Last Friday, the Federation of Small Businesses held the West Midlands finals of its Celebrating Small Business Success Awards.

The awards celebrate the best small businesses from the length and breadth of the country, offering first regional, then national recognition for those who have made the biggest impression over the last 12 months.

Twelve regional awards finals take place between February and April, followed by a UK final at a VIP-attended ceremony on May 21 in London.

This year, just as in 2019, Worcestershire has produced a winner in the form of OLPRO, who scooped the Digital/E-Commerce Business of the Year Award.

OLPRO began trading in 2011 after seeing a gap in the market for unique, affordable and stylish camping and caravanning products.

It offers campervan awnings, tents, windbreaks and a range of accessories. The company started life selling primarily sole to the trade.

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However, over time it moved into ecommerce and began to focus on selling directly to customers online. Having won this category at the regional level, OLPRO will go through to compete in the national finals.

Speaking after the regional ceremony, Rich Bishop, FSB West Midlands chairman congratulated all this year’s winners. He said that they were reflective of the vibrancy, innovation and tenacity that makes up the small business community, with the sheer scale and diversity of those who entered being a testimony to the vitality of the small business community in the region.

OLPRO’s win is also noteworthy because while our awards always attract high quality entries, this year we received a higher number than in any previous year.

We wish them, and all our other West Midlands category winners, good luck in the national finals in a couple of months’ time.