Innovative Ross-shire company Alchemy Plus, has gained a major boost through winning the Most Promising Newcomer Award Islands Business Awards.

First Minister Jack McConnell praised the Dingwall-based business "for making significant progress in its aim of positioning itself as one of Scotland's leading providers of IT support to business."

Mr McConnell said that successful new business ventures were essential to the growth of the Highland and Scottish economies and the Scottish Executive is keen to encourage innovative entrepreneurs such as Alchemy Plus.

He congratulated Executive Chairman Peter Swanson and Chief Executive Officer Steve Chisholm, on their award. Mr Chisholm said: "To receive this award so soon is recognition of how far we've come in such a short time and we were very pleased that the First Minister showed such interest.

"We were chosen by a wide ranging panel of judges chaired by leading banker Sir Angus Grossart -- and we see the award as also being a tribute to the clients who have given us such support and enabled us to expand so rapidly in providing computer systems, computer network management and software development."

Alchemy Plus, which now employs 10 people, supplies customers from Glasgow to Moray as well as throughout the Highlands and Islands, delivering competitive but highly effective IT systems and support to service the most critical and demanding of client applications.

The company intends to further diversify and expand the business in 2007. "We see ourselves firmly in growth mode", said Mr Chisholm, "which is good news for Dingwall and for the Highland business sector as a whole." 

The Highlands and Islands Business Awards is now in its 21st year. The annual event is jointly queries to:

Bill McAllister, McAllister Media

01463 236830/ 0772 077 2366

Steve Chisholm, Alchemy Plus

01349 865000