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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."