The winners of CN Group’s Business Boost competition are a Workington book wholesaler and a Cockermouth beauty salon.

Hills Books triumphed in the category for established businesses with fewer than 250 employees, while Pure Touch took the prize for new businesses that have been trading for under five years.

They will each benefit from a £10,000 advertising campaign in CN Group newspaper titles and websites.

And they will receive free business support from the chartered accountant, tax and business adviser Lamont Pridmore, which sponsors the scheme.

Hills was set up in 1890 when William Coulson Hill began delivering newspapers to Workington’s steel workers.

Some 126 years on, the business is still in the family, managed by the fifth generation, brother and sister Paul Hill and Zoe Williams.

Now the business distributes books to schools and colleges in Cumbria as well as tourist information centres, national parks, libraries and numerous retail outlets.

It also has its own retail outlet at its Workington warehouse on the town’s Clay Flatts Industrial Estate.

As well as Zoe and Paul, Hills has 12 staff, eight of whom have been with the business for more than 20 years and one, Helen McGuirk, who has been in the accounts department for more than 40 years.

Mrs Williams, 40, said: “Winning Business Boost is going to make a massive difference, it’s really great news and will help us recover from the floods.”

Following the December floods, Hills lost a number of customers whose premises remain closed.

Mrs Williams added: “It’s just the boost the business needs. We can make people aware we have a retail outlet at the showroom and also make sure schools in the county know about us, particularly the next generation of teachers and headteachers.”

Samantha Merry took on beauty salon Pure Touch, on Cockermouth’s Main Street, in April 2013, just after she left college.

She then set about putting her own stamp on it.

By December last year she had built up the business and employed two staff but, when the floods hit the town, she was forced to close and make those staff redundant.

She then had to move to a smaller premises, in a quieter street, with little passing trade.

She’s now moved to Main Street, to a larger salon, which has room to expand the business and that is exactly what she plans to do.

Miss Merry, 31, said: “It’s great news. Now I can really start building my business back up again, to how it used to be and, fingers crossed, keep growing.

“Being my own boss was a success but employing two people and having a growing business was an even bigger success. It was really hard having to get rid of my staff but I know I can get back up there again.

“I’m determined to get back to the position where I can employ people again Sooner rather than later too.”

All finalists also receive a half-day consultation with Lamont Pridmore.

This is the third year that CN Group, publisher of the Times & Star, has run Business Boost, which aims to help businesses with growth potential.

Two other Business Boost competitions were staged in Carlisle and Barrow.

Seven West Cumbrian finalists pitched their businesses to a panel of judges at Workington’s Hunday Manor Hotel last Friday, demonstrating how their business will grow and what they might do with money for an advertising campaign.

On the panel were Lamont Pridmore managing director Graham Lamont, CN Group’s business development director Steve McCullough, and business journalist Will Tillotson.

It is the second year that Lamont Pridmore has been the sponsor.

Mr Lamont said: “It’s remarkable that this year’s finalists were even better than last year but it is also extremely reassuring.

“It was really good to see young entrepreneurs building their businesses in west Cumbria.

“The presentations were superb and I’m looking forward to working with them in the future to help develop their businesses.

“The shortlist was exceptional and the difference between the winners and those highly commended was extremely tight.”

Mr McCullough said: “To meet such a mix of true local business and to learn more about them was inspirational.

“As judges, the biggest challenge we had was choosing the two winners when each and every business who had got through the the final presentations had so much to offer and such a good story to tell.

“Over the last few years of judging the Business Boost initiative I can say with confidence this year’s quality was outstanding.

“With two very worthy local winners I am looking forward to personally working with them in their advertising and multimedia needs.

“I am also looking forward to working with the other finalists who came so close to winning.”

n The shortlisted candidates were Lee Grears of Responsive Ltd, Lillyhall, Samantha Merry of Pure Touch, Cockermouth, Frizington artist Kevin Weaver, Doug Hayler of High Hill Automotive, Keswick, Caroline Hughes of The Melbreak Hotel, Great Clifton, Zoe Williams and Paul Hills of Hills Books, Workington, Helen Sharpe of Coombe and Sharpe Landscaping, Lillyhall, and Adam Pearson and Keith Pearson of Adamedia, Beckermet.