Lord Mayor Business Awards celebrate the success of Southampton businesses

This year’s Business Awards presented by the Lord Mayor at the Mayor Making ceremony were given to two very different businesses at very different stages in their success stories

The Business Awards are nominated by members of the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and shortlisted by Chamber President Peter Taylor and the Southampton Strategy Group. They celebrate excellence in enterprises of all sizes from across the region.

This year’s winners Ocean Infinity and Labl.It were recognized for their innovative use of technology and recent successes in applying this excellence to the real challenges faced by the businesses in their sectors.

New Entrepreneur for 2023 awarded to Labl.It

Labl.It has produced a kitchen device to label allergens and expiry dates to reduce time being wasted handwriting labels. This is also in line with Natasha’s Law to prevent allergic reactions. Kitchens using a Labl.It label printer benefit from a safer and faster way to manage food labels. Staff can focus on delivering the best service to their customers, rather than worrying about administration tasks.

Sustainable Business of 2023 awarded to Ocean Infinity

Ocean Infinity is a marine technology company using robots to obtain information from the ocean and the seabed. The company is founded on the belief that using robotics to augment or replace conventional operations at sea can dramatically reduce harmful emissions and impacts on the environment. With around 500 employees globally, around 150 of which are based in Southampton, Ocean Infinity is on a mission to transform operations at sea for the better of people and the planet. 

Councillor Valerie Laurent, Lord Mayor of Southampton, said: “Successful businesses are such a great indicator for a vibrant city. I am absolutely delighted to be recognising the entrepreneurial spirit in Southampton and the success of local businesses. Southampton offers so much for those who want to start their own business or drive forward an already established business. Ours is a great city with a great talent pool. Ocean Infinity and Labl.It are great assets to our city.”

Peter Taylor, President and Non-Executive Director of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the Southampton Chamber of Commerce Leadership Group part of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce commented: “The success of Southampton as a thriving economic hub is a reflection of the many dynamic and innovative businesses which are based in the city region. We are fortunate to have inspiring entrepreneurs in our midst who can provide solutions to problems and in a sustainable way. Labl.It and Ocean Infinity are outstanding examples of the talent in the city which richly deserve to be recognised in these awards.”

Sarah Bate, Head of Brand and Communications at Ocean Infinity noted: “It was a great surprise for us to win this award. We’re grateful for the recognition by the Lord Mayor’s office and the local Southampton business community; while Southampton is one of our biggest sites we’re still relatively new to the area and getting to know our local community. We’re growing fast and always looking for talented people to join our team”.