We reveal The Press Business Awards finalists

More than 100 entries from across York and North and East Yorkshire were received for the 12 categories in this year’s celebration of all that is best in enterprise.

The high standard meant choosing three finalists in each of the categories was particularly difficult. Acting business editor Andrew Hitchon said: “The quality and variety of the entries has been so high that some of the choices were very difficult for the judges.”

Some shortlisted companies have made the final three in two categories.

Monster Group (UK), a retail enterprise which has grown to a multimillion-pound business operating across two major sites, is shortlisted for both Large Business and Exporter of The Year.

Home care agency Riccall Care, which started in 1984 with a small residential care home and now employs about 300 care workers, is in the running for Family Business of the Year and Achievement Through People.

Jorvik Tricycles, founded when owner James Walker was looking for a suitable tricycle for his father, who has Parkinson’s Disease, has been shortlisted for Small Business and Exporter of the Year.

The York Handmade Brick Company, whose traditional products contribute to many prestigious building schemes, is in the Small Business and Family Business categories.

And Purenet, a York-based ecommerce specialist and with 56 staff a significant local employer in its sector, is on the shortlist for the Business Innovation and Technology categories.

In the Large Business category, the other shortlisted companies are East Yorkshire’s Soanes Poultry, which rears more than five million birds each year and employs nearly 100 people, and Britcab, a specialist in portable cabins and modular buildings which has grown considerably to now employ more than 40 people and 15 to 20 regular subcontractors.

In New Business the contenders are Allies, which builds and grows ecommerce companies and offers outstanding growth to clients; Ainsty Ales Brewery, which has been busy this summer creating a new microbrewery in Acaster Malbis; and York-based Saksons Interiors, which aims to set a new standard in luxury surroundings.

The remaining two entrants in the Achievement Through People category are Kinnerton Confectionery, of Sherburn-in-Elmet, which has instituted policies to engage and energise its workforce, and builder SIMPSON (York) Ltd, which aims to realise the potential of its employees and making them feel challenged and stimulated.

Langver Engineering, based near Thirsk, is a market leader in the production of ratchet tensioners for use on curtain-sided lorries, as well as being shortlisted in the Small Business category.

Pushing the boundaries in the field of Business Innovation are York-based CBT, which is using digital technology to help provide psychological assessment and treatment services, and Drax Power, which has introduced a range of technological solutions so it can switch from using coal to using biomass to produce electricity.

Expanding vending machine, refreshment systems and artisan coffee company the Upton Group is vying for glory in the Family Business category.

Meanwhile the three ventures trying for the Employer of the Year title are Castle Employment, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary; organic nursery Little Green Rascals, where employees are rewarded for dedication and hard work; and Green-Tech, which is passionate about employing and nurturing local talent.

The remaining contender for the Exporter award is NiteSite Ltd, a recent winner of a Queen’s Award for International Trade.

In the Socially Responsible category there are Energi Trampoline Park, which ensures people with additional needs can access its facilities; vehicle leasing company Autohorn, which is working to reduce emissions; and the Partners Group, which works hard on its community links and to make a positive contribution to society.

In the world of Retail, Tourism and Leisure the shortlisted trio are the Royal York Hotel, recipient of a recent multimillion-pound makeover; Cedarbarn near Pickering, which has added a miniature railway to its farm shop and cafe; and popular and multiple-award-winning deli Hunters of Helmsley.

The remaining Technology contenders are Optix Software, which has taken an innovative approach to management systems for opticians; and Digital Missives, which provides software solutions to practical problems.

The three individuals who are aiming to be named Business Personality of the Year are Tracey Smith, chief executive of York Science Park; Carolyn Frank, a leading figure in Helmsley in Business and a small enterprise champion; and Graham Usher, general manager of York’s Monkbar Hotel and chair of the York Hoteliers Association.