Four businesses from Athlone and its immediate hinterland were proudly represented at the Westmeath County Enterprise Awards which took place in the Sheraton Athlone Hotel.
Bon Chocolatiers Ltd, DcodeDyslexia Ltd, Maivjo Ltd t/a Tapitag and Klaas Kickz Ltd, were participating finalists at the annual occasion, during which Paul O’Reilly and Paul Mahon of Watt Footprint Ltd from Mullingar achieved the main prize of €5,000.
Watt Footprint will now represent Local Enterprise Office Westmeath at the National Enterprise Awards to take place in the Round Room at the Mansion House Dublin on the May 23.
Watt Footprint Ltd offers a one-stop shop approach to delivering energy savings. From initial energy audit and delivery of upgrades to the measurement and verification of the savings. Watt Footprint has an in-house team of energy specialists including, energy engineers, energy auditors, metering specialists, software/technology experts and project managers.
Watt Footprint Ltd will now be competing against 30 other finalists from every local authority area for a share of the €35,000 winner’s prize fund as national judging gets underway in May.
Categories this year include ‘Best Export Business,’ ‘Best Start-Up’ and ‘Innovation,’ along with 'One to Watch' and a 'Sustainability/Green' award in addition to eight regional awards.
The Westmeath County Enterprise Awards took place as part of a very successful Local Enterprise Week programme of events. More than 300 physical events took place across the country, run by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices from March 4 to 8.
Speaking at the Westmeath Enterprise Awards Ceremony during Local Enterprise Week Christine Charlton, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Westmeath noted that enterprise should be celebrated on an ongoing basis.
“It is not one week in the year we should be celebrating enterprise. In my position, I get to meet many entrepreneurs and small business every week that I admire. Running a business is not easy. Micro businesses and entrepreneurs represented here today provide valuable employment and their contribution to the economy needs to be highlighted, celebrated and rewarded every day but today is an opportunity for the Local Enterprise Office Westmeath to congratulate Entrepreneurs in the County and to recognise their hard work to make their business a success and acknowledge the contribution they are making to the economy," Ms Charlton said.
Among the special guests at the ceremony were An Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, Cllr Liam McDaniel and Interim Chief Executive of Westmeath County Council, Mr Barry Kehoe. Members of the judging panel included Catherine Kane, Senior Enterprise Development Officer in Local Enterprise Office Longford, and Gordon Naughton of Tactive Commercial Advice Ltd.
Local Enterprise Week is organised every year by the Local Enterprise Offices and supported by Enterprise Ireland, local authorities and the Government of Ireland with over 300 events taking place nationwide this year.
