• Winner of The 2nd BigChilli Expat Entrepreneur Awards announced • Spectacular event held in conjunction with the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand’s inaugural Thailand International Business Awards • Foreign businesses recognised for their contribution to the Thai economy • X-treme Sports Gear is Expat Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 THAILAND’S rapidly growing community of foreign businesses has been acknowledged in spectacular fashion for their valuable contribution to the Thai economy at the 2nd BigChilli Expat Entrepreneur Awards held last month in front of a packed audience at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. Organised in conjunction with the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand’s inaugural Thailand International Business Awards (TIBA), the Expat Entrepreneur Awards attracted more than 100 entries from SMEs operated by the country’s foreign business sector. |
After careful scrutiny by a panel of judges, a final list of three companies was nominated for the prestigious award. Their final choice for Expat Entrepreneur of the Year 2017, announced by BigChilli Publisher Mr Colin Hastings, went to X-treme Sports Gear, run by Canadian businessman Eddie Evans. X-treme Sports Gear exports a wide range of sports equipment and clothing designed and manufactured in Thailand. The two runners-up were Caviar House, run by Alexey Tyutin from Russia, which raises sturgeon at a fish farm in Hua Hin to produce black caviar for local and overseas markets; and Andragogy, whose British founder Kate Jackson offers tailor-made training in communication, customer service, and presentation coaching to major companies. The judges also gave Special Recognition Awards to a number of foreign businessmen who have made impressive contributions to the Thai economy. They included: Karma Sound Studio, a world-class music facility built by award-winning musician Chris Craker in Bang Saray. Dennis Harte, whose company the Tuk Tuk Factory manufactures emission-free electric versions of Thailand’s famous three-wheeler. Patrick Gauvain, who has run Shrimp Asia, an advertising agency, in Thailand for more than 50 years. Richard Bell, whose company Cornerstone has operated successfully in the local business industry for 17 years. Peter Wainman, whose company Equator Pure Nature, manufactures a range of cleaning products made from entirely natural produce, including pineapples. In his speech, Mr Hastings also congratulated a number of other business people for their creativity and entrepreneurial skills. He also thanked sponsors for the Expat Entrepreneur Award – DoubleTree by Hilton, Hilton Sukhumvit, Centara Grande Lad Prao, and Indigo, with support from the BCCT. | |