Fraserburgh IT Company Picks Up Coveted Grampian Award for Business Enterprise

Graeme Anderson, director of Fraserburgh based company boxportable, picked up the Ian Davidson Award for Entrepreneurship at the sixth annual Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise held last night (Thursday 9 June 2005).

Graeme, 22, was honoured in front of an audience of 430 north east business men and women at the awards ceremony held at Ardoe House Hotel. Karren Brady, Managing Director Birmingham City Football Club, and Gordon Merrylees, Head of Regional Operations Scotland for The Royal Bank of Scotland, delivered keynote addresses at the prestigious event.

The Ian Davidson Award for Entrepreneurship is presented in memory of Ian Davidson, a local figure widely considered a shining example of entrepreneurship. The award recognises a young entrepreneur which has shown genuine flair, risk taking and business achievement before the age of 35. Graeme founded IT company boxportable in Fraserburgh after completing university, investing all of his savings, time and student loan to get the business venture off the ground.

Now five years on, boxportable has grown from a part time hobby into a fully fledged business that is growing year on year, servicing clients across the UK in a variety of industries. The firm has recently expanded into new offices in Fraserburgh following a number of significant contract wins over the last few months.

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

Chris Travis, chief executive of Enterprise, says, "There was an overwhelming response to the Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise this year with a 65% increase in entries. This speaks volumes about the quality and enterprising spirit of new and existing businesses in the north east of Scotland and the diverse range of industries that are thriving in the area. It was easy to see how the north east earned its reputation as a centre for business formation when judging the entries, which proved to be an extremely difficult task."

Gordon Merrylees, Head of Regional Operations Scotland for The Royal Bank of Scotland, delivered a keynote address at the event. "The Royal Bank of Scotland pays tribute to the winners and to all those who were short listed. We have sponsored this event for four consecutive years and this was a truly impressive shortlist of finalists. All are bright and exciting businesses and they provide strong evidence of the entrepreneurial culture and thriving business diversity in the Grampian region. Each finalist represents the success that can be enjoyed from hard work, innovation and inspiration."

All finalists received a certificate with category winners picking up a unique enterprise award and a cheque for up to £5, 000. The awards are run by Enterprise North East Trust, the leading north east business support company.

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