Time to celebrate a fantastic mix of enterprises
“Each year I am amazed at the calibre of busin esses on show, which is eviden t in the hard work, in gen uity an d in n ovation of “local en trepren eurs an d their staff
THE IRD Duhallow Business Awards celebrates the fantastic mixture of businesses we have here in this region, representing broad a cross- section of economic life.
Such enterprises are the backbone of our villages and towns, for not only do they contribute to the social and economic fabric of communities, they also help create jobs and sustain the local economy through various business initiatives.
I mentioned at the outset of the awards back in 2013 that I felt they would provide an opportunity for businesses to increase their profile outside of their traditional support base. Very often a local business is confined to the service it provides, but IRD Duhallow Business Awards has shown that local businesses have become better known as a result of having our readership discover what it is they do, and the services they provide.
The family of Ned English and the crew at Castlecor Potatoes were worthy overall winners of last year’s event. Moreover, the individual category winners also demonstrated an exciting cross-section of products and services from the IRD Duhallow catchment.
Innovation and creativity is never in short supply when assessing the range of applications received and it’s astounding to see the list of businesses out there and how each plays an important part in the day-to-day running of communities.
Finally, our awards are nothing without the entries we receive and I would like to thank each and every business for sharing their story with us. Businesses face constant challenges and their ability to evolve and withstand adversity is truly amazing.
The Businesses that have been nominated and shortlisted for awards in their respective categories are the engines of the local economic. It is encouraging to see their determination and drive being recognised. Businesses in each of the categorised sectors are maintaining and developing their productivity despite the challenges they face.
The IRD Duhallow Awards emphasise the results that can be yielded from an original idea, as well as the effectiveness of a strong team in developing ideas, and bringing business concepts to fruition.
Small businesses are a central part of the economy and their ability to succeed and grow underpins our future potential for jobs, growth and prosperity. It is important therefore, that we continue to focus on the positive results that they have yielded at local level. Each and every business that has received a nomination is a success story; that serves only to confirm that entrepreneurial spirit continues to flourish.
So, I congratulate our shortlisted entries and look forward to meeting them on awards night.