AN INTERNATIONAL recruitment company based in the heart of Brighton was the big winner at last night’s Sussex Business Awards.

Stelfox, in Queen’s Road next to Brighton Station, won International Business and Best Employer.

This double success comes only months after the pharmaceutical search firm was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its outstanding contribution to international trade.

Stelfox has hit the headlines before for the way it rewards staff for hitting targets – including an all-paid trip to Las Vegas, West End shows and visits to Michelin star restaurants.

The man driving the recruitment and consultancy company is Steve Kerassitis, who picked up the Brighton and Hove Business Awards’ Best Place to Work award this month.

Mr Kerassitis has been managing director for five years having previously worked on the floor for three years.

Managing director Mr Kerassitis said the company had seen three years of outstanding growth.

Stelfox celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

He said: “We have doubled in size over the last four years and we have now opened offices in Switzerland.

“We have an incredible team and we have won a number of other awards in the past.”

In 2015 Stelfox recorded an increase in international turnover of almost a third – 29 per cent – exceeding the industry average by more than 20 per cent.

This overseas expansion has also helped fuel the company’s overall turnover, which last year grew by 44 per cent.

Stelfox is now the staffing partner of choice for more than 20 international pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

The winners of this year’s 28th annual Sussex Business Awards, held at The Grand hotel in Brighton, were drawn from 42 finalists representing 27 towns.

Company of the Year was awarded to International Logistics Group (ILG), which was one of five on the shortlist, while last year’s winner of the Small Business of the Year, Ridgeview Wine Estate, was named one to watch in the International Business category.

A number of individual awards were presented to some well-known business faces, including Darren Fell, founder and CEO of the innovative Crunch Accounting, who was named Sussex Businessperson of the Year.

Popular businessman Andy Cheesman from City Cabs received the award for the Greatest Contribution to Sussex Charity, which was sponsored by The Argus.

Mr Cheesman sponsors a wide range of events from The Best of British to Paddle Round The Pier, Pride and Dragon Boat Racing and works tirelessly behind the scenes to help others.

He has been a long-standing supporter of Downs View School, Downs View Link College and the Chestnut Tree House hospice.

A new category for 2016 was the Sussex Graduate of the Year to recognise the achievements of a graduate who has made an impact on a Sussex business.

This award was presented to Chris O’Hare, MD of Hare Digital, a digital strategy company he has built from scratch and now employs 11 people.

Mike Herd, executive director of the Sussex Innovation centre and chairman of the judges, said: “This year was a record year.

“With the amount of entries received, the judging process proved a difficult task.

“The exceptional quality of the entries really shone through and many worthy winners were chosen.”

THE BIG WINNERS

The Best Place to Entertain Your Clients - Sponsored by Title Sussex

Winner Sussex Cricket

Finalist Blanch House

Finalist Brighton Fringe

Finalist East Sussex National

The Award for Healthiest Workplace - Sponsored by Natures Way Food

Winner Legal & General

Finalist European Recruitment

Finalist Scout Shops Ltd

The International Business of the Year - Sponsored by HSBC

Winner Stelfox

Finalist Frontier Pitts

One to Watch Ridgeview Wine Estate

The Award for Leisure and Tourism - Sponsored by Southern Rail

Winner The BaseSkate Park CIC

One to Watch Best of England

Finalist Smart Performance

The Entrepreneur of the Year - Sponsored by Platinum Business Magazine

Winner Neil Laughton, Laughton & Co Ltd

Finalist Terry Nitman & Steve Hayman, Cheesmur Building Contractors

Finalist Amber Rust, Bonieri

The Award for the Most Sustainable Business - Sponsored by Wealden District Council

Winner Burleys

Highly Commended The Big Lemon

Finalist Green Mop Ltd

The Responsible Business Award - Sponsored by Checkaprofessional.com

Winner LoveLocalJobs.com

Highly Commended ILG

Finalist Wave Leisure Trust

The Small Business of the Year - Sponsored by Sussex Chamber of Commerce

Winner Boom Boom The Label

Finalist Fundraising Auctions Ltd

Finalist The Dental Barn Ltd

The Award for the Most Promising New Business - Sponsored by Coffin Mew

Winner Opun

Finalist The BaseSkate Park CIC

Finalist SourcedBox

The Award for Innovation in Business - Sponsored by Sussex Innovation Centre

Winner PULSE.AERO

FIND OUT MORE

FIVE hundred of the county’s leading business people gathered to celebrate business excellence across the region, with 17 awards presented by comedian Simon Evans.

Guests included Brighton mayor Pete West and Hove MP Peter Kyle.

The 2016 sponsors included Mazars, Morgan Sindall, HSBC, Southern Rail, Vantage Professional Risks, Checkatrade.com, Sussex Innovation Centre, Checkaprofessional.com, Wealden District Council, Sussex Chamber of Commerce, University of Sussex, Natures Way Food, Coffin Mew, The Argus, Platinum Business, Heart FM and Title Sussex.

For more details about the awards – and the chance to enter in 2017 – email sussex@midnight.co.uk or tweet @SussexBizAwards.