Gray & Adams has been named Business of the Year at the 2022 Northern Star Business Awards.
The prize was one of two trophies picked up by the family-owned Fraserburgh manufacturer, which employs 750 people and counts some of the UK’s biggest companies among its customers.
More than 700 people packed P&J Live for the Northern Stars, the region’s biggest business awards dinner, organised by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce.
The glittering ceremony - held in association with Nucore Group - celebrated the exceptional accomplishments of organisations across the North-east of Scotland over the past year.
Other big winners on the night included CNR International (UK), Stork, ITC Hydraulic Services, CLAN, Sport Aberdeen, Balfour Beaty, Balmoral, Arnlea Systems, Stagecoach and QHSE Aberdeen.
Russell Borthwick, Chief Executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: “Northern Star provides a unique stage to showcase and celebrate the brilliant work being done by businesses of all sizes, from all sectors and across the length and breadth of our fantastic area.
“And never has this been more the case than in the last two years when, faced with a seemingly never ending and diverse range of challenges, many companies saw this as an opportunity to do some great things, turning adversity into triumph.”
Gray & Adams were the unanimous choice from the judges, who were impressed by the firm’s values, expansion, and innovation.
The company was founded 65 years ago in Fraserburgh and has grown to dominate the UK cold chain, from farm to fork, and supplies bespoke temperature-controlled vehicles to all major supermarkets.
It pioneered temperature-controlled lifting deck trailer technology in the 90s and the company continues to be at the cutting edge of technology.
Having won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation in 2020 for its double deck trailers, the business went on to move the whole industry towards a greener future.
In collaboration and partnership with Carrier Transicold, it brought the first ever fully electric trailer to UK roads - The Vector E-Cool – the industry’s only fully autonomous, all-electric refrigerated trailer system and uses a new energy recovery and storage system. It converts kinetic energy generated by the trailer axle and brakes into electricity, which is then stored in a battery pack powering the refrigeration unit. This loop creates a fully autonomous system which produces no direct carbon dioxide or particulate emissions.
The awards – hosted by BBC Scotland’s Fiona Stalker – also raised thousands of pounds for four local charities, MISS, UCAN, Cfine and Charlie House.
The winners in full
The 2022 Northern Star Business Award winners are:
Business of the Year (sponsored by Kaefer)
Gray & Adams Ltd
Customer First (sponsored by Bancon Construction)
QHSE Aberdeen Limited
Driving Sustainability (sponsored by bp)
Stagecoach Bluebird
Family Business (sponsored by Aberdeenshire Council)
Gray & Adams Ltd
Going Global (sponsored by Aberdeen International Airport)
Arnlea Systems Ltd
Inspiration from Innovation (sponsored by Net Zero North-east)
Balmoral Group Holdings Ltd
Inspiring Futures (sponsored by DYW North East)
Balfour Beatty
Making the Difference (sponsored by Balmoral Group)
Sport Aberdeen
Marketing Magic (sponsored by STV)
CLAN Cancer Support
Rising Star (sponsored by University of Aberdeen Business School)
Emma Clark – ITC Hydraulic Services Ltd
Staff Matter (sponsored by Gary Walker Wealth Management)
Stork
Student Placement (sponsored by RGU)
CNR International (UK) Ltd