Firms who have starred in the Sussex Business Awards have become worldwide businesses, according to one of the judges.

Philip Hardaker, is a senior partner at the Crawley office of accountancy firm KPMG, which has been involved with the awards since they were started 13 years ago.

He said: "Over the years, the awards have grown in importance. This growth has been matched by the growth of some of the businesses that have won awards.

"They may have started small in Sussex but they have gone on to trade in Europe, the United States and, in some cases, they have a worldwide presence."

Mr Hardaker's list of examples of excellence included Trifast, the industrial fastenings company based in Uckfield; Newhaven-based Cash Bases; Eastbourne-based Goldwell, the hair products manufacturer; and the Allen Group of Horsham. Individuals who have won the Sussex Businessman/Woman of the Year title have also gone on to become well-known names in the business community, he added.

They included Karen Silk, of Capital Software, Andrew Goodall, of Brunswick Developments, and Richard Leman, of Olympian.

When looking at entrants in the Sussex Company of the Year category, which is sponsored by KPMG, Mr Hardaker said the judges would be looking for firms that put a strong infrastructure in place as they grew.

He said: "Growth is not the only thing we will be looking at. We will be looking at what is happening underneath.

"It is important a company's growth is matched by the growth of the team responsible for its running. Admirable though it might be, businesses that rely too heavily on the man or woman at the top can be very vulnerable."

A fast-track system of entry for the awards is being used again this year.

Any company interested in entering should register its name, indicating the award categories it is interested in. This can be done online at www.sussex-business-awards.co.uk or you can complete the registration form available from the awards office on 01273 207155.

Entrants are asked to complete a simple candidate profile. All they have to do is respond to a number of short questions with answers in bullet-point format.

They should send their profile, together with the entry form, to Sussex Business Awards, 4 Frederick Terrace, Frederick Place, Brighton BN1 1AX, no later than the closing date of July 2.