It's time to celebrate!
Businesses large and small were praised for their contributions to local life at The News' gala ceremony on Thursday night.
Around 500 people gathered in the Portsmouth Guildhall were lauded by Deborah Wyatt, director of Business Link, the Business Excellence Awards' main sponsor, for their enduring spirit of enterprise amid difficult times.
'The businesses here this evening will be the bedrock of our future economy,' said Mrs Wyatt.
'Each year the quality of entrants increases and the bar is set higher in terms of achievements. The businesses attending here this evening stand above their competition, and I hope they serve as an inspiration for others.'
Following the speech, compere Sally Taylor, the face of BBC South Today, gave a rundown of the highlights of the last 12 months, illustrated by a series of video clips, The News' own photographs, and headlines from its specialist BusinessWeek supplement.
Among the landmark deals and decisions of 2008 were national awards for the calibre of retail on offer at both Gunwharf Quays and the city centre Cascades Shopping Centre, the opening of the stylish 1000 Lakeside North Harbour office complex building near IBM, and contracts to equip the Royal Navy with torpedoes for BAE Systems.
Some of the country's biggest-hitting names also announced path-breaking deals mid-year – Rolls-Royce unveiled a doubling of production capacity ahead of the launch of its new RR4 model, and a historic contract was signed in June turning the much-vaunted supercarriers project into reality, while Astrium scored another deal for a 100m communications satellite.
Most recently, this month plans were unveiled for a 500m new development at North Harbour by investor Highcross, creating luxury car showrooms and a hotel alongside masses of office space.
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Weather for Portsmouth
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 15 C to 23 C
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Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Light showers
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