The Business Awards for Wales are an initiative of the IWA and the Western Mail, in association with PwC
Three youthful entrepreneurs will be hoping to take the title of Young Achiever at the IWA Western Mail 2011 Business Awards.
Rachael Flanagan, Richard Glover-Davies and Rob Dance have been named as finalists in the category which is sponsored by Hopkins Law.
The award is aimed at people between the ages of 18 and 30 and aims to encourage young people to show that they too, have succeeded in the business community and to identify inspirational role models.
Rob Dance is managing director of Bridgend-based information technology business RockIT.
He set up the business after working for a large multinational firm and deciding he could provide a better service.
The business now employs 28 staff and describes itself as “your fast and friendly IT specialists”.
It takes a proactive approach to IT service and has not lost a client or staff member since being founded in 2008.
Rachael Flanagan founded Swansea-based Mrs Bucket Cleaning Services at the age of 18, armed with a vacuum cleaner and some flyers.
Today her cleaning business employs more than 70 staff and offers both domestic and commercial cleaning.
This year the business launched a new cleaning academy to train new staff to its standards. It has also branched out into Cardiff and Bristol and is in the process of creating a network of UK Mrs Bucket franchises.
Richard Glover Davies is the managing director of Welshpool-based web design company GloverSure. The farmer’s son set up the business in 2004 after gaining a first class degree in software engineering from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
When he could not find suitable offices for his business in the Welshpool area he bought a commercial building on the Severn Farm Enterprise Park and converted it into offices to house his own company and other tenants.
Today the business has more than 370 customers.
Wendy Hopkins, founder and MD of Hopkins Law praised all three category finalists.
“Young people starting their professional future are inspiring and they also contribute energetically to family, school and community life,” she said. “To acknowledge them for that vital contribution, Hopkins Law are sponsoring this Young Achiever Award.
“Our profession and this practice benefit so much from our presence in both the region and Wales, and it is important we actively participate in encouraging the many remarkable achievements of young people in this principality.”
The winner of the category will be announced at a gala dinner at Cardiff’s Coal Exchange tonight hosted by comedian Chris Corcoran.
The overall sponsor for the awards is professional advisory firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The firm’s chairman for Wales and the south-west of England, Rob Lewis, said: “PwC is delighted to be the headline supporter of The Western Mail and Institute of Welsh Affairs 2011 Business Awards.
“PwC Wales enjoys a long history of working alongside Welsh companies and organisations, and of supporting their efforts to attain success, achieve profitability and create employment. We all recognise that these businesses have experienced extremely challenging conditions over the past few years as global economic issues have impacted on virtually each and every one of them. We feel there has never been a better time to run a national business awards scheme for Wales. It is essential in the current climate that we identify and recognise the success stories within the Welsh economy. PwC is working with successful Welsh businesses on a daily basis and awards schemes like this with the IWA and the Western Mail provide a platform to showcase them. Wales continues to show that during times of austerity there is a surge in entrepreneurial activity which is demonstrated in the amount of new start-up organisations and also through existing companies adapting their products and identifying new markets to continue their growth.”
