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Highland Business Awards shortlist unveiled ahead of event in Inverness next month


By Calum MacLeod

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Last year's winners.
Last year's winners.

PICKING the shortlist for the Highland Business Awards never gets any easier – but Inverness Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stewart Nicol, who heads the awards panel, is not complaining.

“Some of the categories are very difficult to judge because of the number and quality of the entries. To me that means that we have got really top-class entries and that’s lovely to see,” he said.

Winners will be announced at the Drumossie Hotel in Inverness on September 27. Keynote speaker will be Alex Hynes, head of Scotland’s Railway.

This year’s shortlist:

Outstanding performing small business: Essence of Harris; Inverness Taxis; Quarch Technology.

Outstanding performing business (25+ employees): Ferguson Transport & Shipping; Gael Force Group; Kingsmills Hotel Group.

Most promising new business: Cyber Security Scotland; The Grand Whisky Auction Ltd; Macleod & MacCallum Wealth Management.

Family business: Cruise Loch Ness; D&E Coaches; Ferguson Transport & Shipping.

Social enterprise: Farmer Jones Academy; The Oxygen Works; Seaboard Centre.

Developing the Young Workforce regional winners: Nuvia Ltd (North Highland); Serimax Ltd (Inverness and Central Highland). Highly commended: The Apprentice Store; Calico UK; High Life Highland; Skibo. Young apprentice: Emma Gunn (Nuvia); Reece Musgrave, (Cairngorms National Park Authority); Gregor Rose (Highland Council); Holly Williams (Lovat Loch Ness).

Newcomer to exporting: Gael Force Group; Isle of Skye Distillers; Ortak.

Inverness and Ross-shire business of the year: Gael Force Group; Inverness Taxis; Serimax.

Caithness and Sutherland business of the year: Cyber Security Scotland; Norse Stone; Stacks Bistro.

Business leader of the year: Alasdair Ferguson (Ferguson Transport & Shipping); Gavin Johnston (Inverness Taxis); Jamie McGowan (Essence of Harris); Hugh Simpson (Hugh Simpson (Contractors).

An exporter of the year and overall Highland business of the year will also be announced at the event.


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