Georgia Queally of Athlone-based Bon Chocalitiers Ltd, with Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council Cllr Liam McDaniel, watched by, on left, Barry Kehoe, interim CEO, Westmeath County Council and on right, Christine Charlton, Westmeath Local Enterprise Office.

Three local firms in Westmeath Enterprise Awards finals

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Three businesses from Athlone and South Westmeath were among the finalists at the Westmeath County Enterprise Awards last week, held in the Sheraton Athlone Hotel.

Maivjo Ltd t/a Tapitag, Bon Chocolatiers Ltd, and DcodeDyslexia Ltd were among the finalists at the event, where Paul O’Reilly and Paul Mahon of Watt Footprint Limited from Mullingar took the top prize of €5,000.

They will also now represent Local Enterprise Office Westmeath at the National Enterprise Awards at the Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin on the May 23.

Watt Footprint 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.

Other winners at the Westmeath Enterprise Awards held at Sheraton Hotel included Peadar Coyle of Zeon Healthcare Ltd from Mullingar, which scooped 2nd place and a prize fund of €1,500.

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. There were over 300 physical events took place across the country, run by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices from March 4-8.

Speaking at the Westmeath Enterprise Awards ceremony during Local Enterprise Week Christine Charlton, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Westmeath said: “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.”

The nine local businesses shortlisted were: CJC Marketing T/A Social Media Elite; Valoy Automation; Declan Murray T/A Skyfab; Klaas Kickz Ltd; DcodeDyslexia Ltd; Maivjo Ltd T/A Tapitag; Bon Chocolatiers Ltd, Zeon Healthcare Ltd and Watt Footprint.

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 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.

Other high-profile events that took place during the week included the International Women in Business Day Regional Event in conjunction with the LEOs in Longford & Leitrim on March 8 in the Mullingar Park Hotel and the Student Enterprise Awards County Final on March 6 in the Golden Island Shopping Centre Athlone

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