Finalists in the Shropshire Star Excellence In Business Awards revealed
A driver training firm, an IT specialist, and a manufacturer will compete for the top prize at this year's Shropshire Star Excellence In Business Awards.
The Star can today confirm the identities of the businesses who will battle it out for the awards on offer at the glittering awards ceremony at RAF Cosford on April 21.
Hadley Park-based driver trainer TTC Group is up against Telford-based Rockford IT and Shrewsbury's Salop Design & Engineering in the blue riband Business of the Year category, sponsored by Enterprise Flex-E-Rent.
In total, 29 finalists will compete for the nine categories on offer, with the majority of awards being fought between three finalists.
The third annual awards ceremony will feature a number of newly-introduced categories, including Micro Business of the Year, sponsored by the Shropshire Star, in which Oswestry's GWR Fasteners, House of Party, also in Oswestry, Pipekit in Shrewsbury and R&D Tax Claims Ltd, another Shrewsbury company, will battle it out for the top prize.
In the Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year category, sponsored by Greenhous, Shrewsbury companies Galliers Home and Marches Care will be up against Telford medical supplies company SP Services.
Farming Business of the Year, sponsored by Higgs & Sons, is another newly-introduced award, and will be contested by Barbers Auctions LLP in Market Drayton, GS & PA Reeves Ltd in Wem, and Shrewsbury's Select Livestock.
Shropshire Star editor Martin Wright said: "Having the identities of the finalists laid before us brings into focus the fact that we are into the final countdown for this year's Excellence in Business Awards.
"The judges had a really tough time in choosing the finalists for this year's awards, but unfortunately it's simply the case that not everybody can make it through.
"The standard of entries was high, and we were delighted with the response to some of the new categories – the introduction of Micro Business of the Year clearly resonated with our local business community, where 90 per cent of companies employ fewer than 10 members of staff.
"We're really looking forward to next month's ceremony, which will be another grand celebration of Shropshire business, in the spectacular setting of RAF Cosford."
