Wigan borough engineering firm secures 'David and Goliath' victory at prestigious awards ceremony

The prestigious PFM Awards 2023, held in London, saw Atherton’s ASH Integrated Services not only clinching the Partners in SME Organisation Award, alongside client Lovett Care Homes, but also being crowned Overall Award Winners.

This remarkable achievement involved outshining other formidable FTSE 250 contenders.

Operations manager Gary Zetter's representation for ASH in the Special Recognition Award also earned him the distinction of becoming a grand finalist.

As the largest and most prestigious facilities management sector awards within the UK, the PFM Awards celebrated their 30th anniversary, hosted by TV personality Claudia Winkleman.

ASH's overall victory came as a shock, not only to them but to the industry giants who also claimed victories in their respective categories.

Notably, this marks the first time that the PFM Awards has honoured an SME as the overall winner.

In the finals, with just over 50 employees, ASH emerged as the smallest company and the sole finalist from outside London.

Originally entering these awards with the aim of raising the company's profile and enhancing its name and reputation, ASH exceeded its own expectations.

The accolades continued at the GMCC Excellence Awards 2023 in Manchester, where the team secured the SME Business of the Year title.

With over 40 companies vying for this category, the business stood out, confirming their position as a rising star.

Antony Grace, company director, said: "This recognition represents our people and couldn’t have been achieved without everyone’s continued hard work and dedication. We win as a team and it couldn't have been done without you all."