Shortlist announced for the Waterford Business Awards

The shortlist has been announced for the 2021 Waterford Business Awards.

The annual event is organised by Waterford Chamber in association with Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber, Waterford Council and media partners WLR.

The winner will be announced at a gala awards ceremony, which will take place virtually via live stream on Friday, March 4^th. Speaking about the awards, Waterford Chamber President John McSweeney said, “It has been an incredibly difficult year for our business community, so I think we all need some positivity and the Waterford Business Awards are sure to provide just that. They will give us the opportunity to honour those who have excelled against adversity and we look forward to announcing the winners at our live virtual event which will be streamed on the Waterford Chamber Facebook page, YouTube channel and on wlrfm.com.” Commenting on the decision-making process Noel Kelly, Chairperson of the Judging Panel, said,

The challenges for businesses due to Covid-19 have been enormous so it has been incredibly humbling and inspiring to review all the entries and understand how resilient and innovative our business community is. There were some very difficult decisions along the way and we are delighted to have such a strong shortlist coming into the awards in March.

Managing Director of WLR, Des Whelan said he is delighted to be involved with and to promote the Waterford Business Awards in yet another very different and disruptive year. “The Waterford Business Awards is a beacon of positivity and once again the list of nominee companies in every category is of a very high standard. It’s also very encouraging to see so many new businesses come forward each year and there’s no doubt that a vibrant business sector adds considerably to a county and a region’s well-being.”

WLR will broadcast features on all the shortlisted companies on both Déise Today and The Hot Desk in the lead up to the awards on March 4^th and you can listen back to the programmes on podcast via wlrfm.com. The shortlisted businesses were nominated by the public and also through a self-nomination process. An independent judging panel, chaired by Noel Kelly and including David Breen, David M. Breen & Co; Irial Mac Murchu, Nemeton; Lena Murphy, WLR; Deirdre Houlihan, Faithlegg; Jackie Roche, Bausch + Lomb; TV Honan, Spraoi; and Richie Walsh, Waterford Local Enterprise Office, decided upon the finalist shortlist after a rigorous judging analysis of each application. The 11 category winners will then go head-to-head in the hope of claiming the Overall Waterford Business of the Year, sponsored by Waterford City & County Council. A special Entrepreneur of the Year Award, sponsored by Faithlegg, will also be presented to an individual chosen by the judging panel and will only be revealed during the live stream. This years shortlist: Business of the Year(up to 20 employees)