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17/11/2008

Monday, 17 November 2008 – two young entrepreneurs who founded Scottish microbrewery, BrewDog have won the top prize today at the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ Awards. 

 

James Watt (26) & Martin Dickie (25) founders of Fraserburgh-based beermaker, BrewDog won £2,000 in cash and beat off stiff competition from over 500 PSYBT backed businesses who were eligible for this year’s ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award.  

 

The award winning duo launched their business in February 2007 and in less than two years they have achieved significant growth, with sales now exceeding £1million. BrewDog’s brands are widely stocked by Oddbins, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, as well as numerous independents and their range of alternative ales are being exported to over 16 different countries. This year, with the help of a major expansion loan from PSYBT, the company was able to purchase additional brewing equipment to meet the massive growth in demand.

 

Second place and a cash prize of £1,500 went to Mark Beaumont (27), founder of Scottish care service provider, Unique Care Solutions. An experienced care worker, Mark set up Unique Care Solutions in January last year after seeing a gap in the market for a user-friendly home based tailored domiciliary services to the elderly, frail, disabled, chronically sick and palliative clients in and around West Lothian and more recently Falkirk. Mark currently employs 36 people and has plans to increase staffing levels to 50 full time staff members and 20 part time staff in order to meet the growing demand for the service. 

 

The awards ceremony, which was supported by Microsoft, took place at the Barony in Glasgow.  Over 400 guests attended the awards which are now in their thirteenth year. TV personality, Viv Lumsden, who is a longstanding ambassador of the PSYBT, chaired the awards' ceremony, and Chris van der Kuyl, chief executive officer of Brightsolid Limited was the keynote speaker.

 

Presenting James Watt and Martin Dickie with their award, Mr van der Kuyl, said, “James and Martin have shown themselves to be true entrepreneurs in their approach to building and expanding their business. They are ambitious, they know how to market their products and they know what their customers want. These are key ingredients to running a successful business and they illustrate the exceptional young talent Scotland has to offer.”

 

Mark Strudwick, Chief Executive of the PSYBT said, “I would like to congratulate all the young entrepreneurs for what they have achieved. It is a huge step to set up your own business and work for yourself and all our winners have demonstrated that with dedication, commitment and talent you can achieve great things.  PSYBT is delighted to support them on their journey which is helping also to create a culture of entrepreneurship and success in Scotland.”

 

A special award was also given to the PSYBT ‘Volunteer of the Year’, and this was won by John Finnie, who was selected from over 600 PSYBT volunteers across Scotland.

 

Mr Finnie is Fife’s longest serving volunteer. His association with PSYBT goes back nearly twenty years, when John joined the Fife Regional Panel in 1989. Since his retiral in 1997 from accountancy firm Minto, Finnie, Parsons & Turnbull, John continues to volunteer his services to PSYBT, mentoring and inspiring young entrepreneurs to fulfil their self employment ambitions.

 

Ends

For media information please contact Jen Nash, Panache Communications Tel 0141 589 0514/07971 466220/Email jen@panachecommunications.co.uk

Alternatively please contact Margaret Gibson or Louise Moore on Tel no. 0141 248 4999 or visit the PSYBT website at www.psybt.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

James Watt & Martin Dickie of BrewDog can be contacted on Tel: 01346 519 009. Mark Beaumont of Unique Care Solutions can be contacted on 01506 632078.

 

PSYBT was launched in January 1989 and is a national organisation with offices in 18 Regions across Scotland. To date 8620 (10,209 proprietors) businesses have been assisted with £31.2m awarded - £27.8m in loans (89%) and £3.4m in grants (11%).