Up-skilling and training is vital for any company but for award winners Le Mark it is held in high regard.

This was observed by the judges of The Hunts Post Huntingdonshire Business Awards 2016 who deemed that the company’s investment in its staff stood out from the rest of the nominees and saw it crowned winners of the Training and Development Award.

The Houghton-based firm is an established and successful business that trades internationally, and with the UK expected to leave the European Union by the end of March 2019, training has become even more important.

Stuart Gibbons, managing director, said: “We compete in a very competitive world and a very uncertain world so we can only try and put in measures to help us compete but if we do nothing we could be left completely exposed.”

As a part of its planning for Brexit, the company has recently undertaken training to help prepare for trading outside the EU.

It’s not only Brexit that has boosted the firm’s desire to train, since the awards it has also worked alongside the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP through its Signpost 2 Grow programme. “Since the awards we have massively increased our training and we have been working with the LEP which has a lot to offer and the majority of it is free,” Mr Gibbons added.

“We are embarking on a full business assessment, so that is production through to purchasing, and sales through to accounts to help each department become aware of other departments.”

Since its first entry to the awards in 2002, Le Mark has gone on to take home nine accolades, and it is even considering entering again this year.

Mr Gibbons said: “I think businesses should enter the awards because it gives you a chance to sit back and have a real good review of what you do and what you are good at. It is a chance to put down on paper what makes you special.”

For those thinking of entering the Training and Development category, the programme that the company has in place to provide training will be greatly taken into account by the judges.

All entries need to be received either through the dedicated awards website or via the post by September 8.

There are 12 categories and businesses can enter up to three, with a different application for each award entered. You can find information on how to enter the awards by visiting www.huntsbusinessawards.co.uk.