Kildare Agri-business Wins National Enterprise Award For 2018
Terra Liquid Minerals in Kildare, an agri-business set up by two brothers in 2012, has won the overall title at the 2018 National Enterprise Awards in a competition organised by the Local Enterprise Offices. Backed by Local Enterprise Office Kildare, Tom (pictured right) and Padraig Hennessy (pictured left) have developed an automated mineral dosing system for farmers, which provides over 50,000 dairy cows with liquid minerals through their drinking water. The Athy business employs ten people and announced a €2 million expansion programme late last year.
The announcement was made in the Mansion House by the Minister for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen TD. The Minister also presented awards to ‘Get The Shifts Ltd’ for Best Start-Up (supported by LEO Clare); ‘Burren Precast Concrete’ for Best Export (supported by LEO Carlow); and ‘Cyc-lok Ltd’ for Innovation (supported by LEO Laois).
Minister Breen said: “The National Enterprise Awards are a fitting way to recognise the contribution of Ireland’s most innovative, strategic and adaptive businesses, and to put their success stories into the national spotlight as an example to others. I would like to congratulate all the micro-enterprises and small businesses that are being celebrated here tonight. This year’s winners, like all those in previous years, represent the backbone of Ireland’s enterprise success and contribute hugely to the economic vibrancy of their respective regions. All this year’s finalists and winners have been supported by my Department through the Local Enterprise Office network. I would like to pay tribute to the hard work and vision of the network, and would encourage those with business ideas to get in touch with their local office for expert guidance and advice.”
Sheelagh Daly, Chair of the Network of Local Enterprise Offices, said: “The National Enterprise Awards are an annual celebration of the achievements of Ireland’s small businesses. Terra Liquid Minerals are very deserving winners this year because of how they have helped farmers to improve animal health through drinking water by providing an innovative Agri Tech solution. The automated controller that they developed here in Ireland, thanks to financial assistance from their Local Enterprise Office, has global appeal for farming communities around the world.”
The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities celebrated ‘20 Years of Winners’ at this year’s National Enterprise Awards, which was originally set up in 1998 to celebrate the achievements of Ireland’s micro-enterprises and small businesses.
According to a survey by the Local Enterprise Offices, previous winners of the National Enterprise Awards now employ 832 people and generate €131 million in sales annually, including €58 million worth of export sales to 52 countries. 11 former winners, such as Irish Yogurts, Obelisk and DigiWeb, scaled-up their businesses since winning a National Enterprise Award to become Enterprise Ireland clients.
Full details are available at www.localenterprise.ie, and funding for the Local Enterprise Offices is provided by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland.
National Enterprise Awards 2018 – WINNERS
The 2018 National Enterprise Awards took place May 24th in the Mansion House in Dublin, and are organised by the Local Enterprise Offices every year.
Overall Winner National Enterprise Awards 2018 (Cash Prize for business: €10,000)
Terra Liquid Minerals, backed by Local Enterprise Office Kildare www.tlm.ie – smart liquid mineral injection system provider
Best Start Up Business (Cash Prize for business: €5,000)
Get the Shifts Ltd, backed by Local Enterprise Office Clare www.gettheshifts.com – skilled, temporary hospitality staff
Best Export Business (Cash Prize for business: €5,000)
Burren Precast Concrete, backed by Local Enterprise Office Carlow www.carlowconcrete.com – attenuation and flood alleviation tanks manufacturer
Innovation Award (Cash Prize for business: €5,000)
Cyc-lok Ltd, backed by Local Enterprise Office Laois www.cyc-lok.ie – suppliers of access-controlled bike parking lockers
Regional Awards: (Cash Prize for business: €2,000 each)
DUBLIN: Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin
WeBringg, backed by Local Enterprise Office Fingal www.webringg.com – 90-minute online sales delivery service
SOUTH WEST: Clare, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary
Horizon Offsite Ltd, backed by Local Enterprise Office Tipperary www.horizonos.ie – light-gauge steel building system manufacturer
MID-EAST: Kildare, Laois, Offaly and Westmeath
Irish Craft Canning, backed by Local Enterprise Office Westmeath www.craftcanning.ie – Irish craft beverage process and packaging services
SOUTH: Cork City, Cork North & West, South Cork and Waterford
Blackwater Distillery, backed by Local Enterprise Office Waterford www.blackwaterdistillery.ie – Irish distillery famous for gin
SOUTH EAST: Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow
Asistec, backed by Local Enterprise Office Wicklow www.asistec.ie – solutions for cell storage and growth
NORTH WEST: Donegal, Leitrim, Longford and Sligo
Niche Specialist Staffing Partners, backed by Local Enterprise Donegal www.nichessp.com – international recruitment firm for construction estimators
NORTH EAST: Cavan, Louth, Meath and Monaghan
Avail, backed by Local Enterprise Office Cavan www.availsupport.ie – mobile healthcare solution for those with learning difficulties
WEST: Galway, Mayo and Roscommon
Joint-It, backed by Local Enterprise Office Galway www.jointit.com – ready-mixed jointing compound manufacturer.
