PORTWEST Announced Exporter of the Year 2018

Established in 1904, Portwest is a family owned business and continues to be managed by the 3rd generation of the Hughes Family out of Westport, Co. Mayo. The company is a manufacturer and distributor of work wear, safety footwear and PPE. Portwest’s 592-page catalogue is available in 26 languages and features 1300+ safety styles making Portwest a ‘one-stop-shop’ for all safety requirements. Portwest have developed ground-breaking product innovation in the last two years such as “Ezee” Zip Portwest, first major zip technology in over a century. The research and IP is all out of Ireland.

Speaking at the Awards Ceremony, Nicola Byrne, President of the Irish Exporters Association said: “Since their inauguration in 2001, The Export Industry Awards have grown to become one of the most prestigious industry awards in Ireland. Tonight we recognised the remarkable achievements of companies working in the export industry, from Small & Emerging exporters to the Multinationals, and from Logistics & Supply Chain companies to Tech, Maritime and export service providers.

Tonight, we recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievement of the 11 category winners and in particular the 2018 Overall Exporter of the Year. Our Independent Judging Panel, chaired by Pat Higgins, Business Development Manager at Queally Group, was particularly impressed with the competitiveness of the applications which clearly demonstrate the international opportunities companies from Ireland are winning.

We are delighted to announce Portwest as the winner of the Overall Exporter of the Year 2018. The judges found that Portwest showed an impressive globally-focused innovation and growth strategy. The judges were particularly impressed by Portwest’s focus on anchoring its global ambitions in its Irish heritage, They displayed an exceptionally customer-focused approach, and are a global ambassador both for the West of Ireland and the quality of the Irish exporting industry.”

The Export Industry Awards 2018 is supported by a number of corporate and industry sponsors.

Platinum Sponsors: KPMG Ireland, Facebook, Trinity College Dublin

Category sponsors: Bord Bia, Cathay Pacific Cargo, Dixon International Logistics, Enterprise Ireland, GS1 Ireland, Irish Maritime Development Office

2018 Export Industry Award Categories & Winners

Exporter of The Year 2018 sponsored by The Irish Exporters Association
Winner: Portwest, Mayo

Medium Size Exporter of the Year Award
Winner: Turmec Engineering, Meath
Shortlisted: Carton Controls Ltd., Waterford; Dansko Foods, Limerick; Sf Engineering, Sligo
Turmec Engineering, Meath

Export Innovation of the Year Award, sponsored by KPMG Ireland
Winner: TransferMate Global Payments, Kilkenny;

Shortlisted: Aalto Bio Reagents, Dublin; Combilift, Monaghan; Diageo Ireland, Dublin; Irish Distillers, Dublin; Irish Dog Foods, Kildare; TransferMate Global Payments, Kilkenny; Ventac, Wicklow

Services Exporter of the Year sponsored by Trinity College Dublin
Winner: WiseTek, Dublin
Shortlisted: Compliance & Risk, Dublin; DE international, Dublin; WiseTek, Dublin; UrbanVolt, Dublin; Ventac, Wicklow

Food & Drink Exporter of the Year, sponsored by Bord Bia
Winner: William Grant & Sons Irish Brands, Monaghan
Shortlisted: ABP Food Group, Louth; Glanbia Foods Ireland, Kildare; Keogh’s Crisps, Dublin; Marine Harvest Ireland, Donegal; Oakpark Foods, Tipperary; Silver Hill Farm, Monaghan; William Grant & Sons Irish Brands, Monaghan

Life Sciences Exporter of the Year, sponsored by Dixon International Logistics
Winner: Silvercloud Health, Dublin
Shortlisted: Aalto Bio Reagents, Dublin; Almac Group, Armagh; Chanelle Pharmaceuticals, Galway; PolyPico Technologies, Galway; Silvercloud Health, Dublin

High Potential Exporter Award, sponsored by Enterprise Ireland
Winner: Nutritics, Dublin
Shortlisted: Arklu – Lottie Dolls, Donegal; Nova Leah, Louth; Nutritics, Dublin; Silvercloud Health, Dublin; Solvotrin Therapeutics, Cork; Sytorus, Dublin

Small & Emerging Exporter of the Year, sponsored by Facebook
Winner: Silvercloud Health, Dublin
Shortlisted: HTE Engineering Services, Meath; Keogh’s Crisps, Dublin; Silvercloud Health, Dublin; Strong Roots, Dublin; Tanorganic, Kildare

Multinational Exporter of the Year, sponsored by GS1 Ireland
Winner: Portwest, Mayo
Shortlisted: ABP Food Group, Louth; Chanelle Pharmaceuticals, Galway; Diageo Ireland, Dublin; Glanbia Foods Ireland, Kildare; Irish Distillers, Dublin; Portwest, Mayo

Maritime Services Company of the Year, sponsored by the Irish Maritime Development Office
Winner: Kontainers, Dublin
Shortlisted: Irish Continental Group – Container and Terminal Division, Dublin; Kontainers, Dublin

Technology Exporter of the Year, sponsored by The Sunday Times
Winner: Cora Systems, Leitrim
Shortlisted: Aalto Bio Reagents, Dublin; Compliance & Risk, Dublin; Cora Systems, Leitrim; Elavon Freight Payments, Dublin; Silvercloud Health, Dublin

Logistics & Supply Chain Company of the Year, sponsored by Cathay Pacific Cargo
Winner: Rhenus Logistics Ltd., Dublin
Shortlisted: DHL Express, Dublin; DHL Global Forwarding, Dublin; Dixon International Logistics, Dublin; Exertis Supply Chain Services Dublin; McArdle Skeath, Louth; Rhenus Logistics Ltd., Dublin; SEKO Logistics, Dublin

2018 Export Industry Awards Independent Judging Panel

Chairperson: Pat Higgins, Head of Business Development, Queally Group
Independent Observer: Liam Lynch, Partner, Financial Services, KPMG

Group A: Services, Export Innovation, Technology

Padraic White, Chairman, Collins McNicholas Recruitment & HR Services [Not available 18th October – long standing commitment]
David Brophy, Partner & Patent Attorney, FR Kelly
Aisling McEvoy, Ph.D. l Head of Enterprise Partnerships, Programmes Directorate, Science Foundation Ireland
Giulio Buciuni, Director of Master in Entrepreneurship, Trinity Business School
Group B: High Potential, Medium Size, Small & Emerging, Food & Drink

Margaret Hearty, Director of Programmes and Business Services, InterTradeIreland
Kieran Comerford, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office
Breege O’Donoghue, Chair, Design & Crafts Council of Ireland
Group C: Logistics, Life Sciences, Multinational, Maritime Services

Howard Knott, Logistics Consultant
Breda O’Toole, Head of Department, Product Development & Transformation, IDA
Mick Curran, CEO, Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Ireland (CILT)