The Shropshire businesses in the running for prestigious chamber awards

The showpiece Company of the Year award will be decided between reigning and three-time champions Aico of Oswestry, plus Stallion AI of Whitchurch, and two Shrewsbury businesses – Arrow County Supplies, and Riverside Cabins.

This year’s finalists come from all corners of the county, including Telford, Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Market Drayton, Bridgnorth, Craven Arms, Shifnal, and Whitchurch.

The winners will be crowned at a prestigious black-tie awards night, at Telford’s International Centre on Friday June 21.

Ruth Ross, chief executive of Shropshire Chamber, said: “The awards night is always a fantastic occasion – an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary adaptability, creativity and innovation of our business community.

“We have once again been amazed and delighted by the volume and quality of entries, including very strong interest in our new categories. It has been refreshing to see so many first-time entrants, and finalists, this year.

“Shortlisting each category down to a final four was a really tough task for our independent panel – the standard of entries was incredibly high.”

She added: “The past few years have been an extraordinary journey for us all. Instead of dwelling on the challenges, we’ve embraced them as opportunities to grow, adapt, and create.

“Shropshire businesses have shown remarkable agility and determination, evolving in ways we couldn’t have imagined, while delivering new products and services to a broader array of markets. This is an opportunity to give them the recognition they so richly deserve.”

Teams of judges will now be visiting each of the finalists at their premises over the coming weeks to make their final decision.

In addition to the return of long-running categories including company of the year, there are also new-look categories this year recognising business growth, as well as the return of an award for achievement in the retail, leisure and hospitality sector.

The John Clayton Award, named after a previous Shropshire Chamber president, will also be presented on the night to someone who is judged by the Chamber board to have made an outstanding contribution to the county.

Ruth added: “We take immense pride in presenting businesses of all sizes on this year’s shortlist that shine as beacons of excellence in their respective fields. These are the businesses that have not only raised their own profiles but have also elevated the stature of Shropshire businesses on a larger stage.”

The full list of finalists are:

Company of the year: Aico, Arrow County Supplies, Riverside Cabins and Stallion AI.

Best new business: Lilakshop, New Moves Removals and Storage, RJF First Aid and Southwater Veterinary Group.

Best small business: Chrisbeon Office Supplies, Exascale, Mutneys Professional Pet Care and The HR Dept Shropshire.

Outstanding customer service: Assured Vehicle Rental, Hadley Park House Hotel, Salop Leisure and Start-Tech.

Outstanding business growth: Magna Cosma Casting UK, Pipekit, R1 Construction and The HR Dept Shropshire.

Community champion: Azets Holdings, Human Results, Learning Community Trust and Lingen Davies Cancer Fund.

Excellence in manufacturing and engineering: Bridge Cheese, CEL Group, FastAmps and T-T Pumps.

Retail, leisure and hospitality achievement: Hadley Park House Hotel, Shropshire Festivals, The Astbury Golf & Lodge Resort and Weston Park Enterprises.

The Trailblazer – Innovation Award: CEL Group, Exascale, Preloved Tech and Stallion AI Services.

The Eco Award: Arrow County Supplies, Autocraft Telford, Northwood Hygiene Products and Seymour Manufacturing International.

Young business person: Agritel, Azets Holdings, Bridge Cheese and R1 Construction.

More than 450 tickets have already been reserved for this year. For more details about the awards night, and to book tickets, see shropshire-chamber.co.uk/awards/