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| Nice hair guys! - (L-R) Dan Lobb, Steve Rowbottom, Marc Westerman and Jayne Lewis-Orr |
Westrow hairdressing, which has seven salons across Yorkshire, was
celebrating again on Monday night after taking home the trophy in the
Business Director of the Year and Franchisee of the Year categories at
the national 2012 British Hairdressing Business Awards.
Held at
the Lancaster London Hotel, London on Monday 17 September 2012,
presented by Hairdressers Journal International and hosted by leading
media personality, Dan Lobb, the national British Hairdressing Business
Awards are now in their fourteenth year and are designed to specifically
recognise and celebrate excellence and exceptional business practice
within the hairdressing industry.
Laura Procter from Westrow
West Park took home the trophy for Franchisee of the Year at the event,
while the ultimate accolade of the night and most prestigious business
award in the hairdressing industry - Business Director of the Year -
went to Westrow directors Steve Rowbottom and Marc Westerman for their
forward-thinking, entrepreneurial expertise and skill.
The
event, which has sixteen categories, recognises and rewards the
commercial insight and foresight of the leading hairdressers and
business talent throughout the UK. To enter, salons or individuals have
to fulfil the set criteria, which must be presented in a dossier. This
is initially judged by a team of industry experts along with the
sponsors of each category. From these impartial judging sessions,
finalists are chosen and the dossiers judged by an independent panel of
judges, including industry experts, business journalists and financial
specialists.
For Business Director of the Year, Marc Westerman
and Steve Rowbottom were required to submit an entry that proved their
forward-thinking business strategy and prowess, roles, achievements,
motivational and entrepreneurial skills and industry passions, backed up
with statistics and an interview with a panel of industry experts.
For
Franchisee of the Year Laura Procter was required to submit a dossier
highlighting Westrow West Park's turnover, marketing and brand activity,
training, career opportunities and business aims and long-term
objectives.
Marc Westerman and Steve Rowbottom were shortlisted
against six other UK salons in the Business Director of the Year
category while Laura Procter was shortlisted against three other UK
salons in the Franchisee of the Year category, with the trio selected by
judges as the best in the business, demonstrating exemplary business
acumen and skill.
Steve Rowbottom, Westrow director said:
"Winning this award is a great personal and professional accolade for
us. We have always strived to set ourselves apart from our competitors
with our values and beliefs - everything is about planning for today,
which in turn allows us to plan for tomorrow.
"We are proactive
and reactive and understand about the perception of the business and how
business is perceived and received and ultimately we have never
diversified from our original thought process 25 years ago, which is
quality over quantity every time."
Marc Westerman said: "This
year, which is our 25th year in business, has been an incredible one for
Westrow. To win both the Franchisee of the Year and Business Director
of the Year awards is a wonderful feeling, and is the perfect launch pad
for our Westrow Academy, a centre of educational excellence, which is
set to open in the heart of Leeds in 2013."
Publishing Director
of Hairdressers Journal International, Jayne Lewis-Orr, commented:
"Entries were alive with innovation, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial
expertise showing amazing skills across the breadth of business
management. The judges had an extremely difficult job as standards were
so high and for Westrow to be chosen as winner of two categories at the
British Hairdressing Business Awards is a tremendous testimony to their
skills and business acumen."
