News

gro-group™ director takes place on Portman Awards panel

July 2005

Rob Holmes, creator of grobag® baby sleeping bags and director of gro-group™ is set to chair the judging panel for this years prestigious Portman Awards that looks to celebrate those intrepid travellers who stumble across great business opportunities and possess the nerve and savvy to bring them back to the UK.

The judging panel will be made up of four people in total with Oi Bagel creator, Stephen King, Portman Travel MD Graham Flack and Bridgepoint Capital Director Ruth McIntosh joining Rob Holmes. Nominations for the categories of Overseas Discovery of the Year (Individual) and Overseas Discovery of the Year (Enterprise) are currently being received and the judging panel are expected to announce the result in late September.

Commenting on the announcement, Rob Holmes said: “The fact that the Portman Awards looks to celebrate business in this way has a particular resonance to the gro-group™ business. After all, it was a family member from mainland Europe who introduced my wife and I to a concept similar to baby sleeping bags. We refined the idea, developed the concept and created a successful brand called grobag®. I’m proud to be asked to chair the judging panel and look forward to unearthing the next potential success story.”

Today gro-group™ international employs 58 people and has joint ventures in Spain, Asia, Australia & New Zealand and Canada as well as the gro-groupÔ uk operation based in the South West. gro-groupÔ international hopes to reach a forecasted annual turnover of £30 million within the next five years.