Sudbury based Caribbean Blinds has added another trophy to its awards cabinet after winning in the Family Business of the Year category at the East of England FSB Awards 2022.

The Caribbean Blinds team picked up their award at the East of England final, a live event on Friday 4th March at Newmarket Racecourse. They have now secured a spot at the prestigious UK final. This will be held on 19 May 2022 in Glasgow at the Raddison Blu Hotel.

Here, winners from each category will go head-to-head and the overall winner will be chosen. There is also the chance to be crowned the UK Small Business of the Year where entrants will be judged by a panel of leading business experts with a wealth of experience in their industry.

The FSB awards celebrate the achievements and contributions of small businesses and the self-employed across the UK.  As a non-profit organisation and the UK’s leading business campaigner, the FSB supports the wider small business community. Members benefit from market-leading services and support to help them run their business, including local networking events, legal advice, insurance protection and more.

Managing Director, Stuart Dantzic commented: ‘Award wins never get boring but for me, this win is special. Growing and developing the family business is something my brother Brad and I are so proud of and of course my parents Ray and Angie, now watching from the side-lines, are enjoying the continued success of the business they founded back in 1987. Me, Brad and the entire team feel like we’re doing them proud!

We know the judges were looking for an organisation that can demonstrate how the family nature and values have contributed to its success across the business and this is something we have worked so hard to achieve and maintain. Fingers crossed for the national finals in May.”

Specialists in the manufacture and supply of outdoor shading systems including stylish patio awnings, external blinds and its award-winning louvred roof canopy branded the Outdoor Living Pod™, Caribbean Blinds remains family-run after brothers Stuart and Brad Dantzic took the reins from their parents following a structured buy-out in January 2017.

Since this time, the entrepreneurial duo has implemented a strategic development plan that has driven growth by 35% year-on-year and has an ambitious strategy to quadruple the size of the company over the next 5 years and is currently on track to do so.

Stuart was recently selected for the prestigious Suffolk 100 list for 2022, while

Caribbean Blinds achieved a double award shortlisting at the Growing Business Awards 2021 and for the second year running, won at the national Real Homes Awards in The Great Outdoors category with their hugely popular Cuba Awning product being crowned ‘The Best of the Best’ against stiff competition.