A Bradford entrepreneur has been short-listed for the Business Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Balbir Panesar, pictured above, of Garnett Street-based PEC Building Services, is in the running to scoop the accolade in this year's Business Enterprise Awards 2003.

His firm, established in 1977 as an electrical contractors, now operates as a building and shopfitting business.

Over the last decade Mr Panesar has increased sales by more than 300 per cent.

Mr Panesar, who founded the firm and is now its managing director, has seen the company grow into a national operation.

He said: "I am absolutely delighted to be short-listed for this national award and appreciate that there is such a scheme which recognises the efforts and success of businesses like ours."

The awards recognise individuals who have made "an outstanding contribution to a new or existing business", or someone who has moved from redundancy to form a new business.

The award is organised by the International Association of Book- Keepers (IAB).

Malcolm Dean, IAB's chief executive, said: "The continued success of the awards has shown how important it is to recognise the efforts of key people working within the small business sector.''