Open 4 Business Dorset finalists line up

The judges outside Weymouth College

The finalists of the Open 4 Business Dorset Awards have been chosen at a closely contested judging session, held on Thursday 27th September at the Ocean Room, Weymouth Pavilion.

Entries for the awards were up 45% on 2011 and over three quarters of those entering were doing so for the very first time.

For the first time the awards are open to all firms in Dorset more than half the entries came from outside of the Weymouth & Portland area

The Open 4 Business Dorset Finalists

Small & Medium Business Award sponsored by Lloyds TSB
- Dorwest Herbs, Shipton Gorge
- Swift Signs, Weymouth

Best Large Business Award sponsored by Old Mill Financial
- New Look, Weymouth
- Daniel’s Fish and Chips, Weymouth

Best Community Engagement Project Award sponsored by Battens Solicitors
- Blondz, Weymouth
- The Marketing Bureau (TMB), Poole

Best New Business sponsored by Dorset LEP
- Food Lynx Ltd, Shaftesbury
- The Dining Room, Weymouth

The Best New Innovation or Service Award sponsored by SALT
- Odeoflare, Weymouth
- Innovative Vehicle Systems, Bere Regis

Best Marketing Campaign Award sponsored by Resort Marketing
- Marketing West, Beaminster
- Tandem Marketing, Dorchester

Best Employer Award sponsored by Wessex FM
- Createful, Bournemouth
- Dorchester Beauty Therapy and Skin Care Centre, Dorchester

Best Customer Focus Award sponsored by Puragen
- Chalbury Food & Wines, Weymouth
- Blondz, Dorchester

Best of Dorset Food and Drink Award sponsored by DJ Property
- The Dining Room, Weymouth
- Beaminster Brasserie at the Bridgehouse

Inspirational Young Person sponsored by Equation Accounting
- Elysia Munday, Weymouth
- Matthew Cornick, Weymouth
 
Business of the Year 2012  sponsored by Weymouth College
- Winner will be announced on 25 October at Award Ceremony

Outstanding Contribution to Business Award sponsored by Porter Dodson
- Winner will be announced on 25 October at Award Ceremony

Julie Cleaver, Managing Director of Open 4 Business, said “I would like to thank our main Sponsor Weymouth College and all of our Award Sponsors who made up the judging panel . The panel had to make extremely hard decisions when choosing between the record numbers of entries from all over Dorset.”

All the winners will be announced on 25 October.