News

The Midlands Family Business Awards 2024 has revealed this years’ shortlist and included metal recycling and waste management specialist, Ward, from Derbyshire as a finalist in the Best Digital Tech Innovation category.

After a record number of entries were received, 50+ family businesses from around the Midlands were shortlisted across nine categories including Sustainability, Property & Construction Excellence, Digital & Tech Innovation, Service Excellence, Young Director and Employer of the Year, as well as Best Small Business, Fastest Growing and the much-coveted Family Business of the Year.

Ward submitted an entry in conjunction with marketing agency, Cite, for their collaboration on an innovative digital tool, The Carbon Report.

Donald Ward, Operations Director from Ward said: “We’ve been first to market with several digital innovations such as our online skip hire tool and our WARDrobe locator. This time we were looking for a way that we could share with our customers their carbon usage data, to help them identify effective waste management solutions. We teamed up with Cite to enhance the functionality of our customer portal and add a digital carbon reporting tool. This gives our customers data about carbon emissions from waste, at the touch of button, so they can make informed, sustainable decisions benefiting us all.”

Amie Masserella, Account Director at Cite, added: “We took the waste management information we were already collecting through the portal and using the methodology provided by the Government on Greenhouse Glass Reporting – Conversion factors we created an online report. The report takes into account the type of waste and whether it can be recycled or not. It also factors in the transport figures from the collection point to the Ward waste recycling centre which it has been taken. This is all at the click of a button and was achieved by our tech team doing all the calculations in the back end of the portal but presenting them online to the user in a clear and easy to understand way.”
Organised by third generation family business, The Wilson Organisation, which specialises in insurance and financial services and supported by a range of high-profile sponsors, the Midlands Family Business Awards gives family businesses of all sizes, from all sectors, the opportunity to recognised for the huge contribution they make to the region.

Charlotte Perkins, Group Managing Director of The Wilson Organisation said: “The standard of entries has been exceptionally high this year and we are so pleased that so many family businesses have taken the time to showcase their achievements. We received such strong entries in Best Small Family Business and Service Excellence categories that we’ve taken the decision to shortlist extra finalists, for the first time ever.”

The non-profit awards are made possible through a range of sponsors. Alongside MHR is family business community Family Business Futures, also created by founders Wilson’s; creative agency Stencil; Buckles Solicitors; professional services firm PwC; property maintenance business, The Handy Family Company; legal advisers Shakespeare Martineau; home care and mobility services provider, Premier Community and Streets Chartered Accountants.

The finalists in each category will meet with their judging panels during June. All Finalists are now eligible for the ‘People’s Choice’ award, sponsored by Streets Chartered Accountants, which is determined by a public vote throughout September. Winners will be revealed in an Award Ceremony on 3 October 2024 at Athena in Leicester.

The full shortlist in the Midlands Family Business Awards 2024 can be found here: https://www.familybusinessawards.co.uk/news/our-2024-finalists-revealed