Gavin's 'Star' Business Quality Translates into Award Win
The 300 guests who attended the glittering black-tie HSBC
Start-up Star Award ceremony held at London's Savoy Hotel on 17th
October, witnessed Gavin Wheeldon, the founder and Managing
Director of one of the leading translation agencies, Applied
Language Solutions, being crowned this year's 'HSBC Start Up Star
2006'. In less than three years, Gavin has taken his Huddersfield
based company from being a one-man translation operation operating
in his back bedroom into a multi-million pound Global enterprise
now boasting International offices and a 54 strong team that
provides translation services to big named brands such as Primark,
Robbie Williams and Nike. It comes as no surprise that the man
responsible for this success outshined the other finalists to scoop
the prestigious award along with the top prize of £25,000 in
recognition of his star business quality, creativity and
determination to succeed.
The annual HSBC Start-Up Stars Awards, presented in association
with the Daily Express and Sky News, are a nationwide search for
Britain's brightest new businesses and the inspirational
entrepreneurs behind them. After being awarded the Regional Winner
for the North, Gavin, 30, secured his place as a National Finalist
and went on to win this year's final award, not just purely based
on the profit and turnover of his phenomenally growing company, but
for his ability to identify a business opportunity and use his
initiative, creativity and sound business practice to turn it into
a successful enterprise.
Gavin enthused "I am honoured to have made it as a finalist in
this year's competition, and ecstatic at winning this award that
recognises Applied Language's ability as a successful and
innovative company. Not only that, but it acknowledges our passion
and commitment about what we do. I am extremely proud that we have
achieved what we have today. Starting my own business has changed
my life. I actually get up in the morning looking forward to coming
to work."
Organisers were specifically searching to award the entrepreneur
whose venture serves as an inspiration for those who are
contemplating turning their business dreams into reality, and
demonstrates a practical example that success can be achieved. This
is certainly the case with Gavin Wheeldon and his continuously
successful translation company.
Gavin, who is originally from Manchester, launched Applied
Language Solutions from the back bedroom of his home after
identifying a changing demand for language services internationally
combined with the lack of Internet technology used in the
translation industry. Gavin realised its potential for improving
processes and decreasing costs whilst increasing the quality of
service and turnaround times, which is essentially where Applied
Language Solutions' competitive edge lies. Gavin's knowledgeable
exploitation of Internet technology and his commitment to only
using the highest qualified 'in-house' translators and interpreters
means the company can deliver accurate and quick translation and
interpretation services in over 140 languages to anywhere in the
world.
Gavin explains "I saw in translation a trade whose roots were
primarily academic. Here was the opportunity to totally transform
the process involved in delivering translation services to meet the
challenge of today's modern world, and I grabbed it with both
hands. I took the risk and with my last salary payment from my
previous job I established Applied Language Solutions in my back
bedroom. Although I have encountered many challenges, through sheer
determination, hard work and belief in the company, the risk paid
off and here I am today with a highly successful International
translation agency that offers quality translation services for
anything as small as tattoos right through to whole websites."
As the company grew, Gavin recruited his first staff member and
opened an office in Huddersfield in January 2004. Soon afterwards,
Gavin brought in his brother, Paul, 34, as Project and Operations
Manager. The fast growth experienced in fewer than three years has
seen the company's workforce expand. They also now have over 6,000
professional 'in-country' translators recruited worldwide and the
company's global presence has increased phenomenally with offices
operating in California, Paris, Barcelona, Sofia and Guatemala
City. After already moving offices 6 times around Huddersfield to
accommodate the growing workforce, the company's UK office is
currently settled at Armitage Bridge, Huddersfield.
Gavin continues "I realise the company's greatest asset is the
staff. We are continuously recruiting new members, and the amazing
team certainly deserves the credit as being one of the major
contributions in the success of Applied Language today. The way we
treat the staff is just one of the areas that makes us stand out
from the crowd, not only in this industry but generally. We offer
various benefits, including free healthy lunches and fruit, 'Duvet'
days, massages and birthdays off, to name but a few. All of our
staff are also provided with a laptop and MP3 player."
"To prove our commitment to staff development, we have put a lot
of hard work as a team into achieving the strict working standards
of Investors In People, and were very proud to receive the
accreditation in April. We also received ISO 14001 last week in
recognition of our commitment to environmental management."
It doesn't stop there for Gavin. ALS is currently in the process
of developing an INSTANT interpretation service, with plans also in
place to open offices in Romania, Germany, East Coast of America,
China and Australia in the not too distant future, which will allow
24 hours global coverage.
"I have a passion and drive that not only helps push my company
forward, but also the people in my team to strive for bigger
things. Overall I think the most innovative part about the company
is the fact that we keep on innovating. We are constantly striving
to do things better and faster and we are constantly looking at how
we can improve every area of the business. That is the underlying
principle to the company's success, and any piece of advice I would
offer to those budding entrepreneurs considering setting up their
own business. That, and don't be afraid to take the risk. If you
believe in something enough and work hard, it will be successful.
Applied Language Solutions is a great example."
Applied Language Solutions boasts the ability to translate all
kinds of documents from simple letters to large technical
documents, including whole websites and printed catalogues, for
specialist Medical, Legal, Financial and Marketing
organisations.
For press and media enquiries please
call:
Richard Michie - Marketing Manager on +44 (0) 0870 172 0000 or
email rmichie@appliedlanguage.com
or
Stacey Rose - PR Executive on +44 (0)870 225 0243 or email srose@appliedlanguage.com