The boss of a British woodworking family business has been crowned Entrepreneur of the Year for the second time this year.
Amarjit Binji, Chief Executive Officer of AJB Group, beat off stiff competition to win this prestigious title at the Nachural Entrepreneurship Awards 2022. Winners across the 21 categories were announced at a gala black-tie event held in Leicester on Friday May 13th.
Showing their full support for Amarjit on the night, he was joined by members of his family, friends, colleagues and his two sons, Aaron and Jai, aged 10 and 12, respectively.
In March 2022, Amarjit was proud recipient of the same title, Entrepreneur of the Year 2022’ at the Midlands Business Awards.
“It’s an absolute honour to win this prestigious award," says Amarjit. "It is further proof, I feel, of effective teamwork. It so happens that I’m at the helm of this business but its success so far is down to our fantastic workforce who are an integral part of the AJB Group extended family."
The candidates were evaluated based on their entrepreneurial leadership, talent management, financial performance, societal impact, degree of difficulty in navigating and overcoming obstacles to make their companies successful, and originality, among other core contributions and attributes.
Amarjit was one of three finalists in the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ category. He was selected by an independent panel of judges for his outstanding positive leadership coupled with a strong track record of commercial success and driving a positive agenda for best practice and change in his sector whilst demonstrating his commitment to the community through the firm’s charitable activities.
Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE DL, President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Chairman and Founder of Cobra Beer, adds: “The British economy continues to prosper even in these unprecedented times, thanks to the contributions of businesses across our great nation. It’s credit to business leaders like Amarjit who continue to persevere and pursue their dreams and ambitions where sky’s the limit.”
Amarjit’s career began at the age of 12. He started out as a carpenter and joiner. Frustrated with the lack of innovation and modern technique within his specialist field, he decided to set up his own company in 1999. AJB Group currently employs around 40 staff, including his brother, Mandeep, sister Kully and best friend of over 35 years, Hitesh, who work as Operations Director, HR Director and Project Manager, respectively. Darren Moore, Factory Manager, is the longest-serving employee, having been with the business for 23 years.
