Shropshire Star Excellence In Business Awards: Finalists are named

A fast-growing food supplier, an electrical services company which worked on HSBC's new home in Birmingham, and a successful recycling company have been shortlisted for the biggest prize on offer at this year's awards.

Agricultural, Food & Farming Champion, sponsored by Higgs & Sons

FS Brettell & Son, Shrewsbury

Kerry Vale Vineyard, Pentreheyling

Stallion AI Services, Whitchurch

Apprentice Employer Award, sponsored by University of Wolverhampton

Hendra Healthcare, Ludlow

Pave-aways, Knockin

Salop Design & Engineering, Shrewsbury

SJ Roberts Group, Welshpool

Best Place to Work, sponsored by Star Employment Services

FBC Manby Bowdler, Telford

Reech Media Group, Shrewsbury

Saxonby, Shrewsbury

Business of the Year, sponsored by Enterprise Flex-E-Rent

Dodd Group, Telford

Orchard Valley Foods, Burford

Reconomy, Telford

Customer Champion, sponsored by Rybrook BMW Shrewsbury

David Dexters, Bridgnorth

Dyke Yaxley, Shrewsbury

SBM Digital Systems, Sutton Maddock

Micro Business of the Year, sponsored by Shropshire Star

Bespoke Computing, Telford

Caradoc Medical Services, Shrewsbury

Champion & Reeves, Shrewsbury

Pipekit, Annscroft

Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year, sponsored by Geenhous Group

Pave-aways, Knockin

Pronin, Whitchurch

Sentinel Care Services, Telford

Stallion AI Services, Whitchurch

Young Business of the Year, sponsored by Rent-A-Space

Beaver Bridges, Shrewsbury

Jailhouse Tours, Shrewsbury

Pronin, Whitchurch

Orchard Valley Foods from Burford in south Shropshire, Telford-based Dodd Group and Reconomy, which is also based in Telford, are the three finalists in the Business of the Year category.

The glittering awards ceremony will take place at RAF Museum Cosford on May 4, and will see eight accolades handed out in total.

Shropshire Star editor Martin Wright said: "The Excellence In Business Awards have become a real highlight of the business calendar in Shropshire, and that was reflected in the sheer calibre of the entries we received this year.

"The economic landscape may be facing a period of uncertainty at present, but there are still many success stories waiting to be shared.

"The variety that we can see in this year's entries, and the broad range of sectors they represent, really demonstrates the rich diversity of businesses that operate in Shropshire.

"The quality of the entries presented the shortlisting judges with some difficult decisions, and it was unfortunate that some very good entries missed the cut because of sheer volume of good quality entries that we had this year."

The Agricultural, Food and Farming category is one of the sections and is sponsored by Higgs & Sons. It will see egg poultry farm FS Brettell & Sons from Hadnall come up against artificial insemination experts Stallion AI and Kerry Vale Vineyard near Bishop's Castle. Telford law firm FBC Manby Bowdler, marketing agency Reech Media, and Shrewsbury housebuilder Saxonby will vie to be named Best Place to Work in a category sponsored by Star Employment Services.