Mullingar company Bevcraft Group named Overall Winner at National Enterprise Awards

Bevcraft Group, supported by Local Enterprise Office Westmeath, have been named overall winners at this year’s National Enterprise Awards. The awards, which are in their 22^nd year and run annually by the Local Enterprise Offices. were broadcast online from the Mansion House in Dublin.

Mobile craft canning company, Bevcraft, who are headquartered at Mullingar Business Park, took home the top prize at the prestigious event – after facing stiff competition from 30 finalists nationwide. Established in 2016 by friends Ciaran Gorman and Darren Fenton the company has gone from strength to strength. They now work with over 250 brands to can their produce using their mobile canning technology. They are operating across 5 European countries and in 2021 aim to handle over 50 million cans.

Speaking following their win, Ciaran and Darren said: ‘This isn’t about us, it’s the incredible story of the Irish craft beer sector where we now have world class breweries in every corner of Ireland including a host of breweries in the midlands including St Mels in Longford, Dead Centre in Athlone, Wide Street in Ballymahon and 12 Acres & Ballykilcavan in Laois”

“Five years ago we had not canned a single drop; today we employ 18 people with 12 canning lines and facilities in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands; this wouldn’t have happened without the support of so many people including the Local Enterprise Office”

Congratulating Bevcraft on their win, Christine Charlton, Head of Enterprise at LEO Westmeath, said she was very proud to see a Westmeath company bring home the title.

‘Bevcraft have achieved so much since they first approached the LEO in 2016 when starting their journey. They had identified a gap in the Irish market previously not served, and have since evolved to include a comprehensive range of solutions for craft beverage producers wishing to package their product – I look forward to following their progress in the years ahead.’

Along with the overall winner, five category winners were announced. The Innovation Award winner was VRAI, who are backed by LEO Dublin City. The tech company provide virtual reality training similuations to companies who may work in remote or dangerous areas.

The Best Export Award went to Kianda Technologies who were supported by LEO Fingal and have recently moved to Enterprise Ireland. The company have achieved significant penetration in global export markets with their business automation software that streamlines business processes in areas such as finance, HR and quality.

The Future Focus Award went to Lidan Designs, backed by LEO Roscommon. The business creates modular energy efficient buildings off-site in the areas of offices, schools and housing.

To recognise the particular challenges overcome by businesses in 2020, tow new awards were presented, the Brexit Ready Award and the Pivot Award. The Brexit Ready Award went to Knockanore Farmhouse Cheese who are supported by LEO Waterford. The raw milk artisan cheddar cheese producer’s impressive response to Brexit has seen them actually grow their business on the back of the UK leaving the EU, accessing new markets.

The Pivot Award winner went to WowWee.ie who are backed by LEO Clare. A personalised gifting company who relied heavily on corporate gifting saw their business disappear once the pandemic hit but pivoted to sell direct to consumers. The response has seen them excel in an extremely competitive market.

This year’s winners share a €50,000 investment fund and eight regional winners were also announced on the night. Those winners are –

• The Artisan Pizza Company in the Dublin Region (backed by LEO South Dublin)
• Odyssey Studios in the South West Region (backed by LEO Limerick)
• QPQ in the Mid East Region (backed by LEO Kildare)
• Submit Software Solutions in the South Region (backed by LEO Cork City)
• Irish Fluid Controls in the South East Region (backed by LEO Carlow)
• Dromod Boxty in the North West Region (backed by LEO Leitrim)
• Qualitas Electronics in the North East Region (backed by LEO Meath)
• Armour Interactive in the West Region (backed by LEO Galway)

Also honoured on the night with the inaugural National Enterprise Awards Outstanding Achievement award was former Netwatch co-founder and CEO David Walsh. Walsh, who worked closely with LEO Carlow as he built Netwatch into a global company with over 250,000 clients across 4 continents, is now co-founder and CEO of a new start-up HaloCare. The Kerry native was honoured for his success and innovation but also his continued support of entrepreneurship in in Carlow.

The National Enterprise Awards are one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country. Others include Local Enterprise Week, the Student Enterprise Programme, and National Women’s Enterprise Day. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland. Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. The LEOs work with over 7,000 client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses. For more information see www.LocalEnterprise.ie/westmeath

Want to learn more about Bevcraft? Read their success story HERE