Express & Star Business Awards finalists unveiled

There was a very strong field of entries for the prestigious awards, which recognise the best in the business world in the newspaper's circulation area.

The final shortlist of 33 for the 10 awards that are up for grabs shows the real high quality of the entries this year, with four rather than three finalists selected in three of the categories.

They range from some of the best-known established and successful names in business in the region, including top manufacturers through to fledgling companies that are right at the start of their stories and who are already making a name for themselves.

All kinds of businesses are featured this year from traditional engineering and cutting edge technology to vets and funeral directors.

Express & Star Editor-in-chief Martin Wright said: “Once again the quality of entries in our Business Awards has been deeply impressive.

"It is a reflection of just how many great businesses of all sizes that we have operating in our area.

“The judges will be facing a really tough challenge of selecting the winners from such an outstanding shortlist of businesses that have some great stories of success to tell.

"The Express & Star is proud that so many impressive companies chose to enter and each of our finalists should have great pride at having achieved such a hard-won place on our shortlist. Every year it gets tougher to decide who should get a place."

Those on the shortlist will now undergo a further rigorous judging process to select the 10 winners who will be revealed at a glittering black-tie dinner event that is being held at Wolverhampton Racecourse on June 6.

There will be a series of site visits by teams of judges, including executives from sponsor companies and from the Express & Star’s parent company, Midland News Association.

Mr Wright also thanked all the sponsor companies and said that without them the annual awards would not be able to be held.

The sponsors are Altodigital, Carvers, City of Wolverhampton Council, Collins Aerospace, Crowe, East End Foods, Higgs & Sons, HomeServe and Marston's.

The overall business of the year category is sponsored by the Express & Star itself.

Express & Star Business Awards 2019 - finalists

Best Place to Work: sponsored by HomeServe

Finalists: Blacks Vets, Dudley; The Kaleidoscope Plus Group, West Bromwich and whg, Walsall.

Best Use of Technology: sponsored by Altodigital

Finalists: Coinadrink Ltd, Walsall; Homeserve Furniture Repairs, Brierley Hill and Rotronics Battery Management Solutions, Darlaston.

Excellence in Customer Service; sponsored by East End Foods

Finalists: Marston’s Beer Company, Wolverhampton; Nant Ltd, Bilston and Wealth Design Group Ltd, Cannock.

Business of the Year: sponsored by Express & Star

Finalists: Cameron Homes, Chasetown; MAHLE Aftermarket, Bilston and Handicare Accessibility Ltd, Kingswinford.

Business Person of the Year: sponsored by Marston’s

Finalists: Neil Lloyd, FBC Manby Bowdler LLP, Wolverhampton; Greg Reed, HomeServe UK, Walsall and Melvin Sinar, Petford Group Ltd, Dudley.

Family Business of the Year: sponsored by Crowe

Finalists: Diamond Fire & Security, Cannock; F P Gaunt & Sons Ltd, Rowley Regis and R B Windows, Doors and Conservatories, Cannock.

Manufacturing Champion: sponsored by Collins Aerospace

Finalists: A&M EDM, Smethwick; CS Labels, Wolverhampton; Somers Forge Ltd, Halesowen andM J Sections Ltd, Dudley.

Micro Business of the Year: sponsored by City of Wolverhampton Council

Finalists: Hayden Kilkelly Independent Financial Advisors (HK IFA), Kingswinford; Huxton Resourcing Ltd, Wolverhampton and Johnson Design Partnership Ltd, Bridgnorth.

Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year: sponsored by Higgs & Sons

Finalists: Midwest Motor Factors, Bilston; Homeserve Furniture Repairs, Brierley Hill; In-Comm Training, Aldridge, Walsall and Rotech Laboratories Ltd, Wednesbury.

Young Business of the Year: sponsored by Carvers

Finalists: Jet Express Ltd, Wombourne; Savesta Construction Ltd, Wolverhampton; Silvaman Group Ltd, West Bromwich and SMART Balustrades Ltd, Burntwood.