ELEVEN Western Australian businesses have been named as finalists in the 2005 Australian Export Awards. WAMMCO International, Storyteller Media Group, Risktec Australasia, Tyco Water, MetroCount, Gold Corporation, Rio Tinto Iron Ore, Mt Romance Australia, and North Star Cruises were chosen from more than 450 businesses across 11 categories nationally. Agribusiness, arts and entertainment, education, emerging exporter, information and communications technology, large advanced manufacturer, minerals and energy, regional, services, small to medium exporter and tourism are the categories represented among the 2005 finalists. This year’s finalists generated export sales of an estimated $17 billion in 2004-05 and employ more than 78,000 Australians. The 2005 AEA program will culminate in the presentation of the Australian Exporter of the Year and export category award winners at a gala presentation dinner in Sydney on Thursday, December 1. The winners of the WA awards announced last month included the national finalists and Commtech Wireless, Bay Merchants, Neptune Marine Services, PPC Wholesale Foodservice.