Eaton Smith Solicitors is delighted to announce that Hitchfields Ltd has been chosen by the judging panel as the latest winner of its Business of the Month Award.
Hitchfields is one of the largest independent used car dealers in West Yorkshire and have an extensive, varied range of over 100 vehicles in stock. They aim to utilise 10+ years of experience in the motor industry trade to provide a service which is both optimised and personal to help make client vehicle purchases as seamless and stress-free as possible.
The business started on Director Kristian Hitchen's driveway with one car and a post to a Facebook car sale group. Over time, the business grew and expanded to a unit in Lockwood on the edge of Huddersfield Town Centre, capable of hosting north of 30 vehicles. Six months ago (early 2024), Hitchfields moved into a new and larger unit capable of housing 100 cars making them one of West Yorkshire's largest indoor showrooms and independent dealerships.
Kristian Hitchen, Director of Hitchfields, commented: “We are really honored to win this award and have our growth and contributions recognised by the team at Eaton Smith, we constantly pushing the envelope as a business. We thank the panel for choosing us and hope this is the first of many awards to come as a new emerging business in the Kirklees area”.
Ben Jackson, Partner at Eaton Smith Solicitors, and member of the judging panel commented; “Hitchfields Ltd has shown impressive growth from a driveway business to one of West Yorkshire's largest indoor showrooms and independent car dealerships. The business was also recognised for its investment in the apprentice scheme, local employment and its plans for further growth to make it one of the UK's largest independent car retailers”.
Ben Jackson chaired the judging panel and was joined by Philippa Coultish (Coultish Associates) and Alisdair Straughan (Paladin Marketing), Martin Hathaway (Mid Yorkshire Chamber) and Annie Bradley (Department of International Trade).
You can apply for the business of the month award here - https://www.businessofthemonth.co.uk/
Website: www.hitchfields.co.uk/
Eaton Smith Solicitors is delighted to announce that France+Associates Limited has been chosen by the judging panel as the latest winner of its Business of the Month Award.
France+Associates are an award winning, specialist registered architectural practice based in Huddersfield, operating on a national level. They provide an all-encompassing architectural and surveying service, being instructed as property finders to help and assess a property prior to its purchase and take on a property project from inception and manage the process to completion.
The business was started by Jonathan France (Director), who saw a business opportunity to provide exclusive services to those requiring home improvements due to access issues by providing beautifully designed spaces to those affected by disability. Jonathan had originally found his love of working with individuals with significant access needs as early as 2008 when supporting clients via disability facility grant schemes, thereafter supporting individuals requiring significant changes following catastrophic injury in the insurance market.
In addition to Eaton Smith’s Business of the Month Award, France+Associates have won other awards such as the LABC Building Excellence Awards and the Modern Law Awards (Supporting the Industry).
Jonathan France, Director at France+Associates, commented: “France+Associates are proud to be locally recognised for the hard work we put in for individuals stuck in housing unsuitable to their needs. It's brilliant to have a job that can truly change lives, especially when it's a "job" we love so much. Our company has built a solid national reputation and is the go-to for solving property issues for injured parties, being one of the few firms offering such services in the UK. We're proud to do this right here in the heart of Huddersfield, backed by a team that consistently shows passion, integrity, and true Yorkshire grit to turn a building project into a beautiful forever home.”
Ben Jackson, Partner at Eaton Smith Solicitors, and member of the judging panel commented; “France+Associates are a worthy winner not just for the commercial success of the business, but also the values they hold and the way they help to improve the lives of those who have been affected by life-changing events outside their control”.
Ben Jackson chaired the judging panel and was joined by Martin Hathaway (Mid Yorkshire Chamber), Annie Bradley (Department of Business & Trade), Ian Parsons (Parsons Chartered Accountants) and Marianne Martin (Parsons Chartered Accountants).
Eaton Smith Solicitors is delighted to announce that EarthThings Florist Yorkshire LTD has been chosen by the judging panel as the latest winner of its Business of the Month Award.
