Press Release
THE CROWN ESTATE ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2008 BUSINESS AWARDS
9 July 2008
The Crown Estate has today announced the winners of the 2008 Business Award scheme.
Now in their third year, The Crown Estate Business Awards are a company-wide awards scheme, designed to recognise excellence in business performance, innovation, 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 – and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to encouraging the development of successful, innovative and sustainable business.
Marine Business Award 2008
The winner of the Marine Business Award 2008 is Ferguson Transport Ltd, of Inverness-shire, Scotland.
Based in Spean Bridge, Inverness-shire, Ferguson Transport operates an integrated freight service encompassing shipping, craneage, storage, warehousing and transportation.
A family-owned business dating back to 1959, the company has grown substantially over the years and now employs over 100 staff and operates a fleet of over 40 vehicles and is one of Scotland's fastest growing transport companies. In their distinctive red, yellow and black livery, vehicles operate throughout the UK to provide an integrated transport service which is second to none.
Because of the increase in the delivery traffic to and from fish farms, Ferguson now have their own port at Kishorn to ease the distribution and warehousing of the stock. In 2002, the company took up a lease of Kishorn Yard from The Crown Estate and began to renovate the pier structure in order to increase its capacity and add warehouse units. They are currently negotiating to extend this lease for a further 25 years.
Ferguson Transport was chosen for its innovative, fully integrated operation and The Crown Estate, local community and surrounding business fraternity clearly benefit from the company. The judges were particularly impressed with their expanding freight businesses, which make a significant contribution to the economy of the area, and enable a variety of other businesses to thrive.
Rural Business Award 2008
The Rural Business Award has been won by the Butler family of East Wick Farm on The Crown Estate’s Savernake estate in Wiltshire.
Richard Butler is the third generation of his family to farm at East Wick Farm, acquiring the current tenancy in 1978. Together with approximately 142 hectares (350 acres) of his own land, he now farms 560 hectares (1,400 acres) in the area, in partnership with his wife, Sue, and son David.
In addition to the dairy, arable and beef operations, Richard and David also operate a contract farming company, E W Contracting Ltd, providing a service for four local landowners. The contract farming company is a highly effective form of diversification, together with a successful portfolio of residential lettings run by the family.
Richard Butler and his family have built a very broad and successful agri-business from East Wick Farm and have taken a highly flexible and long-term view towards the future of the business and son David has been encouraged to take a full role in all aspects of the business.
The judges were very impressed by the demonstrable ways in which the business plays to the strengths of individual family members and noted that where some businesses excel in one area – this one excels in several. The Butlers manage a successful blend of strategic awareness with meticulous attention to detail and their outstanding technical abilities underpin their continuous pursuit of excellence.
Urban Business Award 2008
The Urban Business Award has been given to Timberland.
Timberland is a family-run business, which designs, engineers, markets distributes and sells premium quality footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. Their products are sold worldwide through independent retailers, department stores and their own retail stores.
Timberland has a reputation for behaving in a corporately responsible way, such as ensuring that their employees enjoy excellent working conditions whilst also encouraging them to have a social responsibility to their own communities. The company opened their first UK store on Regent Street in 2006.
Timberland have a code of conduct team in place to ensure fair, safe and non-discriminatory workplaces around the world where their products are made, and trying to improve industry standards and quality of life for workers everywhere.
Timberland were chosen because of their impressive dedication to the use of recycled content in all aspects of their business, from shop fit-out right down to the products being sold on the shop floor. We were also impressed by the extensive local community work carried out by the team at the Regent Street store.
Roger Bright, Chief Executive of The Crown Estate, said: “I am delighted to be able to announce the winners of The Crown Estate Business Awards 2008. It is wonderful that we are, yet again, publicly rewarding our customers’ successful businesses right across The Crown Estate.
“This year’s competition was very strong and the winners should feel rightly proud of their achievements. They have all demonstrated exemplary business acumen and foresight tackling the challenges their businesses faced with innovative solutions and excellent commercial results.”
The winners will be presented with their prizes – specially designed trophies – at a lunchtime reception at Lancaster House, London on Wednesday 9 July 2008, when The Crown Estate annual results will also be announced.
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