Business

Aer Lingus Viscount shortlist announced

THE shortlist for the sixth annual Aer Lingus Viscount Awards in association with Ulster Business was revealed yesterday after. The awards celebrate and reward those companies that have not only contributed to the local economy, but have also made significant progress in global export markets and who are generating enduring and lucrative economic ties between Northern Ireland and Britain.

The full short list for this year's awards (www.viscountawards.ulsterbusiness.com) is: * Most innovative company - Almac Group, Andor Technology, Brookvent. * Exporter of the year - Brookvent, Deluxe Group, Elmgrove Foods. * Best small business - Export Technologies, Sixteen South, Solmatix. * Best medium business - Deluxe Group, Devenish Nutrition, Wilsons Auctions. * Best large business - Almac Group, Capita. * Entrepreneur of the year - Seamus Connolly, Fast Technologies; John Toner, Williams Industrial Services; Colin Williams, Sixteen South.

The recipients of the two final awards - overall excellence and outstanding contribution - will be announced during an awards luncheon on Wednesday April 30 at the Royal Automobile Club on Pall Mall, London.

Declan Kearney, director of communications at Aer Lingus, said: "Every year the calibre of entrants seems more impressive that before. It wasn't easy to arrive at the list of finalists, but each one of them really deserves their place on that list."

Mr Kearney was on the judging panel alongside Colin Walsh, chairman of the CBI; Jeremy Fitch, executive director of the Business Solutions Group at Invest NI; Francess McDonnell, business columnist at The Irish Times; Richard Sherriff, business editor of the News Letter; Symon Ross, editor of Ulster Business; Alan Taylor, managing partner of Arthur Cox; and Gary McDonald, business editor of The Irish News.