A firm which helped mark the lines of football pitches at every stadium at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and UEFA Euro 2016 is celebrating a victory of its own.
Pitchmark, based at Coalpit Heath, scored the title of South West Business Exporters of the Year at the FSB ‘Celebrating Small Business Awards 2018’.
The family-run firm was set up in 2010 with a vision of raising the standard of line marking and to improve the quality of working life for ground staff.
Pictured: Pitchmark finance director Susan Rodman collects her FSB award
Managing director Mark Rodman – an ex-groundsman and engineer – has more than 30 years’ experience in the horticultural and amenity sector.
The firm manufactures and supplies a complete range of high-quality line marking paints, machines and accessories for any sport on any surface- around 70% of its sales are overseas.
It also invests heavily in research and development to improve the standard of line marking internationally.
Pitchmark finance director Susan Rodman said: “We were surprised, delighted and excited to win. It is nice for the whole team to have this recognition and it was also really enjoyable on the day to meet so many other amazing businesses.”
Pitchmark was one of 12 winners at the awards ceremony held at Somerset County Cricket Ground in Taunton this week. The contest aims to recognise the best small businesses from Tewkesbury to Penzance.
FSB South West chairman Roger Tarrant said the event highlighted the sheer diversity and strength of the local SME sector.
“It was a truly fantastic event where we saw so many great entries which showed again the range and quality of the small businesses here in the South West,” he added.
All 12 firms will now be reassessed against winners from 11 other UK FSB regions and could then be shortlisted to go through to the UK national FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards 2018 final in London in May.
Highly Commended certificates went to a number of other Bristol area companies in various categories, including ARV Solutions, Rockit (N2M Ltd) and the Census Group.
The full list for the South West area FSB Celebrating Small Business Award winners from 2018 is:
Business & Product Innovation Award
Limitless (Frome)
Business Exporter of the Year
Pitchmark Limited (Bristol)
Digital Business of the Year
SmartSurvey Ltd. (Tewkesbury)
Employer of the Year
Excalibur Communications (Swindon)
Ethical Green Business
Made for Life Organics (Spiezia Organics Ltd) (Truro, Cornwall)
Family Business of the Year
Vallance Ltd (Newton Abbot, Devon)
Micro Business of the Year
Ultramed Ltd (Penryn, Cornwall)
Scale-Up Business of the Year
Ascesis Media Ltd (Bournemouth)
South West Community Award
Mr Lee’s Pure Foods (Bournemouth)
Start-up Business of the Year
Taunton Cider (Taunton)
Triumph Over Adversity
Mooplehog (Oakhampton, Devon)
Young Entrepreneur of the Year (under 25 years of age)
Shaunessy Abrahams of Sedgemoor Caravans (Highbridge, Somerset)
