And the winners will be...? Business Editor RON GODFREY studies the form for next month's Evening Press Business Awards, one of the biggest events on the region's business calendar.

MAY the best businesses win...

Here are quick pen sketches of the finalists competing for the 2003 Evening Press Business of the Year Awards at the Ebor Suite, York Racecourse, on November 20.

They are culled from the welter of hundreds of thousands of words in entry submissions - the biggest response in the history of the 13-year-old competition.

Somewhere among them is the Evening Press Business of the Year. Now judge for yourself...

Small Business of the Year

The York Brewery Company Ltd

This private brewery has already won a gold medal at the Brewing Industry International Awards and silver medal in the Society of Independent Brewer's Northern contest. Can it win this glittering prize?

Malton Laser, Malton

Demand for laser technology has meant turnover soaring in three years to £995,000 while staff at the plant on the Pyramid Industrial Estate has tripled to 24.

Progress through people

Big Blue House Day Nursery, Stamford Bridge

Mandy and Andrian Melka converted a disused barn into a nursery. Now it employs 15 people and offers 52 places. A planned extension should increase numbers to 62.

Dodsworth Ltd, Cundall

Julie and Simon Dodsworth are celebrating ten years of zero staff turnover in their growing corporate plant display business -- partly the result of the personal development training programme for their ten staff.

Hunter Gee Holroyd, York

This three-centre accountancy practice achieved Investor in People status last March on the back of an exciting business plan in which every member of the 28 staff was involved .

DocQwise Business Services Ltd, York

A finalist in this category last year too, this acquisitive document management and supply company at the City Business Centre in Station Rise has created a self-managed production team, capable of both creativity and flexibility.

Young Business Entrepreneur of the year

Alex Browne, Pig Hut Studios, York

This 24-hours a day, seven-day-a-week recording studio started by Alex now has five employees to cope with growing demand, and £30,000 was generated in first-year turnover..

Claire Phillips, Pepik, York. IT expert Claire has been given a £45,000 SMART award by the DTI to develop her self-devised 3dCRM, a powerful marketing tool which tracks, in dots, the most popular areas - sales and interest points - in supermarkets, conference centres and museums.

Nikki Bowling Photograph & Design, Haxby

Two years after a formative business loan by the Prince's Trust, Nikki has combined talent with careful marketing to become well-known at top regional corporate and society events as well as weddings. Her portraiture and PR work is also in demand.

Retailer of the year

The Japanese Shop, York and Harrogate

A deep bow of respect for Jez Willard and his Japanese wife, Hiromi, whose eastern artefact shops are on target to generate £500,000 turnover.

Browns, of Davygate, York

After 123 years this is now the only surviving independently-owned department store in York, with another successful store at Helmsley.

Ainsty Farms Direct, Green Hammerton

This already award-winning farm shop was the brainchild of six farmers who wanted to sell produce direct to the public.

Best use of technology

Omnicom Engineering Ltd, York

Network Rail has just signed a three-year contract to use this 60-employee firm's lifesaving software, OmniSurveyor 3D which enables rail maintenance workers to "virtually" inspect for faults. It makes it safer for them and for the travelling public.

Spellzone, Linton-on-Ouse

Teacher and dyslexia expert Shireen Shuster has evolved this subscribed online interactive spelling course for older students and adults. It is used by subscribers from all over the world.

WPS Media, York

Turnover has doubled this year as this firm - which began as web designers then became a fully-equipped marketing support agency - created VPC or "Virtual Press Centre"- software which enables press officers and PR agencies to create and administer a corporate online press office.

Best business and education link

Claro Precision Engineering Ltd, Knaresborough

This 45-employee world-class engineering enterprise on the Manse Lane industrial estate. proves time and again that manufacturing is still a high tech, exciting and challenging career and ensures that the lesson is learned by schools, colleges and universities.

Central Science Laboratory (CSL), Sand Hutton

Thousands of pupils and students have benefited over the years from this public sector laboratory, which explores for the Government and private agencies the biology, physics and chemistry of agriculture, food and the environment.

