Twenty-one vie for top honours at annual Limerick Chamber awards

BEST CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Optel Group

Optel is the world’s leading provider of traceability systems and the only company with the ability to offer end-to-end traceability solutions, providing true visibility across the entire supply chain, from extraction of raw materials to the consumer. Its Irish base is in Raheen, and it has facilities in Canada, India, USA and Brazil, as well as employees worldwide. Optel has expanded significantly in the past few years to meet growing industry needs and to support its humanitarian values.

SL Controls 

SL Controls was founded in Sligo in May 2002 by managing director Keith Moran and chief technology officer Shane Loughlin. The company has grown rapidly over the past 16 years and has offices in Castletroy, Sligo, Dublin, Galway, Birmingham and Florida. SL Controls has had a presence in the Mid-West since early 2013 and opened new offices in October 2017 at the National Technology Park in Plassey, SL Controls has evolved into an internationally-recognised industry leader in equipment system integration and system support, working with large indigenous and multinational companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, healthcare and food and beverage sectors who require high-level expertise in integration and regulatory compliance. SL Controls employs 97 people nationally, 40 of whom are in its Limerick office.

Cube Printing

Established in 1996, Cube is an indigenous Limerick company, based at the Ballysimon Road, and a leading supplier of design, print and packaging solutions in Ireland. Print procurement is a cumbersome and time-consuming task for purchasing managers and buyers, from finding a suitable, high quality print supplier to managing the artwork, delivery and storage of the printed product. With a motivated team of almost 35 highly skilled people, Cube crafts custom solutions that are responsive to its customers’ graphic design, print and packaging needs, budgets, lead times, storage capabilities, quality requirements and goals.

BEST EMERGING BUSINESS

Electricity Exchange

Electricity Exchange is a virtual power plant, licensed by the Commission for Energy Regulation. The firm aggregates large industrial electricity consumers that have the ability to operate onsite generation and reduce their consumption of power at short notice. The distributed generation and demand reduction capacity is sold to the electricity market and traded in a similar manner to a conventional power station. Founded by Paddy Finn and Duncan O’Toole, Electricity Exchange’s client base includes Keelings, Boston Scientific, Dairygold, UCD, SuperValu, and Pepsi. In August 2016, Bord na Móna acquired 50% of the company as part of a deal that provides access to significant working capital to support the expansion of the company. 

Troy Studios

Troy Studio is a facilitator offering infrastructural space and locations to enable the film and television sector to produce high-end TV and feature films. Since taking a long-term lease at the old Dell plant at Castletroy in 2016 Troy Studios has invested some €6.5m into the building, and in 2019 will build a new fourth sound stage, adding 33,000 square feet of international standard space. When complete it will position Troy as the largest international standard film and TV studio in Ireland with the potential to double the level of inward production and jobs. Five people work permanently in Troy, but recent productions like Nightflyers brought hundreds of staff to the area daily.

Metis Ireland

Metis Ireland is a financial planning firm. It provides a financial road map to put its clients in the best possible position to achieve their life and financial goals. Metis Ireland has a service led model where its income is aligned with the long-term interest of our clients. This approach, they say, enables it to forge long-term relationships with its clients while constantly adhering to its core values.

BEST SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISE

DesignPro Automation

DesignPro is a group of three distinct companies that is a leading provider of precision automation and machine build services to a number of industries such as automotive, medical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, electronics and renewable energy.  

Within the group is DesignPro Automation, DesignPro Renewables and DesignPro Robotics. Based in Rathkeale, the firm works with other companies to reduce cost, improve efficiency and deliver return on investment all within specified time frames and budgets.

Resource Kraft

Based in Henry Street, ResourceKraft specialises in technology-driven, end-to-end, hardware and software solutions designed to assist organisations, to measure and manage their energy usage. Founded in Limerick by Liam Relihan and Frank Casey in 2007, the firm delivers innovative smart energy solutions to over 100 large clients globally.

JJ O’Toole

A long-standing Limerick company, Raheen-based JJ O’Toole is Ireland’s leading supplier of packaging and design solutions with over 2,000 customers throughout Ireland and Britain. Traditionally suppliers of plain packaging materials, the 104-year-old family business, now provides a comprehensive service of high quality graphic design through to packaging production and delivery. Among JJ O’Toole’s clients are Selfridges, Brown Thomas, Dunnes Stores, Newbridge Silverware, Avoca, Adare Manor, Ashford Castle, Harvey Norman, Diesel and Blarney Woolen Mills.

