Alex Tatham, Westcoast, (centre with team) collected the award from Suzanne Brooker, Pitmans, (right)


Business of the Year AWARD SPONSORED BY


PITMANS Winner: Westcoast


Having been shortlisted in the previous category, Westcoast left it to the last award of the night to claim the ultimate success and be named as Thames Valley Business of the Year.


Victory was especially sweet as it’s just 12 months since the Theale-based IT company finished in second place in the same category.


The award is sponsored by leading Thames Valley law firm Pitmans and it was partner Suzanne Brooker who presented the trophy to Alex Tatham, sales and marketing director of Westcoast.


The award recognises high achieving companies, those who can show strong profitability, have an appetite for innovation, a focus on developing their people and make a contribution to the local community.


Westcoast impressed the judges, who commented: “This company has shown strong financial growth over the past few years. It has invested in people and professional development, and has been innovative in its approach to developing its markets and through its value proposition.


“At the same time, the winning company has had a positive impact through supporting various charities and events, and has impacted on our local economy as it has grown.”


Speaking later, Duncan Forsyth, managing THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – DECEMBER 13/JANUARY 14


director of Westcoast, said: “Thank you to the Thames Valley Business Magazine and to Pitmans for making Westcoast the Thames Valley Business of the Year. We were also commended in the Dynamic Business category and I think this is part of the reason for our recent successes.


“Westcoast is now a billion pound organisation, still privately owned, with a flat management structure and this enables all of our staff to be entrepreneurial and take ownership and pride over their section of the business.


“The Thames Valley has also been great to Westcoast for facilities to people. This has contributed to our growth and allowed us to give back to the Thames Valley.”


With a turnover in excess of £1billion, Westcoast employs over 600 people across the Thames Valley and has had five years of year-on-year profitable revenue growth. It is recognised as a leader in the IT distribution industry, distributing leading IT brands to a broad range of resellers, retailer and office product dealers in the UK.


Established in 1984, the business describes itself as “nimble”, with strong relationships with IT vendors such as HP, Microsoft and Apple, enabling it to respond quickly to market changes and to continue to invest in systems and people while keeping its cost base low.


Its winning entry called the firm “passionate” www.businessmag.co.uk


and went on to say: “This passion transmits to our people and being privately owned still allows us to be very entrepreneurial. Staff then believe that they can influence the business and be effective, and this is what keeps and attracts staff to work at Westcoast.”


The company’s successful track record and commitment to its people allows the business to be community minded and support not only the Thames Valley but the wider county with committee and sporting projects.


Awarded second place was motorsport specialist engineering company Xtrac, already the proud owner of two trophies, while in third place was Sun Mark, which markets quality products under its own brands around the world. Sun Mark has achieved the unique accolade of being the only British company to have won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for five years running.


Receiving Highly Commended certificates were Content Guru, GCS Recruitment and Goldteam Recruitment.


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