Final preparations are under way for tonight's Bury Free Press Business Awards

By Barry Peters

barry.peters@iliffepublishing.co.uk

Published: 09:18, 12 October 2018

| Updated: 09:19, 12 October 2018

Silver Trophy competition in the dark on the abstract blurred light background with copy space, Blue Tone (4756654)

Today is the one day of the year when businesses across West Suffolk come together and celebrate.

The votes are in – and today we will find out the winners of the Bury Free Press Business Awards 2018.

Who will succeed Becketts as Business of the Year and who will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award?

Well, now we know who is in the running for tonight's glitzy showcase at The Apex.

This year, we had more than 100 entries again across the 11 categories.

Here are the finalists for 2018:

Business Leader of the Year (sponsored by Ashtons Legal): Laura Morrison - Your Telemarketing; Ruth French - Stow Healthcare; Brian Keane - Cameron Ventures Hotel Group.

The West Suffolk Award for Innovation (Treatt Plc): Orbital Media; Herga Technology Ltd; Precision Marketing Group.

Business of the Year (Chamber of Commerce Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill & Newmarket): ClarkeCare Limited; Cameron Ventures Hotel Group; Bennett Homes.

Employee of the Year (West Suffolk College): Justine Booth - Pocket Watch & Petticoats; Louise Catton - Beckett Investment Management Group; Suzanne Stevenson - Bury St Edmunds Heritage Trust and The Guildhall Project Board.

Customer Service (Our Bury St Edmunds): Pocket Watch & Petticoats; Armstrongs Independent Funeral Service; H G Frost.

Best New Start Up Business (Menta): The Kinetic Science Foundation; Asgard Fitness; FamilyCarersNet.

Contribution to the Community (Portcullis Group): Judith Thomas; Julie Eden - Coffee & Co; Nowton Park Nursery.

Apprentice/Trainee of the Year (WS Training): Bradley Brame - Herga Technology; Kayleigh Elmer - West Suffolk College; Marlon Sherman - The Bell - Thetford.

The West Suffolk Young Entrepreneur Award (West Suffolk Councils): Ben Hutton - Ben’s; Paul Brown - Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.

Green/Environment (SaveMoneyCutCarbon): Greener Growth CIC; Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing; Infusions Group.

Lifetime Achievement (Abbeycroft Leisure): Karen Mayhew - Havebury Housing Partnership; Judith Thomas; Gavin Ashley - Gavin Ashley Hairdressing.

Bury St Edmunds Business Barry Peters