Riverside Furniture scoops the top prize at the 2009 Offaly County Enterprise Awards!
Portarlington-based company Riverside Furniture Ltd has been chosen as the overall winner of the 2009 Offaly County Enterprise Awards. The annual Awards ceremony formed part of an evening of Ideas and Inspiration organised by Offaly County Enterprise Board. Over 80 gathered in the Tullamore Court Hotel on Monday night last to attend the evening which comprised a keynote address by Padraic O'Maille of O'Maille Group, an address by the Taoiseach Brian Cowen to launch a new DVD entitled Conversations with Doers and the presentation of the 2009 County Enterprise Awards. Padraic O'Maille, a business consultant and trainer, has worked with Offaly County Enterprise Board to design and develop a unique management training programme called Innovate - Or Stagnate. The pilot programme took place over six months and was hugely successful. A second programme is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 6. For further information on this, see the Offaly County Enterprise Board website www.offalyceb.ie. An Taoiseach Brian Cowen then addressed the business owners present and congratulated the seven finalist companies for reaching this stage in the competition, and indeed all businesses who provide jobs locally. He reiterated the importance of small and medium sized businesses to the national economy and encouraged businesses to seek and avail of the supports available through Offaly County Enterprise Board and other agencies. The Taoiseach acknowledged the contribution of the Board of Directors for their voluntary contribution to SME support in the County. The Taoiseach then formally launched the DVD "Conversations with Doers" a management training initiative developed by Offaly County Enterprise Board and O' Maille Group. The DVD features interviews with six leading Irish business people and gives a unique insight into the characteristics and qualities necessary to develop successful companies. Copies of the DVD are available to purchase for €10, with €1 of each sale to be donated to charity. The 2009 Annual Offaly County Enterprise Awards were then announced by Orla Martin, Assistant CEO. She explained that a very different format was used this year -seven businesses were shortlisted and each of the seven finalists met with and were interviewed by the adjudicators. The businesses were judged under a number of category headings and these were: Business Plan, Marketing Strength, Financial Strength, Use of Technology & Innovation, and Entrepreneurial Skills of Promoter. The category winners each won an engraved glass trophy and a cheque for €750. The overall winner was presented with an engraved glass trophy, a perpetual trophy and a cheque for €2,000. The prize fund awarded on the night amounted to €6,500. New Business Award Category Winner: Tomas Donoghue of EMSS Ltd. Artisan Food Award Category Winner: Orla Clancy T/a Clanwood Farm Business Management Award Category Winner: Anne Fahey, Enviroco Management Ltd Creative Industries Award Category Winner: Gary Hoctor, T/A Hello Camera Internationally Traded Services Award Category Winner: Caroline Lane, Equipeople Ltd. Innovation Award Category Winner: Martin Kearney, Kearney Fabrication Ltd. Overall Winner Riverside Furniture Ltd