Two business, which have been assisted by Argyll and the Islands Enterprise (AIE), have made the finals of this year's Winners @ the Web (W@W) competition.

Arran Aromatics (www.arran-aromatics.co.uk) is competing in the Best Medium category while Map Maker Ltd (www.mapmaker.com) is nominated in the Best Micro section.  The two businesses will find out on Friday (14th June) if they are winners when they attend the W@W awards ceremony at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow.

A family-run business, Arran Aromatics was established in 1989.  They produce over 400 toiletries and associated products and have recently started producing fragranced candles with over 147 varieties.  The company is one of the largest employers on Arran and has a hugely successful export market.  Over the years, Arran Aromatics has received over £900,000 from AIE to assist with the development of the business.

Map Maker Ltd are based in Carradale in Kintyre and produce Geographical Information Systems programs.  They trade in over 100 countries world-wide through product downloads on their website with their software allowing users to build professional maps in their Windows desktop systems.

AIE has assisted the company with a grant towards a satellite broadband system and e-business advisor Paul O'Brien is currently advising the company on their application for the Highlands and Islands Research Challenge Fund competition.  If successful, they will be in a position to research and develop new products.

Commenting on the success of Argyll's representatives at W@W, Paul O'Brien said: "It is great to see two businesses from the AIE area represented at this year's Winners @ the Web competition.  E-commerce is a vital business tool and allows companies in rural and island areas to compete in a global context."