DBEA Sponsors & Winners 2011/2012
On Saturday last the Drogheda & District Chamber held their 7th annual Business Excellence Awards in the CityNorth Hotel. With over 300 local business people and dignitaries in attendance it was a fantastic night of celebrating new and long standing businesses in the Drogheda & District area. “We are all delighted with the turnout this year. This year saw another huge turnout to the awards, which is fantastic and signifies the importance of the Awards as the principal event in the calendar for all Companies and Businesses in the locale, allowing them an opportunity to come together and celebrate their successes”.
This year veteran broadcaster Marty Whelan was the MC for the awards and entertained the crowd in his own unique way, bringing warmth and humour to the presentations.
Winners on the night were:
Best Start Up Award – Sponsored by Louth County Enterprise Board
Aruna Sauces
Sarajit Chanda makes Aruna Sauces in Fuchsia House Restaurant, Ardee. Chanda uses his mother Aruna’s recipes to create authentic curries. In 2010 Aruna won the Blas na hEireann Awards and in 2011 the Louth County Enterprise Awards. The range has 4 varieties and is for sale in 50 outlets nationwide.
Best Established Award – Sponsored by AIB
Sheelin Office Group
The Sheelin Office Group is Ireland's leading commercial fit out company. An Irish-owned
family run company that began from humble beginnings in 1976, supplying high quality office furniture to the contract & trade market from its location in Drogheda. Since then they have grown and expanded into new markets at home & abroad, diversifying into new sectors such as education, healthcare, hospitality, technology and more recently furniture design using local companies to produce their designs and acoustic management.
Best Retailer Award – Sponsored by Drogheda Borough Council
Cake Couture
Cake Couture was established to cater to the growing trend in Sugar craft as a hobby and small business. Proprietor Aoife Collins realised that cake decorators were poorly catered for in the Northeast, and as a result most decorators had to either buy in from abroad or travel down the country for supplies. Furthermore, there was no quality Sugar craft classes/support available locally.
Best Green Business/Environmental Excellence Award – Sponsored by Irish Cement
Sunhill Nursing Home
Sunhill Nursing home was developed by Vincent and Jill McDonald on a green field site in Termonfeckin village in 2005. It has a capacity of 66 bedrooms with planning permission in place to add further bedrooms. Sunhill Nursing Home has grown over the last few years to be a vibrant and busy place for older people where the emphasis is very much on providing a warm, caring and fun environment for people to live in. Sunhill Nursing Home was developed based on a strong need for further long term care resources in the Drogheda area. It currently operates on full capacity with demand for services growing and growing.
Manufacturer/Exporter of the Year Award – Sponsored by Indaver
M&L Manufacturing Ltd
The company operates as a Switchgear Supplier to the Construction Industry. Formed in 1974, by Drogheda man, Jimmy Mulroy, they returned to Drogheda in 2001 with a large client base and a reputation for engineering quality. Today they deal directly with multinational organizations such as Intel and Amazon.
Best E Business Award – Sponsored by Vhi Healthcare
Flashe Forward Communications
FlasheForward Communications elevates the effectiveness of clients’ communications systems through social media - both internally among staff and externally with customers - to increase profitability. Managing Director Fiona Ashe has a 17-year track record in the communications industry: spanning PR, online marketing, broadcasting, video production and - most recently - social computing.
Successful Sales & Marketing Award – Sponsored by Anglo Printers
The Bagel Bar
The Bagel Bar Coffee House Drogheda is owned by Alan Delany and run in conjunction with his dedicated team. Alan is a franchisee with the Bagel Bar Franchise Group. They opened the first shop in Balbriggan in 2006, the second in Drogheda in 2007 and third in Dundalk in 2008. The Bagel Bar operate in the coffee shop sector, offering a wide range of healthy options including freshly prepared bagels, paninis, toasties, homemade soups and hand cut sandwiches as well as gourmet coffees and freshly baked scones, pastries and luxurious cakes.
Best Eating Establishment – Sponsored by Tipperary Natural Mineral Water
Relish Foodhall & Café
Denise Walsh already owned a successful café in Bettystown, when she took the biggest financial risk of her life and opened up her new venture in the Southgate Centre. All stock is sourced from smaller Irish producers, attempting to acquire it as locally as possible. “We present it in our own original ways and are aware of trends and fashions. Our menus continue to be family friendly and affordable. The freshest products, their history and source always displayed. We will never refuse a request for a certain item and do our upmost to acquire it, “says proprietor Denise Walsh.
Health/Hair & Beauty – Sponsored by The Colomer Group
The Secret Hair Salon
The Secret is named after the book 'The Secret'. “It’s about positive energy and attitudes and the law of attraction”, says proprietor Elaine Finnegan. “It has inspired The Secret Hair Salon greatly and I wanted to open a salon that not only made people look good but also made them feel good. The profile of our target customers is of both genders, of all ages. We also cater for a lot of businessmen and women, with our late nights and high quality service”.
Community Contribution Award – Sponsored by Coca-Cola International Services
SOSAD Ireland
SOSAD works throughout the North East to provide a range of professional help and support, comfort and care services to anyone affected by suicide or depression. This community based charity was established because of the huge lack of resources available for those affected and exists to save lives.
Drogheda Rotary Club Choice Award – Sponsored by IFS
Hanley Energy Ltd
Hanley Energy a new business in the area of renewable and sustainable technologies,
Energy Monitoring technology’s, American Power Company data centre business and Renewable energies. All of the aforementioned areas offer significant opportunity for Hanley Energy to assist companies in the transition to more sustainable business in the 21st century.
Local Hero Award – Sponsored by RTE/Animo
Caoimhe Mulroy – Once Upon A Design
Caoimhe Mulroy has shown through her example and leadership an extraordinary commitment to the town of Drogheda and its people. She has immersed herself in the belief that you can through actions in your local economy create and sustain Irish jobs.
She is an employer, she is an Entrepreneur, she is a wonderfully creative and imaginative person who is gifted, honest, hard working and professional in her delivery of service to her many satisfied customers. She has worked closely with the Local Heroes Tourism Team, the Retail Team, the 3E Team and indeed as part of the Local Heroes Regeneration Team. She has inspired many around her to commit their own resources in the belief that as a group of people they can improve the fortunes of Drogheda Inc.
She worked exclusively with Noel Toolan to develop the Tourism Brand – Drogheda on the Boyne, and she worked collectively with a team of local graphic designers, writers and photographers to deliver the unique Drogheda Visitor Guide.
She has broadcast the spirit of ‘Local Heroes’ through her innovative and punchy graphic design work and presented Drogheda on the Boyne to the world, in a professional, colourful and impactual fashion.
Lifetime Achievement Award – Sponsored by Bord Gáis
Eugene Kierans
Click here to read more on this year's lifetime award winner
Click here to view pictures of this years winners...
