On the Queen’s 94th Birthday, luxury bathroom retailer supplier HiB was recognised as one of just 220 British businesses to win the coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category.
From humble origins selling mirrors from his North London home in 1990, HiB Chairman, Warren Ginsberg spent almost 30 years growing a thriving family business whilst challenging the status quo of the bathroom industry. By creating innovative bathroom products to give customers more choices and benefits than ever before, HiB is at the forefront of bathroom design in the UK and worldwide today.
In 2014, after significant business growth and development, HiB became the first bathroom products manufacturer to embed Colour Temperature Changing (CTC) technology into bathroom mirrors, newly pioneering an entire sub-industry. From there they have gone on to further innovate, adding Bluetooth Technology and heated pads to keep mirrors crystal clear and steam free to meet the needs of the modern consumer’s gadget-loving, tech-driven, always-on lifestyle, allowing them to play music or even talk on the phone.
ROAD TO SUCCESS
Assessment
The Queen’s Awards are designed to recognise the outstanding achievements of British business in the fields of, Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).
The eligibility criteria are stringent and there is a rigorous entry process. So before we support anyone to enter, we run an assessment to determine whether the business is ready to win.
In Spring 2019, with HiB’s 30th year anniversary approaching, managing director Robert Ginsberg thought it would be wonderful to mark the company's success by winning the most prestigious business award in the UK and when he told us their story, we knew from the very first assessment that they had what it takes to win a Queen’s Award.
After passing our assessment, we were confident HiB had a great chance of winning in the innovation category. So we got to work finding out every detail about the business and their industry-leading products.
Crafting the Nomination
We met the HiB team at their national distribution centre in Tamworth, where we were hugely impressed with how the business is run and enjoyed the family feel that they have maintained despite their scale.
It was wonderful to hear of all the community and charity projects they get involved in too, like ‘Around the World in Different Ways’ where the whole team is fundraising for Alzheimer’s Research UK and the National Autistic Society. You can read more about this and support here.
After discovering so much about the business, we were able to support the team to carry on with their main business focus whilst we crafted their nomination, demonstrating and evidencing their business achievements to prove the many reasons why they deserved to be recognised as one of Britain's best businesses.
THE ROYAL STAMP OF APPROVAL
We thoroughly enjoyed supporting HiB from entry in the summer, to shortlisting in the autumn, and finally winning in April 2020.
As winners, HiB will now be able to shout about their achievements by;
● Displaying the globally recognised winners logo for the next 5 years across their website, products, and communications
● Flying the official Queen's Award flag at their UK Headquarters, Inspire House
● Maximising PR opportunities in regional, national and industry press
● Leveraging their win to increase sales and enhance customer relationships
● Being invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace
● Hosting an official event with the Lord Lieutenant, who will present them with their award and commemorative glass trophy
We are so proud to have been able to support another fantastic, well-deserving British business to win. And at a time when the world is in a state of flux, it has been a hugely positive message for HiB to bring to their customers, teams and partners – demonstrating that the UK is a place for strong family businesses to thrive in the future.
Robert Ginsberg, Managing Director said,
“Product development is at the heart of our business vision and our design teams continuously drive the company forward with new, inventive concepts to benefit the wider community. Across the HiB and Novum ranges, our mission has always been to provide mirrors, cabinets, lighting and ventilation solutions which combine stunning aesthetics with the very latest technology and our growing product collections are a clear demonstration of that vision.
We inspire a strong company culture across our workforce, which is based upon our core values of excellence, teamwork, community and innovation. As a business we value the creativity and vision of all our employees, which helps us work towards a common sense of achievement. This has been particularly clear over the last few months.
Despite the difficult times many of us are facing, it is heartening to know that we can share some positive news with our partners, suppliers, employees and wider community and celebrate this significant award, which is a huge achievement for everyone at HiB.”
And we were delighted to know how much they enjoyed working with us too, with such lovely feedback:
“We are delighted to have won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category and would highly recommend Donna’s services. Her professional advice and guidance was invaluable during the application process, and we would like to thank her for all her efforts. With Donna’s help, we were able to put together a comprehensive submission for the esteemed award, and we are thrilled with the results.” Steve Kaye, Marketing Director, HiB
Could you win a King’s Award for Enterprise?
Feeling inspired? Think you could be a King’s Awards for Enterprise winner? Don’t know how or where to start? Then get in touch!
We will consult with you and give you an honest assessment. If you’re not likely to win, we will make sure you understand why, and when to apply in the future. And if you do have a good chance of winning, we will let you know the next steps to take.
UK Businesses of all sizes can win a King’s Award. All you need is at least 2 full-time employees and good growth. And remember, the awards look back at your past financial performance, so don’t let what’s happening now put you off entering!
The competition opens in May and deadlines in September each year. Nominations take many WEEKS and more often months to prepare. We limit how many projects we work on each year, so if you want to enter, contact us now for your honest assessment.
