The 26^th annual awards gala dinner will take place on September 26 and will reveal the winners from an impressive list of 53 local businesses all vying for the glory across 20 categories.

For Jarad Ruprecht, his debut entry has snagged a finalist position in the Trades and Services category, proving his business JR Complete Painting is well and truly on the right track.

After over 4 years since he first launched his business Jarad took the plunge to enter the awards.

"I feel I have been doing this long enough now, my business is established and running well and to be honest we deserve it.

"These awards are well known and extremely credible, so it would be a great honour to walk away with a win,"

"I've got a really great team and we have built a reputation for being reliable, quick and producing great finishes on all the projects we undertake."

JR Complete Painting provide painting services for both internal and external projects and are Dulux accredited, meaning quality products and results for clients, along with a five year workmanship guarantee.

With a team of eleven painters, Jarad and his foreman are able to schedule jobs to run simultaneously, ensuring customers can take advantage of an efficient turnaround.

Proud of his business and the efforts of his staff, Jarad says communication along with good preparation is the key to his businesses success.

"Any good paint job starts with preparation. Our workmanship coupled with our commitment to always communicating with clients is what stands us apart and continues to build the business." Said Jarad.

The awards will be held at Cessnock Leagues Club and includes champagne and canapes on arrival and a two-course dinner.

Guest speaker Darren Burrowes (Hons) MBA, FIEAust, SMIEEE, co-founder and chief technology officer of Bluezone Group will join MC Deb Hescott.