PLUS Stock Exchange (PLUS-SX) celebrated the winners of its PLUS Awards 2011 last night at a ceremony held at the headquarters of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
The event was attended by PLUS growth market companies as well as their advisers and other professionals involved in the SME business sector. The Awards are now in their fourth year, and were established to celebrate the achievements of companies listed on PLUS-SX.
The winning companies and advisers, selected by a panel of independent industry figures, are:
Company of the Year – Quercus Publishing plc
Independent publishing house Quercus is the fastest growing trade publisher in the UK. The company reported record profits for 2010 and made its maiden dividend payment to shareholders.
IPO of the Year – Teknomining plc
Teknomining was admitted to PLUS-SX in April last year. The company’s main focus is exploration for copper chromium and iron-ore in Turkey and it had a successful first year on market.
Transaction of the Year – ANS Group plc acquisition of Alpha Business Computers
ANS Group, the Cisco, NetApp and VMware infrastructure specialists, win this award for their acquisition of Alpha Business Computers Limited. PLUS Corporate Adviser was St Helens Capital Partners and Mace and Jones LLP were legal advisers to the transaction.
Chairman/CEO of the Year – Michael Infante of One Media Publishing Group plc
Michael Infante is both Chairman and CEO of One Media Publishing Group and has led the company through a very successful year in building its impressive catalogue of music and video rights.
Best Corporate Communications Programme – Eden Research plc
Eden Research is a leading UK agrochemical development company. The judges recognised the company’s consistent and proactive communications programme, including use of web-site, press coverage, and investor shows.
Fund-raising of the Year – St Helens Capital Partners LLP
St Helens Capital Partners, one of the most active advisers on PLUS-SX, completed two significant fund-raisings in difficult market conditions for Oracle Coalfields.
Corporate Adviser of the Year – Rivington Street Corporate Finance Ltd
Rivington Street Corporate Finance, one of the most active advisers on PLUS-SX, is recognised as corporate adviser to many successful PLUS-SX companies and as a long term supporter of the PLUS market.
James Caan, Chairman of Hamilton Bradshaw Venture Partners, who hosted the awards congratulated the winners and noted that: “I spend quite a lot of time developing and supporting small and medium sized businesses, so it is encouraging to see so many companies flourishing on PLUS despite the harsh market conditions. The PLUS Stock Exchange has proven to be a fantastic option for growing companies and we very much hope to list some of our advisory clients on there in the near future.”
Jonathan Pearce, Chairman of the PLUS Awards 2011 judging panel and Partner at the law firm Marriott Harrison, commented: “The awards showcase the strength of the companies listed on PLUS-SX and the great work that they are doing. The excellent support provided by their advisers is an important factor in supporting the success of these companies. We congratulate the winners and look forward to seeing them continue to grow in the future.”
The PLUS Awards 2011 event was managed and organised by Three’s a Crowd. Sponsors of the event included: Hamilton Bradshaw Venture Partners, St Helens Capital Partners LLP, and Winterflood Securities. Media sponsors for the event are Shares and MoneyAM.