EXTON – Seven Chester County companies will be honored in Philadelphia as regional finalists for the second annual Governor’s ImPAct Awards, the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC) announced on Monday, April 7.

The awards program is designed to celebrate the companies and individuals who are investing in Pennsylvania and creating jobs. There are 10 regions in Pennsylvania and five different categories, a CCEDC news release said.

Sikorsky Global Helicopters of Coatesville was named in the Jobs First category for job growth and retention. Chester County’s Aerzen USA and Vanguard were named in the Community, Doing Well by Doing Good, category. Wallquest Inc. of Tredyffrin Township was named in the Export category. YPrime of Malvern was named in the Small Business category. JGM Inc. of West Chester and Victory Brewing Company of Downingtown were named in the Entrepreneur category, the release said.

All of the companies were nominated by the Chester County Economic Development Council with support from Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center and World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia. “We have many fine companies in Chester County,” said Gary Smith, president and chief executive officer of the economic development council. “These companies are all deserving of winning the Governor’s ImPAct award.”

The Chester County companies and the other finalists will be recognized at a reception at the Comcast Center in Philadelphia, on April 22. The statewide winners will be announced on May 30 at an event in Hershey. Only Philadelphia had more companies named in the region with eight contenders. Berks, Delaware and Montgomery counties each had three companies and Bucks County had one.

The Chester County Economic Development Council is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that has been promoting smart growth in Chester County and the surrounding region for over 50 years. Together, with the support of the private and public sectors, CCEDC initiates, implements and innovates programs that improve the business community and enhance the quality of life in Chester County. For more information, visit www.cceconomicdevelopment.com.