All county nominees for this year’s National Enterprise Awards are being revealed at a ‘Business Masterclass’ in County Laois this morning, by the network of Local Enterprise Offices.
The competition is now in its 18th year and has a €20,000 prize fund on offer, aiming to recognise the impressive achievements of small local businesses throughout the country. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D. will be announcing the overall winner on Thursday, June 11th at an awards ceremony at Dublin’s Royal Hospital Kilmainham.
In all, 31 nominees are being revealed this morning, representing each of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) across every county in Ireland and small businesses from the world of food, drink, technology and construction dominate this year’s list.
Interestingly, more than half of the nominees only started their business within the last five years, according to the Chair of the Organising Committee with the Local Enterprise Offices, Adrienne Rodgers. Speaking ahead of the gathering of nominees in County Laois today, Rodgers said: “Over the last number of years, Ireland’s small business community has shown itself to be resilient, innovative and pro-active and through the National Enterprise Awards, we can all celebrate their achievements, putting their successes on the map.”
Kieran Comerford, the Chair of the Network of Local Enterprise Offices, feels that many small businesses have “turned a corner” over the past eighteen months, saying: “If you look at the number of extra jobs created by companies supported by the Local Enterprise Offices in 2014, you’ll see that just over 4,000 extra jobs were created that year, net. As the first stop shop for anyone thinking of starting a business or looking to grow their existing one, we’re seeing an increasing number of entrepreneurs and start-ups access supports through the LEO network.”
Previous winners of the National Enterprise Awards have included Irish Yogurts from West Cork, the Hot Irishman Irish Coffee from Carlow, Grouse Recording Studios from Westmeath and DesignPro from Limerick.
As part of the NEA programme this year, all nominees are being invited to take part in a ‘Business Masterclass’ today at the Heritage in Laois, to help them develop skills that will drive their businesses forward. Further information around the supports available to small businesses is available through www.localenterprise.ie and updates around the National Enterprise Awards (NEA) are available by searching #NEAwards15 on social media.
The nominees for the 2015 National Enterprise Awards, organised by the Local Enterprise Offices, are (in no particular order):
Carlow Mick Kelly, Simply Workflow (Simply Workflow Ltd.) Innovative workforce management system, to manage mobile workforces www.simplyworkflow.com
Cavan Brian O' Donoghue, Virginia Medical Supplies Ltd. Manufacture, wholesale and on-line sale of medical supplies to pharmacies www.virginiamedical.ie
Clare Anne Behan, Aine Knitwear (McConnell Woollen Mills). Indigenous knitwear collections www.aine.ie
Cork City Tracey Ryan, Bia Beauty Skincare (Bia Beauty Skincare Ltd). Producer of a range of 100% natural, multi-tasking skincare products.
Cork South Denis Coleman, Work Compass (Cognito HRM Ltd). Online performance management software www.workcompass.com
Cork West Ingrid De Doncker, E-Quiddity Limited. Providing companies with the best procurement practices www.equiddity.ie
Donegal Richard LeVert, Kinnegar Brewing (Kinnegar Brewing Ltd.) Production of clean, crisp, full flavoured farmhouse beers www.kinnegarbrewing.ie
Dublin City Paul McDonald, Sonitus Systems (Sonitus System Ltd). Automated noise monitoring instrumentation www.sonitussystems.com
Dublin Fingal Michael Rochford, Motorcheck.ie (Benchmark Fleet Services Ltd). Supply of automotive data, via cloud-based web services www.motorcheck.ie
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Jim Urell, Property Channel (Residential Utility Management Ltd). Managing transfer of utilities from landlord-tenant/ seller-buyer http://propertychannel.info
Galway City Hilary Foley, Nua Naturals (FOCA Organics Ltd). Health food business specialising in gluten free, vegan and raw foods www.nuanaturals.com
Galway County Jerry McCarthy, Vision Built Manufacturing (Vision Built Manufacturing Ltd). Design, manufacture and installation of innovative building structures www.vision-built.com
Kerry Mark Fleury, Fluery Engineering ( Fleury Engineering Services). Filtration and separation equipment for removing contaminants from fuel, oil and water. www.fleury.ie
Kildare Ronan Kelly, Kelly's Mountain Brew (Kelly’s Mountain Brew Ltd). Award-winning independent craft beer brewery www.kellysmountainbrew.com
Kilkenny Linda Nolan, MyBio (My Bio Limited). Supplier of research products, technologies and knowledge to the Scientific Research Industry www.mybio.ie
Laois Kathleen Irwin, Adora Flax (Adora Flax Co Ltd). On-farm producer of flax oil, which is certified organic. www.adorafarm.com
Leitrim Stephen Keane, The Primary Planet (The Primary Planet Ltd.) Ireland's first children's newspaper www.theprimaryplanet.ie
Limerick Paul Sheehan, Unison Engineering Services Ltd (Unison Engineering Services Ltd). Development, manufacturing and installation of pasteurisers http://unisonengineering.ie/
Longford Eamonn and Noel Farrell, N & E Precision Ltd (N&E Precision Engineering Ltd). Precision Engineering Services www.nandeprecision.com
Louth Gerard Healy, Elemex (Elemex Ltd). Design of heating systems and heating technology www.elemexheating.com
Mayo Angela Carney, Harvest Moon Foods. Wholefood artisan food producer www.harvestmoonfoods.ie
Monaghan Seamus McMahon, Brehon Brewhouse Irish craft beer, made by hand www.brehonbrewhouse.com
Offaly Mark Cotter, Emelyn Murray and Liam Holton, Future Ticketing (Future Ticketing Ltd). Online e-Ticketing solutions www.futureticketing.ie/
Roscommon Brendan Allen, Castlemine Farm (Castlemine Farm Ltd). Selection of home-made cooked products, supplied to wholesalers www.Castleminefarm.ie
Sligo Martin & Gillian McGeough, Firefly Orthoses (Firefly Orthoses Ltd). Design, manufacture and distribution of Podiatric custom made foot and ankle orthoses www.firefly.ie
South Dublin Garreth Sloan, ADSL (Advanced Draughting Services Ltd.) Draughting Company, specialising in architectural metalwork and structural steel. www.adsl.ie
Tipperary Donal Bray, Echo IT Ltd (Echo IT Ltd). Delivers smart I.T solutions www.echoit.ie
Waterford Mark Bergin, Coffee House Lane (Coffee Warehouse Ltd). Authentic coffee roasters and suppliers www.ponticelli.ie
Westmeath Niall Gannon, Gannon Eco (John Gannon Concrete Ltd). Provides sustainable waste management solutions, reprocessing waste materials www.gannoneco.ie
Wexford Pat O' Neill, O Neill's Dry Cure Bacon Co (O'Neills Food Ltd). Producers of dry cured bacon, by hand. www.oneillsbacon.ie
Wicklow Barry Gallagher, Glendalough Distillery (Glendalough Irish Whiskey Ltd). Irish distillery, producing gin, whiskey and Poitín www.glendaloughdistillery.com