Malcolm Diamond, former chief executive of the Uckfield-based industrial fastenings group Trifast, became chairman of the judges for Sussex Business Awards this year.

He took over from Peter Hall, former head of American Express in Brighton and currently regional chairman of the Institute of Customer Service for London and the South-East.

Mr Diamond said: "I was pleased to be invited to become chairman of the judges and gratified to follow in the footsteps of Peter Hall, who has done an excellent job for the awards scheme.

"I know the value of these awards. At Trifast, we had three awards trophies in the boardroom which we won in the mid-Nineties.That experience taught me winning awards is great for the morale of the whole company and I never underestimate the importance of staff morale in building a successful business.

"It is not just about winning. You can learn valuable lessons just by taking part. It makes you look at your business objectively so you can sort out problem areas you didn't know you had.

"Companies from all parts of the county and a wide range of industries feature on the list of finalists, illustrating the strength and diversity of the region's economy."

Mr Diamond said among the 12 awards this year was Learning Pays!, a new award for outstanding achievement by a Sussex employer in developing its workforce, sponsored by the Sussex Learning and Skills Council. Also new was an award for creative industries, which was open to a wide range of organisations in new and digital media and the arts. It was sponsored by Brighton and Hove City Council and East Sussex County Council.

A third new award was for individuals, rather than companies. The career development award was for the employee of a Sussex company who had made the most effective use of training. It was sponsored by Cash Bases and Sussex Downs College.

He said: "The names of all the sponsors and supporters are given in the panel alongside and in the succeeding pages of this programme.

"The business community owes them a debt of gratitude, for without their support, financial and practical, there would be no awards.

"The objectives of the awards are the same as when they started in 1989 - to encourage enterprise among businesses in the county and to recognise achievement. By publicising the successes of Sussex companies within the county's business community, the awards can stimulate us all to raise our game.

"When we publicise these achievements to a wider audience, we increase awareness of the contribution which the wealth-creating sector of the economy makes to our prosperity and quality of life.

"As in previous years, we hope to communicate a little about best practice and to answer the questions:

What made the winners special? What can we all learn from them to improve our own performance?

"If we do this, then we help to create a situation in which the standards of the best provide a benchmark for the rest to the benefit both of individual businesses and of the Sussex economy as a whole."