Port Erin's Mantons Cards has been selected as a finalist in The NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards as 'High Street Entrepreneur of the Year'.
The greeting card and gift specialists impressed the judges who said, “Against the dawn of internet shopping, many high streets have been left in the shadows. Once bustling hubs of commerce, empty units and thinning footfall are common ailments among town centres today. The High Street Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognises the achievements of the businesses that have harnessed modern methods to bring business success, and more importantly, consumers back to the four-walled world.”
Judges included former Dragons Den star James Caan CBE, Apprentice star Bianca Miller-Cole and Dale Murray CBE who was a guest speaker at this years Islexpo.
Gordon Merrylees, Head of Entrepreneurship for NatWest, said: “Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of the economy. There are more businesses than ever before and it is clear that entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.”
"After a difficult start to the year (due to the road closures caused by the re-generation of Port Erin), this is a fantastic motivation for the Mantons team and hopefully helps to show that Port Erin is back and open for business" commented owner Chris Beards.
"After winning The British Independent Retailer of the Year Award, everyone at Mantons is delighted to be named as a High Street Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist, especially as we are the only Manx company to ever achieve this honour. This is well deserved recognition for all our team's hard work and commitment to help our customers, which is something all of the us at Mantons take pride in".
"It is fantastic to be recognised by these awards that appreciate the challenge of High Street retailing, especially as 2017 is Mantons 30th Anniversary year. Although this award recognises the entrepreneur I believe it that the whole Mantons Team should be incredibly proud as they really are the unsung heroes of our success " continued Chris.
The Awards, now in their 5th year, recognises the hard work and inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and businesses across the British Isles.
Every independent retailer in the UK was eligible for the competition and the finalists are chosen on a range of qualities including the quality of products offered, customer shopping experience, and customer service. Of special interest to the judges is forward thinking, innovation and team work.
Since 2010 Mantons has won sixteen national awards including the British Independent Retailers Association's 'Independent Retailer of the Year', plus being named as one of the top 100 small businesses in the UK in 2015 and winning the BIRA Hero Award for fundraising and community work in 2016.
The winners of this year’s prestigious awards, will be revealed at an awards ceremony on 14th November at the Imperial War Museum so everyone at Mantons will be hoping its seventeenth time lucky.
Photo - Chris Beards with recent awards.
