Slugs and Snails and Pupp Dogs' Tails - That's What Awards Are Made Of!

Bugstop Limited, a new North East business which has developed an innovative and environmentally friendly crop protection barrier system, is one of the more unusual finalists in the 6th annual Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise.

The Aberdeen based business has been in operation for six months and is among three finalists in the New Business Award category for businesses that have been trading for less than one year.

Bugstop is the brainchild of Mike Inglis who was driven to find an environmentally friendly alternative to crop protection than the harmful pesticides used in agriculture and the 400 billion pellets used in British gardens each year.

Mr Inglis says, "In creating our main product, Bugstop, we did a great deal of scientific research into crop protection in collaboration with the Scottish Agricultural College. The end result is a practical, flexible, low cost and environmentally friendly barrier system that will be used to tackle the problem of crop pests globally.

"Existing solutions are either expensive, time consuming, difficult to use or negated by rainfall. I felt a solution to benefit the environment had to be found. Bugstop stops all manner of slugs and creatures being harmed, while at the same time protecting crops. It is a major breakthrough in crop protection, particularly for organic farming."

This north east business success is currently in discussion with a number of major salad suppliers for providing crop protection and has been supported by the Scottish Executive with Score funding announced in Parliament in February. Bugstop intends to offer its breakthrough product across both the commercial and domestic consumer marketplace.

Jenny Moultrie, Regional Manager in Aberdeen for The Royal Bank of Scotland, says, "The calibre of companies entering this year’s Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise has been outstanding. Entries have been received from almost every industry and we have been singularly impressed with this diversity and the high quality of businesses that are establishing themselves in the north east."

The Awards recognise business achievement in companies of all sizes and enterprising individuals and is organised by Enterprise North East Trust and sponsored by The Royal Bank of Scotland and Business Gateway (in association with Scottish Enterprise Grampian).

Winners will be announced at a black tie awards ceremony on Thursday 9 June at Ardoe House Hotel, by Aberdeen. Karren Brady, Managing Director of Birmingham City Football Club, will be keynote speaker at the prestigious event. All finalists will receive a certificate with category winners picking up a coveted enterprise aware and a cheque for up to £3,000.