Healthy interest in new category as 2020 Excellence Awards capture the imagination of Larne businesses community

Launching the Larne Times Business Excellence Awards at Larne Town Hall are: (front) Dr Norman Apsley, chair, LEDCOM, Anne Donaghy, chief executive, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Lyn Kernohan, sales executive, Larne Times; (centre) Gail Kelly, MEA Council and Niall Curneen, Brighter Futures, general manager, Larne Football Club; (back) Terry Ferry, Larne Times editorial, Judith Tweed, director, Islandmagee Energy and David Gillespie, general manager, LEDCOM.

The brand new category has attracted strong interest in particular from those in the burgeoning gym sector.

It takes in all aspects of health and wellbeing, from beauty salons to gyms, from therapists to health practitioners and everyone involved in bettering the health and wellbeing of their clients, whether physical and/or mental.

The breadth of recognition in the 2020 Awards has seen businesses submitting entries for consideration in a number of categories. The rich mix of companies and organisations playing a vital role in the Larne economy is reflected too in the entries received to date.

Raptor Photonics Ltd won the Best Export Business Award in 2018. INLT 19-241-AM

Hosted by the Larne Times - with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council the headline sponsor - the 2020 Business Excellence Awards have captured the imagination of everyone from the small, family-run concern to the global operator. Their growing success is reflected in their inspiring submissions with many firmly rooted in the community.

A previous winner was Clearer Water - Acceptable Enterprises Ltd (AEL), which lifted the Best Start-Up Business award in 2018. Also enjoying success two years ago, for example, was Larne FC in the Best Digital Initiative and Use of Social Media category.

Raptor Photonics Ltd, Best Export and Excellence in Innovation and Matties Meeting House, Best Rural Business and Readers Favourite Eating Establishment, were further success stories from the most prestigious event in the local business calendar.

If you would like to follow in their footsteps or blaze a new trail, entries for the following categories are welcome too:

Clearer Water-Acceptable Enterprises won the Best Start-Up Business Award in 2018. INLT 19-240-AM

Best Community or Social Initiative - for example, this can be community groups offering an important facility of programmes to their service users and clients; it can also be an outreach initiative undertaken by a business or organisation.

Best Export Company - for any company exporting goods outside of Northern Ireland, from sweets, to hard manufacturing and everything in between.

Best Retailer - high street shops can enter themselves, but can also be nominated by their customers.

Best Rural Business- this applies to any business in the seven rural wards of Ballycarry, Cairncastle, Carnlough, Glenarm, Glynn, Islandmagee and Kilwaughter.

Best Start-Up Business - any business set up in the past two years, including sole traders, groups, or teams.

Excellence in Tourism - everyone in the hospitality industry, from museums and tourist attractions, to parks, animal themed venues, and heritage sites, tour operators and accommodation providers.

Excellence in Innovation - the innovation can be technological, mechanical, it can involve the production process, changes to business practice, any type of innovation that has proved beneficial to the business in operational effectiveness and commercial way.

Winners will be revealed at the glittering gala presentation at the Ballygally Castle Hotel on Wednesday, April 29.

To enter the awards, go to larnebusinessawards.co.uk and submit your entry before Friday, March 27.

For more details on the awards, please contact Julie Forde at julie.forde@jpimedia.co.uk or telephone 028 3839 5504.