25th August 2023
Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, was in the Sligo Local Enterprise Office (LEO) earlier this week where he met with council officials, members of the LEO team, and some of their client companies.
Minister Richmond said:
“I was delighted to visit the Sligo Local Enterprise Office and meet with the LEO team and LEO clients. Meeting businesses across the country is one of the most rewarding aspects of my role and it is great to meet so many dynamic companies.
It was a pleasure to see firsthand the dedication the LEO Sligo team has to supporting the growth and celebrating the success of their clients. It was great to see such a wide range of businesses, who showcased how much Sligo has to offer.”
The Minister was greeted at the Sligo LEO by Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Gerry Mullaney of Sligo County Council, Chief Executive, Martin Lydon, Director of Services, Dorothy Clarke and LEO Senior Enterprise Development Officer, Liam Kiely.
To start the visit, the Minister enjoyed presentations from Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Gerry Mullaney and CE, Martin Lydon and SEDO Liam Kiely about the work being undertaken currently by the Sligo LEO. The Minister then made an address to those in attendance.
Minister Richmond then had the opportunity to meet the LEO Sligo team members before meeting a selection of LEO Sligo clients. Four LEO clients staged a pop-up exhibit in City Hall to discuss their businesses with the Minister and showcase their products/offerings.
The Minister first spoke with Luke Saunders of Studyclix. Studyclix.ie is a digital product that provides innovative learning and teaching tools based on exam specific content and has a proven track record of increasing student learning outcomes. Studyclix is used by more than 200,000 students and over 30,000 teachers both in Ireland (Studyclix.ie) and in Australia (Studyclix.com.au).
The Minister then met Ossian Geraghty of Ossian Geraghty and Associates Ltd. This LEO client offers bespoke Occupational Hygiene (OH) and Environmental Services to support national and international industry partners including occupational risk assessment, environmental noise monitoring and international project management. The business undertakes specialist measurement work and technical risk assessment of industrial processes and offers advice on control strategies to minimise occupational risk.
Minister Richmond then spoke with Niall McAllister of Quickcrop Ltd. Quickcrop supplies grow-your-own products to the Irish and UK markets including raised beds, bulbs plants and seeds and other garden supplies. Quickcrop is all about making vegetable growing easy and accessible whether you live in the countryside or the city, whether you want to grow a pot of salad leaves or feed your whole family.
To conclude the visit, the Minister was introduced to LEO client Rachel Quinn, of Rachel Quinn Ceramics, which manufactures a range of hand built Ceramic pieces for both the local and export market. Rachel designs a range of hand built Ceramic pieces, which are full of character and originality. The artist designs, creates and fires the work herself.
On the conclusion of his visit, Minister Richmond said:
“The LEO network is hugely important in supporting local businesses and the importance of their work is reinforced in my conversations with the LEO clients. Mentorship, funding, and training can be transformative to businesses across every sector.
I would urge anyone who has started a business, or is considering doing so, to engage with their local LEO. Their wealth of knowledge and support has made a huge difference to countless businesses across Sligo and indeed the country and will continue to do so for any new business or entrepreneur.”
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