The Mayor of Wandsworth has singled out Crewroom as “a superb example” for other entrepreneurs and budding businesses in the borough to follow.
And he heaped praise on the company’s Founder, Kate Giles, for showing how bright ideas can generate jobs, orders and exports to boost the local and national economy.
Mayor Cllr Stuart Thom was speaking at Wandsworth Enterprise Week, the council’s prestigious, well organised event, staged annually to encourage business.
In an interview with The Crew Cut, Crewroom’s official newsletter, Mayor Thom said he was personally “delighted” that Crewroom had recently been awarded the contract to supply kit to both Oxford and Cambridge’s crews for The Boat Race.
He also urged other local businesses to follow Kate’s example and feel inspired to develop their own commercial enterprises.
The Mayor’s remarks came after Kate, who was voted Entrepreneur of the Year by Wandsworth Council two years ago, launched this year’s Enterprise Week with a speech to young businesses in the borough.
In her address on Day One of the event, to more than 100 young delegates at the Civic Suite in Wandsworth Town Hall, Kate offered advice on how to cement business relationships as a start-up.
“I told them how important it is when you are starting a business to treat people with kindness and invest in the community,” she said. Kate also told the conference how supportive Wandsworth Council had been towards her company and how grateful she was.
Wandsworth Mayor, Cllr Thom, told delegates: “Here in Wandsworth we are proud to have one of London’s strongest and most dynamic SME economies and the borough is home to some of the country’s most exciting entrepreneurs.”
Later, he added: “I feel a sense of admiration that somebody like Kate has been able to take an idea and convert it into a reality. That I think is one of the great lessons to learn when you start off a business. I'm particularly pleased that Kate is here in Wandsworth and I like to think that she has the support of Wandsworth Council.”
“As a former winner of our Entrepreneur of the Year award, she is clearly a great example for other aspiring businesses to follow, which is why we were so pleased she was able to speak at our Enterprise Week event.
“People talk about the work shy, but here you have a superb example of somebody getting out there and making ideas happen, of generating jobs and opportunities and hopefully in due course exports as well.
“I'm delighted that Crewroom’s offices are on Putney Hard on the River because the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is one of our great local events. The fact that Kate helps kit out the crews is highly appropriate.“
The Mayor concluded: “Given Kate's success as an entrepreneur, I hope very much that she will inspire other companies and up-and-coming entrepreneurs to take their businesses forward.”
Among others taking part as guest speakers during this year’s Enterprise Week were Margaret Mountford, formerly a presenter on BBC Television’s popular business series The Apprentice.