Split to make it fairer

RECOGNISING the difficult of choosing an Oldham Business of the Year — the Blue Riband accolade — the One Oldham Business Awards Steering Group has opted for three Business of the Year categories for 2010.

There will be an award for a businesses with turnover up to £1 million, for businesses with a turnover of between one and five million and for those with a turnover in excess of £5 million.

Steve Lowe, from the title sponsors NatWest Bank, explained: “Last year the judges of the Business of the Year, myself included, had a nightmarish job of judging companies with turnover in the tens of millions with those excellent businesses which had substantially less on their balance sheet.

“We recognise that a business does not have to be big to be excellent and we want to recognise and reward all sectors on the community by judging them against their peers.

This is why we believe that these three categories are the fairest way to determine the top businesses in Oldham.”

This decision means there will be nine awards this year, and each winner will receive an engraved crystal trophy, plus a unique, framed front page of the Oldham Evening Chronicle recording their progress in the competition, plus a prize supplied by sponsors.