Melksham’s Grip It Fixings named most innovative small business in South West

Grip It Fixings in Melksham has been named as a South West winner of the GREAT Faces of British Business competition. 

The Business is GREAT Britain campaign launched the competition in 2014, in association with BT Business, to find the most innovative and exciting UK businesses.

Named Most Innovative Small Business in the South West, Grip It Fixings Limited is now in the running to win the national competition and the top prize of £30,000 worth of government support. The winners will be decided by a combination of judging and public vote. You can vote for your GREAT business at www.greatbusi ness.gov.uk/competition.

Jordan Daykin, managing director at Grip It Fixings Limited said, “We’re thrilled to have been selected as a regional winner in the GREAT Faces of British Business competition. There’s a wealth of innovative small and medium-sized businesses out there and it’s great to be recognised as one of them by the competition.

“We would love to win the national award and so please show your support by voting for us on www.greatbusiness.gov.uk/competition.”

Grip It Fixings Limited manufactures a new innovative plasterboard fixing which is 100% universal and the strongest on the market, holding loads of up to 180kgs while being indefinitely reusable and all made in Britain.

In August 2014, the company was featured on BBC2’s ‘Dragons Den’ and was successful in obtaining a £80,000 investment from Deborah Meaden. The brand is now in over 1,400 stores across the UK in large retail chains such as Wickes, Plumb Centre and Robert Dyas and is in the process of setting up deals with Screwfix, B&Q, and Currys, along with Home Depot in the US.

Going into 2015, the company is undergoing a £500,000 expansion plan involving setting up its own manufacturing facility and creating a new version of the Grip It Fixing.

To find out more about the regional winners in the running for the national prize, visit www.greatbusi ness.gov.uk/competition. With public voting making up 50% of the final decision, your vote really does count. Voting will close on Monday 23rd February and the winner will be announced on Tuesday 3rd March.

The national competition consists of the regional winners from the three categories: best exporter, most innovative business, and best growth story. The grand prix winner, selected by a national judging panel, will also be announced in March. The prize includes a bespoke creative advertising campaign worth £30,000, along with an iPad Air and unlimited BT Wi-Fi for 12 months, courtesy of BT Business.

In addition, the winner will also receive a package of export support from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), which works with UK businesses to help them succeed in international markets and supports the Business is GREAT Britain campaign, with the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS).

Business minister Matthew Hancock said, “I’m delighted to see the GREAT Faces of British Business competition celebrating the small businesses up and down the country that form the bedrock of economic growth.

“Grip It Fixings Ltd is a brilliant example of a successful small firm run by enterprising and hardworking people. We are backing them all the way and, with the advice and support on offer, there has never been a better time to start and grow a business in the UK.”

Steve Rathborne, director of sales, BT Business said, “As an organisation, BT Business wants to help and support small businesses to succeed.

“Great Britain has a pedigree of producing innovative and successful businesses and leaders, and the regional winners that have been selected are proof that Great Britain is still producing these businesses. That’s why we’re supporting the Business is GREAT Britain campaign in order to discover and champion the entrepreneurial talent that’s out there and to give businesses an opportunity to boost their fortunes even further through a marketing package and business support from BT Business and UKTI.”

The Business is GREAT Britain campaign aims to celebrate and inspire small businesses and is run by BIS and UKTI. It provides relevant advice and information for small and medium sized enterprises looking to grow, hire, export, lead and access finance. There is a single place for all businesses to go for help: www.greatbusiness.gov.uk.

BT provides communications services to around 900,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK and to over 6,500 corporate and public sector organisations in countries across the world.

If you would like to find out more please visit www.business.bt.com