NINE companies from across the county have been named as finalists in the Daily Echo's Hampshire business Awards 2002.

Finalists in each of the three award categories - the KPMG Company of the Year, the Bond Pearce Business Innovation Award and the Hampshire Business in the Community Award - will now have a nail-biting wait until the gala awards ceremony next month to discover whether they have attained Hampshire's premier position.

This year's finalists, in alphabetical order, are:

KPMG COMPANY OF THE YEAR:

Gifford & Partners of Southampton is a civil and structural engineering and design company whose recent achievements include the design of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge featured on 'Tomorrow's World'.

Paultons Park near Romsey is an award winning family theme park that receives approximately half a million visitors each year.

Watermark Group based in Upham is one of the world's leading designers and providers of in-flight travel supplies to high profile airlines such as Virgin and British Airways.

BOND PEARCE BUSINESS INNOVATION AWARD:

Gifford & Partners

SP Systems on the Isle of Wight produces composite materials for the wind energy industry in the form of wind turbine blades.

McMurdo based in Portsmouth designs and produces many award winning marine safety devices used by top yachting teams across the world.

HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY AWARD:

Basingstoke Gymnastic Club has 950 members of all ages and abilities including national and international levels. The club also runs a coaches training programme.

Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service based in Eastleigh works through 53 stations across the county saving lives and running educational fire safety campaigns.

HSBC Bank Personal Financial Services in Southampton, engages staff at all levels to take the bank's values out into the community and give something back to the neighbourhoods in which they work and live.

Commenting on the entries for the Business Innovation Award, Julian Hamblin, partner at Bond Pearce, said: "The judges all agreed that the quality of entrants was as impressive as ever, however there can only be one winner. Innovation is about more than just technology and this has been proven on more than one occasion through the years the awards have been running. The three finalists have demonstrated a clear and well defined approach to their products and services and help put Hampshire on the map of innovative success."

Tony Cottam, senior partner at KPMG's South Coast office, added: "All three finalists for the KPMG Company of the Year are operating in highly competitive markets and for this reason their growth and achievements are particularly impressive. Despite tough economic conditions they have sustained strong financial growth, identified and exploited new markets while remaining committed to the development needs of their staff - therefore demonstrating all the qualities of truly leading businesses"

Judges of the Hampshire Business in the Community Award were impressed that so many local companies had such close links with the community over and above simply handing over a cheque. The finalists have all found their own ways of working in harmony with their neighbourhood and this has been an approach adopted by staff at all levels and ages.

The winners will be announced at a gala awards dinner at The Vyne in Basingstoke on June 27, which will be attended by many of the county's leading business people.