Lancaster-based wood and coal fuel specialist, Logs Direct has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2017 E3 Business Awards, in the prestigious ‘Family Business of the Year’ category.
The company, which supplies top quality kiln-dried wood and kindling, coal and charcoal products, a range of innovative fuel options ranging from Coffee Logs to Brackenburn Brackettes, and eco-friendly Yorganics compost and other outdoor and garden products, was selected from amongst hundreds of nominees. It will now head to the final, to be held at the Macron Stadium, Bolton on July 13 2017.
The family business was founded by father and son, Alan and Andrew Foulds, in 2004, and has grown to now be a team of 13. Whilst Alan has now retired, Andrew and wife Liz run the business, with the assistance of sales director, Stephen Talbot, whose son, Phil, also works at the company.
Liz Foulds says: “We are delighted to be a finalist in the E3 Business Awards and are proud to be demonstrating what a family-run business can achieve. We have a tight team here and this shortlisting will give us all a great boost in the months before the final.
“We believe we have demonstrated how a family business can evolve and innovate, by keeping product development as a driver of the business. We certainly have an exciting range of products to offer to customers. However, we also believe we have lost none of our family values of delivering great service, time after time, and doing all in our power to meet customers’ needs. That is as important to us as our growth.”
Being shortlisted in the E3 Awards is already a great endorsement of the business’s success, as Mubarak Chati, managing director of 1 Events Media, which hosts the E3 Awards, explains. “Each year, it becomes more of an achievement to win a finalist’s place,” he explains. “Every year since we’ve started, we’ve seen an increase in nominations and a corresponding increase in quality. This year, across all seventeen award categories, we’ve seen an increase of around 18% on last year.”
“We’ve had nominations from throughout the North West and we’ve seen real strength in all areas. One of the big surprises has been the number of entries from new businesses, digital, creative and media sectors, women in business and voluntary organisations. Being named a finalist for 2017 is an achievement of which Logs Direct should be very proud.”
