PAST WINNER INTERVIEW
Podium Pet Products
AWARD CATEGORY: International Trade SIZE OF COMPANY: 6-8 people WHERE BASED: Berkshire TYPE OF BUSINESS: Pet product manufacture and distribution PROFILE: Carina Evans JOB TITLE: Co-founder / CEO
Company Background
What planning did you do beforehand?
What made Podium Pet Products apply for a King’s Award? Having won a Queen’s Award in 2016 we were aware of how much it meant for the team and wanted to recreate that for internal goodwill, as well as of course to be in the running for the honour of receiving another [Award] from the King. What research did you do about the Awards/ application process? We were given a lot of help from the then UKTI (UK Trade & Investment) and now DIT (Department for International Trade). We ensured we had the correct figures and resources in order to submit the application properly. Our designated advisor suggested that we should enter based on our numbers so we did.
Podium Pet Products was founded in 2008 by former GB athletes Nick Evans, Andrew Hine and Carina Evans. The three founders’ joint passion for animals and the countryside inspired them to create a firm that would eventually develop into a world-leading pet product distribution and manufacturing business. After starting out with a hero product from Australia called ‘Dog Rocks’, the company grew exponentially over the subsequent decade, diversifying to manufacture leading products like its award-winning ‘Be:Loved’ range of wellness and lifestyle grooming products for pets (and their people!). In addition to winning the King’s Award for Enterprise in 2023, the company also won a Queen’s Award in 2016.
We ensured that we knew what our numbers were [and] what we were up against. [We] knew we were likely to stand a chance because the process is rightly rigorous.
How did you find the application process?
The application process was useful as it gave us the opportunity to check in on our core values, ensure that we were in fact doing what we should be doing and doing it properly. The questions were good and proper, absolutely what we should be held to account on. We had enough time to apply and check and ensure all was good so I cannot remember the process being arduous.
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