Offshore Energy Companies Win Great Yarmouth’s Business Awards

November 25, 2014

The winners of an annual celebration of business excellence in the Great Yarmouth borough were announced at a trophy presentation ceremony, at the Town Hall, on Friday, November 21.

The Spirit of Enterprise Awards, now in its seventh year, is organised by enterpriseGY, Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s business support service, and aims to recognise and raise the profile of top performing firms across the borough.

Held for the first time at the elegant Town Hall, the glittering ceremony saw offshore energy services business, Proserv, crowned as the overall 2014 Business of the Year in front of some 200 guests.

Energy sector professional, Mark Goodall, who has driven investment in the local economy for many years, was chosen by an independent panel to win the all-new Great Personal Contribution to the Great Yarmouth Economy Award 2014.

Special crystal trophies were presented to the winners of the award categories at the black-tie dinner, co-hosted by Alan Carr, the borough council’s group manager for tourism and communications, and Clare Weller, a former presenter of ITV’s Anglia Tonight.

Proserv, based at Gapton Hall Industrial Estate, was chosen from among the category winners by main award sponsor, BDO LLP. The sponsor said Proserv not only demonstrated fantastic credentials by winning the manufacturing and engineering category, but also strove to generate local employment and training opportunities.

John Willmott, of Proserv, said: “Proserv is overjoyed to be recognised as the 2014 Business of the Year, an honour which reflects the ongoing hard work of employees both in the Great Yarmouth borough and further afield.

“It is fantastic that the borough council runs the Spirit of Enterprise Awards, as there are so many businesses across the borough – not just us – which contribute so much to the local economy.

“And Great Yarmouth matters to us. Today our Proserv Great Yarmouth operation is recognised as a Global Subsea Centre of Excellence, a major achievement for our Great Yarmouth team and indeed the local community in which they work.

“Two thirds of Proserv’s top 20 projects are engineered and manufactured by our facilities in Great Yarmouth and then exported globally, clearly demonstrating the importance of the Great Yarmouth team.”

The all-new Great Personal Contribution to the Great Yarmouth Economy Award 2014 celebrates an individual who, through hard work, passion and commitment ,has made a great personal contribution and impact on the economy of Great Yarmouth.

Winner, Mark Goodall, the area manager for Aker Solutions, has been non-executive director of EEEGR, the East of England Energy Group, for 13 years, is a board member for New Anglia LEP, and has spent nine years as a trustee of Petans, a leading offshore industry safety training centre, taking up chairmanship of the board of trustees in July.

He said: “I was speechless when I was told I would be presented with this wonderful award, especially as there are many other people who are equally deserving, both in the organisations I am involved in and elsewhere.

“Over the years, I have been privileged to come into contact with the so many fantastic businesses and skilled professionals working in Great Yarmouth’s energy sector, which contribute so much to a strong local economy.”

Cllr Trevor Wainwright, the council leader, said: “Once again, enterpriseGY’s Spirit of Enterprise Awards has shone a spotlight on just some of the many and varied successful businesses across the Great Yarmouth borough.

“With the borough set to celebrate 50 years of operations in the southern North Sea, in 2015, it is particularly fitting that the overall 2014 Business of the Year and the winner of the great personal contribution award were from the energy sector.

“I congratulate all of the winners and also want to thank the sponsors, who chose the winners in their respective categories and without whom this wonderful celebration of business excellence would not be possible.”

The winners are: