THE East Anglian Daily Times today reveals the line-up in its new Future50 listing of up-and-coming Suffolk businesses identified as having the potential to lead the county’s economic growth.

The first EADT Future50 report highlights 50 firms from the around Suffolk which have been identified by an expert panel of judges as already achieving, or having the potential to achieve, exceptional growth within their respective markets.

Representatives of the Future50 businesses were invited to a launch ceremony held last night at the Cookhouse restaurant at the Suffolk Food Hall in Wherstead, near Ipswich.

Following a welcome from EADT business editor Duncan Brodie, Kevin Horne, chief executive of business support organisation NWES, main sponsor of the Future50, spoke about the importance but also the challenges of entrepreneurship.

Mr Horne, who chaired the judging panel which selected the Future50 members, likened the need for business leaders to seek advice and support to the need of even the very best athletes to seek the help of coaches.

Other sponsors of the EADT Future50 include private bank Coutts & Co, law firm Birketts, accountants Lovewell Blake and City College Norwich.

Following his address, Mr Horne chaired a question and answer session giving guests the opportunity to raise issues with a panel including Duncan Brodie, Mark Noble of Coutts, Mark Gipson of Birketts and Brian Floringer of Lovewell Blake.

In a closing speech, Johnny Hustler, managing director of Archant Anglia, whose titles include the EADT, said he viewed the Future50 as the most important among the awards supported by the company.

“It is the people in this room who will be seeing to fruition the current vision for Anglia to be the country’s Number One growth area for business, a vision being worked on so hard by the New Anglia LEP, the chambers, the councils and numerous other organisations,” he said.

“You can also be the people who inspire a whole generation of young people to do what you are doing – to create wealth, jobs and a better reputation for our region. You can put Anglia firmly on the map.”

And he added: “The example you provide can be the very thing that gives the next generation of ‘you’ the confidence to take the first step.”

The Future50, which builds on the success of a model launched by EADT sister title the Eastern Daily Press in Norfolk three years ago, is intended to more than a listing.

Member companies will be connected through a dedicated Future50 Linkedin group and will also be invited to a series of networking events, giving them the opportunity to meet with like-minded people and receive input from leading business advisers.

Profiles of the EADT Future50 businesses appear a special supplement within today’s edition of the EADT and details are also available on line at www.suffolk-future50.co.uk .

The EADT will also be tracking the success of member companies through its daily, weekly and monthly business sections over the coming months.