Design flair has landed award success for a Kent engineer.

Paul Bailes, managing director and founder of Cohesion Design Services in Tonbridge, has been named Entrepreneur of the Year in the Invicta Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

He used his design experience in the insurance industry to create a successful company that handles branding and corporate identity.

Nick Rowell, chairman of judges, said: "Paul is set to continue Cohesion’s higher-than-average growth rate in winning and consolidating new client business on a solid foundation of disciplined budgeting, design creativity and meticulous delivery of advertising materials by his close-knit team."

After receiving his trophy at Canterbury Cathedral International Study Centre, Mr Bailes said: "I have a fantastic team around me, clients who believe in me and support at home, a fantastic wife who’s supported me all through everything I’ve tried to achieve."

Molly Maid, a house-cleaning franchise based in Borough Green, was named Most Priomising New Business. Karen Wilkinson, who runs the company, collected the trophy from Terry Botford of Kent Adult Education.

He said that starting a business required courage, dedication and "mountains of persistence."

He paid tribute to Molly Maid’s "vast range of domestic cleaning services as well as an ironing service for busy working young professionals."

The Smile Centre, a dental practice based in Canterbury, won the Excellence in Customer Service Award. Judges said boss Ashley Watson was much more than a dentist and praised the enterprise’s impressive growth in volume of business."

There was a welcome accolade for manufacturing when Sunray Engineering, from Ashford, was named Business of the Year. The company designs, manufacturers, supplies and installs steel industrial doors, security doors, fire doors and louvre systems.

Judges said: "The business has shown substantial, well-managed growth since David Evans, managing director, took over and this looks set to continue."

Other finalists: Most Promising New Business - Medway Safety, Rainham; Go Kart Powered Golf, Canterbury. Excellence in Customer Service - Active Digital Communications, Tonbridge; CAT, Whitstable. Entrepreneur of the Year - Jason Dodd of Jason Dodd Photography, Lindsey Agness of The Change Corporation, Sandwich.