An award ceremony will be held in the Midlands next month to honour prominent figures in Asian business and cement the area’s reputation as a hub of Asian talent.
Now in its fifth year, The Lloyds TSB Central Jewel Awards will celebrate the achievements of British Asians in both the public and private sector.
This year the awards received a record 13,000 nominations, demonstrating the growing number of Asian business success stories, the event’s organisers revealed.
The shortlist of finalists has now been released. Entrepreneurs have been nominated in several of the seven categories, but will be specifically honoured in the Entrepreneur Excellence Jewel Award. Nominees include Waseem Saddique, chairman of the EverPlus Group which now has a turnover of £74m.
Former GB Young Gun Shelim Hussain MBE (Class of 2003), chairman of one of the fastest growing frozen foods distributors Eurofoods, has been nominated for the Retail Food & Franchise Excellence Jewel Award.
According to the event’s organisers, there are an estimated 200,000 Asian firms in the UK, generating wealth at a rate three times the national average, and many of these businesses are based in the Midlands.
Truett Tate, group executive director for Wholesale & International Banking at Lloyds TSB, said: “The success story of Britain’s Asian community continues to be unabated. Year after year, the shortlist for the Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards showcases an incredible array of talent and this year is no exception.
“Through the Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards we want to demonstrate the achievements of the community across the public and private sector.”
The awards will take place on July 14 2007, and form one of a series of three events. The final event, Lloyds TSB Southern Jewel Awards will take place on September 15 2007.
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2007
