By Matthew Legg Business editor

Last updated at 16:45, Friday, 01 June 2012

It is time to put the economy’s trials and tribulations to one side and salute the stars of Cumbrian business.

John Grainger

Today we launch the CN Group Business Awards 2012, in association with Barclays and Invest in Cumbria.

Despite Britain’s return to recession, there is much to celebrate in Cumbria. Our companies continue to lead the way in a host of sectors and the county remains an attractive destination for investment.

That was underlined this year when GlaxoSmithKline chose the county as the site for a new £350m biopharmaceutical plant and BAE Systems announced it was creating another 1,000 jobs at Barrow shipyards.

Britain’s Energy Coast in west Cumbria is continuing to spearhead the UK’s switch to low-carbon power generation and Carlisle is attracting interest from a string of blue-chip companies following the opening of the Carlisle Northern Development Route (CNDR).

None of that would have been possible without the passion, innovation and sheer hard graft of the companies that are already here.

Through these free-to-enter awards, we aim to shine the spotlight on the men and women who run those firms and create jobs that support communities. As ever, there is a category to suit any size or type of business and as long as you have a base in Cumbria, you’re eligible.

All shortlisted entries will receive coverage in CN Group newspapers and websites. The awards will culminate in a glittering night of celebration at Rheged, Penrith, in October.

David Helliwell, editor of The Cumberland News, said: “It’s my pleasure to launch the CN Group Business Awards 2012 – my first as editor here.

“Although 2012 has been another challenging year, there are definite grounds for optimism in the county when we see how businesses are striving to adapt. These hard times make it even more important that we celebrate the success of our businesses and I would urge every company to apply for these awards.”

John Grainger, managing director of Invest in Cumbria, said: “Invest in Cumbria is proud to be involved in the CN Group Business Awards. Despite the national economic outlook remaining uncertain there have been a number of success stories in Cumbria during this year.

“Last year there were some outstanding entries, some from relatively new companies, and an encouraging number of young entre-preneurs.

John Ainsworth, director at Barclays in Cumbria said: “Barclays is delighted to be sponsoring the CN Group Business Awards 2012. We know the economy remains challenging and access to finance remains a concern.

“Barclays is in a good position; we remain strong and well capitalised and we are passionate about helping our clients to succeed. Barclays is committed to supporting businesses across Cumbria and we look forward to meeting the companies nominated in these awards to get a closer appreciation of their growth strategies. Across Cumbria, we are seeing many examples of well-managed, well-funded companies that are achieving growth.

“Barclays is open for business at a time that offers real opportunities for many viable businesses to acquire, expand and invest. In Cumbria, Barclays has a good pipeline of deal activity and is working ever more closely with customers to support their lending needs.”

Visit the awards website at http://www.cnbusinessawards.co.uk/

First published at 11:29, Friday, 01 June 2012
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk