And the contenders are...

FINGERS are crossed in companies which are in the running for honours through the Carbon Trust-sponsored Environmental Award and the HSBC-backed Contribution to the Economy Award.

HSBC bank is a regular sponsor of the awards but Contribution to the Economy is making its debut as a category, while the Carbon Trust and the Environmental Award are both a new sponsor and category.

Winners will be announced at a gala awards dinner at Milestones museum on February 3, where the speaker will be polar explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

For information on the event, contact Anne Jackson on 07717 128682.

Carbon Trust Environmental Award Baker Tilly ONE of the UK's top 10 providers of accountancy and business services, Baker Tilly has a network of more than 30 offices, including one on Basing View in Basingstoke. Staff are encouraged to operate car sharing to get to their open-plan offices which are more efficient for heating and lighting. Paper recycling is another of the comp-any's environmental practices. Moves include e-mailing clients and business contacts rather than using the post. The company also puts budget reports and summaries on its website rather than sending them out in printed form.

Heating and lighting is monitored in a bid to conserve energy and drinks are served in mugs and glasses so as not to created wastage with plastic cups.

Postage stamps are saved and donated to charity and some paper is recycled.

Now Baker Tilly is piloting a conference calls scheme to replace meetings between staff from various offices around the country.

Even as the company was shortlisted for the Environmental Award, it was still working on improvements, with an energy survey audit booked for this month.

Greenhouse Graphics

ONE of the two directors of Greenhouse Graphics, Timi van Houten, has a degree in ecology and believes the Basingstoke-based company is an environmental leader in its industry.

Greenhouse Graphics began as a business that only provided graphic design and printed matter on recycled materials, alternative paper types, and using vegetable inks for the printing.

From a zero customer base, it has become a profitable company with a 33 per cent average year-on-year growth and was one of the first companies nationally to develop a PDF proofing system for clients.

Greenhouse Graphics puts high priority on investment in equipment that is as environmentally friendly as possible, and its software management systems enable clients to go online to place orders and track their progress.

The company's most recent investment was a £330,000 Heidelberg DI printing press, which is completely waterless and economical with paper use.

The telephone provider is Ecocall, which gives a percentage of profits to environmental causes, and Greenhouse has also invested in systems that allow some staff to work from home, thus reducing travelling and emissions.

Now Greenhouse has organised a site audit by The environment Centre to assess its energy efficiency and environmental impact, from which it hopes to be able to take more conservancy measures.

IT Power

BUSINESS for IT Power is all about projects focusing on sustainable energy in the UK and around the world.

As a consultant in renewable energy, IT Power aims to reduce the use of fossil fuels worldwide by supporting renewable energy technologies for electricity production, water supply, heating and cooking.

In the UK, it works with local government and housing associations to integrate solar technologies into new and existing buildings and has been involved in initiatives to help the UK meet its energy target by producing 10 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2010.

Within its offices at The Manor House in Lutyens Close, Chineham, it strives to be energy-efficient, recycle and use recycled products, and gives unwanted office equipment and furniture to charity.

Staff are encouraged to cycle to work, where there are covered bicycle racks and

on-site showers - and if they use a bike for business, they are paid 20p a mile.

Those who do not cycle are encouraged to take the train or walk.

Central heating costs are also reduced by asking staff to wear warmer clothing in cold weather.

Junk mail is returned to sender and now IT Power has a 17-point action plan to make its offices even more environmentally-friendly, including looking into implementing grey water recycling systems and rainwater collection

Scott Wilson

BASINGSTOKE-headquartered Scott Wilson is a global consultancy that believes in sustainable development of the economy, and its corporate ethos is also operated in its Basing View offices.

It seeks to reduce water consumption and has a monitoring regime to determine its energy profile, which includes cooling the building with mechanical ventilation.

A blinds system is on the outside of the double glazed windows, reducing unwanted solar infiltration and excessive passive solar gain in warmer months.

Scott Wilson is implementing an environmental management system across the group based on the requirements of ISO 14001, and its Basingstoke office is working towards being accredited in the first quarter of 2004.

Once the system is established, the comp-any will produce an annual environmental report as part of its commitment to improving performance in this field.

