FINALISTS in this year’s Monmouthshire Business Awards are less than a fortnight away from discovering if they are winners.

The winners of this year’s bigger and better awards will be announced on Friday, October 6, at a glittering ceremony to be held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport.

There was a threefold increase in entries for this year’s awards after they were expanded to cover the ‘old Monmouthshire’ – towns and cities that were part of the county prior to 1965.

The ‘back to the future’ approach opened the awards to entries from businesses beyond the current Monmouthshire county to Newport, Caerleon, Cwmbran, Ebbw Vale and Caerphilly.

Broadcaster Hywel James will reveal this year’s winners when he hosts next week’s gala dinner and presentation evening.

There are still limited tickets available for the event. Tickets can be purchased via the awards website www.monbizawards.co.uk

This year’s finalists are:

• Best Small Business (sponsored by Spectrum): Axis Chiropractic, Newport; King Financial Services, Pontypool; Welsh ICE, Caerphilly; Miracle Workers, Abergavenny.

• Excellence in Manufacturing (sponsored by Reid Lifting): HJ Weir Engineering, Chepstow; Keen Attachments, Caldicot; Capital Valley Plastics, Cwmavon.

• Hospitality, Travel and Tourism (sponsored by Celtic Manor Resort): Chepstow Racecourse; The Whitebrook, Monmouth; The Lion Hotel, Blaenavon.

• Company of the Year (sponsored by Hicks Logistics): Tiny Rebel Brewing, Newport; Estuary Oils, Rogiet; Premier Forest Products, Newport.

• Excellence in Small Food and Drink Producers (sponsored by Monmouthshire Housing Association): Blaenafon Cheddar Company, Blaenavon; Tiny Rebel Brewing, Newport; White Castle Vineyard, Abergavenny.

• Young Apprentice (sponsored by Y Prentis): Ellie Curtis, Little Tigers Daycare, Rogiet; Russell Beale, Vinci, Newport; Chester Maclean Rowles, Lovell, Cardiff.

• New Business Start-Up (sponsored by Business in Focus): Help4Wales Foundation, Caerphilly; HMO Heaven, Newport; Horton’s Coffee House, Newport.

• Excellence in Innovation (sponsored by A2Z Computing): Siltbuster, Monmouth; Capital Valley Plastics, Cwmavon; Flame Protect UK, Abertillery.

• Young Entrepreneur (sponsored by Coleg Gwent): Emily Hicks, Emily Hicks Creative Design, Caerphilly; Owen Richards, Big Lemon Creative, Caerphilly; Michael McLeod, UniGreenScheme, Mamhilad.

• Excellence in Marketing (sponsored by Hello Starling): Axis Chiropractic, Newport; AluK, Chepstow; Impact School Improvement, Caerphilly.

• Excellence in Exporting and International Trade (sponsored by Monmouthshire Business Awards): Reid Lifting, Chepstow; Keen Attachments, Caldicot; HJ Weir Engineering, Chepstow.