WATT FOOTPRINT WINS TOP COUNTY ENTERPRISE AWARD

ANNOUNCEMENT MADE DURING LOCAL ENTERPRISE WEEK

A business from Mullingar is this year’s winner of the Westmeath Enterprise Award for 2023, Local Enterprise Office Westmeath has announced.

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Watt Footprint wins top county enterprise award. Paul O’Reilly, Watt Footprint Ltd will now represent LEO Westmeath at the 23rd National Enterprise Awards at the Mansion House in Dublin on 1 June. pic.twitter.com/TSFA9XORTm

— Westmeath County Council (@westmeathcoco) March 13, 2023

Paul O’Reilly, Watt Footprint Limited from Mullingar took the top prize of €5,000 and will now represent Local Enterprise Office Westmeath at the 23^rd National Enterprise Awards at the Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin on the 1^st June.

Watt Footprint offer 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 have 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 Mullingar Park Hotel included ECN Technologies Ltd from Mullingar, which scooped 2^nd place and a prize fund of €1,500, and Lir Steelworks from Fore, Castlepollard that went home with 3^rd prize of €1,000.

ECN Technologies were formed by Brian McGinley to provide advanced Engineering Solutions and Integration Services to the Industrial Automation Sector. Lir Steelworks Ltd, provide engineering fabrication works including the manufacture of wrought iron gates and railings, with a wide range of steel fencing, CNC plasma cutting service and a mobile welding service.

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. 

Companies from Westmeath have enjoyed success in the National Enterprise Awards in the past. In 2020, Bevcraft Limited from Mullingar clinched the top prize of Overall Winner at the National Finals.

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 6^th to 10^th.

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

Eight other local businesses were also shortlisted this year, including:

• 4E Virtual Design Limited, Athlone
• A Slice of life Limited, Athlone
• ECN Technologies Limited, Mullingar
• Instazap Limited, Mullingar
• Klaas Kickz Ltd, Mullingar
• Magico Foods, Athlone
• PARK Life Pet Limited, Athlone
• Sugar Plum Sweetery Limited, Mullingar

Among the special guests at the ceremony were An Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council Cllr. Aengus O’Rourke and Chief Executive of Westmeath County Council Pat Gallagher. Members of the judging panel included Catherine Kane, Business Advisor in Local Enterprise Office Longford, and Gordon Naughton of Tactive Commercial Advice.

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^th in the Mullingar Park Hotel and the Student’s Enterprise Awards County Final on 9^th March in the Golden Island Shopping Centre Athlone

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.   

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Content Last Updated/Reviewed: 13/03/2023