Westbury start-up is national award finalist

THE Westbury teenager who appeared on Dragon’s Den earlier this year has now had his company listed as one of the best British small businesses, and is in the running for a £10,000 award. 

Jordan Daykin, founder of Grip It Fixings, was just 18 when he secured an £80,000 deal with ‘Dragon’ Deborah Meaden. Less than a month after the show aired, Grip It was included in the O2 Smarta 100, a list of some of the country’s best small businesses.

Jordan said, “As a business we’re delighted to have been shortlisted for the award. For a start-up such as ours it’s great to recognised as a leader in our field and it shows just how far we’ve come in a short space of time. I hope that this is the first of many awards for Grip It Fixings! Best of luck to the other businesses involved.”

The O2 Smarta 100 Awards recognise the country’s most dynamic and innovative new businesses. There will be one final prize of £10,000, and ten individual category winners, open to public voting. Grip It is in the final ten of the ‘Made in Britain’ category.

Grip It Fixings produces a new type of universal fixing which has been designed for use with all types of plasterboard and can hold up to 180kg.

Jordan came up with the idea in 2008 and, aided by his grandfather, produced a prototype for which they acquired a patent in 2012. The company has since had a string of successes, having secured the investment on Dragon’s Den, and now being listed as one of the UK’s top small businesses. Find out more about the company at www.gripitfixings.co.uk.

To see the rest of the Smarta 100 or to cast your vote, go to the website, www.smarta.com/smarta100.