Employee-owned Stockport-based Rowlinson Knitwear has been praised for its progressive business practice and values-led culture, with MD Donald Moore receiving the only double award win at the Institute of Directors (IoD) Director of the Year awards last month.
Highlighting the business for its integrity and clear business vision, the 2019 IoD North West awards recognised Donald's unwavering focus on leading his colleagues where customers and employees come before profit.
In receiving the Corporate Social Responsibility and Small-Medium Business Director of the Year awards, Donald, who has headed up Rowlinson for the past 21 years, spoke about how the wins were a tribute to the whole team and the culture of the business, which has been strategically developed during his tenure.
He said: "I am honoured to win two IoD awards, which are a testament to the talent and efforts of all of my colleagues and I accept them on their behalf."
"The IoD awards have provided us with a fantastic opportunity to promote the huge benefits of being an employee-owned business, which we believe has provided the best platform to sustain our commercial success since transition in 2015. The IoD has a real focus on integrity and enterprise, which resonates with what we are doing. I hope that many more companies will be inspired by our story and achievements to consider the many benefits that employee ownership brings."
The IoD Director of the Year awards embody the IoD's objectives in the North West by bringing the best leaders in the region to the fore, whilst celebrating the diverse achievements of entrepreneurial and inspiring business leaders. The awards highlighted the success of North West directors - from young businesses leading a small but driven team, to large corporations based regionally, but overseeing operations throughout the world.
Claire Ebrey, Regional Director for the North West and Isle of Man added: "Under Donald's leadership, Rowlinson has raised the bar for businesses in the region to not just talk the talk, but to be bold and actively place CSR at the heart of all activity to make a real difference. This is a business where employees are deeply engaged and where communication is placed as a priority to give everyone a voice and develop individual ownership over both daily and long-term activities.
"Donald's nominations clearly outlined Rowlinson commitment to an ethical, people-focused culture. This was demonstrated through its the business practices regionally in Stockport with its Real Living Wage accreditation, as well as being ranked as the 19th Best Workplace® 2019 by Great Places To Work®. Overseas, Rowlinson upholds its socially responsible initiatives, including water filter gifting to help improve the health of its Bangladeshi factory workers and it is leading the way by conducting Health and Safety audits in these sites to UK standards - each is an amazing example of CSR in practice."