Video: How the night
unfolded

by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Staff at a breath analysis specialist firm were left breathless
themselves are achieving a rare award double on the county's
business night of the year.

Bedfont Scientific, based at Harrietsham, won a
brace of top trophies in the Kent Excellence in Business Awards
(KEiBA) at a glittering gala in Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, last
night.

The firm collected two handsome glass awards - SME Business of
the Year, and Best Science and Technology Business - to add to its
bulging trophy cabinet.

It makes a range of medical devices, including ones that help
people quit smoking and save the lives of premature babies.

Trevor Smith, company owner, was delighted with the
double. He urged others to get involved in the awards and the
company would be promoting its success.

"Next week, the whole world will know about KEiBA," he said. "It
attracts kudos and pride among staff and confidence by our
customers in us."

For 63-year old Kenny Thew, who progressed from
carrying fish in Billingsgate market to the boss of a multi-million
pound recycling firm, it was a night of unexpected glory.

Kenny, chairman of the Ideal Waste Paper Company, Swanley, was
named Entrepreneur of the Year.

There was success too for Luke Quilter, founder
of Sleeping Giant Media, Folkestone, named Young Entrepreneur of
the Year.

Roger De Haan, who built up Saga Group which
was founded in 1951 by his father Sidney, was honoured with the
award for Outstanding Contribution to the Business Community of
Kent.

The third annual KEiBA, produced and staged by the KM Group and
Kent County Council, attracted more than 200 entries.

The glittering black-tie gala, hosted by Bob "The Cat" Bevan and
featuring entertainment by three-girl group The Frockettes, was
attended by 430 business people and guests.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE
BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF KENT

Roger De Haan CBE DL

The De Haan name is synonomous with Saga, the company that
pioneered travel, publishing and financial services for the over
50s.

It is inextricably linked with Folkestone, the town where it all
began in 1948 when Sidney De Haan bought a seaside hotel and went
on to found the business in 1951.

winners and finalists

large business of the year

sponsor: brachers llp

lead judge: philip cunningham

winner: reeves

finalist: carousel logistics

finalist: countrystyle group

sme business of the year

sponsor: belmont international

lead judge: barrie etchells

winner: bedfont scientific

finalist: component force

finalist: we love

finalist: id&c

start-up business of the year

sponsor: university of kent

lead judge: carole barron

winner: aquaread

finalist: blue skies school

finalist: recruitment genius

best leisure and tourism business

sponsors: visit kent and southeastern

lead judges: amanda cottrell and barbara thomas

winner: broadhembury caravan and camping park

finalist: the better body shop

finalist: the historic dockyard chatham

best business from the creative industries

sponsors: emc and the creative foundation lead judges: desmond high and peter bettley

winner: we love

finalist: animate & create

finalist: the world famous fireworkers ltd

best science and technology business

sponsor: vertex law

lead judges: jeremy licence and pete kenyon

winner: bedfont scientific

finalist: aquaread

finalist: recruitment genius

business commitment to the environment

sponsor: kent county council and southern water lead judges: jenie colville and darren bentham

winner: ecosan services

finalist: the mj allen group of companies

finalist: bluewater

employer of the year

sponsor: hrgo

lead judge: chris harvey

winner: carousel logistics

finalist: holiday extras

finalist: s lucas

customer service and commitment

sponsor: headley brothers

lead judge: roger pitt

winner: british assessment bureau

finalist: avenue (income team)

finalist: english wines group plc

entrepreneur of the year

sponsor: heart and iod

lead judges: emma liddiard and david philpott

winner: kenny thew

finalist: lynn james

finalist: sonja wood

young entrepreneur of the year

sponsor: the kent foundation and denne

lead judges: paul barron and graham brown

winner: luke quilter

finalist: owen hunnam

finalist: dan richards

apprenticeship of the year

sponsor: kent apprenticeships and skanska lead judges: wayne gough and sue flavin

winner: my fur lady/ellora scriven

finalist: recruitment genius/zoe chatfield

finalist: redec ltd/paul pettitt

His son Roger
broadened the name’s association with cultural regeneration,
community investment and wider philanthropy. The family sold the
Saga Group in 2004 when Roger stepped down as chairman after 38
years.

Throughout that time, he steered the business to even greater
success, establishing Saga as the pre-eminent name in the provision
of high-quality services to a growing demographic.

Roger is more than a businessman. He invests time, money and
commitment in community initiatives, many for the good of his home
town and the wider area, others for young people, disadvantaged,
the elderly and the arts.

