The European Business Awards sponsored by HSBC (www.businessawardseurope.com) has announced that Premier Capital is to represent Malta in the prestigious 2010 Awards programme. Premier Capital beat off stiff competition to be selected as one of 15 Country Representatives and will now compete for a coveted Ruban d’Honneur in the next round of the competition. Final-category award winners will be unveiled in Paris on 16 November.

Now in its fourth successful year, the European Business Awards has identified some of Europe’s brightest businesses based on their ability to demonstrate the three core principles at the heart of the Awards programme. The esteemed panel of judges were looking for organisations to represent Malta who exhibited innovation, business excellence and sustainability.

“At Premier Capital we’re absolutely thrilled to be selected to represent Malta. We’ve been operating for over five years in the food service industry and it’s an honour to be recognised as one of the leading organisations in our country and in our field. The European Business Awards is widely recognised as the showcase for Europe’s most dynamic companies. We’re looking forward to the next round of the competition where we’ll be competing across Europe to receive a Ruban d’Honneur,” said Melo Hili, Managing Director of Premier Capital.

The European Business Awards are dedicated to raising the visibility and progress of companies who excel in delivering innovation twinned with successful commercial results while acting responsibly and positively affecting the social environment they operate in. In 2009, the 99 Ruban d’Honneur recipients had a combined turnover greater than €570 billion and recorded an average annual profit growth of 56 per cent.

Adrian Tripp, CEO of the European Business Awards says, “over the past four years we’ve received an incredibly high standard of entries from organisations who are passionate about their business. However, very few get the chance to fly the flag for their country and compete across Europe to be recognised as one of the EU’s leading companies. It really is an exceptional accolade to be picked as a Country Representative, and together with HSBC we’re looking forward to seeing the UK in the next round.”

Alan Keir, HSBC Group General Manager and Global Co-Head Commercial Banking, added, “the European Business Awards provide a great platform to recognise how businesses throughout Europe have excelled despite the financial uncertainty of the past two years. These 15 companies have displayed an impressive ability to innovate and generate financial growth despite economic challenges and we are keen that through the European Business Awards this success and the insights they afford are shared more widely across the EU’s business community. I look forward to celebrating alongside Premier Capital and wish them every success at the next stage of the rigorous judging process.”