More than 700 business leaders, entrepreneurs, employers and professionals gathered at the University Arena in Worcester this summer for one of the most anticipated events in the region’s business calendar.

The Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2026 brought together organisations of every size and sector to celebrate excellence, innovation and achievement across two counties that continue to produce remarkable business success stories.

Sponsored by Herefordshire Council and Worcestershire County Council, the annual awards are about recognising outstanding individual businesses. But they also offer a snapshot of the health, confidence and ambition of the regional economy itself.

And if there was one message running through this year’s winners, it was that the businesses succeeding today are not waiting for perfect conditions.

That was perhaps best illustrated by Business of the Year winner KGD Industrial Services. The Hereford manufacturer has grown from around £11m turnover to £25m in the last three years, invested millions of pounds in facilities and innovation, recruited a record intake of apprentices and continues to expand despite rising costs, global uncertainty and skills shortages.

It is exactly the kind of long-term thinking that judges encountered repeatedly throughout the awards process.

Across 15 categories, businesses demonstrated a willingness to invest, innovate and adapt. They were developing new products, embracing technology, entering international markets, supporting their communities and creating opportunities for the next generation.

In many ways, they reflected the challenges facing businesses across the UK.

Economic uncertainty remains a reality. Employers continue to wrestle with rising costs, recruitment pressures and rapid technological change. Artificial intelligence is transforming industries at remarkable speed while geopolitical events and shifting global markets continue to influence decisions made in boardrooms thousands of miles away.

Yet the stories celebrated at this year’s awards suggested that many of the region’s most successful organisations are responding not by standing still, but by moving forward.

Hereford Cathedral School was recognised for its thoughtful use of technology, integrating AI, data analytics, digital learning tools and virtual reality into both education and operations. Kimal PLC, celebrating more than six decades in business, was recognised for exporting specialist medical devices to markets across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Wickens Engineering demonstrated how a 50-year-old engineering business can still innovate through investment in robotics, new product development and technologies supporting the transition to net zero.

Elsewhere, OLPRO’s sustainability journey, Acorns Children’s Hospice’s life-changing care, and Gaudet Luce’s reinvention of the modern golf club all showed that growth and innovation take many different forms.

Sharon Smith, Chief Executive of Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, said the evening highlighted the very best qualities of the region’s business community.

“The Business Awards are always one of the highlights of the Chamber calendar, and this year’s event was a fantastic celebration of the ambition, resilience and innovation that exists across Herefordshire and Worcestershire,” she said.

“It was incredibly inspiring to see so many outstanding businesses recognised for their achievements and to bring together more than 700 people from across our business community for such a positive and uplifting evening.”

Collectively, the winners and finalists showcased the breadth of talent that exists across the two counties.

From advanced manufacturers supplying global industries to charities supporting vulnerable families, from independent retailers and hospitality businesses to fast-growing start-ups and professional services firms, the awards demonstrated that success comes in many forms.

That diversity was reflected in the evening itself.

Under the theme Around the World, the University Arena was transformed into a celebration of international culture, cuisine and entertainment. Guests enjoyed globally inspired dining while African drummers, Bollywood dancers and Latin performers brought energy, colour and spectacle to the event.

The theme felt particularly fitting. Many of the businesses recognised on the night now operate far beyond county boundaries. Whether exporting products, attracting visitors, serving international customers or competing in global markets, Herefordshire and Worcestershire’s business community is increasingly making its mark on the world stage.

Hosted by Gavin Inskip, the evening balanced celebration with purpose. Alongside recognising business excellence, guests also raised a record-breaking £4,500 for the Chamber’s Charities of the Year, Herefordshire Reuse and Recycling Organisation and St Basils Worcestershire.

Sharon Smith added: “Congratulations to all our winners, finalists and highly commended businesses. You are helping to drive our region forward, setting high standards, and showcasing the very best of what our business community has to offer through your innovation, dedication and success.”

That is ultimately why the Chamber Business Awards matter. They are not simply a celebration of commercial success. They recognise the people willing to take risks, create jobs, invest in communities, develop new ideas and back the future even when circumstances make that difficult.

As the following pages demonstrate, the winners, finalists and highly commended organisations represent the very best of Herefordshire and Worcestershire business.

Their stories are different. Their sectors are different. Their challenges are different. But they all share one thing in common: a determination to keep moving forward and that may be the strongest reason of all to feel optimistic about the future of the region.