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WageDayAdvance wins Ward Hadaway Yorkshire Fastest 50 2013

LOAN specialist WageDayAdvance demonstrated its head for figures by walking off with two titles at the 2013 Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards, organised and sponsored by Ward Hadaway.

Winning ways – (from left) Abishek Khurana and Martin Williams of WageDayAdvance, winners of the fastest growing large business and overall fastest growing business in the Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards 2013.

The Skipton-based company won the awards for Fastest Growing Large Business and Overall Fastest Growing Business at the event at Aspire Leeds.

WageDayAdvance, which specialises in providing short-term payday loans, was founded by entrepreneur Dale Chapman and has grown from a small operation in Keighley to a business employing over 150 people.

Even before its triumph in the Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards, the company’s success had not gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, WageDayAdvance was bought by US group Speedy Cash Corp, which is looking to grow the company further.

Abishek Khurana, head of operations at WageDayAdvance, said: “We were surprised and very pleased to win these awards. “I think our success is about knowing our market, having a unique business model, investing in our employees, their loyalty and the vision of Dale Chapman.”

WageDayAdvance beat off stiff competition from luxury womenswear retailer Pure Collection Limited and commercial gas supplier Contract Natural Gas Limited, who were second and third respectively, to win the Fastest Growing Large Business award.

WageDayAdvance were not the only winners at the awards, organised and sponsored by top 100 UK law firm Ward Hadaway in association with the Yorkshire Post.

MSM Foods Limited of Normanton was named as the Fastest Growing Small Business for the second year in a row.

Growing success – Rafal Bienik of MSM Foods (second from right) receives the award for Fastest Growing Small Business of 2013 from Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls MP (right) and (from left) Ward Hadaway managing partner Jamie Martin and Yorkshire Post Business Editor Bernard Ginns.

The food wholesaler has carved out a profitable niche in the market supplying Polish food to a wide range of retailers nationwide.

Rafal Bienik, general manager at MSM Foods, said the company’s success was due to working “seven days a week to keep our customers happy and all that hard work is paying off”.

MSM won the title ahead of insurance specialist SMEI Group Ltd and vehicle platform hire business Access Hire Nationwide Ltd, who were second and third respectively.

Magma Ceramics and Catalysts Limited was named fastest growing medium-sized company of the year.

Dewsbury-based Magma makes ceramics and catalysts for a range of sectors and has customers across the world, as well as operations in Brazil and Vietnam.

Catalyst for success – Magma Ceramics and Catalysts managing director Mark Stuckey (second from right) receives the award for Fastest Growing Medium-Sized Business of 2013 from Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls MP (right) and (from left) Ward Hadaway managing partner Jamie Martin and Yorkshire Post Business Editor Bernard Ginns.

Mark Stuckey, managing director at Magma Ceramics and Catalysts, said: “We have some really great people working for us, but we also have fantastic customers and very supportive suppliers and it is this combination which has won us this award.”

Magma won the award ahead of second-placed filtration systems maker Freudenberg Filtration Technologies UK Limited and third-placed recycling and waste company Transwaste Ltd.

The winning companies and the runners-up were revealed before an audience of over 200 Fastest 50 company representatives and Yorkshire business leaders at Aspire Leeds on Friday 15 March.

Shadow Chancellor and Morley & Outwood MP Ed Balls gave the keynote speech at the event, outlining the importance of companies within the Yorkshire Fastest 50 to the future prosperity of the region and the country.

Yorkshire Post Business Editor Bernard Ginns introduced the awards, which reward profit-making privately-owned companies and organisations in the region which have shown the strongest sales growth over recent years.

Bradford University School of Management compiled the Yorkshire Fastest 50 list for 2013.

Jamie Martin, managing partner at event sponsor and organiser Ward Hadaway, announced the award winners and spoke about the importance of support in the business world.

Jamie said: “Having people to support you in business is hugely significant.

“This is precisely the role which we at Ward Hadaway aim to play in the lives of our clients – supporting their endeavours, backing their companies and helping them to achieve their business goals.

“As well as demonstrating our support for Yorkshire business, the Yorkshire Fastest 50 Awards also show what can happen when people with drive, determination and ability get the right backing from the right people.”

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