Berkshire driving experts take top regional award

21 November 2008

Crowthorne-based driving education specialist DriveTech (UK) plc emerged as outright winners of the 2008 Thames Valley Business Magazine Awards, having been presented with the highly prized accolade ‘Thames Valley Business of the Year’.

Receiving the Pitmans-sponsored award from the former Foreign Secretary, the Rt. Hon Margaret Beckett MP, an elated Jim Kirkwood, Managing Director of DriveTech, said “This is a wonderful result and testimony to all the hard work put in by our dedicated staff during pretty tough commercial times. The judges clearly recognised that DriveTech exemplifies all that is good about a region that is already renowned for its creativity, industry and growth.”

DriveTech beat some 60 other contestants in the top category at a glittering awards ceremony during the evening of Thursday November 20 at the Reading’s Royal Berkshire Conference Centre. This award comes only a matter of weeks after the company was awarded ‘Best Driver Training Company’ in the 2008 Green Fleet Awards.

Jim Kirkwood presides over an organisation which is involved in driver improvement and education across the board. It provides workshops for offenders wishing to receive education in preference to taking a fine and points on their driving licence, a wide range of courses suitable for those who drive for business purposes and a truly innovative learner driver product which aims to reverse the trend in young driver road casualties.

Further information about all the DriveTech brands can be obtained from www.drivetech.co.uk

For further information, members of the media should contact
Steve Johnson on direct line +44 (0)1789 414700, mobile +44 (0)7894 621134 or on steve.johnson@drivetech.co.uk

Editor's Notes

DriveTech (UK) plc is one of the UK’s leading providers of road risk management, driver assessment and education. We work with organisations whose employees ‘drive for work’ (FleetSafe) and with members of the public, who are offered education as an alternative to prosecution by the police (DriverAware), as well as a totally fresh approach to learning to drive (Advantage).

DriveTech’s vision is ‘working together to eliminate road death and serious injuries’ by providing the most effective and innovative solutions, using education and technology, to minimise risk for all road users.

DriveTech (UK) has won the Institute of Transport Management’s ‘Fleet Award for Driver Training’ in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 and the ‘European Driver Safety Specialist’ award in 2005. In September 2007, it was named the ITM’s ‘UK Driver Training Solutions Specialist’ and in 2008 DriveTech was voted ‘Best Driver Training Company’ in the Green Fleet Awards.

DriveTech is a member of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, the Association of Car Fleet Operators, the Association of National Driver Improvement Scheme Providers, the DfT’s ‘Driving For Better Business’ campaign and is accredited by both the Driving Standards Agency and City & Guilds.