23rd June 2016
€645,000 worth of sales generated by small businesses at Local Enterprise Village last year
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Ms. Mary Mitchell O’ Connor T.D. has unveiled plans for the ‘Local Enterprise Village’, which will be home to 84 small businesses from around the country for the three days of the National Ploughing Championships.
Managed and funded by the Local Enterprise Offices, the Local Enterprise Village opens its doors from September 20th to 22nd at Screggan in Tullamore, offering Irish start-ups and small businesses a launch-pad for new products and services, giving them the chance to impress the 280,000 visitors expected at European’s largest outdoor event.
Last year, small businesses inside the Local Enterprise Village generated sales and orders worth nearly €645,000* to the Irish economy, according to figures from the Local Enterprise Offices. Among the 84 companies, the food and drink sector is well-represented this year, alongside fashion, toys, giftware, craft and agri-services.
The plans for the 2016 Local Enterprise Village include a new product launch and demonstration area, where small businesses and start-ups can invite visitors to preview and sample new Irish brands. A new award scheme, the Local Enterprise Village Awards, is also being introduced for the first time, to highlight ‘up-and-coming’ brands and companies.
The Minister unveiled the plans at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in Dublin with Kieran Comerford of the Local Enterprise Offices, PJ Lynam of the National Ploughing Association, Paul Reid, Chair of the Local Government Economic, Enterprise and Tourism Committee, Mark Christal of Enterprise Ireland and six of the small businesses that will be re-locating to the Local Enterprise Village in September.
Announcing the plans for the Local Enterprise Village, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mitchell O’ Connor said: "The National Ploughing Championships is a wonderful event which attracted 281,000 visitors last year and it continues to grow in scale and importance, especially for small businesses looking to launch new products and services to a mass audience. The Local Enterprise Village is another important initiative from the Local Enterprise Offices in partnership with local authorities, as it enables small businesses to grow sales and expand, creating more jobs across every county. Creating jobs across the country is a key priority for me as only a strong economy supporting people at work can pay for the services needed to create a fair society.”
Kieran Comerford of Local Enterprise Offices said that the Local Enterprise Village is fast becoming a “must visit” destination. He said: “By having the right mix of appealing products and services in place with a series of high-profile product launches over the three days, we will be encouraging as many visitors as possible through the doors of the Local Enterprise Village, to support Ireland’s small business community. With fashion, food, craft, homeware and gifts from all over the country under the one roof, we’re expecting record crowds this year.”
The National Ploughing Association Chairman, PJ Lynam, said: “There is no doubt that the entrepreneurial spark is alive and well in Ireland with an unprecedented number of diverse and exciting businesses, exhibiting at the “Local Enterprise Village”, at this year’s Ploughing Championships. This is a unique opportunity for these small businesses, with 281,000 visitors in attendance last year, to showcase their products to the large number of visitors that Ploughing attracts.”
The entrepreneurs that met with Minister Mitchell O’ Connor at this week’s announcement included the founders behind ‘Toby Wagons’ in Wicklow, ‘Celtic Gent’ in Fingal, ‘De Mad Food Company’ in Offaly, ‘Melanie Hand Design Jewellery’ in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, ‘Tumbledown Media’ in Carlow and ‘Scotts Irish Cider’ in Cavan.
More details around the Local Enterprise Village are available through www.localenterprise and by searching #localenterprise on social media. The 85th Annual National Ploughing Championships runs from September 20th to 22nd 2016 at Screggan in Tullamore in County Offaly with tickets on sale from August through www.npa.ie.
ENDS
For all media information, please contact Engage Ireland Sarah Bohan at: Tel: 01 427 8388 / 087 65 39936 / office @ engageireland.com
Notes to Editor:
*Source: Local Enterprise Offices' research, 2015
Research conducted by the Local Enterprise Offices in 2015, shows that collectively, the small businesses within the Local Enterprise Village generated sales and orders worth €645,000 as a direct result of their participation in the National Ploughing Championships in September 2015.
Photography Note: High resolution photography is available from this announcement, reproduction-free, through Photocall Ireland.
