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MIX 56 CHESHIRE'S BEST MUSIC MIX
Warrington Business Awards 2026
A night to celebrate Warrington’s business stars
The Halliwell Jones Stadium provided the perfect setting for a night of showbiz glamour, celebration and inspiration as the Warrington Business Awards 2026 made a triumphant return.
Organised by Warrington Chamber Plus, the glittering ceremony welcomed the movers and shakers of Warrington’s vibrant business community for an evening celebrating excellence, ambition and the people helping the town thrive.
Held on Thursday, October 15, the event marked a major milestone: the return of the awards after a four-year gap, and a double celebration for Warrington Chamber and Warrington Wolves, both marking 150 years in 2026.
Celebrating local success
A total of 11 awards were presented on the night, recognising outstanding businesses, individuals and organisations making a real difference to the local economy and community.
From thriving small firms and inspiring entrepreneurs to employers, charities and community champions, the winners reflected the energy, resilience and creativity found across Warrington and the surrounding area.
In our news roundup, we’ll be featuring our radio coverage of each winner — celebrating the stories behind the success.
A feel-good factor
Before the awards got underway, we caught up with Stephen Fitzsimons — aka James Bond — who opened the evening on a high note.
Stephen’s message was clear: despite challenges in the wider economy, there is a real feel-good factor in Warrington and Cheshire as a whole, and the area remains a great place to do business.
Stephen Fitzsimons – Chief Executive Warrington Chamber Plus
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Stephen Fitzsimons Ian
The Winners
Young Person of the Year : James Mercer
The first award was for the Young Person or Student of the Year – the award recognising an exceptional person who has demonstrated outstanding potential, achievement and commintment in the early stages of their career or training Jouney. Smithy caught up with the winner, James Mercer.
James Mercer
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James Mercer Ian
Charity of the Year: More Than Together
This award recognised a charity (or not-for-profit organisation) that has made an oustanding difference to the lives of individuals, communities or causes within Warrington and beyond. With names like Room at the Inn, St Rocco’s Hospice and Warrington Youth Zone on the shortlist – the bar was set high.
The winner was More Than Together – a charity supporting men, women, and children through free peer support, mental health initiatives, sports programmes and community integration.
Ian Webb and Nathan Savage
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Nathan Savage & Ian Webb Ian
Entrepreneur of the Year : Rebecca Dutton-Geraghty
This award recognised an exceptional entrepeneur who has demonstrated vision, determination and leadership to building a successful business.
The winner was Rebecca Dutton-Geraghty from Safe & Snappy, a company that produces wristbands with a QR code. One scan shows everything. Condition. Medication. Emergency contacts. No app to download. Just the information that matters, exactly when it matters.
Rebecca Dutton-Geraghty
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Rebecca Dutton-Geraghty Ian
Employer of the Year: Adele Carr Recruitment
This award recognised an employer that has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to its people. The shortlist included The Park Royal Hotel, Sellafield and Dunkys Day Nurseries – but the winner was Adele Carr Recruitment, a leading independent Accountancy, Payroll & HR, Practice, Executive and Business Support recruitment agency.
Stuart Manford
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Stuart Manford Ian
Businessman of the Year: Andrew Unsworth
This award recognised an outstanding business leader who has demonstrated exceptional vision, leadership and commitment to driving business success.
The winner was Andrew Unsworth from Wire Cranes who provide expert crane hire in Warrington, with one of the UK’s only full fleet capabilities under one roof.
Andrew and his team were also awarded Small Business of the Year. What an achievement!
Andrew Unsworth
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Andrew Unsworth Ian
Businesswoman of the Year: Siobhan McCarroll
The finalists for Businesswoman of the Year included Heather Hiley of Hiley Financial Planning, Kirsty James of Kirsty James Consulting and Rebecca Dutton-Geraghty from Safe & Snappy,
But taking the trophy was Siobhan McCarroll from Dunkys Day Nurseries, a family of children’s nurseries providing high quality affordable daytime childcare from 0 – 11 years.
Siobhan McCarroll
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Siobhan McCarroll Ian
Small Business of the Year: Wire Cranes
This award recognised a small business that has demonstrated strong growth, innovation and resilience – making a positive contribution to the local community.
The shortlist included Adele Carr Recruitment, Fireheart Digital, Barrow Electrical and Leadedge Flexo.
But taking the glory was Wire Cranes of Warrington. The second award of the evening for Andrew Unsworth and his team!
You can hear Andrew’s Response by clicking on the Businessman of the Year tab above.
Outstanding Achievement Award: Laurence Barrow
This award recognised an individual, organisation or initiative that has made an exceptional contribution to business, industry or the wider Warrington Community.
The impressive list of finalists included The Engineering Design Team at Sellafield, Jo Shaw at St Rocco’s Hospice, Kirsty James from TEDx Warrington and Lorna Harvey from The Education Network.
But it was Laurence Barrow from Barrow Electrical who was awarded the accolade.
Barrow Electrical is a NICEIC-approved commercial electrical contractor working with facilities managers, estates teams and procurement leads across the UK.
Laurence is a well-respected figure in the Warrington area. As well as being Managing Director of Barrow Electrical, he’s Club Director at Warrington Rylands FC.
A well deserved award indeed!
Laurence Barrow
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Laurence Barrow Ian
Business of the Year 2026: Labdesk
The final award of the evening recognised an exceptional organisation that has demonstrated outstanding business performance, strong leadership and a strong contribution to Warrington’s business community.
The shortlist included Acorn Kia, B-Engineering Group, Barrow Electrical and Dunky’s Day Nurseries.
But it was Labdesk who scooped this prestigious award.
Mike Douglass & James Rooney
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Mike Douglass & James Rooney Ian
Special Awards
Within the 11 category awards, two very special honours were presented on the night — the Contribution to Business Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award — recognising individuals whose impact on Warrington’s business community goes far beyond a single company or sector.
Both recipients were nominated and selected by the Warrington Chamber Plus Board, whose members chose to celebrate two people whose dedication, expertise and long-standing commitment have helped shape the town’s business landscape.
Taking the crown for Contribution to Business was Mike Lomax of Total Steelworks, honoured for the outstanding contribution he has made to Warrington’s economy and business community.
Meanwhile, the Lifetime Achievement Award went to Charles Hewitt of Rock Oil, a fitting tribute to a remarkable career and decades of service, leadership and support for local enterprise.
Together, the awards provided one of the most emotional and memorable moments of the evening — a chance for Warrington’s business community to say a heartfelt thank you to two individuals who have helped pave the way for others to succeed.
Looking to the future
Words from Warrington North MP, Charlotte Nichols, reflected on an incredible night celebrating our local businesses. She highlighted that Warrington is one of the fastest-growing towns in the UK – a testament not only to major employers based in the town, such as Sellafield, but also to the many SMEs which truly are the beating heart of Warrington.
Charlotte Nichols MP
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Charlotte Nichols MP Ian
As the evening drew to a close, there was a real sense of pride, positivity and optimism in the room.
With awards won, stories shared and new connections made, the Warrington Business Awards 2026 ended on a high note — with the town’s business community looking confidently towards an exciting future.
