PICKING an overall “Winner of Winners” from the myriad of excellent nominees who have already gone through a painstaking process of elimination is never an easy task.

Judges have to look for the individual or business which has risen head and shoulders above the competition, who are, in themselves, already winners in their own categories, to take the crown.

The panel looks at those who have made a significant impact or contribution to the district’s business scene.

That person or company must tick all the right boxes on issues of business growth, performance, future targets, as well as how they look after their staff and customers.

Whoever takes the accolade will be judged to fully embody the ethos of the Bradford Means Business Awards and hold that honour for a year, or beyond, if they succeed in defending their title.

The winner at last year’s awards was Ucan Recycling, a Wyke-based specialist in the recycling and re-use of IT materials.

The not-for-profit organisation began in 2010 to create jobs for local long-term unemployed people.

It was lauded by judges for the impact it had on the district and that it had grown from a one-man-band to employing 11 permanent staff (one of whom had been jobless for 19 years) and built up a £1.2 million turnover in just six years.

Speaking after the company’s double win last year, Rob Seal, co-owner of Ucan Recycling with wife Nicky, said: “I’m shocked and speechless.

“We are a small company, there is only 18 of us.

“I’m delighted for everyone who works for us.

“Every person who comes to work for us is just so keen.

“It just means so much.”

Previous year’s winners were Sports Turf Research Institute, from St Ives, Bingley, in 2015, which also took top honours in the SME category.

In 2014 the winner was Mansfield Pollard, a Bowling-based engineering company, who had also been crowned Manufacturer of the Year.