EarthThings Florist was first established in 1993, where (now director) Lisa Parr, worked as a Saturday girl from ages 14-18. After 20 years of working in the police force, Lisa returned to EarthThings Florist to take over from the previous owner in 2022 and has since been continuing to grow the business exceptionally.
Since taking over in 2022, Lisa has led EarthThings Florist Yorkshire LTD to grow in the wedding sector, growing from 5 weddings in 2022 to 60 weddings in 2023. EarthThings Florist Yorkshire LTD have now entered to corporate sector, providing flowers to local businesses.
In addition to winning the Business of the Month Award, EarthThings Florist Yorkshire LTD have proudly been winners of other awards, including West Yorkshire Wedding Florist of the Year 2023 at the Northern Enterprise Awards, and Florist of the Year 2024 at the Corporate Live Wire Innovation & Excellence Awards.
EarthThings Florist Yorkshire LTD now has a team of 4 members of staff and will look to increase their team further as business grows.
Lisa Parr, Director at EarthThings Florist Yorkshire LTD, commented: "Thank you so much to Eaton Smith Solicitors for giving our business this award. We were so grateful to visit their office today. What we do is a real team effort and so I congratulate the team at Earththings for another validation of what they do for our lovely customers".
Ben Jackson, Partner at Eaton Smith Solicitors, and member of the judging panel commented; ‘It was a real pleasure welcoming Lisa to the office to present her award. The judges and I loved the story she told of starting as a flower girl and years later returning to the shop she loves to take over as director and begin this new journey which is proving to be a very successful one. We wish EarthThings Florist the best of luck for the Business of the Year Awards in June’.
Ben Jackson chaired the judging panel and was joined by Martin Hathaway (Mid Yorkshire Chamber), Annie Bradley (Department of Business & Trade), Daniel McAllister (Simpson Wood) and Ian Gostellow (Clough Corporate Solutions).
Website: earththings.florist/
Eaton Smith Solicitors is delighted to announce that Juice Personnel Limited has been chosen by the judging panel as the latest winner of its Business of the Month Award.
Kelly Smith, the company's creator, first established Juice Personnel in a very modest Huddersfield office in February 2003. Two years after their launch and following a very successful start, they moved the office back to Wakefield city centre, where most of their clientele were still present.
Kelly had been working in the field for more than two years when she was given the chance to start her own consulting business. She focused on providing both temporary and permanent employees to the commercial sector. Within a year of the company's founding, Lynn Mortimer joined and established the equally successful Logistics Division, which is still operating today.
Juice Personnel now have four main divisions: Commercial, Logistics, Industrial and Construction.
Kelly Smith, Recruitment Director at Juice Personnel, commented: “Lynn and I are delighted to have won this award. Since Covid, we’ve completely transformed our business and have been able to provide our staff with both personal and professional development opportunities. We’ve created a better work / life experience and implemented lots of new wellbeing initiatives. As well as this, we’ve grown our team by over 33% and launched a very successful new division – construction. We’re really focused on growing the company and ensuring it is a place where people enjoy coming to work and by being awarded this accolade, it’s testament to the strategies on which we’re currently working with.”
James Burgess, Partner at Eaton Smith Solicitors, and member of the judging panel commented; ‘Juice Personnel Limited are a worthy winner of this month’s award. Their commitment to developing and supporting their team, as well as their ongoing relationships with the local community, really impressed the judges. The business has experienced significant growth since inception in 2003 and continues to thrive in what is a very competitive industry.’
James Burgess chaired the judging panel and was joined by Martin Hathaway (Mid Yorkshire Chamber), Annie Bradley (Department of Business & Trade), and Richard Kenworthy (Begbies Traynor).
Website: www.juicepersonnel.co.uk/
Eaton Smith Solicitors is delighted to announce that Wayland Additive Limited has been chosen by the judging panel as the latest winner of its Business of the Month Award.
Wayland Additive Limited was founded by a very precise engineering team with a long and illustrious history in the semiconductor industry, where process instabilities are intolerable and electron beam widths are measured in nanometers.
