Chris Smith, managing director of Marshfield Bakery in Bath, has been named best Director of a small company at the Institute of Directors (IoD) SW Director of the Year awards.
Chris was a winner last year for his role heading up the successful family-owned bakery, increasing sales and putting in place expansion plans to create more jobs and look at overseas markets.
Judges agreed that the development of the bakery under Chris’ leadership in the past 12 months was such that he was recognised for a second consecutive year.
Sales of the company’s private label and own brand tray bakes, cakes and biscuits have risen to nearly £3m with an increase in profit to £270k, driven by manufacturing efficiency improvements and new business development.
The company sells its products nationally through a network of direct customers and wholesalers.
Products can be found on the shelves of most major UK multiple retailers and are also available internationally.
Work has now started on an 80% extension to the existing manufacturing site which will see a further £400,000 investment in new plant, creating an additional 15 much needed rural new jobs with a further ten by the end of 2016.
He aims to more than double turnover to £8m by 2019, supported by licensed manufacture of product in the USA by mid 2016.
Chris is also a Director of two Educational Trusts and has championed apprenticeships through various schemes.
Simon Gould, managing director of management consultancy BMT Hi-Q Sigma Ltd, in Bath, received the IoD Director Development Special award for the highest scoring candidate from the South West region who has taken the IoD Certificate in Company Direction Exam in the last 12 months.
He passed with distinction, as did runner up Stephen Jackson, managing director of procurement and cyber-security specialists SA Group, also in Bath.
The IoD Director Awards aim to celebrate achievements across the region, bring all parts of the enterprise community together and focus UK-wide attention on South West success.
They seek to highlight outstanding business people across both the public and private sectors.
IoD South West Chairman, Richard Ayre said: “The entries this year demonstrate the breadth of enterprise and innovation in the SW region.
“It was a tough field to choose from so all our finalists, whether they walked away with an award or not, should feel a real sense of achievement.”
IOD Chief economist James Sproule was the guest speaker and the event at Bordeaux Quay was sponsored by the Faculty of Business & Law at the University of the West of England and HSBC.
Other winners were: Julie Stonehouse, Green Gourmet Ltd in Stonehouse, who won Director of the Year; Vashti Seth, of Bristol-based charity Deki who was named Third Sector Director, Darren Ryemill, Opus Group recruitment, who picked up Young Director and Neil Way of Jeff Way Electrical Services who was named Family Business Director of the Year.
All regional winners now go on to the national finals in London in the autumn.
