Some of the South West’s top firms have been named among the finalists of the region’s most prestigious business awards.
Accountants PwC’s annual West of England Business of the Year Awards 
are now in their 28th year and previous winners read like a who’s-who of the region’s best companies.
The coveted awards have a reputation built firmly on the thoroughness of the judging panel, which is made up of respected business figures from across the region.
There are only two categories: for business with a turnover above £30m and for those turning over less than £30m.
Pictured: Last year’s winner of the large business category was Bott, the Bude-based workplace storage equipment firm
PwC regional leader for the West and Wales, Katharine Finn, said: “The short-listed companies represent the very best of business in the West of England. These businesses have created fantastic opportunities for themselves and those they employ.
“They are to be celebrated and recognised for their contribution to not only the regional economy but to the UK and overseas.”
The awards will be presented at a gala dinner in Bristol on July 6 hosted by Ian Axton of ITV Westcountry. They are staged in association with Circle2Success and Devon and Cornwall Business Council.
Swindon Business News is once again official media partner of the coveted awards, along with its sister titles Bristol Business News and Bath Business News.
Six firms will battle it out in the large business category. Corsham-based pharmaceutical manufacturing company Qualasept (trading as Bath ASU), is competing against property services firm Ian Williams and dental group Oasis Healthcare – both based in Bristol - Plymouth-based regional law firm Foot Anstey, Gloucester-based electrical contractor and electrical training specialist Clarkson Evans and Bath-based housing and support organisation Curo.
The four firms in the smaller category are money.co.uk, the Cirencester-based financial comparison website, Bristol-based mobility equipment supplier and retailer Oaktree Mobility, Gloucester-based, e-commerce retailer of kitchen furniture brands Direct Online Services (DOS) and Taunton-based manufacture of high quality desserts Ministry of Cake.
Previous winners include Swindon-based construction group Beard, Malmesbury-based household appliance giant Dyson, and Mitie, the fast-growing Bristol-based outsourcing group.
