AnyTech365 and The Experience Group - winners of the first SUR in English Top International Business awards

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The first award winner was Alan James, who founded The Experience Group 53 years ago when the Costa del Sol was a lot quieter

The Costa del Sol was a very different place when Alan James founded The Experience Group back in 1970. After 15 years in the construction industry in the UK, the Londoner had seen the potential of the property market in the south of Spain as the demand for holiday homes and expat residences grew.

He arrived and, as he explained, "I could see the potential straight away." Within 10 years, there were 17 companies in The Experience Group.

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Speaking at the Top International Business Guide event he said, "We are truly honoured to receive the award." He admitted that he was a "serial entrepreneur" and thanked the Costa del Sol "for allowing us to develop as we have." James's group has had more than 20 firms employing thousands of Spanish and expats. He described them as "a collection of companies that have evolved from the demand of clients on the coast."

One of his most successful businesses has been construction: "I have built and sold more than 5,000 homes on the coast between Torrox Costa and Sotogrande."

He also has telecommunications and property management businesses and has built and owned golf and lawn bowling clubs. During his speech James highlighted his contribution to local communities, mentioning when he built a footbridge over the motorway to link the resorts of Benamara and Benavista to prevent more accidents.

He also spoke about the development of the area during his 53 years here. "Before none of this was here," he said gesturing to the buildings of the Holiday World complex. Alan James said that "serving the coast has been an honour" and told guests at the event that his main piece of business advice was to know your company figures inside out.

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The second award winner was AnyTech365, a Marbella-based IT security and support company.

AnyTech365 was created by Danish businessman and IT entrepreneur Janus R. Nielsen. It is a security and support company that provides users and small businesses with a threat prevention technology called IntelliGuard to secure their devices.

The company, based in Marbella, provides support in 24 languages.

Speaking at the SUR in English event, Nielsen expressed his gratitude for the award.

He said one of the key factors of success in his company was the fact it is based in the Costa del Sol, "the number one holiday destination in Europe".

He explained that this makes it is easy to attract talented young professionals who speak a range of languages.

AnyTech365 was only founded in 2014, but has already been named the fastest growing technology company in Spain as well as the 27th fastest in Europe across all sectors in 2019 by the Financial Times magazine.

This award adds to an existing list collected by AnyTech365, which includes the Andalucía Excelente 2021 and Premio del Comercio de Marbella.