AFTER gruelling judging process the finalists of this year's Wiltshire Business Awards have today been announced.
But the 36 businesses now have an agonising wait until the middle of April to find out if they will walk away with a title naming them as one of the best in the business.
The awards are organised by the Swindon Advertiser's parent company Newsquest and supported by long-standing supporter Thrings, who are once again the overall sponsor for the awards, as well as sponsoring the coveted Outstanding Excellence Award.
Eight businesses from across the county in the running impressed the judges so much they have found themselves leading the way with nominations in four categories across the board.
Active Potential Therapy, Bewley & Merrett Funeral Directors, C4S-Search, Gooding Accounts, SMARTech energy, Bechtle, First City Nursing Services Ltd and Wiltshire Inch Loss Clinic have all been named as finalists in four of this year's categories.
Director of Gooding Accounts in Westbury, Sam Gooding, is up for the Business Person of the Year award, while his firm is also nominated for the Outstanding Excellence, Small Business, and Services to the Community categories.
He said: "Last year we were up for three awards, so to be shortlisted this year for all four categories that we entered is an even bigger privilege. We are hoping that reflects the level and quality of business we provide to our clients.
"We are very much looking forward to the awards ceremony at Longleat, it is always a really good night, with lots of great people there. And with three new categories of awards this year there will be even more happy people there whose achievements have been recognised."
Pete Gavan, editor of the Swindon Advertiser and its sister titles the Gazette & Herald and the Wiltshire Times, congratulated the 36 businesses who had made it on to the judges' shortlist. He said: “Well done to all those who’ve made it on to the shortlists for our business awards.
“It’s great for us to be able to highlight the great work that businesses of all kinds are doing across Wiltshire.
“Now we just have to wait for the big night in April to find out who the winners will be.”
Backing this year's awards are BBC Wiltshire who are sponsoring the Service to the Community award. RSM is backing the Business Person of the Year title, and The Enterprise Network has thrown its backing behind the start-up category.
New to the panel this year was Bespoke Training and HR4 Business which has created an exciting new category focusing on Learning and Development. C3 Marketing is sponsoring the creative marketing award and also the Small Business category; NatWest is sponsoring the Medium Size Enterprise title, while the team from Mainline is supporting the Customer and Staff Care trophy.
The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on April 20 at Longleat.
The full list of finalists by category:
Outstanding Excellence
Active Potential Therapy
Bewley & Merrett Funeral Directors
C4S-Search
CMS Group
Ganges Indian Cuisine
Gooding Accounts
Greenway Training
H5 Adventure
Purpol Marketing
SMARTech energy
AB Dynamics Ltd
An Apple a Day Supply
Bechtle
Charles S. Winchcombe & Sons
Chippenham Motor Company
Complete I.T.
Crapper & Sons Landfill Ltd
First City Nursing Services Ltd
Lingerie Outlet Store
Mitchell Law
Poppy's Picnic
Wiltshire Inch Loss Clinic
Wiltshire Caravans
Medium Sized Enterprise
AB Dynamics Ltd
Bechtle
Crapper & Sons Landfill Ltd
First City Nursing Services Ltd
Lingerie Outlet Store
Wiltshire Caravans
Small Business
Active Potential Therapy
Bewley & Merrett Funeral Directors
C4S-Search
CMS Group
Gooding Accounts
Greenway Training
Mike Allen Services
SMARTech energy
Start Up Business
Around and About Bath
Mitchell Law
Poppy's Picnic
The Sound Emporium
The Squeeky Cleaners Ltd
Willtshire Inch Loss Clinic
Business Person of the year
Aaron Bewley of Bewley & Merrett Funeral Directors
Natasha Penny of Busy Books
Sam Gooding of Gooding Accounts
Paul Webb of H5 Adventure
Anthony Miles of Miles Window Systems
Pippa Birch of Pipster Solutions
Denise O'Leary of Purpol Marketing
Stuart Pearce of SMARTech energy
Hilary Coates of Wagging Tails
James Napp of Bechtle
Adam Bailey of Chippenham Motor Company
Stephen Trowbridge of First City Nursing Services Ltd
Lisa Wrintmore of Wiltshire Inch Loss Clinic
Customer & Staff Care
Beauty Boutique
Bewley & Merrett Funeral Directors
Busy Books
C4S-Search
An Apple a Day Supply
Bechtle
Charles S. Winchcombe & Sons
Complete I.T.
Forrester Sylvester Mackett Solicitors
Swindon's Bus Company
Learning & Development Employer
C4S-Search
SMARTech energy
An Apple a Day Supply
Complete I.T.
Creative Marketing
Active Potential Therapy
Miles Window Systems
Naturally Social
Chippenham Motor Company
Wiltshire Inch Loss Clinic
Services to the Community
Active Potential Therapy
Busy Books
Ganges Indian Cuisine
Gooding Accounts
First City Nursing Services Ltd
Corporate & Social Responsibility
Greenway Training
Purpol Marketing
Charles S. Winchcombe & Sons
Crapper & Sons Landfill Ltd
Create Studios
Green Machine Computers Ltd
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