160 per cent over the past three years. In the last year ResQ also opened its Broadband Centre of Excellence - bringing 700 new jobs to Hull.
Runners-up: Rolawn, Rradar
Lifetime Contribution
Sponsored by Reach Recruitment
Winner: Malcolm Scott
