We won! Fastest Growing Family Business 2017

24th November, 2017 | Press release

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Airband scooped the Fastest Growing Family Business award at the Midlands Family Business Awards on November 9, in recognition of its rapid growth in both size and turnover during the past few years.

Airband director Red Peel was also highly commended for the Entrepreneur of the Year award, which recognises vision and drive, and celebrates individuals who are champions of innovation within their field.

The Fastest Growing Business award reflects Airband’s strong and sustained growth, whilst still maintaining its family values.

Founded in 2009 by husband-and-wife team Red and Miranda Peel, Airband has grown rapidly to become one of the UK’s leading suppliers of wireless broadband, specialising in delivering Superfast broadband to rural and hard-to-reach areas.

In the last two years, Airband has been awarded four large projects, totalling a value of £23 million, supplying broadband to a contracted 34,000 homes and businesses. Airband’s extended network spans Worcestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Powys, Warwickshire, North and South Wales, Devon and Somerset.

The firm’s expansion has been via both government-led infrastructure projects and smaller independent community-led projects. As infill partner for Superfast Cymru, it also continues to extend its network in Wales.

Turnover has increased by 144 percent from £1.5m in 2015 to £3.8m in 2016, and forecasts for turnover and growth suggest it will continue to rise substantially over the next three to five years.

“It feels wonderful to have the hard work and dedication of our team recognised in these awards,” said Airband director, Red Peel.

The award takes into account a firm’s management structure and decision-making process, and the way in which family values and family members have guided the development of the business.

“Embedding strong positive values into our culture has been a key to our development as a company – as well as making sure that we operate well as a team, it has also meant that we are able to attract and retain good talent,” said Red.

“We’ve adopted a flatter management structure which means we’re able to have easier communication, better transparency and collaboration. It also means that as a business, we’re able to be fluid and responsive – which has been important for our growth in a technology-driven industry that is constantly evolving.”

Charlotte Perkins, MD of The Wilson Organisation and founder of the Midlands Family Business Awards commented:

“Our Fastest Growing Family Business panel were particularly impressed with Airband’s ability to maintain their core family values whilst demonstrating strong and sustained growth.

“The business has great plans for sustaining their positive performance in the future, with the family members guiding the ongoing development of the business, so we are looking forward to seeing their future successes.”

Commenting on gaining highly commended for the Entrepreneur of the Year award, Red said:

“It feels personally rewarding to have won highly commended for the Entrepreneur of the Year award as my direction for Airband has always been centred on us being at the cutting-edge of wireless broadband technologies – which has led to us being the leading supplier of wireless broadband in the UK,” he said.

Entrepreneur of the Year

“We are constantly evolving and always searching for the next new technology that can support our goals,” he said.

“In the past year, we have invested in innovative mapping software, ADTI, and we have also invested in both plant and in hiring and training new staff,” he said.

Charlotte Perkins, MD of The Wilson Organisation and founder of the Midlands Family Business Awards said:

“The Entrepreneur of the Year Award celebrates entrepreneurial family business leaders who are shaping the future and creating a legacy for the next generation. Redmond certainly ticked those boxes for our judging panel, who were also impressed with his pioneering and innovative approach to new technologies that enhance the lives and businesses of those based in rural communities.”

Airband co-founder Miranda Peel, steers and directs human resources and internal communications.

“Airband staff are able to adopt flexible working patterns where appropriate – which is seen as a marker of a forward-thinking organisation. I think staff respect flexibility and it helps create a culture of loyalty,” said Miranda.

“Little details like our breakfast sandwich Thursdays, Summer Family BBQ, Christmas Party are small but important touches that our staff appreciate,” she added.

Airband’s success at the Family Business Awards follows its recent nomination as a finalist in the best rural broadband at the 2017 ISPA awards.