It’s that time again. The Express & Echo Business Awards are back for 2018, celebrating business success and giving businesses in Exeter and the surrounding areas the recognition they deserve.

Within the Best New Start Up Business category of this year’s awards are both Air Marketing Group and Grow Marketing Ltd. Both Grow and Air are still relatively new to the Exeter business scene, however, they have both made huge impacts on the local marketplace and have worked with each other for almost a year now.

Air Marketing Group was started in March 2016 by Managing Director Owen Richards and, in the two years since, Air has grown from 1 person to a team of 40 staff, boasting a strong, varied and retained client base including brands such as Crowdcube and Funding Circle. Air has worked hard to help boost Exeter’s economy, create careers within the city, and has partnered with both St Petrocks and Balloons Charity for 2018, having donated a total of £1,111.06 so far to these charities.

Grow Marketing Ltd have been trading for less than a year and have centred their entire ethos and business approach around being relentlessly positive and adding value to the local economy. This has set them apart from many other media sources and created a real ‘feel-good’ movement within the local and regional business community. In less than a year, they have pioneered meaningful initiatives (such as the ‘100 Most Influential Women of 2018), attracted support and funding from key local stakeholders and also formed key commercial partnerships with many local businesses and organisations. With some truly exciting projects and partnerships in the pipeline (watch this space), the team at Grow are looking to the future with great positivity and determination.

Both #TeamAir and #TeamGrow look forward to seeing many of you at the Express and Echo Business Awards and, whoever wins, both organisations will be moving into the rest of the year with a spring in their steps and a smile on their faces.