Group55, the B Corp certified contract manufacturer of pet care, personal care and home care products, has been named Business of the Year at the 2026 BIBAs. The company also won Medium Business of the Year and Scale Up Business of the Year.

Organised by the Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, the BIBAs are among the North West's most respected business awards. Entrants are assessed through written submissions, judging interviews and site tours.

The awards follow an 18-month period of transformation for Group55. The business has consolidated its operations from three sites into one 8.5-acre facility. The result is a truly end-to-end offer for brand partners, from initial concept and brand creation, to formulation, manufacturing and fulfilment, and on to retail readiness, Group55 now supports brands at every stage of their journey.

For pet brands, that offers a more streamlined pathway from concept to shelf, with the capacity to support products from first production run through to national and international retail.

Group55's experience in pet care is rooted in its own brand, Animology. That gives the business first-hand understanding of what it takes to develop, launch and grow a pet brand, which it now brings to the brands it manufactures for.

Group55 was founded in Lancashire in 1999 by Stephen Turner with just £700. In 2018, it was named Micro Business of the Year at the BIBAs, when it employed fewer than ten people. Today it employs 150.

Stephen Turner (above), Founder and Chairman, said: "Pet owners are some of the most discerning customers there are. They want to know that whatever they use on their animals is safe, effective and made with care. The brands we work with carry that responsibility, and they trust us to share it with them. Because we've built our own pet brand in Animology, we understand the challenges they face, from getting a formula right to winning space on a busy shelf. Recognition like this, from independent judges who've seen our site and met our team, shows we have the scale, the expertise and the people to be a partner pet brands can rely on as they grow."

Rob Banks, Managing Director, said: "Bringing three sites into one while continuing to grow is no small thing, and it's our people who made it happen. We now have the foundations in place for the next stage of our growth, and we're looking forward to sharing it with the brands we work with."