HUNDREDS of business people gathered to pay tribute to companies at the cutting edge of Oxfordshire's economic growth, writes David Duffy.

The Oxfordshire Business of the Year is Bookham Technology, of Milton Park, near Abingdon, a rapidly-expanding firm in the fast lane of modern communications.

The award presentation topped a week of stunning achievement for the company, which floated on the stock market in April and last week was promoted to the list of the UK's top 100 firms. Staff numbers have been rocketing at the firm, whose founder Dr Andrew Rickman received an OBE from the Queen last week.

The guest speaker, author, broadcaster and former Conservative minister Edwina Currie, handed the business of the year award to the company's vice president of business development, Robert Green, at a gala evening at the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel at Sandford-on-Thames.

Mr Green said he was delighted to receive the accolade, which was a credit to the staff. He said: "I am very, very happy. It doesn't take 24 hours to build a business like this. We were set up ten years ago and have seen substantial growth in the last few years. We had 200 people at the start of the year and we now have 530 on board."

Mrs Currie told the 300-strong audience that being in business was frustrating, risky and extremely hard work. She said: "Business is the backbone of the nation and business people contribute enormously through employment, education and paying tax.

A record number of firms entered this year's awards, organised by the Heart of England Training and Enterprise Council, which are now in their sixth year.

Bookham, which makes the switches and circuits needed to control optical signals used for Internet communications, raised 200m in its stock market flotation to fund expansion, creating 180 jobs at a new factory being built in Swindon.

The company was shortlisted in the innovation category, but that accolade went to a neighbouring company at Milton Park, Embedded Solutions Ltd, a spin-off from Oxford University's Computing Laboratory, developing technology allowing electronic devices to switch use from being a phone to a music player, personal navigation system or Internet access device in a fraction of a second.

The other finalist in the innovation category, sponsored by Newsquest (Oxfordshire), publishers of the Oxford Mail, and Fox FM, was automotive sensor firm Transense Technologies, of Heyford Park, Upper Heyford, near Bicester.

Oxfordshire Business Person of the Year is Chris Moore, chairman of computer software company Torex, based at Stonesfield, near Woodstock. Since merging his Smart Terminal business with Torex, once a tool hire business, in 1996, he has built a group employing 780 people with a market value of more than 190m.

The other finalists in the business person of the year category were Harry Handkammer, founder of garden tractor mower manufacturer Countax, of Great Haseley, and brothers Gary and Jon Frank, managing director and sales director of snack makers The Fabulous Bakin' Boys, of Station Lane, Witney, last year's Oxfordshire Business of the Year.

The new business category winner, sponsored by law firm Darbys Mallam Lewis and Lloyds TSB, was First Motorsport, of Great Tew, which manages motorsport events. Other finalists were Manners Mail Order of Crawley Mill, Witney, and Twincentric Integration, of Eynsham.

The developing people category, sponsored by cable communications company NTL and BMW Group, was won by marketing services company CPM UK of Aylesbury Road, Thame. Other finalists were Abingdon Kindergarten, of Northcourt Road, Abingdon, and the Acland Hospital, a private hospital in Banbury Road, Oxford.

The export award, sponsored by Business Link Heart of England and business advisers Grant Thornton, went to integrated circuits developer Oxford Semiconductor, based at Milton Park, which was overall winner of the awards in 1996. Other finalists were computer software developers Twincentric Integration, of Eynsham and tractor mower manufacturer Countax.

The customer care category, sponsored by Unipart and Four Pillars Hotels, was won by another former Oxfordshire Business of the Year, household fittings and furniture company Fired Earth, of Oxford Road, Adderbury, near Banbury. The other finalists were garden centre Frosts At Millets Farm garden centre and family-owned timber merchant Timbmet, which is based at Cumnor Hill, Oxford.