Overall ‘Ulster Bank Business Achiever 2014’: Almac

Judges Special Recognition Award: Janet McCollum, Chief Executive Officer, Moy Park

1. Woman Led Business: TVM
2. Best Business Start Up: Smart Wall Paint
3. Small Business Award: FCS Global
4. Best Established SME: Reagecon Diagnostics Ltd
5. Food and Drink: Avondale Foods
6. Social Enterprise: The Food Hub
7. International Business: Realex Payments
8. Agri-business: Paul Brophy Produce

Celebrating their success at the 2014 Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards Final at the Mansion House Dublin were the national winners.
Pictured L – R: Front Row: Helen Arnold of Television Mobiles Ltd., Noel McPartland of The Food Hub, Ellvena Graham, Managing Director of Small Medium Enterprise Banking at Ulster Bank, Doug Cookson of Almac, Derek Geddes of Avondale, John Barron of Reagecon Diagnostics.
Back Row : Jim Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Ulster Bank Group, John Byrne of Smart Wall Paint, Paul Gillen of Realex Payments, Janet McCollum of Moy Park, Mike Rowland of FCS Global, Paul Brophy of Paul Brophy produce, Ross McEwan, Chief Executive Officer, RBS.

Celebrating their success at the national final 2014 Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards in the Mansion House was overall winner Craigavon-based Almac.
Pictured L – R: Doug Cookson, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, Almac Group, Ellvena Graham, Managing Director of Small Medium Enterprise Banking at Ulster Bank and Austin Tanney, Marketing Manager, Almac Group.

Overall ‘Ulster Bank Business Achiever 2014’: Almac Group Ltd.

Headquartered in Craigavon, Almac is an established contract development and manufacturing organisation providing an extensive range of integrated services to over 600 companies globally within the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. Services include state-of-the-art drug discovery, world leading cancer diagnostics, research and development, manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients, formulation development and the support of global clinical trials. Today the global organisation employs over 3,500 staff in a diverse range of activities.

Judges Special Recognition Award: Janet McCollum, CEO, Moy Park

Janet McCollum has worked for Moy Park for over 20 years. She joined Moy Park in 1993 as European Accountant and within 6 years had progressed to the Executive Board as Group Finance Director. Janet assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer on 1st January 2014, with leadership of the Moy Park Europe business which covers the UK, Ireland and Continental Europe. During her time in Moy Park, Janet has seen the business evolve into its current position as a major force within the UK and European food industry. The company offers a range of fresh, high quality and locally farmed poultry and complementary convenience food products to all the leading retail and food service customers in the UK and Europe. As Northern Ireland’s largest private sector company, it employs 12,000 people with 14 main sites in the UK, Ireland France and the Netherlands, accompanying mills and hatcheries and 800 farms in its supply chain.

1. Woman Led Business Award – TVM

TVM is a leading outside broadcasting facilities provider based in Fermoy, Co. Cork. Using the most advanced technology and highly skilled personnel, TVM enables programme makers to consistently deliver top quality programmes. Its main customers are Sky, BBC, TG4, Setanta Ireland, RTÉ, TV3, and various production houses. Established in 1986, the company is led by Helen Arnold and has 50 employees.

2. Best Business Start-up Award – Smart Wall Paint

Smart Wall Paint develops, manufactures and sells a one-coat whiteboard paint which transforms smooth surfaces into write-on wipe-off whiteboard areas. The paint is available in three finishes – white, clear and magnetic, is eco-friendly, and can be applied to wood, metal, glass and other smooth surfaces. A commercial grade paint, the product is manufactured in Ireland and the UK and customers include Google, SAP, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, BT, Vodafone and Virgin, as well as small businesses. Smart Wall Paint was established in 2011 by Ronan Clarke, and is based in Rathgar, Dublin. Employing 15 staff members, the product is now available in 20 countries with 25 distributors, and is also sold online.

3. Small Business Award – FCS Global

FCS Global is an independent communications company that provides communication solutions including voice, data and networking servicers to a wide variety of small, medium and large corporate clients worldwide. Established in 2002 by Mike Rowland, it now has bases across Europe, Africa and the US and services over 3,000 sites in 170 countries. It has partnerships with major global services providers including BT, HP, Orange and Accenture. Headquartered in Roscommon, FCS Global has a total of 70 employees.

4. Best Established SME Award – Reagecon Diagnostics

Reagecon Diagnostics develops, manufactures, and distributes physical and chemical standards and reagents for laboratories worldwide. The company also offers customized manufacturing, training, and technical services. Its customers include organizations that operate laboratories, clean rooms, and processing and production plants in the pharmaceutical, clinical, environmental, life sciences, food technology, and education sectors. The company offers its products through its network of distributors, as well as online, and supplies its products in 150 countries worldwide. Reagecon Diagnostics was founded in 1990 and is based in Shannon, Ireland. The company is the largest producer of calibration standards in the world.

5. Food and Drink- Avondale Foods

Established in 1965, Avondale Foods the family-run company is located just outside Lurgan on Chestnut Farm. Avondale initially grew and sold vegetables before moving focus to research and development and subsequently diversified into vegetable processing. With products supplied under own label and Country Kitchen brands, the company supplies most major supermarkets

6. Social Enterprise Award – The Food Hub

An initiative of Drumshanbo Community Council, The Food Hub is a voluntary community group that converted an old food factory into an enterprise centre for food and drink companies. Designed to address the needs of food group manufacturers and to attract enterprise to their community, the food production facility tailors to entrepreneurs who may not have the initial seed capital to invest in a start-up production facility, and to existing businesses wishing to expand who demand greater cost-effective production capacity as their sales volume increase. Established in 2007, the Food Hub also offers sectoral training programmes for the food sector; from start your own food business programmes to hospitality operations. The Food Hub employs over 40 people across eight tenant companies.

7. International Business Award – Realex Payments

Realex Payments is a European payment service provider which provides a broad range of payment services for over 12,500 clients across 30 countries including Vodafone, Virgin Atlantic, AXA Insurance and Aer Lingus. It processes payments in excess of €28bn per annum. Established in 2000 by Colm Lyon, Realex Payments now employs over 160 staff members. The company is headquartered at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin, with sister offices in London and Paris.

8. Agri-Business Award – Paul Brophy Produce

Paul Brophy Produce is a vegetable producer established 31 years ago in Naas, Co. Kildare, where it is based today. Originally started as an experiment, growing a range of vegetables to supply to local supermarkets, green grocers and restaurants, the business now services the seasonal demand for fresh Irish produce, specializing in the production of broccoli and white and green cabbage. Its main customers today include major multiples and food service companies. Paul Brophy Produce employs 10 full time staff and 60 part-time staff during seasonal peaks.

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