High-value, mature technology transfer from the semiconductor industry to the Additive Manufacturing industry is made possible by Wayland Additive. Following a period of funding from Innovate UK and industry R&D development, the company—which has also brought in a wealth of talent from the AM industry—secured a sizeable amount of initial funding from Longwall Ventures. The business is currently leading the charge in creating the most precise and effective metal AM technique possible.
The dedicated and diverse Wayland Additive team works pragmatically with customers on application and material development and repeatability.
Mike Ford, Sales Manager at Wayland Additive, commented: It is truly an honour to be chosen for this award. It is a true testament to the hard work & dedication of our team & this type of recognition motivates us to continue striving for excellence & delivering the best product we can. I would like to express my gratitude for being chosen as business of the month, thank you for the opportunity.
Chris Taylor, Partner at Eaton Smith Solicitors, and member of the judging panel commented; “Wayland Additive are such an amazingly interesting company, they immediately grabbed the judges’ attention with their application. The innovation they show within their unique engineering work is very impressive and really made them stand out. We are really looking forward to following Wayland Additive on this exciting journey they are on!”.
Chris Taylor chaired the judging panel and was joined by Martin Hathaway (Mid Yorkshire Chamber) and Annie Bradley (Department of Business & Trade), and Sarah Harwood (Barclays).
You can apply for the business of the month award here - https://www.businessofthemonth.co.uk/
Website: www.waylandadditive.com/
Eaton Smith Solicitors is delighted to announce that Majestic Site Management Ltd has been chosen by the judging panel as the latest winner of its Business of the Month Award.
Majestic Site Management Ltd offer comprehensive site management solutions, from pre-contract, through to health and safety compliance. Experienced and accredited in site safety, project management and health and safety training, Majestic Site Management Ltd offers a range of solutions for construction businesses. Their new training facility is also up and running in Huddersfield Town Centre which sees delegates come in without training for the specific role they are in, to leaving with industry recognised certificate and compliant with all policies and procedures.
Majestic Site Management Ltd contribute to the local community by sponsoring and donating money to local grass roots football clubs enabling them to be able to play football and have kits to play in, as well as supporting the Huddersfield Towns Football Club Community Foundation and more including being an official club partner of the Huddersfield Town Football Club.
Business Operations Manager, Luke Sapsford, had this to say: “We are thrilled to announce that we have received our very first award in our hometown of Huddersfield. It has been an incredible journey for us as we enter our 5th year in business this March. Lee, our director, is proud to carry on the family's legacy of successful business in Huddersfield, where they have been doing business for over 100 years (most notably, Johnny's nightclub). As we move forward, we remain committed to supporting the local community and we can't wait to see what the future holds – this year promises to be an exciting one.”
Deborah Melluish, Partner at Eaton Smith and Chair of the judging panel commented: “We are really pleased to be awarding Majestic Site Management Ltd the Business of the Month Award. They had an extremely strong application which highlighted their brilliant contribution to the local region, especially their work with Huddersfield Town Football Club. We are really excited to see what the future holds for Majestic Site Management Ltd and look forward to seeing them at the Business of the Year Awards this summer!”.
Deborah Melluish chaired the judging panel and was joined by Gill Carman (PIB Insurance), Martin Hathaway (Mid Yorkshire Chamber) and Annie Bradley (Department of International Trade).
Website: www.majesticsitemanagement.co.uk/
Eaton Smith Solicitors is delighted to announce that Fusion IT Management has been chosen by the judging panel as the latest winner of its Business of the Month Award.
Fusion was founded in 2003 by managing director, Jamie Watson, with the vision of creating bespoke IT and software solutions to drive businesses forward — helping to improve reliability, increase profitability and transform productivity for its clients.
Fusion serves a wide spectrum of clients, although it specialises in the legal field. Using a customer-centric strategy, the organisation collaborates directly with its clients to comprehend their business needs, offering strategic advice, putting in place reliable and adaptable solutions, and guaranteeing smooth operations and support.
