Express & Star Business Awards 2015 finalists are unveiled

More applicants than ever before in the history of the awards were vying for one of the places, competing for the 12 awards up for grabs this year.

Preliminary judging has whittled them down to 33 finalists who will now undergo a rigorous assessment, including a series of site visits, as the difficult task of finding winners gets under way.

Express & Star Editor Keith Harrison said: "We have been delighted at the huge response to this year's awards, which are set to be the biggest and best so far.

"There is an extraordinarily broad range of companies and organisations making up the list of finalists and many are new to the competition, which is very satisfying.

"It shows the quality and depth of the business community across the Black Country, Staffordshire and the surrounding area.

"We also believe that the strong level of entries is also testament to the resilience of the economic recovery we are now seeing. These are the companies and organisations that are the bedrock of that recovery; their ambition and the growth they are creating are putting us all on the path to a brighter future.

"I look forward to taking part in the judging and to meeting all the finalists at the awards presentation evening at Wolverhampton Racecourse on June 11. I am sure it will be a wonderful night.

"I would also like to thank all our award sponsors, who will be taking part in the judging process and without whom these awards would not be possible."

Supporting the awards this year are: : Aspray24, BDO, Carvers, EBC Group, Higgs & Sons, Jaguar Land Rover, Ladder for the Black Country, Lloyds Bank, Wolverhampton City Council, University of Wolverhampton and UTC Aerospace Systems along with Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

The finalists are:

Export Award: Caparo Precision Strip, West Bromwich; Exol Lubricants, Wednesbury; Dudley College.

Manufacturing Champion: Clarkwood Engineering, Wolverhampton; Elta Fans, Kingswinford; Wrights Plastics, West Bromwich.

Best Use of Technology: Palletways, Lichfield; Sandwell Council; Taylor Biddle Opticians, Wolverhampton.

Community Champions: Black Country Housing Group, Blackheath; HomeServe Membership, Walsall; The West Brom.

Innovation Award: Gizapaw Safety, Swindon; James Walker Rotabolt, Dudley; Palletways, Lichfield.

Apprentice of the Year: Mohammed Ahmed of Lion Containers, Walsall; Daniel Cope of PAL Group, Wednesbury; Deborah Porter of Wolverhampton Homes.

Customer Service: HomeServe, Walsall; River Canal Rescue, Stafford; Tile Choice, Wolverhampton.

Best Place to Work: Angel Springs, Wolverhampton; Concept Resourcing, Dudley; Whg, Walsall; Zeel Solutions, Wolverhampton.

Young Business of the Year: Complete Kidz, Smethwick; Vantage Consulting, Stafford, WELL Associates, Willenhall.

Small to Medium-Sized Business of the Year: Cameron Homes, Chasetown; Totalkare, Halesowen; Zeel Solutions, Wolverhampton.

Family Business of the Year: Bytheway & Co Associates, Sedgley; Clarkwood Engineering, Wolverhampton, Hughes Productions, Wolverhampton.

Business of the Year: Exol Lubricants, Wednesbury; Hub Le Bas, Bilston; Pallet-Track, Wolverhampton.