THE man who helped to build one of the most successful bus companies in Britain was last night named Sussex Businessman of the Year in the 1999 Sussex Business Awards.

Roger French, managing director of Brighton & Hove Buses, lifted the trophy, which this year was sponsored by corporate and leisure caterers Letheby & Christopher.

The Judges said Mr French had a motivational style that brought out the best in people, adding: "Against a national trend of declining bus use, Roger has developed strategies which have increased passenger numbers, improved profits and created more employment in each of the past five years."

Runners-up were Malcolm Diamond, chief executive of Uckfield industrial fastenings distributor Trifast, and Richard Leman, managing director of Olympian Consultancy, the East Grinstead I.T. recruitment agency.

Newhaven-based Cash Bases took two trophies. It was named Sussex Company of the Year with 100 or more employees in the contest, sponsored by accountants KPMG.

It also won the Sussex First Award, sponsored by BAA Gatwick, for an outstanding contribution to Sussex and its economy.

The expanding company, which employs 250 people in Newhaven making retail cash drawers, recently turned down the option of moving out of Sussex when it needed room to expand.

Instead it chose to locate its factory and head office in a new £2 million complex in Newhaven.

Olympian Consultancy was Company of the Year runner-up and Brighton I.T. consultancy fdm Group was named runner-up in the Sussex First Award.

The award winners were announced at a gala dinner at Hove Town Hall, sponsored by Sussex Enterprise and attended by more than 500 business and civic

leaders.

The Southern FM Small Business Award went to Midnight Communications, the Brighton-based public relations business which specialises in Internet-related companies.

Managing director Caraline Brown is recognised nationally as one of the women at the forefront of the technology movement. The runner-up was Eastbourne Garden Centre.

Sussex Company of the Year with fewer than 100 employees was aircraft parts distributor CJ Fox of Shoreham.

Runner-up was Chichester direct mail company Codestorm.

Security hardware maker Cego Frameware of Southwick took the Business Innovation Award, sponsored by the Sussex Academic Corridor and The Sussex Innovation Centre, as the company most successfully developing and exploiting new ideas.

The judges said: "The entire company oozes innovation culture."

Runner-up was the vehicle leasing and fleet management company Automotive Leasing of Rustington.

Community work by staff at Family Assurance Friendly Society in Brighton among youth, the elderly and the homeless won them the Business Community Citizenship Award, sponsored by American Express in association with Business in the Community

Runners-up were BT UK Customer Service, based in Worthing, and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.