Celebrating all that is good in local business

The Leader’s Banbridge and District Business Awards will kick off in the Belmont Hotel at 7pm, with politicians joining businessmen and women for a glitzy ceremony.

The ceremony aims to recognise the talent, entrepreneurship and excellence that exists across the full range of business and commerce in the area.

Featuring a delicious dinner, awards ceremony, and entertainment from well-known Belfast comedian and star of “Give my Head Peace” Tim McGarry, it is sure to make for a fantastic night.

Banbridge Leader editor John Hooks said the night will be a celebration of the many successful businesses throughout the district.

“This is our second business awards and it will again be a chance for businessessmen and women throughout the area to be recognised for their hard work throughout the year,” said Mr Hooks.

“The last ceremony was a great success and we are delighted to be building on that for this year’s awards.

“The Leader is proud to be heading an event which will give recognition to the businesses at the heart of our community in the town and throughout the district.

“Everyone at the Leader is looking forward to what promises to be a great night.”

The awards, which are running on a theme entitled “From Flax to the Future”, have been sponsored by Land Securities.

Brian Henning, Managing Director of the Lotus Group and Stoney Properties, the joint venture partners of Land Securities at Bridgewater Park said : “The Business Awards are a very important event in the local business calendar and we are very pleased to be sponsoring them.

“It’s been a tough year for many local businesses and everyone has had to push themselves that bit harder to meet targets. There will be many people who have worked very hard throughout the year and the evening will be an opportunity to recognise and reward those businesses and individuals for their focus and commitment to meeting and indeed exceeding the needs of their customers.

“Banbridge is a great place to work and to grow your business,. We are firmly committed to the potential and success of the town, with the Lotus Group having recently relocated from Newry establishing new offices in the old Shoe factory site and Lotus Homes, our house builder investing significantly and pushing on with The Lotus Village development at the sit.

“I wish all of the entrants the best for the competition and look forward to a great event and evening.”

The ceremony aims to recognise the wide variety of aspects required for a successful business. The 2012 awards theme pays homage to the long history of individual and collective industry upon which local towns have taken root and flourished and the companies which carry on that tradition today.