The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust is provid+ing more than £40
million to buy and renovate dilapidated buildings in Folkestone’s
historic old town, now known as the "Creative Quarter."

"I feel privileged to receive this award," he said. "Having
spent all of my working life in Kent, I feel a great affinity with
the county and with Folkestone in particular."

LARGE BUSINESS OF THE
YEAR

Reeves, Canterbury, Chatham Maritime and London

This successful accounting firm has been in business for more
than a century.

Founded in 1897, it was known as Reeves & Neylan until 2010
when a major re-branding exercise launched a new design theme
across the business.

Reeves confounds any suggestion that accountants are dull.
Reeves and its tax partner Clive Relf have become well known for
their entertaining interpretation of Government Budgets. Mr Relf
has previously been James Bond and John McEnroe and this year
dressed up as the Great Houdini.

Reeves’ services are wide, ranging from the completion of
personal tax returns to dealing with the statutory audit
obligations of large firms with £150m turnover.

More recent specialist services include tax consulting,
valuation, insolvency, corporate finance, pension advice and wealth
management.

Reeves has boosted turnover and profitability in the past four
years, while the acquisition in 2010 of London-based practice F W
Stephens accelerated growth.

It has won a string of awards, including Accountancy Age UK Top
Tax Practice. The business provides fre professional advice to good
causes.

SME BUSINESS OF THE
YEAR

Bedfont Scientific, Harrietsham

Rising demand for equipment that can analyse human breath has
made Bedfont a well-known name in medical circles at home and
abroad.

The firm, set up in 1976, designs products ranging from exhaled
breath monitors that help smokers quit the habit to one that helps
saves the lives of premature babies.

Others measure airway inflammation in asthma suffferers, monitor
carbon monoxide poisoning or aid in the diagnosis of
gastro-intestinal disorders.

Bedfont has invested heavily in research, development and
technical expertise to drive product innovation. It also invests in
staff development, with commitment by company owner Trevor Smith to
develop in-house skills and succession planning.

The firm, which employs 30 people, recently moved from Medway to
new premises close to Harrietsham railway station where it has
renovated a former Victorian tram shed.

Bedfont has won a number of awards, and was named Medway
Business of the Year in 2010.

START-UP BUSINESS OF THE
YEAR

Aquaread, Broadstairs

Aquaread specialises in instruments that monitor changes in
water quality. GPS aquameters and multi-parameter aquaprobes
provide an early warning system that helps protect the environment
through prompt remedial action. A GPS receiver helps identify the
location of potential pollution sources.

This small company is the UK’s only designer and manufacturer of
portable multi-parameter water quality testing instruments. It is
also one of only a handful of manufacturers of optical dissolved
oxygen sensors. It adopts a lean "just in time" business approach
with flexibility and bespoke products.

Overseas sales, including a large project for Tanzania, make up
95 per cent of turnover. Products are made in the UK and quality
assured on the Broadstairs premises. The firm operates in a niche
market and has only a handful of global competitors.

Aquaread began with two full-time employees but the workforce
has grown to seven, with plans to take on more. Several staff
previously worked with large corporates such as Honeywell and
Pfizer.

BEST LEISURE AND TOURISM
BUSINESS

Broadhembury Holiday Park, Ashford

Since 1969, Broadhembury has been welcoming holidaymakers to its
caravans, camping site and holiday homes.

The domestic high speed trains have brought Ashford just 37
minutes from London and the owners promote the park as an excellent
base from which to explore the sights of London, returning in the
evening to the quiet of the Kentish countryside.

Recession has helped by encouraging more people to holiday at
home and enjoy "staycations."

The 10-acre park constantly invests in its facilities and
maintains high standards, offering its clients WiFi and computer
access.

The park was granted five stars – "excellent" - by VisitBritain,
boosting business from Holland, France and Germany in particular.
The park also won loo of the year award.

Staff are key to any service business and visitors frequently
comment on their friendliness in questionnaires. The business is
run with as little environmental impact as possible.

Best Business from the
Creative Industries winner We Love

BEST BUSINESS FROM THE CREATIVE
INDUSTRIES

We Love, Maidstone

"Highly enthusiastic and motivated owners who have a very clear
vision for the business."

That’s how judges summed up this year’s winner in the creative
category.

We Love has created a distinctive brand as well as showing good
financial management.