Expedite Law, a subsidiary firm and software development arm that began trading in 2022, supports this demonstrated knowledge. The extended team is renowned for providing development and products within the MatterSphere and Peppermint case management systems in order to optimise processes, deliver cost savings, and create overall efficiencies. The extended team offers collaborative case management solutions to a network of global clients.
Managing Director, Jamie Watson, had this to say: “This award is lovely to receive, I would personally like to thank every member of the team for their part in making Fusion / Expedite what it is today”.
Ben Jackson, Partner at Eaton Smith and Chair of the judging panel, commented: “The judging panel really enjoyed reading and discussing Fusion IT’s application. The expertise they have shown, especially in the legal sector, is immensely impressive. It is a pleasure to award Jamie and his team this month’s Business of the Month Award!”.
Ben Jackson chaired the judging panel and was joined by Vickie Kielty (HSBC), Martin Hathaway (Mid Yorkshire Chamber) and Annie Bradley (Department of International Trade).
Website: www.fusionmanageit.co.uk/
Eaton Smith Solicitors is delighted to announce that Aqualand Industries Ltd has been chosen by the judging panel as the latest winner of its Business of the Month Award.
Aqualand Industries is a family-owned advanced engineering company that specialises in the leisure and hospitality sector. The family noticed that when they went out for the day, activities were often focused on adults with little for younger children to enjoy. While the adults could enjoy riding in a vehicle, this did not apply to children, especially once they were above 4 years of age and grew out of feet push ride-on.
Aqualand saw an opportunity and began to manufacture products that would give children a safe but exciting adventure. All of Aqualand’s products are made for 4-16-year-olds and are made to be used in defined areas and with safety at the core. The products can now be seen across many holiday parks across the country.
Carl Byford, general manager at Aqualand Industries, commented: “It is great recognition for the team as we continue to expand internationally and add to our electric vehicle product range with a rugged Adventurer pedal car that’s designed for all the family. We’ve had a watershed year that’s seen the business secure blue chip customers, partner with some of the biggest names in the leisure industry, increase our employee base and expand our apprentice programme as we build toward £1m revenue.
“The award is a fantastic initiative from Eaton Smith that gives local companies a boost and much-needed recognition.”
James Burgess, Partner at Eaton Smith and Chair of the judging panel, commented: “The judges were particularly impressed by this application, in particular the idea behind the business and how this grew from inception to a thriving enterprise in such a relatively short amount of time. A worthy winner of October’s Business of the Month award.”
James Burgess chaired the judging panel and was joined by Martin Hathaway (Mid Yorkshire Chamber) and Annie Bradley (Department of International Trade).
Website: www.aqualand-industries.com/
Eaton Smith Solicitors is delighted to announce that Mark Flynn Photography has been chosen by the judging panel as the latest winner of its Business of the Month Award.
Mark Flynn started his photography business in 1998 whilst working numerous other photography jobs such as working in labs, photographic studios and wedding album manufacturing. Mark initially specialised in Wedding & Portraiture but now mainly commercial photography providing imagery for company websites and other marketing materials. Mark also offers a strong event photography side to the business, covering many events across the country and now worldwide and providing an onsite printing service.
Mark Flynn Photography has proven strong contribution to the region, he has helped promote Huddersfield through distribution of imagery both in print form and online. Some images have been seen across the world even going as far as New Zealand where a client there purchased an image of Castle Hill. Mark also provides his services to local charities, including Kirkwood Hospice and Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.
In addition to our Business of the Month Award, Mark Flynn Photography has won and been runner up of some other impressive awards, including Professional Manufacturing Product Photographer (Winner), British Photographer of the Year Awards (Runner Up – Wedding Category) and International Food Photographer of the Year (Runner Up – Food in the Field Category).
Mark Flynn, Owner of Mark Flynn Photograph commented: “I’m absolutely thrilled and honoured to receive this award, especially as it’s my first ever business competition that I have ever entered!! I’d just like to thank the team at Eaton Smith Solicitors and the judging panel for voting for me, very much appreciated and to all those businesses that are thinking about entering don’t just think but do!”
