The achievements of the top companies in Barnsley have been celebrated at the town’s Business Awards ceremony, with Fosters
Bakery winning the Best Overall Barnsley Business prize (sponsored RBS).

Fosters received the award in front of a full house of over 300 guests at Brooklands Hotel, as compére Clare Frisby revealed the successful businesses.

The triumphant companies in the other award categories were Absolute Fire & Security, Ardsley House Hotel, Billington
Structures, Brooklands Hotel, Flexseal, HJC Design, Kiveton Park & Wales Village Hall, Pilkington AG, Stagecoach Yorkshire and
Elizabeth Walker from the House of Beauty. Michael Taylor, Operations Director at Fosters Bakery, said: “Receiving such
a prestigious award makes us feel like Barnsley’s favourite baker and fulfils our company vision.

“When you’re a company the size of Fosters Bakery, you’re never going to survive just making sliced white bread, that’s not what we’re about. Fosters Bakery is a niche operator massively into
innovation.

“To win the Best Overall Barnsley Business award and be highly commended in the Diverse Workplace Award is recognition of the fantastic contribution our people at Fosters Bakery have made,
not only in our company, but also towards promoting Barnsley in our region and beyond.

“Successful businesses need good people and we have got a great multi-skilled workforce, from all walks of life and all over the world.”

As a ‘Salute To Business’, the Barnsley Chronicle received a glass rose bowl to mark the newspaper’s 150th anniversary, while the Chamber and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council were presented with a glass award by Brooklands Hotel to commemorate the landmark of 125 years of the Chamber in Barnsley, which was reached in 2007.

The comprehensive results run-down is as follows:

Business Growth Award (sponsored by The Barnsley Chronicle Ltd)
Winner: Billington Structures
Highly Commended: Haigh Pettican Ltd, Lavender Int NDT Consultancy, Stagecoach Yorkshire

Business Start Up Award (sponsored by Business Link Yorkshire)
Winner: Absolute Fire & Security
Highly Commended: Integral Network Solutions, Numero, Sushisushi.co.uk, Travel Empire

Diverse Workplace Award (sponsored by Barnsley Work & Skills Board)
Winner: Stagecoach Yorkshire
Highly Commended: Brooklands Hotel, Fosters Bakery

Education Links Award (sponsored by Business & Education South Yorkshire)
Winner: Ardsley House Hotel
Highly Commended: Brooklands Hotel, The Take 2 Centre

Skills Award (sponsored by Barnsley Work & Skills Board)
Winner: Brooklands Hotel
Highly Commended: Doyle Consultants, Windowstyle UK

Environment Award (sponsored by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council)
Winner: Kiveton Park & Wales Village Hall
Highly Commended: DTS Environmental Ltd, Pentagon Toyota, Tarmac Ltd

Business Woman of the Year Award (sponsored by HSBC)
Winner: Elizabeth Walker (House of
Beauty)
Highly Commended: Sarah Brabbin (Glo), Cassandra Brown (MED_EL UK Ltd

Inward Investment Award (sponsored by Barnsley Development Agency)
Winner: Flexseal
Highly Commended: Dantone Precision Engineering Ltd, MED-EL UK Ltd

Healthy Workplace Award (supported by NHS Barnsley)
Winner: Pilkington AG
Highly Commended: Barnsley Premier Leisure

Innovation Award (sponsored by South Yorkshire Investment Fund)
Winner: HJC Design
Highly Commended: Flipt Concept, Haigh Pettican Ltd, Merlin Software

Best Overall Barnsley Business Award (sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland)
Winner: Fosters Bakery
Highly Commended: Active Voice & Data, Digital Media Centre, Hickton Consultants

The Chamber would like to especially acknowledge Active Voice &
Data, Digital Media Centre and Hickton Consultants who were not personally introduced to the audience on the evening.

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Britain’s economy is tipping headlong into a recession that could last more than a year and cost hundreds of thousands of jobs, warned Professor David Blanchflower, a member of the Bank of England’s interest rate committee last month.

Blanchflower says the Bank must cut interest rates rapidly to prevent
the downturn being too painful, and thinks the UK could be in for
a worse time than even the United States, where interest rates have
already been slashed and taxes cut to stimulate the economy.

The economist said the recent rises in unemployment are “the tip of
the iceberg”. The number of people out of work and claiming benefit is 840,000 but the broader measure of unemployment is 1.6 million, 5.2% of the workforce. Blanchflower said it could climb to more than 7% - a figure that would mean several hundred thousand people losing their jobs.

His warning comes days after the chancellor acknowledged that
the slowdown could be “profound” and hinted he would change the Treasury’s fiscal rules as the slowing economy looks set to bust them. Today a leading thinktank, the Ernst & Young Item Club, says the economic outlook for Britain is like a “horror movie” as a result of the credit crunch and tumbling house prices.

Blanchflower has been voting for interest rates cuts for nine months
but is unhappy that the other eight members of the monetary policy
committee are reluctant to cut rates. “I think we are going into recession and we are probably in one right now. It’s not too late to stop it but we have to act right now. Monetary policy has been far too tight for too long.”

He wants interest rates cut sharply and says his colleagues should worry less about the recent rises in inflation, which he thinks will be temporary.

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Popular Sheffi eld print fi rm Pinders is celebrating 70 years at the heart of the city’s creative sector.

David Whiteway, joint managing director at Pinders, said: “We pride ourselves on our high standards of customer satisfaction and to maintain those levels of service for 70 years is a fantastic achievement.”

The company now employs more than 40 staff across more than 16,500 sq ft of commercial space. The business has developed a strong reputation in the region for quality, bespoke, fast turnaround print jobs.

The 70th anniversary celebrations have been marked with an evening dinner at Sheffield United’s 1889 restaurant at Bramall Lane. The evening was a great success and gave the Management team an opportunity to thank all of their staff for their contributions. Despite the current economic downturn, work continues apace on Pinders’ new development on the site of Hodgson Street, Sheffield.

The £5million development comprises 23,000 sq ft of commercial space and basement car parking just yards from Pinders’ main HQ.
To complement its existing team, Pinders has made two key appointments as it looks to maximise its reputation as a market
pacesetter in the digital print industry.

Di Hoyes has joined Pinders in a HR and sales capacity. She brings with her a vast range of sales experience from the financial
& advertising sectors and will play a key role in the company’s ongoing business development.

Jo Hoyland joins as fi nance manager, with previous experience at Hart Shaw and The P & A Partnership in Sheffi eld. Jo will also
be responsible for delivering key strategic projects.

David remarked “It is certainly an exciting time for the new staff to join Pinders. These two appointments are part of our strategic
restructure and are a response to our growing business demands, laying the foundations for an dynamic future,”

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