Group 55, supplier of the award-winning Animology brand, has been named as a finalist in a competition to find the UK’s best small business.

The Preston company beat off stiff competition in the Micro-Business category to be selected overall best small business in the North West for the 2014 FSB WorldPay UK Business Awards.

The firm has been awarded £500 and will now compete against 46 other businesses from across the UK and go through to the national final in May where it will have the chance to win up to £10,000. More than 950 businesses entered the awards and this year Karren Brady will deliver a keynote speech and announce the winners of each category.

The company manufactures world-known pet care brands including Animology, Strikeback, Ridovit and Acquiesce.

Stephen Turner launched the business in 1999, when e-commerce was first emerging, selling pest control products which were sourced from around the world. At the time even the largest hardware stores had very small pest control product offerings, so Stephen had tapped into a niche market and began to reap the rewards.

In 2007 Stephen also set up his own brand of pest control called Strikeback which went on to be stocked in more than 2,500 stores throughout the UK. Group 55 however came under pressure from much larger competitors as it tried to penetrate the market.

Stephen Turner, managing director of Group 55, comments: “We had launched a successful brand and we were infiltrating the market at an incredible rate. This didn’t go unnoticed by the multi-national conglomerates we were competing against and they started to fight back. It was disheartening as our product was selling well, but we learned first-hand how effectively big companies can defend and secure their market position; we couldn’t compete so we had to adapt to survive.”

Survival was assured when in 2009 Turner identified a new niche to enter within the pet care industry. Stephen (pictured left) continues: “I identified an opportunity within the animal grooming market, in particular shampoos and sprays, as this industry was hugely underdeveloped.

“So in 2010 we launched a completely new brand called Animology and it became an immediate success. Animology is now a world-leading dog shampoo and spray range and in the first year it was awarded Best Pet Product in the UK and exported to more than 15 countries. Today more than one million bottles have been sold in over 10,000 outlets located in over 30 countries around the world. ”

While Group 55 has enjoyed global success, the team remains grounded and true to its North West routes. Stephen continues: “My team hasn’t changed much since we first began and that’s really important to me. We have a small team of five who cover everything from International Sales through to Operations. We’ve created our own success and everyone has been part of that team from day one. “

When asked about how he felt about Group 55 being named the best North West small business in the FSB WorldPay awards, Stephen added: “We’ve produced a global brand, but 95% of our products are still manufactured in the UK, so British recognition is of the up-most importance to me.

“We strive to manufacture in the UK and if more businesses did this, then maybe the economy wouldn’t be in this current state. It is a tragedy that the achievements of small businesses often go unrecognised. Small businesses face the most extraordinary challenges regardless of the economic climate and very often a small businesses survival and growth is more impressive than that of a bigger business.

“If micro businesses continue to prosper then they will be key to the country’s economic recovery. We now export more than 25 per cent of our business and if all micro UK businesses did this, the economy would be in good shape – certainly the Chancellor, if his recent budget was anything to go by, would approve.”

Colin Willman, Chairman FSB (Member Services) Ltd, said: “The FSB WorldPay UK Business Awards are designed to raise the profile of small businesses across the UK and to highlight the crucial role they play in supporting the economy. We’ve had a high number of top quality entries this year and it’s a great achievement for Group 55 to have been selected as the overall winner for their area.”

Ron Kalifa, Deputy Chairman of WorldPay said, “For too long small businesses were struggling through recession, hit hard by a consumer spending dip and financial pressures. Group 55 has weathered the storm by adapting to new markets and driving innovation – their fighting spirit is at the heart of economic recovery. WorldPay is proud to recognise and reward these entrepreneurs”.

For further information please visit the website www.fsbworldpayawards.co.uk