Ben Jackson chaired the judging panel and was joined by Anthony Milnes (Leonard Curtis), Cat Macdonald (True HR), Martin Hathaway (Mid Yorkshire Chamber) and Annie Bradley (Department of International Trade).
You can apply for the business of the month award here - https://www.businessofthemonth.co.uk/
Website: www.markflynnphotography.com/
Eaton Smith Solicitors is delighted to announce that Towndoor Limited has been chosen by the judging panel as the latest winner of its Business of the Month Award.
Towndoor Limited is a Holmfirth-based specialist in commercial property, which has been run by the Bamforth family for over 35 years. The company's inception was in April 1988, when Stuart and Lucy Bamforth acquired a significant portion of J.I. Case's Meltham Mills Factory.
Although Stuart passed away in 2002, his legacy lives on through Towndoor. Today, Towndoor are one of West Yorkshire's leading businesses for commercial property lettings.
With Stuart and Lucy's eldest son, Dan Bamforth, now at the helm as Managing Director, Towndoor continues to thrive and grow. The company's success is a testament to the family's unwavering dedication to providing high-quality commercial property solutions to businesses in the region.
In 2022, Towndoor introduced Lu's Place, a purpose-built café nestled within the heart of Meltham Mills. Operated by Towndoor’s sister company, Bamforth Leisure Limited, this establishment was designed with a particular vision in mind - to offer a warm and welcoming space for the community to gather.
Lu’s Place also went on the win the Business of the Month Award for July.
Jack Dixon, Executive Director, commented: “We're delighted to be chosen as Business of the Month. Our recent and ongoing business efforts span property upgrades, refining internal systems, and enhancing our tenant experiences. We've also focused on staff training to boost job satisfaction. Awards like this motivate our team to keep excelling.”.
Deborah Melluish, Senior Partner at Eaton Smith Solicitors, and member of the judging panel commented; “We were really excited to read Towndoor’s application, it is a brilliant story of a family run business continuously expanding over the years. They have worked on some really exciting projects, including fellow Business of the Month winners, Lu’s Place! We are very excited for what the future holds for Towndoor Limited”.
Deborah Melluish chaired the judging panel and was joined by Rachel Helliwell (Yorkshire Children’s Centre), Martin Hathaway (Mid Yorkshire Chamber) and Annie Bradley (Department of Business & Trade).
Website: www.towndoor.co.uk/
Eaton Smith Solicitors is delighted to announce that Sam Teale Productions has been chosen by the judging panel as the latest winner of its Business of the Month Award.
Founded in June 2020, Sam Teale Productions was first established bursting with life, energy and ambitions. Sam Teale found his love for video production at the age of 14, where he began uploading videos to YouTube reviewing various products, one of those being the GoHenry debit cards for kids.
Following years as a freelance videographer, founder Sam had big ambitions to take his self-taught skills to the next level and start his own videography business. Within such a short space of time, Sam Teale Productions has won other awards such as “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” with Great British Entrepreneur Awards & Community.
In the past 3 years, since being founded, Sam Teale Productions have worked with major companies such as Booking.com, Santander, Budweiser China, Capri-Sun, CO-OP and Heatable and have recently become affiliate partners with the Championship football club, Huddersfield Town. Amazingly, last year they made one of the biggest Christmas Adverts ever made, beating John Lewis’ famous Christmas advert for number of online views.
Sam Teale, Founder of Sam Teale Productions, commented: “It is an absolute honour to be named Eaton Smith Solicitors business of the month, the businesses that have come before us are incredible and we are so proud that the panel felt like we deserved this accolade. We will place this proudly in the middle of our office and we will keep striving to make the most magical video content”.
Chris Taylor, Partner at Eaton Smith Solicitors, and member of the judging panel commented; "The judges and I absolutely loved Sam Teale Productions’ application. Their unique character really shone above the other applicants. The application gives a very impressive story of Sam Teale chasing his passion and turning it into a very impressive business.
“It is clear he has a very talented team around him, the productions they are making are absolutely brilliant! It was great to meet his team Lydia, Ellie, and SB.