This media and marketing company takes pride in offering an
alternative approach to creative strategy and attitude. "Our
strength lies in our understanding of markets and brand, our
clarity of communication and the intensity of engagement we can
achieve," says creative director Mark Anderson.

We Love has worked for BlueChip names like Sony Ericsson, Yamaha
Europe, L’Oreal and MTV.

Using cross-channel marketing and design, the business has
created relationships with industry magazines and websites that
promote its work, leading to more global clients and a pipeline of
leads.

Founded three years ago, it now employs 14 full-time and four
freelance staff. It aims to boost the headcount to 37 within the
next two years through international growth and acquisition.

BEST
SCIENCE AND/OR TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS

Bedfont Scientific, Harrietsham

To win this demanding category requires scientific know-how,
thorough research and development, appreciation of market need,
high quality outputs and skilful marketing.

Bedfont Scientific - also KEiBA SME Business of the Year - has
these qualities in abundance. As judges remarked, it combines them
with "impressive business acumen." And, even more important, its
products save lives.

Bedfont was set up in 1976 and since then has become a world
leader in breath analysis equipment for medical applications. It
now stands poised for a leap forward with growing worldwide demand
for its widening range of products.

They include the Smokerlyzer (to help people quit smoking),
NObreath (to measure inflammation in asthma and other respiratory
diseases), ToxCO+ (to diagnose carbon monoxide poisoning), Gastro
(to diagnose gastro-intestinal disorders) and NOxBOX (to help save
the lives of premature babies).

Bedfont has boosted its R&D and engineering resources in
recent years to develop new products.Its next goals are to exceed
£7m turnover and launch at least three new products.

Business Commitment to
the Environment award winner Ecosan Services

BUSINESS COMMITMENT TO THE
ENVIRONMENT

Ecosan Services, Ashford

Sonja Wood – a finalist in the Entrepreneur of the Year category
– loves nothing better than making the world of washrooms fun,
interesting and eco-friendly.

Passionate about the environment, she has created a company
which lives and breathes green values.

EcoSan offers clients alternative solutions for sanitary and
nappy disposal, urinal water saving devices, sanitizers, hand
driers, vending machines, soaps, incontinence disposal, water
coolers and janitor’s supplies. Eco friendliness runs through its
buying decisions.

Ms Wood started the business from scratch. She went out knocking
on doors and told people about the services it could offer.

The firm collects six tons of nappy, sanitary and incontinence
waste a month but dismisses the common option of sending it to
landfill. Some 700,000 tonnes of nappy waste alone are disposed of
in this way and an average nappy takes 500 years to break down.
EcoSan also rejects incineration on environmental grounds.

EMPLOYER OF THE
YEAR

Carousel Logistics, Sittingbourne

Established in Sittingbourne in 1984, the company’s mission is
to be the Best of the Best and this is reflected in its reputation
as one of Kent’s most successful independent businesses in the
logistics sector.

In 2010, it enjoyed its best-ever year, a testimony to its
comprehensive range of staff development policies, rewards and
benefits.

Carousel has 67 employees and monitors their work performance on
a continuous basis. A Personnel Development Scheme (PDS) sets and
reviews objectives, assesses performance, potential, promotability
and training needs. Each employee has a folder to record their
development and training which is reviewed during appraisals and
interim reviews.

The Best of the Best standard is an integral part of staff and
company development. Carousel defines it as "the backbone of our
culture of success and supports individuals in achieving their best
to the benefit of themselves, the company and customers."

Carousel was one of the first businesses in Kent to be awarded
Investors in People status and last year was granted 10-year
accreditation. This year, it is going for the silver award.

Customer Service and
Commitment award winner British Assessment Bureau

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND
COMMITMENT

British Assessment Bureau, Sevenoaks

With more organisations obliged to reach certain standards of
performance, demand for assessment and certification inevitably
grows.

That demand – not to say its own high standards of performance –
has made the British Assessment Bureau (BAB) a pre-eminent
specialist in certification scheme management.

In 1997, the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry
approved the use of the word British in its corporate title in
recognition of that status.

Today, BAB certifies organisations to recognised standards such
as ISO 9001:2008 (quality management) and ISO 14001:2004
(environmental management). It also designs and manages bespoke
accreditation schemes.

It sets national standards and contributes to British Standards
Institute committees.

BAB, an Investor in People since 1999 and itself accredited to
ISO 17021 standard (quality management for certification bodies),
employs 25 people in Kent and across the UK, with a team of field
auditors operating from home. They visit potential clients for
"drop in" interviews to talk them through the process before they
sign up.

