Some of the West of England’s top firms will find out this week whether they have won the region’s most prestigious business awards.
Corsham-based pharmaceutical manufacturing company Bath ASU is among the finalists in accountants PwC’s annual West of England Business of the Year Awards, which take place in Bristol on Wednesday . 
Bath ASU, which is competing in the large business category for firms with a turnover above £30m, was founded in 2000 at the University of Bath and provides a wide range of specialist pharmaceutical manufacturing services to the NHS and private hospitals.
Pictured: Last year’s winner of the large business category Bott, the Bude-based workplace storage equipment firm, with, far right, Mark Beard of previous winner, Swindon-based Beard Construction
It moved to Corsham after a management buyout in 2006 and now employs more than 120 people including pharmacists, chemists, biologists and technicians.
It is up against Curo, the Bath-based housing and support organisation, property services firm Ian Williams and dental group Oasis Healthcare – both based in Bristol – Plymouth-based regional law firm Foot Anstey and Gloucester-based electrical contractor and electrical training specialist Clarkson Evans.
A second category – for firms turning over under £30m – is being competed by Bristol-based mobility equipment supplier and retailer Oaktree Mobility, Gloucester-based, e-commerce retailer of kitchen furniture brands Direct Online Services (DOS), Taunton-based manufacture of high quality desserts Ministry of Cake, and money.co.uk, the Cirencester-based financial comparison website.
Now in their 28th year, the coveted awards’ reputation is built firmly on the thoroughness of the judging panel, which is made up of respected business figures from across the region.
Wednesday’s gala dinner at Brunel’s Old Station in Bristol will be hosted by Ian Axton of ITV Westcountry. The awards 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 Bath Business News and Bristol Business News.
Previous winners of the large business title include Swindon-based construction group Beard, Malmesbury-based household appliance giant Dyson, and Mitie, the fast-growing Bristol-based outsourcing group.
Swindon Business News will feature a full report on the awards with photos later this week.
