Oldham Business Awards officially launched and looking for nominations.

The 2022 Oldham Business Awards were officially launched on Monday night, March 28 2022 and the organisers hope to make this year’s event the biggest and best yet, following the pandemic.

The last gala dinner held in 2019 attracted more than 600 guests and was the biggest business dinner in Greater Manchester.

The nomination process is now underway with firms being urged to register their nominations through the official Oldham Business Awards website — www.oldhambusinessawards.co.uk

The site will allow nominations to be completed online through a simple downloaded form.

Organisers will then begin a process of visiting businesses during April and May to help them complete nominations.

Judges will publish a shortlist of finalists in July then the final winners will be unveiled at the awards ceremony at Oldham’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on Friday, September 9 2022

Over forty business registered to attend the recent Oldham Business Awards launch event, at the newly refurbished offices of Chadderton based company Ultimate Products.

It was hosted by Steering Group member Kashif Ashraf and there was a neat video looking back at the 2019 awards night to remind everyone what this celebration means to the borough.

There were short speeches from Ultimate Products MD Andy Gossage UP, welcoming the guests and Steering Group Chair Steve Kilroy who gave a brief update on this years event.

Mr Kilroy said: “We have always enjoyed fantastic support, from the early days of 2008 when we set about organising the very first event. After two years without the awards, I am convinced there is an appetite to get back to normality.”

Also speaking was Rick Scholes, Managing Director of Grandpa Greene's Ice Creams and former winner of the Oldham Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Rick commented that since winning his award, the business has gone from strength: "We have now outgrown our current manufacturing site in Diggle and are about to open our new facility in the centre of Oldham.

"It will really help us to grow the business and we plan to increase our workforce from 40 employees to over 100 in the next 18 months."

Rick added: "We will create a wide range of new jobs from manufacturing to office and deliveries. We're also passionate about bringing young people into the business and look forward to creating apprenticeships too.”

The Oldham Business Awards also raises funds for two nominated Oldham charities – Dr Kershaw’s Hospice and the Mahdlo Youth Zone.

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