Last updated 09:05, Saturday, 01 November 2008

With a recession emerging over the horizon and a credit crunch already under way, the climate for most companies is not favourable at the moment.

So we should be pleased that Cumbria still has so many thriving and successful businesses – small, medium and large.

Many of the best of them were recognised for their successes at this year’s CN Group Business Awards, which we feature today.

The awards ceremony demonstrated how many top-class companies Cumbria has. And they are as varied as they are numerous. Winners ranged from visitor attractions such as Walby Farm Park to exporters like Primasonics International, and from small businesses such as Grisdales and AstSigns to giants such as Calder Foods and the Cumberland Building Society.

The awards are not just about profitability. Firms such as Bells of Lazonby are recognised for their training, and Capita Symonds for their environmental awareness. All these companies and those who run or work for them deserve to be congratulated, as in the looming economic difficulties we all have a stake in their success .

There is more to businesses than making money. They are a vital component of our communities, providing jobs and education for thousands of us. Let us hope they can weather the storms ahead.