Best Export Businesswon by Local Enterprise Office-backed company as ‘20 Years of Winners’ are celebrated at National Enterprise Awards in the Mansion House

Burren Precast Concrete in County Carlow has won the Best Export Business at the 2018 National Enterprise Awards in a competition organised by the Local Enterprise Offices at the Mansion House, Dublin recently                

The announcement was made recently in the Mansion House by the Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen T.D.

Speaking about the awards , Kathleen Holohan , Chief Executive of Carlow County Council said “awards are an important way for companies to gain recognition of their achievements and Carlow County Council is delighted that locally based companies like Burren Precast put themselves forward to celebrate their innovation , excellence and achievements” , Holohan continued to say “with over 2000 enterprises in County Carlow and 90.2% of them with less than 10 employees the importance of supporting the Small and Medium Enterprise Sector is of vital importance to Carlow County Council and these types of companies provide the backbone of our support services and present County Carlow’s with the best opportunity for supporting the growth and development of indigenous business which provide significant employment in the County”

Congratulating the local winners, Kieran Comerford , Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Carlow said: “The National Enterprise Awards are an annual celebration of the achievements of Ireland’s small businesses and Burren Precast Concrete are very deserving winners of this award, because of the impact that they have already made on their sector. This award recognises that their products have international appeal and Local Enterprise Office Carlow is proud to have supported them along their journey to success.”

Minister Breen said: “The National Enterprise Awards are a fitting way to recognise the contribution of Ireland’s most innovative, strategic and adaptive businesses, and to put their success stories into the national spotlight as an example to others.  I would like to congratulate all the micro-enterprises and small businesses that are being celebrated here tonight.  This year’s winners, like all those in previous years, represent the backbone of Ireland’s enterprise success and contribute hugely to the economic vibrancy of their respective regions.  All this year’s finalists and winners have been supported by my Department through the Local Enterprise Office network.  I would like to pay tribute to the hard work and vision of the network, and would encourage those with business ideas to get in touch with their local office for expert guidance and advice.”

The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities celebrated ‘20 Years of Winners’ at this year’s National Enterprise Awards, which was originally set up in 1998 to celebrate the achievements of Ireland’s micro-enterprises and small businesses.

According to a survey by the Local Enterprise Offices, previous winners of the National Enterprise Awards now employ 832 people and generate €131 million in sales annually, including €58 million worth of export sales to 52 countries. 11 former winners, such as Walsh Whiskey, Irish Yogurts, Obelisk and DigiWeb, scaled-up their businesses since winning a National Enterprise Award to become Enterprise Ireland clients.

The full list of winners at the 2018 National Enterprise Awards were as follows:

Overall Winner National Enterprise Awards 2018 (Cash Prize for business: €10,000)                      

Terra Liquid Minerals, backed by Local Enterprise Office Kildare   www.tlm.ie - smart liquid mineral injection system provider

Best Start Up Business (Cash Prize for business: €5,000)                                                                          

Get the Shifts Ltd, backed by Local Enterprise Office Clare  www.gettheshifts.com - skilled, temporary hospitality staff

Best Export Business (Cash Prize for business: €5,000)                                                                          

Burren Precast Concrete, backed by Local Enterprise Office Carlow www.carlowconcrete.com - attenuation and flood alleviation tanks manufacturer

Innovation Award (Cash Prize for business: €5,000)                                                                                

Cyc-lok Ltd, backed by Local Enterprise Office Laois           www.cyc-lok.ie - suppliers of access-controlled bike parking lockers

Regional Awards: (Cash Prize for business: €2,000 each)

DUBLIN: Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin                                  

WeBringg, backed by Local Enterprise Office Fingal www.webringg.com - 90-minute online sales delivery service

SOUTH WEST: Clare, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary

Horizon Offsite Ltd, backed by Local Enterprise Office Tipperary    www.horizonos.ie - light-gauge steel building system manufacturer                                                                          

MID-EAST: Kildare, Laois, Offaly and Westmeath                                                                                

       Irish Craft Canning, backed by Local Enterprise Office Westmeath Irish craft beverage process and packaging services

SOUTH: Cork City, Cork North & West, South Cork and Waterford                                              

Blackwater Distillery, backed by Local Enterprise Office Waterford Irish distillery famous for gin

SOUTH EAST: Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow                                                                     

   Asistec, backed by Local Enterprise Office Wicklow

solutions for cell storage and growth

NORTH WEST: Donegal, Leitrim, Longford and Sligo                                                                             

  Niche Specialist Staffing Partners, backed by Local Enterprise Office Donegal

International recruitment firm for construction estimators

NORTH EAST: Cavan, Louth, Meath and Monaghan                                                                           

    Avail, backed by Local Enterprise Office Cavan

mobile healthcare solution for those with learning difficulties

WEST: Galway, Mayo and Roscommon

Joint-It, backed by Local Enterprise Office Galway    www.jointit.com - ready-mixed jointing compound manufacturer

Details on the Local Enterprise Office supports available for small businesses are available at www.localenterprise.ie, and funding for the Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities is provided by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland.

ENDS

For all media enquiries, please contact Kieran Comerford on 086-8252037 or by e-mail kcomerford@carlowcoco.ie

Photo Captions:

Image A: MJ Lomax - Burren Precast , Stephen Murphy - Burren Precast   , Enda Byrne - Burren Precast , Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen T.D. Pauline Hoctor , Carlow County Council – Local Enterpise Office , Kieran Comerford , Carlow County Council – Local Enterprise Office

Image B: Stephen Murphy - Burren Precast   , Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen T.D , MJ Lomax - Burren Precast , Enda Byrne - Burren Precast

Image C: Enda Byrne – Burren Precast disucssing the companies achievements with MC Bryan Dobson

Image D: MJ Lomax – Burren Precast , Kathleen Holohan , Chief Executive , Carlow County Council , Pauline Hoctor , Carlow County Council , Enda Byrne – Burren Precast , Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen T.D , Anna May Mc Hugh , Special Guest from NPA , Stephen Murphy – Burren Precast , Kieran Comerford – Carlow County Council ,Kathleen Brennan – NPA