Tomás joins Business Leader elite

CANTILLON BUSINESS LEADER AWARD FOR GARVEY GROUP FOUNDER

THE founder and director of the Garvey Group, Tomás Garvey, has been named as this year’s winner of the Cantillon Conference Business Leader of the Year.

The award was presented to Mr Garvey at a gala dinner at the Ballygarry Hotel in Tralee on Thursday night, which brought this year’s Cantillon Conference to a close.

The annual conference – named in honour of pioneering Ballyheigue born economist Richard Cantillon – saw leading Irish and international business experts gather for a day-long seminar at the Rose Hotel that, this year, focused on the potential impacts of Brexit.

Accepting his award, Tomás Garvey acknowledged the calibre of award recipients who have gone before him, including FEXCO’s Brian McCarthy (2016) and Munster Joinery Founder Donal Ring (2017).

Mr Garvey said he was honoured to receive the accolade but added that the award was recognition of the tremendous efforts and work ethic of everyone at the Garvey Group.

Garvey Group was started in 1965 when Tomas Garvey took over the management of his parents’ shop in Dingle. He developed his retail base in Dingle and soon began expanding throughout Kerry and further afield. Today, the company employs 750 staff and comprises nine Supervalu stores throughout the southwest, as well as two hotels in Dingle.

The Cantillon Conference was organised by IT Tralee in conjunction with Ernst and Young and Fexco.

Over 170 attended the Business Leaders’ Gala Dinner, including the county’s leading enterprises and entrepreneurs, as well as representatives from Kerry County Council, Enterprise Ireland, the IDA, Kerry Local Enterprise Office, North, East and West Kerry Development; South Kerry Partnership Development, Udarás na Gaeltachta and IT Tralee.

All photos by Domnick Walsh Munster Joinery founder Donal Ring presents 2018 Cantillon Business Leader Award of the Year winner Tomás Garvey (right) with a painting of Strand Street, Dingle, where Garvey’s original shop was located.

President of Tralee Chamber Alliance Aidan Kelly and Gerry Gallagher of IT Tralee at the Cantillon Conference 2018 in The Rose Hotel on Thursday

Mayor of Kerry Cllr John Sheahan and his wife Mairead at the Business Leaders Ball at Ballygarry House Hotel on Thursday night

John Leahy, Gearoid Kearney, Miriam O’Sullivan, John Leahy , Derek Kelly and Alan O’Shea at the Cantillon Business Leaders dinner on Thursday.

ITT President Dr Oliver Murphy, broadcaster Brent Pope, Tomás Garvey and Padraig McGillicuddy of the Ballygarry Hotel at the gala.