TODAY The Argus starts its weekly focus on the 2017 Sussex Super Growth Awards, which recognise the 60 fastest growing businesses in the county.

This is a unique index of the 60 fastest-growing businesses across the region and their success will be celebrated at an awards event at the Amex Stadium on March 7.

It is sponsored by asb law, Lloyds Bank and Kreston Reeves in partnership with The Argus.

Sussex has more than 80,000 businesses employing more than 650,000 people and contributes more than £34 billion to the economy.

The awards will celebrate their continued prominence.

Hosting will be broadcaster and business consultant Simon Fanshawe.

The fastest-growing company in last year’s Sussex Super Growth Awards was Comms Factory Group, of Worthing, with 311 per cent growth.

Kingscote Rojay in Crawley and Keysource, Horsham, shared the honours in 2015 with an identical growth rate of 135 per cent.

The first company we focus on this year is C J Thorne and Co, a third-generation family firm of civil engineering contractors founded by Charles James Thorne in 1939 and situated in Union Point, Uckfield.

The business, which employs more than 120 staff across two sites, is proud of its longevity, heritage and reputation for reliability, service and cost effectiveness.

C J Thorne and Co has a track record of successfully providing civil engineering services for its clients throughout Sussex, Kent and Surrey.

Undertaking contracts of up to £10 million in value, it works closely with clients to complete projects on time and to budget and its portfolio includes bridge construction, clean and waste water treatment, environmental protection and landscaping.

Its wholly-owned plant and transport fleet is maintained in house.

It can call on additional resources when necessary through long-standing partnerships with trusted suppliers and specialist contractors.

This is the second year in a row that C J Thorne and Co has been shortlisted in the Sussex Super Growth Awards.

MD Chris Thorne said:”As a private family owned business with strong links to the Sussex community, we are absolutely delighted to be recognised once again by the prestigious Sussex Super Growth awards.

“This is a hugely positive reflection of the efforts of every member of the team.

“It is directly due to their efforts that we win the repeat work for our clients which in turn drives our growth.”

The company also received the 2015 Lewes and Wealden Business of the Year award as well as the Sussex Heritage Trust’s Commercial Award for the restoration of the King’s Road Arches in Hove.