Teesside-based entrepreneur, Wayne Spriggs, has been named as the North East’s regional winner at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

In partnership with Starling Bank, the ceremony was held at Grosvenor House in Mayfair on 22nd November and saw 159 entrepreneurs from across the UK recognised for their entrepreneurial brilliance and achievements over the last year.

Wayne was awarded the prestigious title to mark the ongoing success of Lusso Stone, which he founded in 2014. As one of the UK’s leading suppliers of luxury baths and basins, the company has achieved phenomenal growth, recently earning it the title of the fastest growing medium business in the 2021 Ward Hadaway North East Fastest 50 Awards. It’s also supplied its signature stone baths, basins and brassware to some of the world’s most prestigious resorts and hotels – including Claridge’s of London – and is currently expanding its product range as part of its ambitious plans to become the ultimate online luxury department store, offering the most complete range of beautifully designed and expertly crafted home, furniture and lifestyle products, all under the Lusso brand.

Speaking on the award, Wayne said: “It’s an absolute honour to represent our region and be named as the North East’s Small Business Entrepreneur of Year. I’m extremely proud of how far the company has come in such a short timeframe, which is not least thanks to the extraordinary talent and dedication of the wider Lusso team.”

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards was launched in 2012 to celebrate the best of British enterprise, acknowledging and championing the hard work and dedication of entrepreneurs and business owners from across the UK. Over the last decade, the awards has celebrated some household names including Julie Deane OBE of Cambridge Satchel Co, Alan and Julie Barratt of Grenade and Shaun Pulfrey of Tangle Teezer. Its most recent headline-grabbing success story is its previous winner, and speaker at this year’s event, Steven Bartlett, who in May was announced as the youngest ever Dragon on BBC’s Dragons Den.

The awards were judged by a panel of industry experts and leaders of influential UK businesses, including some of the prize winners of previous years.

Francesca James, founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, spoke highly of the entrepreneurial talent coming out of this years cohort: “It was fantastic to hear so many inspiring business stories after a difficult few years, and even better to have been able to invite all of our finalists to the in-person ceremony and celebrate together.

“With more than 1,200 attending, the evening was a real snapshot of the UK economy. The winners were thoroughly deserving, overcoming some stiff competition from their fellow finalists, and we look forward to welcoming them into our alumni community and seeing what they do next. It’s always exciting to watch our previous winners go on to achieve amazing things and I don’t expect any less from this year’s award recipients, who we will support all the way.”