British Sugar at York

Sweet leaning is dispensed to parties of schoolchildren visiting this vast factory to learn the process, from beet growing to production of 200,000 tonnes per season of crystalline white sugar. Expert staff also take their sugar-coated message into the classrooms, and learning centres

New business of the year

Wolds Way, Lavender, near Wintringham:

Eight acres at Deer Farm Park converted into an aromatic commercial lavender and herb farm is already attracting a huge number of visitors in its first year.

UK Juicers Ltd, Acaster Malbis

Nick Ledger and his uncle Paul Hellawell's Web-based business selling quality juice extractors is making juicy profits as the fad for health juices has become a way of life for many.

Westminster Business Centre, Nether Poppleton

Having taken out a long lease on this modern building, Sandra and Matthew Tearney offered serviced offices. All nine offices are now occupied. Now eight more are being offered.

Best tourism and leisure business of the year

The Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo, Kirby Misperton

These 375 acres devoted to fascination, fright and delight with super-sophisticated white knuckle rides and zoo attracted 1.32 million visitors last year

National Railway Museum, York

Fresh from its latest accolades as Visitor Attraction of the Year at the York Tourism Bureau Awards, this railway museum annually attracts 750,000 people - nearly double the visitors in nine years.

Castle Howard, York

The 300-year-old castle with its painting masterpieces and Roman statuary display makes this national treasure so alluring - and worthy of York Tourism Bureau's Out of Town Attraction of the Year.

e-commerce business of the year

UK Juicers Ltd, Acaster Malbis

Also a finalist in the New Business of the Year, this venture sells a range of domestic and commercial extractors, mostly through its user-friendly online store. Its £1 million turnover reflects a growing international customer base.

Dot Com Imaging, Nether Poppleton

What began in 1996 as Pixel Imaging Ltd, a 3D graphics and animation production company, has become a full-time Internet technology development venture, whose successful new website*turbine product allows users to create easy-to-use, self-updateable websites.

AmpleBosom.com, Helmsley

Sally Robinson, began this venture selling bras for women, who like her, were of ample bosom. Now she has eight staff taking worldwide orders from her farm at Old Byland. Swimwear and nightwear have also been introduced.

Growth business of the year

Jinnah Group, Flaxton

The growth count so far for this empire built up by Saleem Akhtar and his two brothers is seven restaurants, six takeaways and a cash and carry. The Jinnah at Flaxton has been voted among the top 30 in Britain.

Esteem Systems plc, Wetherby

Richard Doyle's IT systems solution provider today generates a £28 million turnover from its £1 million purpose-built HQ on the Thorp Arch estate. From there it works to provide tailored solutions for efficiency-hungry companies.

Simair Graphics Equipment Ltd, Harrogate

Known as a traditional manufacturer and supplier of airbrushes, spray booths etc to the art and graphics world, the temporary decorative body painting system it has perfected as a diversion has boomed, with turnover tripling to £1.7 million. Kylie Minogue and Jennifer Lopez use it...

Business personality of the year

Gordon Gibb, Flamingo Lane Theme Park and Zoo, Kirby Misperton

Eight years ago, Gordon's father died, leaving 19-year-old Gordon to steer the fortunes of one of Britain's biggest privately-owned theme parks and he has succeeded in constant growth ever since.

Charles Corner, Malton Laser Former Superbike racing champion, Charles roared off in April 2000 with the formation of his precision metalwork firm. Now the laser-equipped venture is headed for a third year turnover of close to £1 million as Charles transfers his fearlessness from racetrack to boardroom.

Sophie McGill, York City FC Ltd

Supporters of York City FC hail Sophie as a saviour. Her personality as communications director of both the club and the Supporters' Trust rallied businesses and the public to twice prevent the club from going under .

This is the one category where deliberations are in secret.

By its very nature, there is too a narrow field, too few who exclusively qualify to be compared.

What Ware & Kay judges were seeking was the man or woman who has dedicated their working life to the inspiration, growth and success of the region's business community, someone who has inspired change, shown steadfastness of purpose towards greater goals; one who will leave a legacy of opportunity for others.

A tall order.

But a worthy winner was found.

And we will all have to wait for the awards night announcement on November 20 to learn who it is!

Updated: 10:04 Tuesday, October 28, 2003