The shortlist for an awards scheme celebrating entrepreneurship across the Midlands has been unveiled.
The 20th Entrepreneur of the Year Midlands awards is organised by financial services firm EY and will recognise business people across five different categories such as rising star and disruptor.
Winners from the Midlands ceremony, to be held at Birmingham Town Hall in June, will go forward to the national ceremony in London in November to vie for the title of EY UK Entrepreneur of the Year.
The overall winner will represent the UK at the firm's global entrepreneur awards in summer 2019 at an event which will welcome people from more than 60 countries.
The final shortlist is:
Disruptor
Graham Best and Phil Smith, ReBOUND Returns
Andrew Butt, Enable
Tim Emrich, UK Power Reserve
Rising Star
James Macfarlane, PM Connect
Bav Samani and Liam Green, Just Hype
Craig Wright, Wright Industries
Scale Up
Carole Carson, Babington Group
Mark Franckel, Arlington Industries Group
Ian Mattioli, Mattioli Woods
Clint Wilson, ParentPay
Michael Woodburn, Oakbrook Finance
Sustained Excellence
Stuart Garner, Norton Motorcycles
Richard Newland, CHS Healthcare
Priyesh Patel, Cofresh Snack Foods
Darren Ryemill, Opus Talent Solutions
Carol Shanahan and Kevin Shanahan, Synectics Solutions
Transformational Leader
Bill Dawson, Wavenet
Lea Hodson, RS Connect
Peter Marples, 3aaa
Shahid Sheikh, Clifton Packaging
Michael Tomlins, Infomedia
Neil Meredith, awards leader in the Midlands, said: "This programme supports the enviable entrepreneurial community we have in the Midlands, recognising and connecting another 21 local businesses in this year's programme.
"These businesses not only create jobs and generate wealth, they also contribute to the continued growth of the Midlands economy as one of the fastest growing regions in the UK."
The 2018 judging panel will be chaired by Tracy Lewis, executive chairman of Inspired Thinking Group, and comprise Scrivens' chief executive Nicholas Georgevic, Midlands head at LDC Andy Lyndon, co-founder of Busy Bees Marg Randles, UNiDAYS founder Josh Rathour and Jenny Wynn, former managing director of TTC Group.