20 years of winners to be celebrated at National Enterprise Awards with County Wicklow finalist, Asistec, competing for 2018 title
Figures released this week show that previous winners of Local Enterprise Office-run competition together employ 832 people, generate €131million in turnover annually and export to 52 countries
‘20 Years of Winners’ are being celebrated by the Local Enterprise Offices, including Local Enterprise Office Wicklow, at the 2018 National Enterprise Awards, which take place every year to highlight the successes of small businesses around the country.
According to a survey from the Local Enterprise Offices, released this week, previous winners of the National Enterprise Awards now employ 832 people and generate over €131 million in turnover, €58 million of which is generated from exports to 52 countries. Since winning, 11 of the companies have scaled-up their businesses to become Enterprise Ireland clients.
The Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen T.D., will be presenting the awards on the night and he said: “It is important to celebrate the wonderful success stories within Ireland’s small businesses and micro-enterprise sector. The annual National Enterprise Awards reflect the Government’s support for, and commitment to, all areas of innovation and enterprise development within the Local Enterprise Office network. As we celebrate 20 years of winners in 2018, we hope that the achievements of previous winners will serve to inspire and encourage today’s start-ups to follow in their footsteps and to look internationally for growth opportunities.”
County Wicklow is being represented at the 2018 National Enterprise Awards by Tony Harbison from Asistec in Bray. The company, which was set-up in 2009, employs nine people and is a unique provider of Cell Line facilities and Heating and Cooling technology for laboratory applications, up to and including pharmaceutical process control; providing scientific solutions for storing and growing cells. In all, 31 finalists, one from every local authority area, will be competing for a share of the €40,000 prize fund on May 24th.
Sheelagh Daly with Local Enterprise Office Wicklow said: “The National Enterprise Awards are our chance to celebrate finalists’ economic impact on their local communities, the jobs they have created, and the overall growth of their businesses. Combined, the previous winners now employ 832 people all over the country, have a turnover of over €131 million per annum and have €58 million in exports to 52 countries. These achievements deserve to be celebrated on a national scale and we know they will inspire other local companies here in County Wicklow too.”
Funding for the Local Enterprise Offices is provided by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland, and further details about the supports on offer to small businesses are available through www.localenterprise.ie.
