The time has come where we can officially announce the shortlist for this year's Stoke-on-Trent BusinessLive Awards, in association with StokeonTrentLive and The Sentinel.
A 12-strong judging panel spent hours deliberating this year's entries at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel on Festival Park last week where all of the finalists were decided.
Marc Waddington, editor of The Sentinel and BusinessLive's sister site , said: "The quality of the entries this year was superb, and a reminder of how many great businesses we have in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire.
"The entries were a brilliant testament to the fact that there are firms and people rooted here that are doing incredible work – work that's making a difference to our communities and also showcasing the talent and expertise our region has to offer to the world."
The judges were:
- Natalie Blago (Autonet)
- Mark Inskip (Brewin Dolphin)
- Daran Harding (Dains)
- Erik Baxendale (Erwin Hymer Centre Travelworld)
- Simon McEneny (Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council)
- Fiona Hawkins (Plinkfizz)
- Geoff Riley (Staffordshire BIC)
- Sally McGill (Staffordshire University)
- Paul Williams (Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID)
- Marc Waddington (The Sentinel)
- Louisa Shaw and Hannah Ault (We Are Staffordshire)
The great and good of the business world will gather at the King's Hall, in Stoke, on April 28 for the awards night, where the winners and runners-up for each of the 13 categories will be announced.
And, as it's the first time the event has been held in person since 2019, it's guaranteed to be a good night.
But before that, all of the shortlisted finalists will be invited to a drinks reception at the Potter's Club, in Stoke, on Wednesday, March 23 where they will get to see who they are up against.
So who's in the running? Here's the full shortlist:
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - sponsored by
Haughton Design
Lucideon
SYTECH - digital forensics
BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY - sponsored by
Danny Poole & Sons
Radwell International
Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce
INNOVATION IN BUSINESS - sponsored by the
Fittingly
Lucideon
RKW
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Easy Composites
Haughton Design
ProtectaPet
TRAINING EXCELLENCE - sponsored by
Erwin Hymer Centre Travelworld
Rydale Roofing
Tuffa º£½ÇÊÓƵ
GROWTH AWARD - sponsored by
Radwell International
Swan Brand º£½ÇÊÓƵ
Veincentre
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR - sponsored by
Alistair Trippett - Habitans Lettings
Jason Harker - Planterra
Rob Sutton - RKW
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
Chris Daniels - CyberKiln
Jemma Ball - Jemma Elizabeth Beauty & Academy
Simon Davies - ProtectaPet
Tom Wilkinson - Beta Commercial Finance
HIGH-PERFORMING TEAM OF THE YEAR - sponsored by
Back On Track Teens
Sempar Accountancy and Tax
Swan Brand º£½ÇÊÓƵ
START-UP BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
CyberKiln
Habitans Lettings
Rock that Scent
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR - sponsored by
Acorn Training
EPX Technical Services
Misco’s Chocolates
The Kindergarten Group
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR - sponsored by
Acacia Training
Erwin Hymer Centre Travelworld
Radwell International
Swan Brand º£½ÇÊÓƵ
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
This has been decided by the judges and will be kept under wraps until the night.
The Stoke-on-Trent BusinessLive Awards aim to shine a spotlight on the best in the industry.
The awards will showcase the successes and notable achievements of companies of all shapes and sizes, as well as individuals, from across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire.
Take a look at last year's winners and runners-up here
The ceremony will be a chance for organisations to reconnect after two years of Covid-19-related restrictions and be an opportunity to give this year’s finalists the recognition they deserve.
For more information, or for tickets, visit the official awards website .
