The organisation, which represents the interests of a maritime cluster of more than 1,250 businesses, held its annual awards at a black tie gala dinner at Liverpool Football Club

Mersey Maritime, the representative body for the maritime sector in the North West of England, is has revealed the winners of this year’s Mersey Maritime Industry Awards (MMIAs).

The organisation, which represents the interests of a maritime cluster of more than 1,250 businesses, held its annual awards at a black tie gala dinner at Liverpool Football Club.

There were 12 winners on the night in categories ranging from Best Newcomer to Business of the Year Award. The winners are:

Best Newcomer Sponsored by Brookes Bell Group

Complete Training Solutions

Rising Star Sponsored by Liverpool John Moores University

Joint winners John-James Gallagher, Royal HaskoningDHV and Lauren Kemp, Beech Group

Engineering Company of the Year Sponsored by RSM UK

DT Engineering NW

Innovation Award Sponsored by Peel Ports Group

Warrant Group

Freight & Logistics Award Sponsored by Liverpool John Lennon Airport

156 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps

Maritime Professional Services Award Sponsored by Tilney

MDS Transmodal

Global Reach Award Sponsored by NatWest

RS Clare & Co

Micro Business of the Year Sponsored by the Manufacturing Technology Centre

LEK Lubrication Systems

Positive Impact Sponsored by Glenville Walker & Partners

Liverpool Cruise Terminal

The Jim Teasdale Award for Maritime Ambassador Sponsored by Beech Group

Ian Higby

SME of the Year Sponsored by James Fisher Marine Services

Eldapoint

Business of the Year Sponsored by Stream Marine Training

Seatruck Ferries

The judges’ award for Maritime Ambassador is decided each year by an independent judging panel, which was unanimous in choosing Ian Higby, Managing Director of Atlantic Container Line (UK) as its 2017 winner.

Chris Shirling-Rooke, chief executive of Mersey Maritime, said: “Our third event has exceeded all expectations we had when we started organising this event more than three years ago.

“Each year we have built on the success of the previous year and this year’s event was no different.

“We had greater demand for tables, more award categories and more entries than ever before.”