BEST LARGE BUSINESS

Shannon Group

The Shannon Group comprises four entities: Shannon Airport, which offers 31 direct services to  destinations across Europe and North America. Shannon Commercial Properties, meanwhile, is a developer of commercial property, which manages one of the largest portfolios in Ireland, and provides property solutions that enable FDI and indigenous businesses to develop in the Mid-West. The Shannon International Aviation Centre is charged with developing Ireland’s largest aerospace and aviation cluster with more than 60 of the industry’s companies based in the Shannon Free Zone (SFZ). Finally, Shannon Heritage is the largest operator and developer of heritage tourist attractions in Ireland. A semi-state company, Shannon Group operates with a commercial mandate. More than 650 people work for the group.

Fexco

Fexco employs over 2,300 people across its suite of companies headquartered in Killorglin, Co Kerry. Founded in 1981, Fexco now has operations in 29 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, North America and Latin America. Fexco serves some of the world’s biggest brands across multiple industries, predominantly in the payments and foreign exchange sectors.

First Names Group

First Names Group is a leading independent provider of corporate, real estate, trust and fund services with a network of strategically located offices across the globe. In Ireland, the group’s main focus is on providing corporate services for international clients restructuring their business/organisation or expanding into the Irish and European markets across a range of industry sectors – ICT, pharma, biomedical, manufacturing, aircraft leasing, food and beverage and financial services, among others.

BEST RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY

Masterchef

Masterchefs Hospitality is one of Ireland’s leading corporate and events catering companies. Over the past 18 years, it has catered events in most of the country’s prime locations and has a history of catering for some of Ireland’s most prestigious social events along with managing several blue chip contracts. Its portfolio of services ranges from contract catering, event catering, weddings, corporate and outdoor catering.

Absolute Hotel

The Absolute Hotel is a leading four-star hotel in Limerick city. Accommodation comprises 99 bedrooms, eight state-of-the-art meeting rooms, a 24-hour fitness centre for guest use and an 80-seat restaurant, Harry’s on the river, which overlooks the Abbey. Onsite also is the privately-operated Vanilla Browns hair and beauty salon which has six treatment rooms. The Absolute hotel is the number one-ranked hotel on TripAdvisor in Limerick and is in the top ten best hotels in Ireland as voted by TripAdvisor’s traveller choice awards.

Matthew Stephens

Matthew Stephens is a family business which has been in O’Connell Street for over 40 years. It’s a three level luxury jewellers with a dedicated bridal floor as well as a fashion floor. Specialising in selling fine diamonds, Matthew Stephens also sells watches from the premium brands of Omega and Rado down to the fashion brands of Michael Kors and Daniel Wellington.

BEST NOT FOR PROFIT

Novas

Novas is a voluntary organisation and approved housing body working with families and single adults who are disadvantaged and socially excluded, primarily those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

It provides a range of services and accommodation for marginalised households throughout Ireland, offering client-centred services, based on empirical evidence of 16 years’ experience of working with people who are homeless.

The Blue Box

The Blue Box creative learning centre at Roxboro works with schools and families in Limerick city and around, to provide trained professionals to help children through difficult times. Their slogan is “Sometimes when a child is feeling sad or hurt it is good to have a safe place and someone to help you.” A non-profit organisation, Blue Box is driven by innovative arts therapy programmes. Founded in 1997, it is a creative arts psychotherapies project supporting children from marginalised and impoverished backgrounds in Limerick. It’s located in LEDP, Roxboro Road in Limerick.

Rape Crisis Centre

Rape Crisis Midwest, formerly the Limerick Rape Crisis Centre is a regional organisation founded in 1980. From humble beginnings, it began when a small group of dedicated people began to offer rape crisis support in hotel lobbies, and using their cars as counselling rooms. A small grant in the 1980s allowed the movement to get off the ground and rent a premises on Mallow Street. It has moved a number of times during that time, but has now been based at Phoenix House, Punch’s Cross since 2004.

BEST EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION TO THE REGION

Collins Mc Nicholas

Collins McNicholas recruitment and HR services group is an award-winning Irish company which celebrates 28 years in business. Headquartered in Galway, it has a nationwide presence with offices in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Sligo, Athlone and Castletroy - employing nearly 60 full time employees. It was founded by two former HR directors, Colman Collins and Val McNicholas in 1990.

H and MV Engineering

A trusted name in the electric power transmission industry H and MV is a leading specialist in high voltage transmission and distribution systems. Its main expertise is in the design and build of substations up to 400 kV. Working across many sectors – transmission, distribution, renewables, data centres, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals to name a few, H&MV is currently operating in Ireland, Britain, Europe, South Africa and Asia.

Three Ireland

One of Ireland’s leading mobile operators with 35% of market share and over two million customers. The company operates 2G, 3G and 4G networks, with 97% 4G coverage nationwide. 

Three has over 1,400 employees throughout Ireland, including 450 in its award-winning Customer Care Centre in the National Technology Park. Led by Robert Finnegan since 2005, he and the other seven members of the senior management team split their time between Three’s Dublin and Limerick offices.