A round-up of awards in the North-East business community.

APPLE AWARD: Kevin Rusby, operations manager at the Land Securities-owned Bridges Shopping Centre, in Sunderland, picked up a Green Apple award as national runner-up for environmental best practices at the Green Organisation cleaning awards. Mr Rusby has set up a recycling programme and implemented an environmentally-friendly cleaning system at the centre, using biodegradable products, micro fibre technology and placing more emphasis on the use of water.

CHAMBER AWARD: The North-East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) has won a Chamber Award for Excellence in International Trade Services. The award is given in recognition of the support and assistance it gives its members to help them develop their sales through international trade. Professor Stephen Hagen, chairman of the Chamber Awards judging panel, said: "It is an extremely passionate chamber with excellent networking and partnerships working across the region to implement programmes locally that will increase international communication skills."

INNOVATION EXCELLENCE: AquaJoy Bathlifts Limited, in Consett, County Durham, has been awarded a European Innovation Award for its Premier Plus bathlift. The company was presented with the award at Rehacare International, in Dusseldorf, Germany, as it officially launched its products onto the European market.

The award came shortly after AquaJoy secured a lucrative contract to sell its products through catalogue company Argos

BUILDING RECOGNITION: Newcastle-based Metnor Construction has been named Contractor of the Year at the 2005 Building and Engineer Awards. The firm was nominated for a number of its contracts this year, which included the Morton Palms business park in Darlington. Metnor Construction is one of four property-related divisions within the group, which has a turnover of £66.3m.

TECHNOLOGY AWARD: Seaward Electronics, in Peterlee, County Durham, has won the test and measurement category of the Electrical Industry Awards for an instrument that helps electrical contractors to carry out test routines much more efficiently. Seaward's PrimeTest 300 is the electrical industry's first safety tester to incorporate Bluetooth wireless technology. The technology was developed by Seaward's product design team with assistance from Business Link County Durham.

ORANGE AWARD: Walltransform, based in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, has won the Orange Award for Bright Business at the final of the National Business Awards, sponsored by Orange. The company's product, Wall-Reform, is a thermally insulating plaster/render that can be applied internally or externally and which can reduce energy consumption.

FIRM SHORTLISTED: Leading independent brickmaker The York Handmade Brick Company, in Alne, North Yorkshire, was shortlisted for the Best Refurbishment Project award in the 2005 Brick Awards. The firm won the accolade for its work on Millington Hall, a 16th Century heritage public house and restaurant in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire. Last year, York Handmade won the same award for the acclaimed walled garden and restaurant at Scampston Hall, near Malton.

LANDSCAPING ACCOLADE: Brambledown Landscape Services, based in Durham and Yorkshire, received a major award at the BALI National Landscape Awards 2005. The awards, which are run annually by the British association of Landscape Industries (BALI), pay tribute to landscapers who have demonstrated exceptionally high standards of professionalism and skill. The company won a BALI Special Award for its restoration of the Sheffield Botanical Gardens