“We are all really excited to see what other projects Sam Teale and his team have in the pipeline, and we can’t wait to see them again at the Business of the Year Awards next year”.
Chris Taylor chaired the judging panel and was joined by Stefanie Hopkins (Faith Brand Communications), Carol Sibbald (Huddersfield University), Martin Hathaway (Mid Yorkshire Chamber) and Annie Bradley (Department of Business & Trade).
Website: www.samtealeproductions.com/
Eaton Smith Solicitors is delighted to announce that Lu's Place has been chosen by the judging panel as the latest winner of its Business of the Month Award.
Lu's Place is a contemporary cafe nestled in Holme Valley, incorporating an industrial yet stylish aesthetic. Lu's Place pride themselves in attracting all kinds of passing trade, including walkers, cyclists, and horse riders, so they decided to install a trademark equestrian pen, a boot-wash, dog & horse water troughs, and a sheltered cycle store.
Planning for the site was granted in 2019 and the groundworks began in 2020, just before the global pandemic hit. Their £1-million purpose built, and contemporary café finally opened in March 2022, and has continued to grow since.
Craig Capp, HR Director for Lu's Place, commented: “We are incredibly proud to receive this recognition and add this Business of the Month award to our collection which puts us as 1 of the 12 finalists for the Business of the Year awards later this year!
It is fair to say that there is nothing quite like Lu’s Place in our area, and our multiple awards serve as validation of the unique experience we offer to our valued customers. Having witnessed the construction of Lu’s Place from the ground up, it really is inspiring to see the business thrive as it does today, and I’m delighted to be a part of it.
The success of Lu's Place is a direct result of the unwavering commitment and abilities of everyone within the team, and they should all be tremendously proud of this achievement.”
James Burgess, Partner at Eaton Smith Solicitors, and member of the judging panel commented;
"Lu's Place are worthy winners of this month's award. The judges were particularly impressed by their contribution to the local community and their focus upon creating a sustainable and environmentally friendly business.
Lu's Place opened in March 2022 and has since then demonstrated impressive growth. All in all, they thoroughly deserve recognition as our business of the month!"
James Burgess chaired the judging panel and was joined by Richard Ralph (Foresight Group) and Sarah Agar-Brennan (Huddersfield University), Martin Hathaway (Mid Yorkshire Chamber) and Annie Bradley (Department of Business & Trade).
You can apply for the business of the month award here: https://www.businessofthemonth.co.uk/
Website: lusplace.co.uk/
The winners of the Business of the Year Awards 2024 were France & Associates Ltd, an award winning specialist registered architectural practice based in Huddersfield. They provide an all-encompassing architectural and surveying service, being instructed as property finders to help and assess a property prior to its purchase and take on a property project from inception and manage the process to completion.
The business was started by Jonathan France, who saw an opportunity to provide exclusive services to those requiring home improvements due to access issues by providing beautifully designed spaces to those affected by disability.
In second place were Wayland Additive. Boasting a combined 150+ years of industrial electron beam manufacturing expertise, the company was born out of a high precision engineering team with a long and distinguished pedigree in the semiconductor industry, where electron beam widths are measured in nanometers and process instabilities are unacceptable. The use of and experience with eBeam technology in semiconductor manufacturing indicated that its use in additive manufacturing could be improved. Thus, since 2015 a team of eBeam experts from the lithography world began to coalesce around solving the single most serious problem inherent in the eBeam AM process, the charging of the powder.
Website: www.waylandadditive.com/
In third place were Sam Teale Productions Limited. Founded in June 2020, Sam Teale Productions was first established bursting with life, energy and ambition. Sam Teale found his love for video production at the age of 14, where he began uploading videos to YouTube reviewing various products.
Following years as a freelance videographer, Sam had big ambitions to take his self-taught skills to the next level and start his own videography business. Within such a short space of time, Sam Teale Productions has won other awards such as ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ with Great British Entrepreneur Awards & Community.
In the past 4 years, since being founded, Sam Teale Productions have worked with major companies such as Booking.com, Santander, Budweiser China and more.
Website: www.samtealeproductions.com/
