Reviewing the submissions for the awards, narrowing them down to the finalists and picking the winners was a draining exercise, but for good reasons. The Awards are a reminder that there are many fantastic businesses in Wales, and a reminder that we should be celebrating and shouting about our achievements and successes.
Some common themes emerged amongst the finalists and winners for this year’s awards that are worth sharing.
The first is people. All the finalists and winners put their people at the heart of everything they do. Speaking to all the winners, it was clear that in every case, it was a genuine team effort. Successful businesses and organisations are based on a successful team of people and a culture that recognises and rewards everyone’s efforts and contributions to that success. Recognition reaches all the way down the organisation. Every employee plays their part, and leaders are there to coach and encourage talent, tapping into both the experience and expertise of the longest serving members of the team, and the ambition and enthusiasm of the newest members of the team, and motivating everyone in between.
The second is ethos. The finalists and winners all stood out in how they embedded an organisational mission beyond just turning up to work 9-5. Creating an ethos and a sense of purpose is part of what creates a successful team. A sense of togetherness, a sense of achieving something together that is greater than the sum of the parts.
Having a clear sense of purpose and a culture focused on your people are no accidental markers of success. Attracting and retaining the best people should be the priority of any organisation, ensuring all your employees feel they can achieve their potential and encouraging them to go above and beyond.
The challenge of attracting and retaining talent is becoming increasingly difficult for employers. Demographics mean that we are all going to be chasing a smaller pool of talent. This is not just at the entry-level, but attracting experienced staff is a huge challenge for businesses as experienced staff simply don’t exist in the numbers businesses currently need.
It is a sellers’ market when it comes to top talent, and their choice increasingly comes down to whether an organisation reflects not just the ambitions and values of its people but whether those people feel happy and fulfilled on a broader measure. The best people want to feel as if they are a part of something.
That comes to the third lesson. Making a difference. All of the winners are businesses that genuinely believe that they exist to make a difference. Creating products that can change the way we do things, providing services that improve people’s lives, collaborating with others to solve challenges, investing in their communities and stakeholders to create a more positive future, and giving employees a greater sense of achievement.
The final observation is one of innovation. Whether the winners are old businesses or new businesses, they are all focused on understanding the challenges they face and investing the time and effort in figuring out how to solve them and how to incorporate change and innovation into everything they do.
The Welsh Business Awards are a positive reminder that whatever the economic or political environment, whatever the challenges, the best-run businesses will always succeed.
Congratulations to the 2025 Winners:
- Concrete Canvas Ltd – Global Business of the Year and the overall Welsh Business 2025 Winner
- FleetEV – Green Business of the Year
- ROCKWOOL Group – Manufacturer Business of the Year
- Nanopharm Ltd – Innovator Business of the Year
- Safran – Apprenticeship Business of the Year
- Simply Do – Digital Business of the Year
- PeoplePlus UK – Equity and Inclusion Business of the Year
- Educ8 Group – Workplace Culture Business of the Year
- Celtic English Academy – SME Exporter Business of the year
- Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru | Wales Millennium Centre – Client Experience Business of the Year
- Tyre Glider – Emerging Exporter Business of the Year
- Landsker – Professional Services Business of the Year
