Exhibition of Ghanaian companies opens next month

Accra, July 1, GNA - The Homegrown Awards 2007, a new initiative that celebrates the best Ghanaian companies and products and the people behind them will take place in Accra on August 30 2008.

The maiden edition of the awards showcases the diverse spectrum of Ghanaian companies, large and small, whose dynamism and innovation display a positive contribution to sustainable growth in Ghana, a statement issued by the organisers in Accra said on Tuesday.

It said the awards programme was intended to unearth and expose inspirational Ghanaian companies and individuals who had devised and built successful businesses for the creative benefit of Ghana. The awards would also showcase the qualities of vibrancy, creativity, energy and entrepreneurship.

"The Homegrown Awards have been introduced to throw the spotlight on Ghanaian companies who are making a real contribution to the promotion of innovation, employment, exports and consumer choice," said Julius Hermann, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Media Hype Limited, organizers of the awards.

He said while there is no cash incentive to winning an award, the recognition earned would have direct benefit on the bottom line of the winning companies.

The judges will come from business, government, trade unions and the community, with Ghanaian research consulting firm, Westpoint Consulting as event statisticians.

Ten prestigious categories, judged according to the size of the company, were created.

The categories are: Company of the Year, Woman Achiever of the Year, Corporate Social Investment Champion of the Year, Service of the Year, Product of the Year, Exporter of the Year, Deal Maker of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, The President's Award for Small Business and the Nation Builder of the Year.

Nominees are judged according to three main criteria: relevance to category, achievements chalked during the course of the business year and the benefit to Ghanaian consumers. The organisers said the 10 categories in the Homegrown Awards competition were designed to span a diverse spectrum of companies and as a result had attracted a variety of companies, large and small.