It was a rare treat to join two sets of clients at the ceremony for the Halifax Business Awards 2017, and even better that each walked away with a trophy!

Long-term client Circuit Electrical Testing (CET) picked up the Best SME award. Run by husband and wife team, Brian and Vicky Nolan, CET has quickly grown into a stable business employing 45 people and had doubled its turnover in a year by winning 80% of the tenders they submit.

New client Hawley Group was named Best New Business after going from start-up to a seven-figure turner over in less than two years. It provides efficient LED lighting solutions to retail and wholesale clients with multiple sites UK-wide and is seeing huge growth on the back of its expertise and attention to detail.

Andrew Hawley of Hawley Group was also a finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year category. He was beaten by a man who had sold his house and all his possessions to fund the set up of his business, which had just received a multi-million-pound investment. You can’t argue with that kind of story!