Abingdon: YASA Motors wins top national enterprise award

Oxfordshire-based YASA Motors is celebrating after being crowned overall winner of the Best Enterprise award at the Lloyds TSB Enterprise Awards finals.

The business, founded by Tim Woolmer, beat off competition from the winners of eight initial heats which were held across England, Scotland and Wales.

The award recognised YASA Motors as the business with the most potential for growth over the next five years.

YASA Motors was awarded a prize that includes £50,000 cash for investment in the business, a comprehensive two-year mentoring package from senior Lloyds Banking Group representatives and free legal advice from an independent specialist law firm.

The judges, which included a panel of five high profile figures from the world of business, education and media, also picked KwikScreen as Best Start-Up - an award for a business in its early stages.  KwikScreen was selected ahead of the seven other finalists in the category because of the strength of its business model and in-depth understanding of the market place shown by its founder Michael Korn.

All 16 finalists were asked to complete a three-minute pitch to the judges, after which they were subjected to in-depth questioning. It was during this stage that the entrepreneurs needed to demonstrate that they knew their business and sector inside and out and that they had both the passion and plans necessary for future growth.  Two other businesses were highly commended on the evening - CJS CD Keys, an Essex-based provider of ‘game keys’ which allow internet gamers access to legal digital downloads; and DuoFertility, a Cambridge-based service provider that helps couples to conceive naturally.

Stephen Pegge, director, SME Markets, Lloyds Banking Group, said: “As a judge at the final of the Lloyds TSB Enterprise Awards, I was really impressed with the professionalism and business acumen of these young entrepreneurs and the calibre of their innovative business ideas.

“Both of the winners awarded on the night showed real passion for their products and a thorough knowledge of the opportunities as well as the challenges within their industries. This level of understanding will give both businesses the best chance to realise their future potential. “We set out to identify the best in student and graduate enterprise, and I believe that we’ve found that in each of the businesses we saw yesterday in Liverpool. It’s really encouraging to see the creativity and passion that is emerging from our universities."

Resources:- YASA Motors, KwikScreen & Lloyds TSB Enterprise Awards websites