THERE are just two weeks left until the Hereford Times publishes the shortlist for each category in the Hereford BID 2017 Business Awards.

The awards have been set up to recognise the commitment and dedication of the members of the Business Improvement District to make Hereford city centre a great place to shop and spend time.

Judging is now ongoing and before the shortlist is published, we will be randomly highlighting entries from each category.

This week we focus on the Employee of the Year category and Chris Lane who works at Pritchards in King Street.

The shop sells men's designer clothing and accessories.

The nomination said: "Chris Lane has been with us for 11 years and has built a loyal customer base who trust his product knowledge and ability to advise down to the smallest detail.

"His strength is the growing circle of clients who entrust him with their tailoring and made-to-measure orders. Chris has made this valuable part of our business a growing success and includes customers from across the country.

"All businesses must adapt to changes and Chris has taken on the computer-based stock management systems - processing and updating sales and stock inputs. Working closely with a Sage-based accounts it has revolutionised the ability to have instant reports when needed."

Pritchards is now in its 181st year with five generations of the same family running the shop.

Chris was praised for "his pleasant personality, humility and charm to win over most people" and for his "loyalty and trustworthiness."

The nomination added: "All businesses need people that harmonise and help the smooth running of the business, not just day to day but having a distant vision that can lift an old established company such as ourselves and put it on the top rung of retail achievement,

"Chris is, to all of us, that outstanding person."

The recently published book, The Tailor of Hereford, records the huge social changes that have taken the shop through the Industrial Revolution, two world wars and enormous technological advances.

Today, the shop is over three floors and has a web-based side of the business.