Bevcraft Ltd wins County Enterprise Award for 2018
Bevcraft Ltd wins County Enterprise Award for 2018
The top prize of €3,000 in the 2018 County Enterprise Awards went to Ciaran Gorman and Darren Fenton of Bevcraft Ltd, T/A Irish Craft Canning, in Mullingar, who now represent Local Enterprise Office Westmeath at the National Enterprise Awards, on May 24.
Bevcraft Ltd is a process and packaging business that serves the growing craft beverage sector, including producers of beer, cider, teas, coffees, health drinks and juices.
A mobile beverage canning service, it is the only Irish company servicing that particular niche, and is one of only six in the EU.
The business employs five full-time and three part-time people.
Overall Winner presentation – the cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, Cllr John Shaw, with winners Darren Fenton and Ciaran O’Gorman of Bevcraft, and Christine Charlton, head of LEO Westmeath.
Other winners at the awards ceremony, held at the Sheraton Hotel in Athlone yesterday, included Conor Cochrane of CJC Marketing Ltd T/a Social Media Elite, Mullingar, who took the runner-up prize of €2,000.
Runner-up presentation – Cllr Shaw with Conor Cochrane, Social Media Elite, and Tracey Tallon, LEO Westmeath.
Celtic Roots Trophies were awarded to the finalists Lisa Byrne, Beautique Beauty, Mullingar, and Geoff Allen and Dermott Condron of Makin Media Mobile, T/a 3Ms, Athlone, who were also finalists at the event.
Finalist presentation – Cllr Shaw with Lisa Byrne, Beautique Beauty Salon, and Bernie Ginnell and Catherine Darby of LEO Westmeath.
National judging is taking place in April and Bevcraft will be competing against 30 other finalists from every local authority area for a share of the €40,000 prize fund.
The Mansion House in Dublin is the venue for awards ceremony in May and categories this year include ‘Best Export Business,’ ‘Best Start Up Business’ and ‘Innovation,’ in addition to eight regional awards.
Speaking during Local Enterprise Week Christine Charlton of Local Enterprise Office Westmeath said: “Bevcraft Ltd has already become a success story and the judges were particularly impressed by their business strategy and their success in domestic and export markets.
“As Local Enterprise Offices celebrate 20 years of the National Enterprise Awards in 2018, Westmeath is proud to be represented by Bevcraft Ltd in a special year.”
Among the guests at the ceremony were the cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, Cllr John Shaw, and members of the judging panel included Allyson English, of VAE Consultancy Ltd, Westmeath, and John Power, business consultant, Westmeath.
The awards were just one of the many highlights of Local Enterprise Week, which ends on March 9.
All over the country, the 31 Local Enterprise Offices are jointly running some 300 events aimed at start-ups, aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses in their areas to mark the week.
Other high-profile events during Local Enterprise Week included a networking event for the Engenuity Engineering Cluster Group in the IMR Centre, Data Protection training, business clinics and a Business to Business Networking event tomorrow Thursday in Annebrook House Hotel, and the Students Enterprise Final in the Golden Island Shopping Centre in Athlone on Friday.