Shortlist for Express & Star Business Awards
Companies large and small have won through the initial judging stages of this year's Express & Star Business Awards in one of the biggest shortlists in the competition's history.
This year the awards have been expanded to 11 categories, attracting even more outstanding entries.
Viv Birch, promotions manager at Express & Star publishers MNA and organiser of the awards event, said: "The total number of company registrations and subsequent entries increased again over last year, with strong representation across the board."
The new categories of Apprentice Employer of the Year and Outstanding Not-For-Profit Organisation both attracted a significant amount of submissions so this year's awards, with the highest number of sponsors to date, will reflect more accurately than ever the diversity of top quality businesses across our region.
"Some categories proved particularly difficult to judge at the preliminary stage, because of the high quality of entries. The line-up of finalists illustrates the strength and depth of organisations demonstrating innovation and entrepreneurial spirit every day in the Black Country and south Staffordshire."
She added: "Two-thirds of this year's finalists have not taken part in the competition before and they reflect the changing landscape of the area's business community. "
The finalists for the event's blue riband Business of the Year award are Boss Design, EDM Group, Lift & Engineering Services, and Palletways.
Finalists in the other categories are: Export Award: Boss Design, Mechatherm International, Mercian Labels (trading as Security Labels International); Best Place to Work: Mercian Labels, Village Urban Resort Dudley, Zeel Solutions; Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year: Essington Farm, Oosha Ltd, Top Tubes.
For the Innovation Award: Alan Nuttall Ltd, EDM Group, Network Packaging; Business Growth: Engineers Mate, Inex Home Improvements, Lift & Engineering Services; Young Business of the Year: Engineers Mate, Home Instead Senior Care, R & D Tax Claims; Manufacturing Champion: Boss Design, Exol Lubricants, Lift & Engineering Services; Community Champion: A F Blakemore & Son, Complete Kidz CiC, Crowe Clark Whitehill.
In the new categories the shortists were Apprentice Employer of the Year: Jane James@Evergreen, Metsec, Walter Smith Fine Foods; Outstanding Not-for-Profit Organisation: Groundwork West Midlands, Steps to Work, Wolverhampton Homes.
