Entries are coming in thick and fast for the 2013 Wiltshire Business awards which will be taking place next year on Friday, April 4 at Center Parcs, Longleat.

This is the 20th anniversary of these awards which actually started when Sir John Major was the Conservative Prime Minister and Tony Blair was about to succeed him, followed by Gordon Brown and now the current incumbent David Cameron.

Britain was doing quite well at that time and is now hopefully just coming out of one of the world’s worst recessions.

But whatever was going on in the economic world the Wiltshire Business awards survived and got stronger year by year.

They have now become the most prestigious business events in the South West with more than 100 firms taking part hoping to become the Wiltshire Business of the Year.

The awards are sponsored by the Wiltshire Times, Gazette & Herald and Swindon Advertiser, plus our main sponsor Thrings which we have been working with for the past 12 months.

Shamus Donald, regional managing director of Newsquest Wiltshire & Oxfordshire, which publishes the Wiltshire newspapers, said: “We are proud to have been associated with these awards for 20 years. “Even during those difficult economic times I thought it was essential that the awards should continue because we needed something to lighten those times.

“Awards make companies feel good about themselves, something which permeates through from the top to the bottom in the firm’s structure. Winning an award gives a firm a special buzz.

“We have had a variety of winners over the years from various businesses, which just goes to show the vibrancy of the marketplace in Wiltshire.

“And we are most grateful to the sponsors without whom these awards could not continue.”

For further information contact Ursula Gawthorn at ursula.gawthorn@wiltshire.

newsquest.co.uk or 01793 501874. More details about the awards, categories and sponsors at www.wiltshirebusinessonline.co.uk/awards/ register.