STAFF and bosses at hi-tech engineering firm Oxford Instruments were celebrating last night after being named Oxfordshire’s business of the year.

The company, which employs more than 240 staff, picked up the award at the Oxfordshire Business Awards.

The firm, based at Tubney Woods near Abingdon, has enjoyed a major turnaround in its fortunes in recent years, transforming heavy losses and a redundancy programme into a highly successful global business.

Earlier this week it reported a 60 per cent rise in its pre-tax profits to £42m for the year ending March 31.

More than 500 people gathered for the awards ceremony at the Four Pillars Hotel, Sandford.

Brendon Cross, managing director of Witney telecommunications firm STL Communications, was named the Shaw Gibbs business person of the year.

The Oxford Times charity and community award went to Oxford-based Aspire, which helps homeless people and those with a history of addiction back into the workplace.

Other winners included Chipping Norton Theatre which claimed the Four Pillars cultural events and tourism award and Witney-based Data Plastics which took the Retrader.org.uk sustainability award.

The lifetime achievement Award went to David Richards, chairman of Banbury motorsport firm Prodrive.

For full coverage and pictures of the award winners, see Monday’s Oxford Mail.