Jeremy Coates, centre, with the Magma Digital team picking up their award

Five firms from Preston scooped prizes at the Be Inspired Business Awards (The BIBAs) on Friday.

Digital agency Magma Digital won two awards, Employer of the Year and Professional Business of the Year.

Advertisements

The Foxton Centre, which has re-opened after being damaged by a fire in March, was handed the Most Inspiring Business of the Year.

Foxton Centre team with their award

It has been helping the homeless in Preston for more than 40 years and has been refurbished ahead of its official re-opening on Friday 19 September.

Other Preston businesses winning awards were card services firm Suresite which won the Small Business of the Year.

Suresite group with their prize

Design agency The Little Big Voice picked up Micro-Business of the Year.

Digital agency Little Big Voice

Preston Bus shared a prize, picking up Service Business of the Year with Accrington-based Springhill Care Group.

Preston Bus and Springhill Care share a prize

More than 1,100 business people joined the prize-giving ceremony on Friday night at the Blackpool Tower.

Babs Murphy, chief executive of awards organisers, the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The BIBAs has been raising the bar for Lancashire’s business community for many years and it has achieved this yet again.

“We have not only selected the very best of the best from the more than 1,200 firms which applied for our awards, we have thrown the spotlight on the wealth of talent our county has.

“Our business community is rarely recognised for the crucial role it plays in our communities, providing jobs and investment and an opportunity for entrepreneurial talent to be realised, so we believe passionately in celebrating businesses’ contribution to Lancashire.”

The BIBAs ceremony in full flow

Entertainment included performances by Peter Andre in the Tower Ballroom and the host for the night was Lancashire-born chief executive of creative agency Saatchi and Saatchi.

Former Radio 1 DJ Simon Bates and DJ Neil Fox also provided more entertainment through the night.

All the BIBA winners with their awards

Full list of winners

Lancastrian of the Year: Eric Wright, Eric Wright Group (Bamber Bridge)

Business of the Year: Chemical Innovations (Bamber Bridge)

Most Inspiring Business of the Year: The Foxton Centre (Preston)

Business Woman of the Year: Janet Thornton, Inspired Energy (Kirkham)

Entrepreneur of the Year: Steve Pearson, Remvox (Bamber Bridge)

Employer of the Year: Magma Digital (Preston)

Advertisements

Exporter of the Year: Chelsom (Blackpool)

Manufacturer of the Year: Tangerine Holdings (Lytham)

E-Business of the Year: Connect 2 Cleanrooms (Lancaster)

Service Business of the Year: Preston Bus and Springhill Care Group (Preston and Accrington)

Small Business of the Year: Suresite Group (Preston)

New Business of the Year: The Networking People (Lancaster)

Creative Business of the Year: Chelsom (Blackpool)

Medium Business of the Year: Scorpion Automotive (Chorley)

Construction Business of the Year: Conlon Constuction (Bamber Bridge)

Micro-Business of the Year: The Little Big Voice (Preston)

Excellence in Customer Service: Springhill Care (Accrington)

Leisure Business of the Year: Blackpool Zoo (Blackpool)

Professional Business of the Year: Magma Digital (Preston)

Did you attend the ceremony? What did you think? Do you work for one of the winning firms? Let us know in the comments below