Lancashire based manufacturer also won Medium Business of the Year and Scale Up Business of the Year, eight years after it was named Micro Business of the Year.
Group55 has been named Business of the Year at the 2026 BIBAs, one of the North West’s most respected business awards. The team also won Medium Business of the Year and Scale Up Business of the Year, taking home three of the night’s awards.
The win marks a remarkable journey for a business founded in Lancashire in 1999 by Stephen Turner, with just £700.
From Micro Business to Business of the Year
Group55 is no stranger to the BIBAs. In 2018, the business was named Micro Business of the Year, when it employed fewer than ten people.
Today, Group55 employs 150 people, manufactures millions of liquid personal care, pet care and home care products each year for some of the world’s biggest brands, as well as its own brand, Animology.
Stephen Turner, Founder and Chairman, said:
“When we won Micro Business of the Year in 2018, I stood on stage and said I wanted Group55 to be the first company to win Micro, Small, Medium and Business of the Year. We never managed Small, largely because we grew too quickly, but on Friday night we completed the journey.
“Sitting in that room, surrounded by some of Lancashire’s most respected business leaders, I felt for the first time like I genuinely belonged. None of it is down to one person. It belongs to our team past and present, our customers and partners, and my family, who backed me from the very beginning. If it shows anything, it’s that where you start in life doesn’t have to determine where you finish.”
Growth through transformation
The awards follow an 18-month period of significant change for Group55. The business has consolidated its operations from three sites into one, bringing its teams, laboratories, production, warehousing, and fulfilment together under one roof, while continuing to deliver strong growth.
Rob Banks, Managing Director, said:
“Group55’s recent history has been transformational. We’ve brought three sites together into one while continuing to grow. These awards recognise a team that adapts, solves problems and never loses sight of our customers. I couldn’t be prouder of everyone at Group55.”
For customers, the site consolidation means a more joined-up service, from product development and formulation through to production and fulfilment, with the capacity to support brands as they grow.
Built on people and purpose
As a certified B Corp, Group55 is committed to using business as a force for good, with a focus on its people, its community and the environment. That commitment, together with the team behind it, sits at the heart of the business’s success.
The judging process included written submissions, interviews and site tours. It gave the judges a first-hand view of the business and the people who make it work.
Just getting started
For Group55, the awards are a milestone rather than a finish line. With a single, scalable site and a growing team, the business is well placed for its next chapter of growth.
If you’re a brand looking for a UK contract manufacturer that can grow with you, get in touch with our team.
