Balmoral’s chairman and managing director James Milne CBE was handed a lifetime achievement award at last night’s Northern Star Business Awards for his outstanding contribution to the region.
Mr Milne established the Balmoral Group in 1980 with just five employees designing and manufacturing glass reinforced plastic products.
Today, the privately owned company is one of the North-east's most successful businesses which employs around 600 people and provides design and manufacturing solutions to the global subsea, energy, civil and environmental engineering sectors.
Organised by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce and now in their twelfth year, the Northern Star Business Awards recognise companies in the North-east for their exceptional accomplishments across a range of fields from energy to innovation, people development to customer service.
Thirty-nine finalists joined the 750 guests at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, all eager to find out who would lift the award in each of the 14 award categories.
Winner of one of the top awards on the evening was CHC Helicopter West North Sea, which received the Overall Business of the Year award.
The company includes bases in Aberdeen, Shetland, Humberside and Norwich.
From Aberdeen it carries 110,000 people on more than 19,000 offshore flights a year and of its 70 global bases in 30 countries, Aberdeen Heliport is its busiest.
It makes a significant difference to its sector having conceived and developed the world-leading annual CHC Safety and Quality Summit, as part of its commitment to safety, which is now recognised as the world’s premier helicopter safety conference.
Chief executive of the Chamber Robert Collier said, “We are proud of the efforts of members and the contribution they make to the robust economy of our region, our enviable quality of life, and its bright future.
“The evening is an opportunity to take stock of the talent and success that abounds here in the City and Shire, and celebrate their achievements in keeping us at the heart of a prosperous country.”
The winners in the 14 categories were as follows:
- Lifetime Achievement
- James Milne, Balmoral Group
- Achievement in International Business
- Commitment to Innovative Use of Research & Development
- Commitment to People Development
- Excellence in Customer Service
- Excellence in Health & Safety
- Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC)
- Made in Aberdeen
- North Hop Aberdeen/Frasermedia
- Outstanding Contribution to Society
- Outstanding Contribution to the Energy Sector
- Overall Business of the Year
- Rising Star
- Lubbers UK Ltd - Nick Latham
- Student Placement
- The Business Diversity
- The Green Award