Press release

THE CROWN ESTATE ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF ITS 2010 BUSINESS AWARDS

15 July 2010

   The Crown Estate Business Awards 2010  PDF (25 KB)

The Crown Estate can today announce the winners of our 2010 Business Awards scheme.

Now running for the fifth year, The Crown Estate Business Awards are designed to recognise excellence in business performance and innovation as well as environmental care and sustainability. These areas complement The Crown Estate’s core values of commercialism, integrity and stewardship.

The awards operate in each of The Crown Estate’s business areas – marine, rural and urban. They demonstrate our ongoing commitment to encouraging the development of successful, innovative and sustainable business.

Marine Business Award

The winner of the Marine Business Award is the Hebridean Seaweed Company Ltd, based near Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.

The Hebridean Seaweed Company was formed in 2006 and is already one of the UK’s largest processors of seaweed for uses including soil enhancement and animal feed supplements.

The company takes a sustainable approach in its year-round harvest and consistently aims to leave an adequate base on all seaweed plants, which will encourage future growth and regeneration. It has worked closely with Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency in its delivery of sustainable harvesting practices.

The judges felt that the Hebridean Seaweed Company is a true model of sustainability that has created much needed non-seasonal jobs on the Isle of Lewis.

Rural Business Award

The Rural Business Award has been won by Frank and Wilson Thomson of Burnside of Tynet.

The Thomsons have been farming in the area since 1831. Their current holding consists of 926 hectares (2,287 acres) run on mixed agricultural use, including arable, beef and sheep rearing.

What distinguishes the business is its consistently innovative approach, which it combines with high standards of animal welfare and hands-on practicality. In 2000, the Thomsons, in conjunction with The Crown Estate, constructed a large scale grain store that has enabled them to sustain income during difficult recent years. In the 1990s they took the step of reducing their flock, in order to allow all of their ewes to lamb indoors, whilst more recently they have run rape seed oil trials designed to improve oil content and volume.

The family has also maintained a longstanding commitment to biodiversity, through hedge planting and wetland creation and have for over 30 years welcomed school and student groups to visit the farm.

The judges felt that Frank, Wilson and their mother Margaret embraced progressive farming techniques, yet consistently aimed to combine their entrepreneurial approach with high standards of care for the environment and animal welfare.

Urban Business Award

The Urban Business Award has been given to Subscriptions Marketing Ltd.

The Regent Street based company aims to deliver solutions for subscription acquisition and retention for a range of media companies.

As a company with communications expertise, Subscriptions Market has been able to promote wider engagement with environmental and community causes. In addition to this their funding of Earth Restoration Service (ERS) has enabled 200 schools across the UK to engage in local restoration projects such as the School Tree Nursery programme (SNT).

In 2009, one third of Subscription Marketing’s workforce participated in SNT based events and a significant number contributed their time to the financial and administrative management of ERS – many considering it to be part of their job.

The judges commented: “We were impressed by the company’s long-standing commitment to and involvement with the Earth Restoration Service, and in particular, the education benefits provided by the School Tree Nursery programme for children, parents and other members of the community.”

Roger Bright, Chief Executive of The Crown Estate, said: “I am delighted to announce the winners of The Crown Estate Business Awards 2010. It is very pleasing that we continue to publicly reward our customers’ successful businesses right across The Crown Estate.

“The competition this year was once again very strong and the winners should feel rightly proud of their achievements. They have consistently demonstrated exemplary entrepreneurial spirit and foresight in tackling the challenges they faced, and have produced innovative and often environmentally sustainable solutions for their businesses.”

The winners were presented with their awards at a lunchtime reception at Lancaster House, London on Thursday 15 July 2010, when The Crown Estate’s annual results were also announced.

Further information

   The Crown Estate Business Awards 2010  PDF (25 KB)