Ulster’s top achieving companies were crowned this morning at a prestigious event in the Ulster Museum, Belfast.
Eight impressive firms were named category winners of the Ulster section of the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards, from a record list of entries. Run in partnership with Invest NI, InterTradeIreland, the Belfast Telegraph and SmallBusinessCan.com, the awards seek to celebrate the achievements of local companies across a wide range of sectors.
This year’s winners, selected by a high-level panel of judges, were:
- Business Start Up: Environmental Street Furniture Ltd (Newtownabbey)
- Small Business: AJ Power Limited (Craigavon)
- Established SME: Novosco Ltd (Belfast)
- International Business: Market Resource Partners (Belfast)
- Social Enterprise: Bryson Charitable Group (Belfast)
- Food & Drink: Lynn’s Country Foods Limited (Downpatrick)
- Agri Business: Hannan Meats / The Meat Merchant (Moira)
- Women Led Business: Amelio (Belfast)
Each of the Ulster winners will now go forward to compete against provincial winners from Connaught, Leinster and Munster in the all-island stage of the competition. The overall Business Achiever and all-island category winners will be announced at a gala evening in Dublin in December.
“Cream of a very impressive crop”
Congratulating the Ulster winners, Richard Donnan, Head of Ulster Bank Northern Ireland, said: “With over 200 entries from Ulster to the awards this year, the winners and shortlisted companies today can be sure that they are the cream of a very impressive crop. The standard was truly exceptional and I am extremely confident that the eight category winners will do Ulster proud in the all-island final”.
“The Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards is a flagship programme for us, helping us communicate our support for businesses – sitting alongside other initiatives such as our overall sponsorship of the Balmoral Show and our Entrepreneurial Spark Hatchery that will open in Belfast early next year. The Awards recognise and reward entrepreneurship, one of the most important components of any economy. The businesses here today have differentiated themselves from their peers and demonstrated exactly what’s needed to grow and succeed in the demanding conditions of today’s markets,” he adds.
Judges for the Ulster stage of the awards included Nigel Walsh, Ulster Bank; Janet Toal, InterTradeIreland; Sarah Little, Belfast Telegraph; Ian Murphy, Invest NI and Sean Mahon, Janse Consulting.
To impress the panel, companies were required to demonstrate strong financial performance and a flair for innovation, indicate company milestones and achievements and outline strategies for future business development.
Great benefits for winners
In recognition of their provincial success, category winners each receive an award trophy and significant marketing opportunities including a specially commissioned company video, a prominent profile page on the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards website and entry to the all-island stage of the awards.
The overall winner will walk away with a comprehensive prize package comprising a €50,000 (just under £40,000) publishing bursary with the Belfast Telegraph, expert business mentoring from Enterprise Ireland, a full-service communications workshop and significant media exposure.
You can keep up to date with all of the action form the 2015 awards using #businessachievers on twitter.
More information is available at www.businessachieversaward.com
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