Newport-based timber firm Premier Forest Products has been named Company of the Year at the 2017 Monmouthshire Business Awards.

The firm was one of 11 winners from across Gwent which were honoured at the awards presentation held at the Celtic Manor Resort, which was attended by more than 350 people.

This year’s awards were expanded to cover the ‘old Monmouthshire’ including Newport, Caerleon, Cwmbran, Ebbw Vale and Caerphilly.

Other winners included Young Apprentice of the Year winner Ellie Curtis, from Little Tigers Daycare in Rogiet, and HJ Weir Engineering, of Chepstow, which picked up the prize for Excellence in Manufacturing, whose holidaying managing director Ross Weir accepted the award via a spoof live satellite video feed from Barbados.

Best Small Business was named as Axis Chiropractic, Newport, while Chepstow Racecourse was successful in the Hospitality, Travel and Tourism category.

The Excellence in Small Food and Drink Producers award went to Blaenafon Cheddar Company, Blaenavon.

Help4Wales Foundation, Caerphilly was named New Business Start-Up and the Excellence in Innovation award was presented to Cwmavon-based Capital Valley Plastics.

The Young Entrepreneur of the Year award was picked up by Michael McLeod, of UniGreenScheme, Mamhilad.

AluK, which recently moved to a new base in Chepstow from Newport, won the Excellence in Marketing award.

Reid Lifting, which is also based in Chepstow, was awarded the prize for Excellence in Exporting and International Trade.

The awards were once again hosted by broadcaster Hywel James.

MBA founder and director Janet Harris said: “This was the biggest and best awards we have staged by far and the atmosphere at the gala dinner and presentation night was second to none.

“Everyone was supportive of every single nominee, and there was a real feeling that we were all there to celebrate the fantastic and innovative businesses operating in this area of Wales.”