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE
YEAR

Kenny Thew, Ideal Waste Paper Company, Swanley

When a young Kenny Thew balanced fish containers at Billingsgate
Market in the 1960s, he could only dream that one day he would be
running a multi-million pound company.

But ending his working day at 10am left him with plenty of time
to do other things and he bought a van to collect cardboard cartons
in London for recycling.

At 20, he faced the problem common to young entrepreneurs – few
people in suits took him seriously. His was a cash business and he
did not even have a bank account at the time.

But after a couple of years he was doing well enough to quit
life as a fish porter and go it alone. He established a thriving
business in the Bermondsey area, recycling paper, cardboard and
books.

As the market changed, Kenny and his family took the decision to
re-locate from South East London. They have invested £14 million in
a large warehouse in Swanley, and machinery that can separate glass
from co-mingled rubbish. The venture has created around 100
jobs.

Kenny sums up his values. "I have developed and grown a business
on the solid foundations of my family values. I am passionate about
recycling and making a difference to the environment."

Young Entrepreneur of the
Year award winner Luke Quilter

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE
YEAR

Luke Quilter, Sleeping Giant Media, Folkestone

"Awake the Power" proclaims the strapline of Luke’s company.

He believes passionately in the power of the internet to grow
business and Sleeping Giant Media is waking up more enterprises to
this power.

Sleeping Giant is a specialist online search engine marketing
company. It promotes online brand visibility, sales channels and
helps clients engage directly with customer that are actively
searching for their products and services via the internet. To
achieve this, it uses paid search engine advertising (Pay Per
Click), search engine optimisation and social advertising via the
likes of Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Luke’s ambition is to make Sleeping Giant THE established brand
and first choice specialist search agency in Kent, and the leading
technical and creative innovator in the UK search market.

"I enjoy surrounding myself with talented and highly motivated
individuals," he says. "I believe hard work and dedication are a
requisite for any success, but a confident and well thought our
goal-driven approach has helped me to achieve success. I am always
willing to take calculated risks as I recognise this will make the
difference between good and outstanding performance."

APPRENTICESHIP OF THE
YEAR

My Fur Lady/Ellora Scriven, Broadstairs

Ellora Scriven turned up for work experience at this dog and cat
grooming parlour with little prospect of a good career.

But her enthusiasm and personal abilities were so evident to
owner Damarall Werrey-Easterbrook that she took her on as the
parlour’s first trainee.

The decision to start an apprenticeship scheme was based on a
growing customer base and a need to expand. Damarall said: "I faced
the usual financial constraints of a young company and would not
have been able to absorb the salary demands of a fully trainer
groomer. I was anxious that any staff I engaged should be trained
to the high standards I expect of myself.

"This was an opportunity to take on a talented young person,
adding their enthusiasm to my business, while teaching them best
practice and helping them take the first steps on an exciting
career."

Ellora added: "I had no opportunities when I left college, but
this gave me a lot of opportunities to improve myself."

She has since achieved GCSE in English and Maths, an NVQ in
Customer Service, and a Level 2 City and Guilds in dog grooming.
Ellora was named best handler in show at Groomer of the Year 2010
in Swanley, and second in Young Groomer of the Year at Crufts, a
huge achievement in a national competition.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE
BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF KENT

Roger De Haan CBE DL

The De Haan name is synonomous with Saga, the company that
pioneered travel, publishing and financial services for the over
50s.

It is inextricably linked with Folkestone, the town where it all
began in 1948 when Sidney De Haan bought a seaside hotel and went
on to found the business in 1951.

His son Roger broadened the name’s association with cultural
regeneration, community investment and wider philanthopy. The
family sold the Saga Group in 2004 when Roger stepped down as
chairman after 38 years.

Throughout that time, he steered the business to even greater
success, establishing Saga as the pre-eminent name in the provision
of high-quality services to a growing demographic.

Roger is more than a businessman. He invests time, money and
commitment in community initiatives, many for the good of his home
town and the wider area, others for young people, disadvantaged,
the elderly and the arts.

The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust is provid+ing more than £40
million to buy and renovate dilapidated buildings in Folkestone’s
historic old town, now known as the "Creative Quarter."

"I feel privileged to receive this award," he said. "Having
spent all of my working life in Kent, I feel a great affinity with
the county and with Folkestone in particular."