Well, all we can say at Team Solomons is “oh, what a night!”.

Our Managing Director Dominic Doig was bursting with pride to receive the Small Business of the Year Award at the NEPIC Annual Industry Awards held at Hardwick Hall Hotel, Sedgefield on Friday (March 25).

The award recognises outstanding sector interaction, collaboration, and business growth in the process sector during 2021.

Solomons’ North East Director Ian Hedley, said: “I’m over the moon with this prestigious accolade.

“Solomons is a proud SME, and we’re passionate about the power we and fellow small businesses can have in delivering real positive change. When given the opportunity, we can deliver sustainable commercial success for our clients and achieve meaningful socioeconomic impact – a real win-win scenario.

“I’m delighted for the North East team and Solomons that our hard work over what was a very challenging year has been recognised by NEPIC and the judges.”

The skills and expertise of Solomons’ team members were in demand as clients fought wave after wave of challenges to in-flight projects and frameworks as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Team members had to embark on a steep learning curve to minimise the commercial impact of challenges including restricted site working and rapidly changing HSE guidance and legislation – while at the same time adapting to dramatic changes in their own working practices.

Despite this, Solomons drove forward with its pre-pandemic growth plans. During 2021:

• Our North East team grew from 17 to 23
• They secured 6 new clients, adding to our existing roster of 15 which includes fellow NEPIC members Sabic, KD Pharma, Wood and Bilfinger
• We opened a new spacious and relaxed workspace at Lambton Park, near Chester-Le-Street, complementing our longstanding presence in Hartlepool
• We launched TeesSMEs – an alliance of 10 Teesside-based SMEs with the capability and capacity to seize new opportunities in the North East (the vast majority are NEPIC members)

Reflecting on the award, Dom said: “It’s really inspiring to look back at what we managed to achieve in spite of what was going on in the world. This award is testament Ian and his team’s hard work. They weren’t happy just to keep our head above water – they drove on, recruited more top talent to the team, secured new clients and increased revenues beyond expectations. I’m absolutely thrilled for them and the wider Solomons team.”

As well as receiving the trophy, Dom also picked up a cheque for £2,000 to donate to a local school of our choice to fund a science related project – part of NEPIC’s commitment to attracting future talent to the process sector.

We nominated Breckon Hill Primary School, Middlesbrough, to receive this cash prize, which was kindly donated by the Small Business of the Year category sponsor and leading international chemical logistics service provider Den Hartogh.

Solomons’ People and Performance Manager, Victoria Clements, a former pupil at Breckon Hill Primary School, added: “Paying it Forward is central to our company’s ethos, so I’m delighted that by winning this award pupils from my old school – which remains close to my heart after all these years – will benefit too. Hopefully it will inspire some real stars of the future.”

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