In 2001, Scott Wilson took part in an investigation into the cost benefits of transport plans to employers and now has a scheme to pay a cash incentive to every employee who cycles to work. The company is installing new bicycle storage facilities.

HSBC Contribution to the Economy Award

Devlin Electronics

DEVLIN Electronics has a workforce of 60 at its base in Grafton Way, Basingstoke, and its specialist area is technology and integrated solutions for retail banking.

From January 2002 to October 2003, Devlin Electronics saw significant growth in overseas markets, especially in Australia and New Zealand.

To win business in new markets meant the company had to design and manufacture a new range of retail banking keyboards and produce a fully-integrated system for clients. Integrated features in the keyboards helped increase the efficiency of banking teller positions and proved cost-effective.

From January to October 2002, sales hit £3,554,000. The same period in 2003 saw an even better performance, with sales reaching £5,076,000 - a 43 per cent increase.

Digi Pos Systems Group

TIM Bittleston is the chief executive of Digi Pos Systems Group, a South African-owned company that started life in Basingstoke in 1994 as the Pc Pos Company.

The enterprise operated as a reseller of retail hardware peripherals such as bar code scanners and receipt printers and still has its UK office at The Rutherford Centre as well as The Coach House at Kempshott Park, near Basingstoke.

The company has developed significantly since its early days, bringing its own designed products to market and extending its service and technical support to its client base.

It has become a multi-national business, trading in 15 countries, and had sales of more than $100million in 2003.

It was Pc Pos founder Graham Worsfold who recognised there was a sea change in client needs when it came to the point of sale hardware solution. He brought the first Pc Pos processors to the market in 1997 and they now represent nearly half the sales for the company.

In his awards application, Mr Bittleston said: "We believe we have demonstrated vision, tenacity and business acumen in bringing this business to market in an environment dominated by substantial companies such as IBM, Fujitsu and Siemens.

"As testimony to our position, we are aware that IBM now identify us in the UK as their biggest competitor in this product set."

Alida Health & Beauty

A MANUFACTURING company based in Chineham is in the running to scoop the Contribution to the Economy Award.

Alida Health & Beauty employs a workforce of 68 and has seen sales increasing by 50 per cent year-on-year.

In its promotional material, the company says: "If we laid all the items we have made and sold end-to-end, they would stretch from Chineham to Inverness... more than 6,000,000 items... 568 miles."

The company operates across three main areas of the beauty accessory business. It supplies its own brand of Alida of London and Silkymit to consumers through the John Lewis department stores, Superdrug, Savers and UK pharmacies.

It is a major supplier of own-brand products to such household names as Marks & Spencer and Tesco, and this year expanded into the sale and distribution of breath fresheners and children's vitamins.

New packaging and product concepts introduced to the Marks & Spencer beauty accessory range and increased distribution saw a year-on-year sales growth of 53 per cent. New ranges for John Lewis produced a 54 per cent growth.

The company won an award for the best new hair removal product from Pure Beauty magazine and was runner-up to L'Oreal in the New Woman Beauty Awards.

C&C Techology

WHITCHURCH-based C&C Techology is headed by Ralph Colombo, who led a management buyout in October 2003 and is now a finalist for the Contribution to the Economy Award.

C&C Technology was founded in 1984 and is an IT consulting firm which has expanded its skills base in leading-edge and innovative technologies to ride out the downturn in the IT market.

Now the company is aiming at the corporate marketplace and looking for sustainable growth as an expert in its field and by giving a highly-skilled and quality service to clients.

During its 2002/3 financial year, C&C Technology saw turnover increase by 112 per cent and gross profit rocket by 87 per cent on the previous year.

Some of that successful record came from winning a five-year framework agreement with a major corporate client and a £1m contract for testing and delivering application software to another large client.

Commercial expansion resulted in a 60 per cent increase in staff in 12 months, the introduction of a complete range of new service-based products and a move into the technical IT consulting arena.

Refocusing and diversifying meant that, as the predicted downturn in the IT market materialised, C&C Technology was able to weather the storm and move forward under the leadership of Mr Colombo as managing director.

See next week's Gazette for finalists in the Barclays Asset Finance Small Business of the Year and Hampshire County Council New Business of the Year categories.