Nine Baw Baw finalists

Nine Baw Baw Shire businesses are finalists at this year's Gippsland Business Awards.
The Makeup Hub of Gippsland is a finalist in the beauty and personal care category, CRSE Group Pty Ltd, Mac and Ernie and RGM are among those in the business and professional services category, Baw Baw Radiology and Baw Baw Physio and Fitness are in the health and wellbeing category, Habitat Creations Group Pty Ltd are finalists in the mechanical trades and construction category, Full Circle HR and Business Services is in the new business category and Jenkins Home Hardware is vying for the retail award.
Gippsland Business Awards committee chairperson Graeme Sennett said once again, Gippsland businesses had demonstrated their ability to change and adapt in unprecedented times with this year's awards attracting a wide range of outstanding entries.
The finalists were announced this week with 43 businesses making it to the finals across the 11 industry and specialist categories.
"Never before have we seen such a diverse range of finalists," Mr Sennett said.
"The fact there were entries from every part of Gippsland shows how our small to medium businesses continue to grow and develop despite recent challenges."
The categories are: accommodation, beauty and personal care, business and professional services, food and wine producers, health and well-being, hospitality, manufacturing / export, mechanical trades and construction, new business, retail, tourism activities and attractions.
Each of the category winners will be announced at the gala presentation event on Friday 26 August at Federation University's Gippsland campus in Churchill. The major winner, the Gippsland Business of the Year, will come from the category winners and will also be announced at the ceremony.
"This year, the judging process has again been extremely difficult with many outstanding entries vying for finalist status," Mr Sennett said.
"We have particularly been blown away by our new business category which attracted a huge field of entries, all of a high standard."
Mr Sennett said that following the cancellation of the 2020 awards and virtual presentation of the 2021 awards, this year's face-to-face awards would be an "extra special" occasion.
"We look forward to acknowledging and honouring all our finalists at this premier business event in Gippsland."