The finalists for this year's EADT Business Awards have been announced, and here we learn about the top four in the Innovation Award category, sponsored by University of Suffolk.
6 Alpha Associates
Based in Woolpit, near Bury St Edmunds, 6 Alpha Associates is recognised as an international market leader in unexploded ordnance (UXO) risk management and explosives ordnance disposal (EOD).
Founded by Simon Cooke in 2004, the company operates primarily in the construction and civil engineering sub-surface sectors, both onshore and increasingly in offshore wind and cabling. It also has international offices in the United States, Germany, Spain and Hong Kong.
The judges commended 6 Alpha for having “a crystal-clear vision, a rock-solid mission and an inspiring and dedicated leader”, adding that the company’s commitment to excellence was evident.
They said Suffolk should be proud that a world-beating company such as 6 Alpha Associates calls it home.
Associated Asphalt Contracting
Associated Asphalt Contracting is an established surfacing and civil engineering business based in Bury St Edmunds, offering comprehensive solutions to the highways, airfields and road construction sectors.
The company, which turned over £50m last year, delivers schemes worth up to £10m across the civil engineering industry, from high-speed schemes for HS2, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Heathrow Airport, to recent emergency works across East Anglia for National Highways.
The judges said Associated Asphalt “never stops innovating and looking at new ways to solve old problems – even outside its core industry”.
They added that it seems to be a company where anyone would want to work, with its culture of openness, innovative spirit and a winning attitude that has led to impressive financial growth.
Frugalpac
Based in Ipswich, Frugalpac is a sustainable packaging company that creates and supplies recycled paper-based products that are recycled again easily and don’t need to go to landfill.
Its first product was the Frugal Cup, the world’s only recyclable beverage and food cup made from 96% recycled paper, using 60% less carbon than normal paper cups.
In June 2020, it launched the Frugal Bottle, the world’s first commercially available paper bottle for wine, spirits and olive oil.
The judges said Frugalpac demonstrated very strong leadership and clear direction, adding that the business demonstrated some “great examples of innovative thinking in overcoming early challenges and adapting the model to new solutions”.
Roadfill
Founded in 2018, Roadfill is a civil engineering firm based in Haverhill that finds alternative uses for waste plastics in construction designs.
Roadfill takes low melt waste polymers, which would otherwise be placed in landfill or incinerated, and repurposes them into an asphalt filler material to reduce the percentage of bitumen required to repair or a lay a new road.
This process reduces carbon emissions and extends the life span of the road surface.
The judges said Roadfill offers “a unique solution to a perennial problem” and praised it for “overcoming significant resistance in its own industry”.
They added that the business is “poised to be a world beater but remains focussed on its core values and its people”.
The winners of the EADT Business Awards 2023 will be announced at an award ceremony at Kesgrave Hall, Ipswich on Thursday, September 28. For more information, please visit eadtbusinessawards.co.uk
To find out more about all finalists, please click here.
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