Last updated at 13:37, Thursday, 06 September 2012

THE man who has spearheaded festivals success in Whitehaven is poised to be honoured for his outstanding contribution to business.

Whitehaven Festival Company chief executive Gerard Richardson has played a critical role in bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the town every year.

He has already received an MBE for services to the tourist industry and the community, and now Mr Richardson has been shortlisted for the lifetime contribution accolade at this year’s CN Group Business Awards.

The businessman has voluntarily organised festivals, concerts and celebrity visits to the town for over 10 years. He is also the owner of Richardson’s Wine Merchants.

Presentation in his section will be one of a number honouring the best of business in Cumbria during a gala dinner at Rheged, near Penrith, next month.

Finalists, announced for the first time today, include household names and top prominent businesses such as county-based transport giant the Stobart Group, Innovia in Wigton.

CN Group, publishers of The Whitehaven News, is organising the awards in association with Invest in Cumbria and banking giant Barclays.

Judges met this week to make the difficult decisions as to who should be on the shortlist.

Marie Whitehead, director of CN’s events division, chaired the panel.

She said: “The judges were tremendously impressed by the standard of entries throughout the categories.

“Each of them was proof – if it were ever needed – that despite the challenging economic climate in which the country finds itself, Cumbria still has plenty to shout about.

“Businesses of all sizes are continuing to succeed, some of them finding innovative new avenues of work which make them trailblazers in their field and safeguarding jobs.

“We look forward to meeting those involved, celebrating and recognising their success at the awards presentation evening.”

The rest of the judging panel was made up of Invest in Cumbria managing director John Grainger and Barclays director John Ainsworth, Julie Barton, director of Forge Europa in Ulverston and Andy Hooper, managing director of Whitehaven-based Westlakes Engineering.

Training & Development

• Lamont Pridmore, Chartered Accountants, Cumbria
• United Biscuits. Carlisle
• Wax Lyrical, Lindal-in-Furness

Exporter of the Year

• The Cumberland Pencil Co. Ltd., Workington
• Totalpost Services plc, Alston
• Wax Lyrical, Lindal-in-Furness

Community Involvement

• GEN II, Workington
• Keswick Tourism Association, Keswick
• Richardsons of Whitehaven
• Innovation & Technology
• Envirohomes, Aspatria

Environmental Awareness

• Lakes Free Range Egg Co., Penrith
• Roland Hill Limited, Aspatria
• Stobart Group, Carlisle

Tourism & Hospitality

• Tullie House Museum, Carlisle
• Ullswater Steamers, Glenridding
• Walby Farm Park, Carlisle
• World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, Bowness-on-Windermere

Business of the Year (Small)

• Askins & Little Stonemasonry Ltd., Carlisle
• EcoLogicLiving Ltd., Carlisle
• Hydrant Ltd, Carlisle
• Totalpost Services plc, Alston

Business of the Year (Medium)

• GEN II, Workington
• Reay’s Coaches Limited, Wigton
• Wax Lyrical, Lindal-in-Furness

Business of the Year (Large)

• Stobart Group, Carlisle

Best Use of Digital/Social Media

• Lakes College West Cumbria, Workington
• Picture U, Carlisle
• The Cumberland Pencil Co. Ltd, Workington

Customer Service Excellence

• Innovia Films, Wigton
• Lamont Pridmore, Cumbria
• Walby Farm Park, Carlisle
• Young Entrepreneur
• Samantha Birkett-Leigh, Bliss Nails, Workington
• Claire Watson, Pure Touch, Cockermouth
• David Lowe, Special Event Tipis, Carlisle

Businessperson of the Year

• Mike Armstead, Wax Lyrical, Lindal-in-Furness
• Chris Reay, Reay’s Coaches, Wigton
• Social Enterprise
• Cumbria Gateway, Carlisle
• Sonic Zoo Industries CIC, Barrow-in-Furness

Lifetime Contribution to Cumbria

• Gerard Richardson, Richardson’s of Whitehaven.

First published at 11:05, Thursday, 06 September 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk