The company, run by Mark and Fiona Thornton, was named Small Business of the Year at the Scottish SME Business Awards 2022.

Voted for by the public, the awards recognise creative and successful SMEs from across Scotland and selected finalists who push the boundaries of innovation and imagination in their field.

Welcoming the award, Mrs Thornton said: “We launched our business with the aim of improving industry standards and offering people an honest, efficient roofing service with a high level of competency.

“We hear so many heartbreaking stories about rogue traders preying on unsuspecting people and have even been involved in fixing the issues they’ve caused when they walk off site after failing to carry out a job properly.

“We want to demonstrate that there are good roofing firms out there and customer feedback suggests we’ve been successful in achieving our core goals.

“It’s great to be recognised for all we are doing to help raise benchmarks in the roofing world and we’re particularly thrilled to have won this award since it was decided by a public vote.”

Mr Thornton said: “We pride ourselves on our reputation and are delighted to win our first business award which recognises the first-class service we provide.

“We’re doing all we can to represent the roofing industry in a positive light and our aim is to become the roofing builder and maintenance contractor of choice in Central Scotland.”

Old Plean Roofing was shortlisted alongside Stirling bookshop The Book Nook and AMDetails, a car care products and detailing firm based in Elgin, for Small Business of the Year.

The awards are run by Business Connect to “provide a platform to shine the spotlight on the businesses that have made a positive difference in the market they operate within and have enjoyed growth as a result.”

Yamin Mahmood, CEO of Business Connect, said: “The Scottish SME Business Awards celebrate the most dedicated business professionals that have stood out from the crowd and shown great entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen.

“SME businesses play a vital role in Scotland’s economy and we feel it is of great importance to recognise the drive and commitment of the individuals and organisations at the forefront of their industries. We would like to congratulate this year’s winners.”

Old Plean Roofing was set up by Mark and Fiona Thornton in January 2019 after several years running Thornton Construction Consultants, a consultancy providing technical advice on roofing to construction businesses.

The firm, which covers Central Scotland, is based at Stirling’s Springkerse Industrial Estate and accredited by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) and the UK-wide Buy With Confidence scheme assessed by Trading Standards.

Last year the company was admitted to the prestigious Guild of Master Craftsmen becoming the first Scottish specialist roofing firm in seven years to be accredited by the organisation.

The firm was selected for membership of the Guild, the UK’s oldest trade association, following a thorough vetting procedure which included customer references and an assessment of workmanship and business practices.