AN OKEHAMPTON firm has won accolades for its environmentally-friendly approach to business. National Bee Supplies was runner-up in the environmental performance category at the DEBI Environmental Awards last Thursday at the Met Office in Exeter. The Exeter Road Industrial Estate-based firm was in competition with three other businesses across Devon for the ultimate prize, which went to Colour Works Design and Print of Totnes. The judges described National Bee Supplies as an ?absolute revelation?, both in terms of the life of bees and their importance to pollination and the sheer quality of the workmanship of the bee hives the firm makes. They said the owner Bill Stevens, ?exudes enthusiasm and knowledge both on how fantastic bees are and how his team has turned the business around in the last five years to be both more successful and environmentally sustainable?. National Bee Supplies retail beehives and other equipment to be a successful beekeeper whether for a large outfit or for the keen and growing new band of domestic beekeepers, as well as selling honey. Mr Stevens said: ?It is entirely in keeping with our business. Bees and bee-keeping are so important to the environment and it is worth £300-million to British agriculture.? He said he took up bee-keeping around 13 years ago with just two hives and went on to become a bee farmer with 150 hives within five years. ?The more you learn about bee-keeping the more you learn about how beneficial it is to the environment.? The nomination citation concludes: ?All in all, a great advert for a local company, really trying to be resource efficient and be successful.? This is the 13th year that DEBI (Devon Environmental Business Initiative) have held a competition for businesses to show how they have adopted good environmental practice in their day to day running.
