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*Beverage and vending machine manufacturer N&W have announced the winners of the 2008 N&W Distributor and Partner of the Year Awards. *

Based in Bristol, UK, the Lyons Group were honoured with the Distributor of the Year Award, for the second year running, and 7 Day Catering took the Partner of the Year Award.

All N&W customers were eligible to enter the awards, making it open to over 200 distributors.

In addition to the two top awards, Cuppa Vending gained special recognition for their high quality entry and was honoured with a glass memento and a theatre break in London.

N&W Managing Director Carl Bjorkstrand said: “Our awards are fiercely competitive and well subscribed to, and competition for the accolades is always tough and all entrants gave an excellent account of themselves - choosing the winners is always an incredibly difficult task. We were pleased to award Lyons Group and 7 Day Catering the top two awards, and their dedication and services to their customers serve as a source of inspiration for the entire industry. Their working practices and solutions leverage a keen understanding of specific customer needs with emerging technologies and developments to create new solutions that expand market opportunities for their clients as a whole.”

Commenting on their award, General Manager Paul Hancock from Lyons Group remarked: “We’re thrilled to have had our efforts recognised for the second year running with this nationwide vending industry accolade, particularly as the market is extremely tough. However, our ethos is always focusing on quality in all aspects of our business, which ensures we remain at the forefront of the industry. The extensive range of equipment that N&W deploys has enabled us to achieve additional business this year.”

Partner of the Year, Tamworth-based (UK) 7 Day Catering, is a national independent contract caterer which operates over 150 sites across the UK. Sales and Marketing Director Mark Johnson, commented: “It is a great honour to receive this award, we’re delighted. Our operation has grown significantly over recent years, and our rapid expansion and development of the Vending 4U brand has given us a real competitive edge. It is fantastic to have our work recognised in this way.”

Both winners have received special trophies, a choice of prizes including a thrilling Palmersport race day and a celebratory dinner.