A REDDITCH firm has been crowned Best Small Business of the Year 2016 in the British Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. 

Bee Lighting, which represented Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, scooped the prize at ceremony in London on Thursday, November 24. 

The company was praised for its record of employing locally.
Managing director Paul Crees said: "I’m completely blown away by this award, when they announced our name it took me a few moments to take it in.

"Myself and Colin Fulford are very proud of the team’s achievements and it is so nice for them and us to be recognised in such a way."

Mike Ashton, chief executive at Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: "I am delighted that a Worcestershire company has been recognised on a national scale. Competition in the regional and national awards is extremely tough and Bee Lighting’s success is a tribute to the world class, innovative companies we have in the county.

"Congratulations to the team at Bee Lighting on winning the British Chambers of Commerce Award for Small Business of the Year. This achievement is well deserved and recognises the company’s growth and success in recent years."

"This award is thoroughly deserved and I look forward to helping Bee Lighting build on this success going forward. It’s because of businesses like Bee Lighting that the UK has high employment and the fastest growing advanced economy."

Recently, Redditch MP Karen Lumley congratulated the company on the award, she said: "It has been a pleasure to get to know Bee Lighting through my Business Leaders’ initiative. They clearly exemplify the hard-working entrepreneurial spirit of, not just Redditch, but the whole country."

Previously, in June, Bee Lighting won the Small Business of the Year Award for Herefordshire & Worcestershire during an awards evening at Worcester Arena and placed in the national finals. 

The company are recognised industry experts in interior and exterior lighting products mostly for the automotive industry. 

The Chamber Business Awards is one of the UK’s most contested and prestigious business award programmes. 

Annually, hundreds of organisations of all sizes and from all sectors compete for the coveted titles.