‘The story of Kerry business is one of urban and rural success...’

IT gives me great pleasure to once again look forward to The Kerryman Business Awards 2019. This is our fourth year of the awards and to say it’s been an enjoyable experience is an understatement.

When I first developed the idea of honouring Kerry’s business community back in 2016, I was confident that we were on the cusp of achieving something really meaningful. Fast forward to 2019 and I’m absolutely delighted to say that my expectations have been surpassed.

Once again this year the number of submissions received is of a high number - not only is this encouraging from a business point of view, but also in terms of the story that each submission has to tell. When viewed in totality, the submissions capture the unique story of people’s passion for what they do, the great staff that support businesses, and the huge level of innovation and personal commitment involved.

Starting a business is about incremental success as it evolves from the idea stage to the practical everyday challenges. This is something we very much want to reflect and to honour through our annual awards evening at the Ballygarry House Hotel & Spa. Year on year this event has built on its success and is now an occasion that is very much part of the calendar year of events for Kerry’s business community.

The Kerryman is proud to have created such a diverse range of award categories. The aim here is to capture as many businesses as possible in the county. The story of Kerry business is one of urban and rural success. Many businesses have an overt, everyday presence in the community, while others operate behind the scenes, hence the reason for our diverse category range. In short, we want to recognise as many business models in Kerry as possible.

I also wish to congratulate the businesses that have been shortlisted in their respective categories. I assure you this is never an easy task for the independent judging body. To all the businesses that have come on board as sponsors of our categories in 2019, I extend my thanks and gratitude. We’re delighted to have such successful organisations in Kerry associated with our awards.

Lastly, I hope that you will join us on Friday, November 1. Aside from the evening’s formalities, it’s an opportunity for Kerry’s business community to take a well-deserved evening off and enjoy their success in the company of business people from around the county.