BOSSES and staff at a Chipping Norton firm are celebrating after winning a trio of trophies at the West Oxfordshire Business Awards.

CETA Insurance scooped the overall Coutts Bank 2013 West Oxfordshire Business of the Year Award as well as the Owen Mumford Innovation Award and the STL Communications Large Business Award.

It’s the latest success for the firm, which has seen a huge rise in profits in the last four years.

Last year it reported an annual turnover of more than £5m, up from 3.7m in 2009.

The firm, based on the Cromwell Business Park, attended the ceremony along with Prime Minister and Witney MP David Cameron.

Director Sandie Schofield said: “To win three is absolutely amazing and great for the staff.

“As an internet business it is sometimes hard to get recognition, but we really want to grow our profile and this will be a big help.”

CETA was started by David Quick and Adrian Waters 20 years ago as a standard insurance firm selling to brokers. But it has grown rapidly through a series of websites offering products for specific markets, ranging from caravan owners to florists.

Ms Schofield said: “We started with a couple of people in a small office and now have 103 staff and are still recruiting. We have very strong links with the local community, for example with Chipping Norton School.”

Web design firm Ridgeway claimed the Strategic Mentors Small Business Award at the ceremony held at Heythrop Park, Enstone.

Managing director Simon Lassam said: “We had some really stiff competition, so we are delighted to have won.

“It’s really gratifying that the hard work, passion and drive we put into everything we do has been recognised.”

Mr Cameron said: “It is people such as the WOBA finalists that are helping us lift our economy out of a very difficult time and who will help make sure that Britain thrives.”

The business awards are held each year to encourage local businesses to thrive. They are organised by a number of organisations, including Abingdon & Witney College, West Oxfordshire District Council and local firms.

  • The other award winners were: Agrivert Green Business Award: Chipping Norton Lido; Blenheim Palace Rural Business Award: Cotswold Woollen Weavers, Filkins; Caswell House Business Person of the Year Award: Sharon Ebsworth, B&E Transport, Witney; CT-UK New Business Award: Crocodiles of the World, Crawley; Heythrop Park Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality Award: Old Swan & Minster Mill, Minster Lovell; JSP Skills Training Award: Data Plastics, Witney; Polythene UK Charity and Community Award: Inclusive Care & Education, Carterton; Urban Element Social Media Award: mark-making, Chipping Norton.