Twenty-one years of celebrating success for The News Business Excellence Awards in Portsmouth

Words to that effect must have been gleefully proclaimed as The News brought to a close its first ever Business Excellence Awards in 2003. Little could those present have realised as hands were clapped and backs slapped that a whizz through time would see the 21st iteration soon being celebrated in similar style. It is a testament to the appetite of local businesses and business leaders to continue to enter and support the prestigious annual ceremony that they have not only endured but become a highlight of the south coast commercial calendar.

Editor of The News Mark Waldron said: ‘I’ve been involved in many awards ceremonies in my career but none has proved as successful as The News’ Business Excellence Awards. I was lucky to inherit them when I returned to Portsmouth in 2007 and since then have done whatever I can to keep that flame of excellence alive - shining brightly on the successes of the businesses doing such amazing things across our region.

‘It’s an incredible process every year going through the entries, finding nuggets of new information on the better-known businesses or discovering about ones I was not aware of. Throughout this period we have ridden the peaks and troughs of economic boom and bust but I have never failed to be impressed by the ingenuity and innovation shown by our local businesses of all sizes and from all sectors.’

The News Business Excellence Awards 2003 had just six categories with other winners including Nigel Taylor from Taylor Made Computing Solutions as Personality of the Year, the Marriott Hotel for Contribution to the Environment, McMurdo as Exporter of the Year and CC Marine and Industrial Supply as Small Business of the Year.

Categories for the 2023 awards include start-up, small, medium and large businesses of the year. Judges will also be welcoming entries for the businesses doing most to be sustainable and those supporting their local communities along with global, retail, manufacturing/engineering leisure/culture, visitor attraction/event. The awards will also celebrate the best company to work for through Employer of the Year, along with individual categories of entrepreneur, young entrepreneur and trainee/apprentice.

To enter go to portsmouthbusinessexcellence.co.uk.