I think it is the quality of our British-made product which made us stand out to the judges. I'm very proud, but couldn't do it by myself,

so I owe this to my loyal employees.

Neal Sands Managing Director, Sands Agricultural Machinery

EDP Business Awards 2013

Welcome to this year’s EDP Business Awards.

For more than two decades the EDP has been proud to champion the best and brightest businesses celebrating outstanding individual and corporate success.

We have long supported our business community, but since the very first business awards as we recognise them today, in 1990, there have been countless fantastic stories of business achievement highlighting the region’s economic strength.

Ours were the first business awards of their kind in the region, and it is a heritage of which we are proud.

Held in association with Anglian Water, sponsors of our Denise Anderson Award Category, this year’s awards promises to be bigger and better than ever.

This year’s new-look ceremony, on November 7, will be at the Norfolk Showground Arena.

From those early days we have been proudly supported by our Business of the Year Award sponsor Barclays, and this year we will see the introduction of new categories and we also welcome our new sponsors.

These include the Best Employer Award, Small Business of the Year, Outstanding IT Initiative Award, and a new Design and Development Award.

We welcome too our new sponsors Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, Foster Renewable Energies, Computer Service Centre, and the Paul Robinson Partnership, Pure Resourcing Solutions, and the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association.

And our flagship award ceremony will be supported by our reception partner Marsh.

For the last 18 months I have been proud to be business editor of this newspaper and find out more about the inspirational work of our businesses large and small.

It really has provided a front row seat in the workings of the real economy. But more than that it is a chance to see innovation and entrepreneurial success.

These awards are the must-attend event of the business calendar.

Now all we need is you.