The clock is ticking for companies to sign up for the Express & Star Business Awards 2017

Every year the event attracts entries from across the business spectrum, from the smallest of SMEs to FTSE-listed multi-nationals – all of them vying to walk away with one of the prestigious trophies up for grabs.

This year is no different, but the Express & Star want to make sure as many companies as possible seize the opportunity to win glory and raise their profile across the region by taking part.

The deadline for firms to enter is March 2 – just a fortnight away.

Companies can compete in any number of 11 awards categories, which range from young Business of the Year to Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year, Micro Business of the Year, Manufacturing Champion, Growth & Innovation Award, Customer Service Champion, Community Champion, Best Use of Technology, Best Use of Technology, Business Person of the Year and the blue riband Business of the Year title.

Sign up today to take part in the region's most presitgious business awards event

All the finalists, along with the awards sponsors and other representatives from the region's business and civic communities will attend the glittering prize-giving event at Wolverhampton Racecourse on Thursday, June 8.

A&M EDM, winners of the SME of the Year in the 2016 awards can vouch for the valuable impact of the awards. The Smethwick-based engineers of components for aerospace, automotive and Formula 1 customers experienced internal and external benefits by winning an award.

A&M's entry focused on the company's growth and highlighting its manufacturing capabilities. All finalists are visited by a panel of judges, asking questions based on their entry. A&M believe this robust approach makes an Express & Star award something worth winning.

Mark Wingfield, managing director of A&M EDM said: "We encourage all Black Country businesses to enter the 2017 Business Awards, writing our entry highlighted our strengths, which we then applied to new business. Being selected as a finalist raised our profile with coverage in the Express & Star and winning boosted our confidence and credibility to win new business and generated enormous pride amongst our workforce."