List of all small businesses taking part in Local Enterprise Village 2016 (September 20th – 22nd)
Carlow: Tumbledown Media www.freddybuttons.com
Carlow: IAS Laboratories www.iaslabs.ie
Cavan: Scotts Irish Cider www.scottsirishcider.com
Cavan: Stop & Stare Designs Co www.stopandstare.com
Clare: Fun Affordable Gifts www.funaffordablegifts.com
Clare: Western Herd Brewing Co www.westernherd.com
Cork City: Rebel Chilli www.rebelchilli.com
Cork City: Elbow Lane Brew House www.elbowlane.ie
Cork North and West: Ocean Bloom www.oceanbloom.ie
Cork North and West: Chart Datum www.chartdatum.ie
Cork South: Barbara Hall Creations www.barbarahallcreations.ie
Cork South: Lifekitchen.ie www.lifekitchen.ie
Donegal: North Atlantic Seaweed Products www.salviesea.ie
Donegal: Lanky Yanky Studio
Dublin City: Delish Melish www.delishmelish.com
Fingal: Periwinkle Design
Fingal: Giftcentre www.giftcentre.ie
Fingal: 65 Hurls www.65hurls.com
Fingal: Celtic Gent www.celticgent.com
Dublin South: Greenvalu www.greenvalu.ie
Dublin South: Access Education Ltd
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown: Dalkey Handmade Soaps www.dalkeyhandmadesoaps.ie
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown: Melanie Hand Designer Jewellery www.melaniehand.com
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown: The Irish Workshop/ TIW Ltd www.theirishworkshop.com
Galway: Local Galway
Galway: Collerans Butchers
Galway: Connemara Kettle Corn www.connemarakattlecorn
Galway: The Galway Food Company www.thegalwayfoodcompany.com
Galway: Green Earth Organics
Galway: Sabanero Artisan Cheese www.sabanerocheese.com
Kerry: Kerry Signature Furniture www.kerrysignaturefurniture.ie
Kerry: Taste Kerry www.tastekerry.ie
Kerry: O'Donnell`s Bakery www.tastekerry.ie
Kerry: Skellig Pantry (Smoked Trout) www.tastekerry.ie
Kerry: Lorge Chocolatier www.tastekerry.ie
Kerry: Rolf's Fine Food www.tastekerry.ie
Kerry: Camo`s Bistro www.tastekerry.ie
Kerry: Oilean Chocolates (Chocolate Pops) www.tastekerry.ie
Kerry: Killarney Toffee www.tastekerry.ie
Kerry: Ring of Kerry Apple Farm (Apple Juice) www.tastekerry.ie
Kildare: HACI Ltd, Hose & Coupling Ireland www.hcirl.com
Kildare: Nadicom www.geneticdetection.ie
Kilkenny: #tastekilkenny Stand
Kilkenny: Mooncoin Homegrown Beetroot www.tastekilkenny.ie
Kilkenny: Bernie's Farmhouse Desserts www.tastekilkenny.ie
Kilkenny: Goatsbridge Trout Farm www.tastekilkenny.ie
Kilkenny: Highbank Orchards www.tastekilkenny.ie
Kilkenny: Kilkenny Rosé Veal www.tastekilkenny.ie
Kilkenny: Shellumsrath Free Range www.tastekilkenny.ie
Laois: Flavour Sarfai
Laois: Rose & Alice Handcrafted Soaps www.roseandalice.com
Leitrim: Chef Sham Sauces www.cottagerestaurant.ie
Leitrim: Artwood www.artwood.ie
Limerick: McAdare www.mcadare.ie
Limerick: Lubdub Foods www.lubdubfoods.com
Longford: Kaber Performance www.kaberperformance.com
Longford: Go Oats
Louth: Duinn Designs www.duinndesigns.com
Louth: Finca Skin Organics www.rosacea.ie
Mayo: Cuinneog Artisan Dairy www.cuinneog.com
Mayo: Monaghan Bros Bar Furniture Manufacturers www.barfurniture.net
Meath: E. Finnegan & Sons www.finnegansfarm.ie
Meath: Cara Mara Seaweed www.caramara.ie
Monaghan: Pollock's Pickles & Preserves www.pollockspickles.com
Monaghan: Shanks Engineering Ltd - Farmhitch www.farmhitch.com
Offaly: De Mad Food Company www.demadfoodco.com
Offaly: Deanery Furniture www.deaneryfurniture.com
Roscommon: Projects 5 creations www.beltlock.ie
Roscommon: Derrycashel Crafts www.woodenclocksroscommon.ie
Sligo: Clo's Chocolates www.closchocolates.ie
Sligo: SUIP Manufacturing www.suipco.ie
Tipperary: Emerald Oils www.emeraldoils.ie
Tipperary: Tactile Text
Tipperary: Premium Fire Products
Waterford: Embermats www.embermats.com
Waterford: The Tipperary Kitchen
Waterford: Coffee House Lane www.coffeewarehouse.ie
Westmeath: DBee Press
Westmeath: SoulSnacks www.soulsnacks.ie
Wexford: Wexford Food Family www.wexfordfoodfamily.com
Wexford: Naturally Cordial www.wexfordfoodfamily.com
Wexford: Wexford Home Preserves www.wexfordfoodfamily.com
Wexford: O’ Neills Dry Cure Bacon www.wexfordfoodfamily.com
Wicklow: Pacefeeder www.pacefeeder.ie
Wicklow: Toby Wagons www.tobywagons.com
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