Winners announced at County Enterprise Awards

Local Enterprise Office confirms Broghies Ireland will represent Kildare at National Enterprise Awards in May

Small businesses from Naas, Clonard, Sallins, Kilcock and Kildare Town were the big winners at this year’s County Enterprise Awards, organised by Local Enterprise Office Kildare to celebrate Local Enterprise Week.

The top prize of €2,500 and a €1,000 soft support voucher went to Broghies Ireland of Kildare Town, who will go on to represent the county at the annual National Enterprise Awards in Dublin this May.

Other winners at the awards ceremony, held at Áras Chill Dara included Odyssey Validation Consultants of Sallins, Co Kildare.

The overall winner, Broghies Ireland, is in the food sector and they manufacture delicious, crispy wafers which are fat-free, sugar free and free of preservatives.

Having now reached the final of the National Enterprise Awards in May, Broghies Ireland will be competing against 30 other companies from every local authority area for a share of the €40,000 prize fund across thirteen categories.

Speaking at the ceremony, Jacqui McNabb, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Kildare congratulated the local entrepreneurs, saying: “Broghies Ireland is a very worthy winner of this major enterprise award, in recognition of what they have achieved here in the county. Because of their drive and determination, the company already employs 9 people and plans to expand into the UK and Europe over the next five years.”

Four other local businesses were also shortlisted this year, and they were :

O’Brien Prendergast & Associates Ltd from Kilcock;

Odyssey Validation Consultants Limited from Sallins;

Shamrock Escargots from Clonard

SweetSpot Sourcing from Naas.

Among the special guests at the ceremony were James Lawless T.D., Michael Brougham, Regional Director Eastern and Midlands, Enterprise Ireland and Peter Minnock, Director of services for Planning and Strategic Development , Kildare County Council.

The awards were just one of the many highlights of Local Enterprise Week, which started on 05 March 2017. All over the country, the 31 Local Enterprise Offices have been jointly running over 380 events aimed at start-ups, aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses in their area, to mark the week.