Two Monmouthshire businesses are among those named by Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid as finalists for the highly anticipated Wales Business Awards 2022.

Drop Bear Beer Company and Creo Medical Ltd are two of the 34 impressive companies that have been named as finalists across 10 categories such as Digital Business of the Year, Green Business of the Year and Innovative Business of the Year.

Drop Bear Beer Company is an award-winning brewer of alcohol-free craft beer founded in 2019 by Joelle Drummond and Sarah McNena.

As reported earlier this year, the company have submitted plans to develop the world’s first carbon-neutral alcohol-free craft brewery ion the outskirts of Abergavenny.

Drop Bear Beer Company founder Joelle Drummond is amongst the finalists for Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Creo Medical Ltd is a medical equipment manufacturing firm based in Chepstow, and are up for Innovative Business of the Year.

Now in their 19th year, the Wales Business awards provide SME businesses across the country with the opportunity to compete for Wales’ most prestigious accolades. This year, over 180 entries were received from businesses across Wales from all sizes sectors, all vying for a top place.

After submitting their initial entries, shortlisted businesses went through a rigorous interview process to then be named as finalists.

A full list of this year’s finalists can be found at https://cw-seswm.com/events/awards-2022/

Paul Slevin, president of Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid, said: “Our categories this year allow for the representation and celebration of so many different companies, who have been doing great things, not just for their customers, but for their staff, the environment, and the Welsh economy.

“Each business has come through a rigorous process to get to this position, and so we’re confident that these finalists really do represent the cream of the crop when it comes to what Wales has to offer.”

This year, Avast Business will be supporting the Wales Business Awards as headline sponsor, and will be joined in supporting the awards by other sponsors including University of South Wales and Welsh Government.

Winners of each category will be announced at the awards ceremony on 9 June at St Fagans National Museum of History, with TV broadcaster Gethin Jones returning as host.

Tickets can be purchased at https://my.cw-seswm.com/calendar_detail.html?eid=D64259B4-74D3-465A-A61B-0755A7EBB8E8