Ballymena businesses were out in force last Thursday (30th October) at the Gala evening in Tullyglass House Hotel to celebrate the 12th Ballymena Borough Business Excellence awards. The awards are organised annually by Ballymena Borough Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Principal sponsor this year was Ballymena Borough Council.

Ballymena Chamber of Commerce & Industry committee members and their special guests at the 2014 Business Awards dinner in the Tullyglass Hotel. Back row, L-R, Deputy Mayor of Baymena  Cllr Hubert Nicholl, Mark Nodder of Wrightbus, Ian Paisley MP, Alastair Hamilton (Chief Executive of Invest Northern Ireland), guest speaker Jackie Fullerton, Chamber President Alan Stewart, Christopher Brooke, Chris Wales.  Front,  L-R, May Nicholl,  Fiona Paisley, Mayor of Ballymena Cllr Audrey Wales MBE, Lisa Stewart.

Chamber President Alan Stewart welcomed everyone. He said “On behalf of Ballymena Borough Chamber of Commerce and Industry, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you all here tonight to celebrate our 12th Ballymena Business Excellence Awards. The fact that there are over 400 people present here this evening, clearly illustrates the high esteem in which the local business community hold this event.

Tonight is about celebrating the success of the Ballymena Borough Business Community and focusing on the huge contribution made by local Businesses and to highlight the commitment made by individuals. As a Chamber we see this as an excellent event to promote Ballymena to the rest of Northern Ireland as a great place to live, work and do business.

I would like to thank all our sponsors, especially our principal sponsor Ballymena Borough Council. Chamber has had an excellent working relationship with the Council in recent years and we look forward to building on that relationship in the future. To our individual category sponsors, many of whom return year on year to support the awards, we really are grateful for your support”.

President of Ballymena Chamber of Commerce Alan Stewart with Ian Paisley MP and Glyn Roberts from NIIRTA

Ballymena Mayor Cllr. Audrey Wales MBE said “As Mayor of Ballymena, I am delighted to have been invited to speak at tonight’s awards.  This is the 12th year of these Awards, the purpose of which is to demonstrate the commitment to excellence shown by many of the businesses within the Borough of Ballymena.

As principal sponsor of the Awards, Ballymena Borough Council is fully committed to creating the environment that commerce can operate in. Ballymena can be a place for business excellence and we are proud to be home for some great globally recognised organisations. The Economic climate only makes us more determined to collaborate jointly and dovetail our strategies and plans together for the benefit of our local people. Such partnership working can assist and support the growth and prosperity, both now and in the future, for our people and our place – Ballymena”.

Mayor of Ballymena Cllr Audrey Wales MBE presents the Commitment to Ballymena Award to Rt. Hon. Christopher Brooke.

After an excellent meal came the highlight of the evening, the presentation of the awards. Jackie Fullerton was the compere and the atmosphere was electric and there were great scenes of jubilation as the winners were announced.

During the evening a draw was held for the Northern Ireland Hospice and the excellent total of £3,200 was raised.

Many thanks to John McIlwaine who provided all the photography on the evening.