Swindon-based IT and communications support firm Excalibur Communications has been named among the finalists in a unique competition to find the region’s happiest workplace.
The fast-growing firm, which prides itself on giving its 60 staff an unbeatable working environment, will now line up against four other firms – three from Bristol and one from Bath – in the final of the contest, staged by workplace and interior design consultancy Wylde IA. 
Excalibur, based at the showpiece Arclite House, Peatmoor, was founded more than 20 years ago and now provides IT, landline and mobile solutions to thousands of businesses in the UK.
Group CEO James Phipps said: “We’re delighted to have been named as a finalist in the South West Happiest Workplace Awards.
“As a team, we’ve worked extremely hard at Excalibur to achieve not just a modern and well-equipped working environment but a culture of excellence and dedication to our customers that flows throughout the business.
“The wellbeing of all our employees is extremely important. If they are happy and then our customers are happy. We want time at work to be enjoyable and ensure that everyone feels like they’ve made a difference at the end of the day.”
The awards, now in their second year, aim to champion organisations that go the extra mile to make their staff’s working lives happier and showcase best practice.
This year’s winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on July 20 at the Chippenham head office of Herman Miller, the furniture manufacturer and pioneer of the modern workplace.
Since the competition closed at the end of April, the team at Wylde IA has thrown themselves into the judging process to find out exactly what makes South West employees so happy.
Bristol-based Wylde IA director Maxine Bennett said: “Yet again, we’ve had a fantastic selection of different organisations enter our competition. We’ve had a real mix of large institutions and smaller boutique companies.
“We’re delighted companies have engaged with our competition and the response pays testament to the fact the South West is a hotbed of happy workplaces.”
The Happiest Workplace competition was launched last year to celebrate Wylde IA’s 18 years in the business. The company wanted to find out exactly what makes a great workplace and, therefore, happy staff. Due to its success the competition has been staged again this year, widening it to include companies in Swindon and down the M5 to Devon and Cornwall.
The competition is being supported by Swindon Business News, whose editor Robert Buckland is on the judging panel with Herman Miller workplace specialist Bertie Van Wyk.
Wylde IA is an award-winning independent interior design consultancy, trading for nearly 20 years. The company specialises in creative design, working directly with clients throughout the UK and Europe in partnership with external suppliers, architects and fit-out companies to create inspiring places.
Excalibur is competing against Bristol firms Rethink Recruitment, social enterprise Paper, which provides creatives with a place to grow their entrepreneurial ideas and to make a living from their artistic talents, and last year’s winner, specialist distribution firm Shiner, along with Bath-based content marketing agency M2 Bespoke.
