The winner of the Large Business of the Year award, sponsored by Jarrold Training, at the Norfolk Business Awards 2022 will be a firm with a turnover over £5m that stands out from the crowd through its commitment to all-round excellence.

Let's meet the finalists for this year's award.

Morgan Sindall Construction

Morgan Sindall Construction is a UK construction company that aims to create places that enhance the communities in which we live, learn, work, play, care and protect.

It has a local office in Norwich and delivers new build, extension and refurbishment projects across all sectors.

The business was praised for its “belief in the local environment and projects”, as evidenced through its social value planning and examples such as building a biodiversity pond for a school or refurbishing a village hall with leftover project budgets.

The judges were also pleased to hear about Morgan Sindall Construction’s support and development of staff both during the cost-of-living crisis and elsewhere, and said that “the team were clear that even though they are part of a larger group, they are highly committed to the local region”.

Eastern Daily Press: Anglian Demolition and Asbestos offers contracting and waste management servicesAnglian Demolition and Asbestos offers contracting and waste management services (Image: Lee Storer)

Anglian Demolition and Asbestos

Founded in 2007, Anglian Demolition and Asbestos in Attleborough has evolved into a well-known and respected company in the region’s construction and waste management sectors.

The business has over 100 employees working in both its contracting division – providing expertise in demolition, scaffolding, asbestos removal and earthworks – and its waste management division, which offers trade waste collections, skip hire, anaerobic digestion and metal recycling.

Recent prestigious projects undertaken by Anglian Demolition and Asbestos have included work on Norwich Castle and RAF Marham Hangar.

The judges said that the firm’s approach to managing and reducing environmental impact was very strong and praised its commitment to supporting staff through several initiatives, including a mental health support scheme and caps on travel time for workers.

Overall, they felt that Anglian Demolition and Asbestos’ “passion and commitment” shone through.

Eastern Daily Press: Many products at Lisa Angel can be personalised by its creative in-house teamMany products at Lisa Angel can be personalised by its creative in-house team (Image: Lisa Angel Ltd)

Lisa Angel

Launched in 2004 on a living room floor in Norfolk, gifts and lifestyle brand Lisa Angel now sells to thousands of customers both nationally and internationally through its website.

The Norwich-based business offers a wide selection of jewellery, accessories and homeware, many of which can be personalised. Lisa Angel also has two retail stores and an ever-growing wholesale division.

The judges called Lisa Angel “a case study for passion and team work” and said that the business’ story “should be shouted from the rooftops”.

They were impressed with how the business has overcome challenges collaboratively and said that it now appears to have “a strong democratic culture of continuous improvement”.

Its growing efforts to support the environment through recycling and selecting its supply chain partners based on carbon footprint were also commended.

Eastern Daily Press: Staff training at NielsenIQ Brandbank in NorwichStaff training at NielsenIQ Brandbank in Norwich (Image: NielsenIQ Brandbank)

NielsenIQ Brandbank

NielsenIQ Brandbank in Norwich provides digital product content solutions to support shoppers’ omnichannel experiences with its 500-strong team of employees working across the globe.

It operates in 39 countries and is the content partner to 52,000-plus brands and more than 700 retailers and wholesalers.

The judges said that NielsenIQ Brandbank is “at the cutting edge of innovation of sales and marketing within the digital space” and provided numerous examples of how it has implemented technological innovation to enhance customer relationships and end-user experience.

They added that the business shows a clear focus on staff development and diversity and offers “impressive” opportunities for individual development and growth within its team, telling the judges that a great deal of its growth as a business is fuelled by its people.