BUSINESS BY


Winner: Softcat


To even louder applause, the team from Softcat celebrated in style when they returned to the stage for the second time to be named Thames Valley Business of the Year.


It was a double triumph for the Marlow-based company, which had already taken the title for Business Management Team.


With a turnover last year of over £300 million, Softcat sells and supports products and solutions from the world’s leading IT companies. In the past 12 months alone, it has achieved accolades including CRN Reseller of the Year, Symantec Partner of the Year and HP Gold Partner of the Year.


The company has over 2,000 longstanding customers, predominantly from the UK corporate sector, but also including large enterprises, small businesses and public sector organisations.


Its strong commitment to corporate social responsibility sees wide-ranging environmental initiatives such as recycling and composting, a cycle to work and car sharing schemes, and automated switching off of lights and PCs.


And every year, employees nominate and vote for a charity they want to support. This year the company raised £100,000 for its local cancer care unit and a further £50,000 for other charities. With an exceptionally high staff retention rate and a team-based culture, staff also have plenty of opportunity for training and development – half of its board of directors began in the company’s graduate programme


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – DECEMBER 12/JANUARY 13


– and employees are encouraged to contribute new ideas.


Now on a steady upward growth curve in excess of 20% a year, it is already planning to increase its workforce by another 200 in this financial year.


The Business of the Year trophy is one of the most sought-after awards of the night. It has been running for as long as the event itself and looks to recognise profitability, innovation, sustainability and employment.


Christopher Avery, managing partner of leading Thames Valley law firm Pitmans which sponsors the award, presented the trophy alongside Hilary Devey.


Commending the standard of entries as being exceptionally high, he said the judges chose Softcat because it was “a great example of how a Thames Valley company can lead in its field, driving strategies of growth, innovation and sustainability in the global marketplace while maintaining its Thames Valley roots.”


He added: “We were particularly energised by the people development and community initiatives which Softcat retain at the heart of their business.”


A delighted Martin Hellawell, managing director of Softcat, said: “We still see ourselves as a small business at the beginning of our journey, so to be named the Thames Valley Business of the Year is a very welcome surprise. We are an IT reseller and essentially have the same offering as many of our competitors. The only way we can really


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differentiate ourselves is by trying to look after our employees and customers better than anyone else does. The rapid growth of the business suggests we are on track, but I believe we can achieve so much more.


“I was particularly pleased to hear that Softcat’s work in the community and for charities was a major factor in winning this award.


“The award is a great boost to the Softcat team in which I would include our fantastic employees, customers and partners. To receive this award on top of the Management Team award in the same evening is just amazing.”


Taking second place was fellow IT company Westcoast, a leading supplier of IT products to the computer reseller network; and in third was Innovate Services, which offers a new approach to catering in the education sector.


Highly commended were Bottomline Technologies, experts in financial process automation; cloud-based communications specialist Content Guru; and SDL, leaders in global information management.


OF THE YEAR AWARD SPONSORED PITMANS


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