AWARD CATEGORY
Business
of the year award
Tim Seeley,
head of Barclays Coporate, East Anglia
The search is now under way for the winner of the coveted title of Barclays Corporate Business of the Year.
Each of the finalists in the individual award categories go forward for consideration for the ultimate honour on awards night.
But it is not necessarily a category winner who will claim the title Business of the Year.
The judges will look for a company that has all-round qualities - from strong financial performance and profit growth, through to care of customers, the environment and its staff.
Finalists who miss out on winning their category, still have a chance to clinch to overall award.
Previous winners have included oil and gas engineering firm Aquaterra, to e-commerce pioneer Pinesolutions to shoe firm Start-rite.
The judges of Business of the Year are Tim Seeley, head of East Anglia and national head of corporate agriculture at Barclays Corporate, and Johnny Hustler, managing director of Archant Anglia.
They will now draft a short-list of candidates and carry out site visits and interviews with senior managers.
Mr Seeley, who has been a judge of the EDP Business Awards for the last two decades, said: 'We look for all round performance and this means companies that are looking after their customers and staff; caring for the environment; having a certain flair in their business and of course generating good profits - but also that extra spark which makes them a candidate for the title of Business of the Year.'
The winner will be revealed on September 30 at the gala awards dinner at the Lancaster Suite of the Holiday Inn Norwich North.
CRITERIA:
This is our "winner of winners" category. All three finalists from each of the other nine categories - 27 in all - are automatically short-listed for the Business of the Year title. The judges initially consider the overall financial performance and then focus on other measures such as - strategic planning, marketing, how a business has developed and financed its growth, the measures it takes to retain and develop staff. Finally and potentially the "tie-breaker," its contribution to the local economy of Norfolk.
Barclays has been an integral part of business in East Anglia since the 1700s, growing since then to have a presence in major markets around the world.
About Barclays Corporate
With a clear focus on quality relationships, Barclays Corporate provides integrated banking solutions to businesses with an annual turnover of more than £5 million in the UK and large local companies, financial institutions and multinationals in non-UK markets. We facilitate the success and growth of our clients by providing lending, risk management, cash and liquidity management, trade finance and asset and sales financing. Additionally, our clients benefit from the breadth of the Barclays Group, through access to the investment banking services of Barclays Capital including debt and equity capital markets, the private wealth management expertise of Barclays Wealth, and the card and payment services of Barclaycard. Barclays Corporate employs 11,900 people globally.
For more information please visit www.barclayscorporate.com.