Moville business Silver Strand Rope Works will represent Donegal in the National Enterprise Awards. Organised annually by the Local Enterprise Office network, the National Enterprise Awards acknowledge the achievements of small businesses, while highlighting their valuable contribution to the local economy. Silver Strand Rope Works will compete with winners from each of the 31 Local Enterprise Office areas around the country at the National Enterprise Award’s Final, which takes place in Dublin on 1st June 2023. National winners will be in with a chance to win a part of the €50,000 national prize fund.

Silver Strand Rope Works is an established cord, rope, string, and strapping manufacturing business offering a wide range of products to local and international markets. The company’s products are widely used in various industrial applications across a range of sectors from agriculture to construction, fishing, marine, hardware, oil, gas, packaging, mining, and renewable solutions.

Operating from a 16,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art factory in Moville, Silver Strand Rope Works employs a team of ten and provides custom products and solutions to more than 300 customers worldwide.

Commenting on the National Enterprise Awards, Brenda Hegarty Head of Enterprise Donegal, said: “Silver Strand Rope Works is a great example of a family-run business that has grown steadily across four decades, creating employment locally and embracing innovation to build an international business from Donegal. Patrick McLaughlin and his team are great ambassadors for the county, and we wish them every success in the National Enterprise Awards in June.”

Adding to this, Patrick McLaughlin said: “We’re delighted to be representing Donegal in the National Enterprise Awards. We’ve been in business for over thirty years and our Local Enterprise Office has always been very supportive. We are the only Irish manufacturer of polypropylene rope and strap and polyester cord strapping. We have a significant repeat customer base in Ireland and the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Since we set up in 1990, innovative technology has helped us to improve efficiency, reduce costs and maintain competitiveness against the market leaders.”

Discussing developments in the industry since the business was established, Patrick said: “Rope manufacturing has been around for thousands of years, and while the basic process has remained largely the same, innovative advances in recent years have improved the quality and functionality of ropes. Computer-controlled machines can now create ropes with more precise diameters, strength, and flexibility. We can produce ropes with different lengths, diameters, and load capacities based on customer requirements. The ability to brand roping for identification purposes is also increasingly in demand.”

Adding to this Patrick said: “Innovations in rope manufacturing have led to the development of features like reflective strands or coatings that make ropes visible in low light conditions and ropes with increased slip resistance to prevent accidental falls, which we have incorporated into our products.”

To find out more about Silver Strand Rope Works, see www.silverstrandropeworks.com

If you have an idea to start or grow your business within Donegal, contact Local Enterprise Office Donegal on info@leo.donegalcoco.ie or (074) 916 0735.