Despite scooping two major awards at last year s Hunts Post Business Awards gala ceremony, Mike Dearlove remains modestly reflective. It was great to win Business Person of the Year but I don t tell too many people about it – I don t want to show off. Bu

Mike Dearlove was awarded Business Person of the Year 2005. The multiple winner at The Hunts Post Huntingdonshire Business Awards winner talks to Lisa Hanlon.

Despite scooping two major awards at last year's Hunts Post Business Awards gala ceremony, Mike Dearlove remains modestly reflective.

"It was great to win Business Person of the Year but I don't tell too many people about it - I don't want to show off. But it was great to win."

The judges were in no doubt Mr Dearlove should win this prestigious title and the co-founder and managing director of EACS, which delivers practical, innovative and cost effective IT products, solutions and services to a range of companies across the region and throughout the UK, admits to having "reinvented the wheel a lot along the way".

When the company started 12 years ago, they were based in a garage in Hemingford Abbots. EACS moved to its current Kimbolton offices 18 months later and now has a staff of 50 plus and a turnover of £10million.

"When we started we had very little money and we had to work hard to plough the money we made back into the company in order to grow. Some companies start with venture capital and cash flow management is not a problem but we had to build up from nothing," said Mr Dearlove.

As well as winning The Hunts Post Employer of the Year for 2004 and 2005, EACS won the IT industry Oscars in 2003 when the business was voted by suppliers and customers Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Reseller of the Year as well as being nominated as finalists in two additional award categories. The company was also a finalist in the Corporate Reseller of the Year category for 2005. EACS is in the Deloitte Fast 50, as one of the top growing technology firms in the Eastern region, and has appeared in this list since the awards were founded eight years ago.

"I work with a business coach and it is useful to get an opinion from outside the business. Sometimes you need a fresh eye and ear. One exercise I completed was to ask our customers four questions about the business, including how they would describe us, why they deal with us, how they perceive us and what we do that's unique and if they found anything negative about EACS while they were dealing with us. The response was outstanding and the feedback immensely useful."

He says taking part in the awards has been beneficial to the company in a number of ways and he is planning to maintain his involvement this year by joining the judging panel.

"We have people contacting EACS because they have read about our awards and they want to work with us. Our industry has a fast staff turnover but our company is very constant. People like to be associated with a company which is seen as successful and these awards have helped us to build on our success."

INFORMATION: EACS is at 1-3 Harvard Way, Kimbolton, PE28 ONJ. Contact: 01480 861010 and see www.eacs.com