A RECORD number of entries have been submitted for this year's Halton Chamber Business Awards.

The celebratory evening will be held at Halton Stadium on Friday, November 15, with guest speakers from national debt recovery firm DCBL Group, stars of Channel Five's Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away!

The company, whose dramatic work is captured on the popular reality show, has recently opened a new head office at Runcorn’s Manor Park and are the event’s main sponsor.

More than 400 companies and individuals will attend in the hope of picking up one of the coveted trophies in 14 categories, including new awards for 'Employer of the year', 'Rising star' and 'Family business of the year'.

Chamber chief executive Rachael Owen said: "We have been overwhelmed this year, not only by the quantity of entries but also by the extremely high quality.

"Halton boasts some truly world class companies and individuals.

"This evening will be a wonderful celebration of the fantastic enterprise and innovation that is flourishing in the borough at the moment.

"The judges have been faced with a very difficult task of selecting the best of the best for the 2019 awards."

The finalists are:

New business of the year

  • Octave Design Services
  • Imagin3d
  • Holfords Roofing
  • On the High Street
  • MAT Recruitment

Customer service

  • Hardman Office & Commercial Cleaning
  • Specsavers
  • Sleeptight Beds
  • The Figure Factory
  • Q Delivery Service

Apprentice / young person of the year

  • Matthew Walker - Evolve Facility Services
  • Lewis Hancox - STFC
  • Oliver Rowles - Prima
  • Sam Meacock - Initial Packaging
  • Kane Wignall - ICE
  • Jessica Gibbons - Support at Home

Social enterprise of the year

  • Nightstop
  • United Giving
  • Stick 'n' Step
  • Sew Halton

Responsible business of the year

  • Hardman Office & Commercial Cleaning
  • Anthony’s Travel
  • SOG
  • XCellR8
  • Evans Creative

Rising star

  • Support at Home
  • Millwood Manufacturing
  • D3T
  • Perfectus Biomed
  • Polymorph
  • Flint Studios

Manufacturer of the year

  • The TALL Group
  • Sandon Global
  • Mersey Vent
  • Alstom

Sustainable business of the year

  • Calon Associates
  • Used Kitchen Exchange
  • Genlab

Exporter of the year

  • The TALL Group
  • Sandon Global
  • Arvia Technology
  • ORCHA

Employer of the year

  • D3T
  • Perfectus Biomed
  • Sure Safe
  • Evolve Facility Services
  • Halton Housing
  • Riverside College

Family business of the year (30+ employees)

  • Support at Home
  • Anthonys Travel
  • Mersey Bunkering (The Armitt Group)
  • Early Learners Nursery
  • Hough Green Garages

Family business of the year (<30 employees)

  • Aqueous
  • PPS Pinnington Plumbing
  • Ace Blinds
  • Industrial Cooling Equipment

Entrepreneur of the year

Jonathan Guy - Aqueous Digital

Nick Griffiths - Industrial Cooling Equipment

Terri Kearney - Nightstop

Chris Berg - Acorn2Oak

Big BID Business of the year

  • Hough Green Garages
  • Knitwire (Catalytic Support Systems)

Small BID business of the year

  • Sure Safe
  • The Figure Factory
  • Courier Post
  • Industrial Cooling Equipment