Forbes Business Chamber took out the Local Chamber of Commerce Award on Friday night, beating Bathurst, Mudgee and Coonamble Business Chambers.

President of the Forbes Business Chamber, Stuart Thomas, said he was thrilled with the win.

“The win is a testament to the hard work of the committee,” he said.

“This means great recognition of the local team and the committee and recognition of the strength of businesses in Forbes and the importance of developing networks and sharing ideas.

“We are very proud.”

Forbes Business Chamber were deserving of the award, having seen a 67 per cent growth in financial members from 2013/14 to 2014/15.

They have developed initiatives to encourage residents to shop in Forbes and to attract a regional audience to town.

The Find It In Forbes Christmas Promotion attracted over 34 participating businesses, four major sponsors and 10 supporting businesses. In total 140,000 tickets were distributed during the promotional period, adding over a million dollars to the Forbes economy.

Mr Stuart said as far as he was aware, this is the first time the chamber has been recognised on a regional level. 

They will now go on to attend the NSW Business Chamber state finals in November.

A number of Forbes businesses were nominated for an award including Auslec and HE Silos, while a few businesses with a Forbes connection were also nominated such as Green Homes Australia, John Davis Motors Orange and Bernardi’s Marketplace and Discount Dave’s Bathurst.