Ennis Chamber gets behind excellence in business

ENNIS Chamber is running an awards scheme to showcase the best of what businesses have to offer in County Clare.

The inaugural FBD Clare Business Excellence Awards was launched earlier this week and is the first in a series of annual events that recognise examples of business excellence in the county and pay tribute to the talent, dynamism and innovation to be found across the county.
“Clare represents an excellent location for business, in terms of access to regional and international markets, availability of a highly-skilled labour force and superb lifestyle opportunities for employees. Many businesses have already recognised this. We encourage others to follow their lead,” Guy Flouch, president of Ennis Chamber said.
The business excellence awards provide an important opportunity for the local business community to come together and celebrate their successes and to promote themselves by entering one or more of the award categories.
There are nine award categories: excellence in industry and manufacturing; retailer of the year; professional services excellence award; innovation in business award; customer service excellence award; best place to eat in Clare award; best place to work in Clare award; best use of information communications technology; best tourism initiative in Clare award.
The awards are sponsored by FBD, Ulster Bank, Retail Excellence Ireland, AIB, Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council, Clare County Enterprise Board, Dawn Meats, Energia, Microsemi and Shannon Development.
The categories will be judged by independent adjudicators, Spotcheck. In the retailer of the year category, mystery shoppers will judge how well the product range and services reflect the type and size of the store. Stores will gain higher scores by providing value-added services, which customers may not expect to find in a store that size. In the customer service excellence category, mystery shoppers will pay particular attention to the initial impact of the business, how the staff interact with customers and enhance the customer experience and how the business exceeds customer expectations.
All entries must be received at Ennis Chamber by Friday, July 16. Adjudication will take place during July and August. Three finalists in each category will be announced on September 1. Videos of all finalist companies will be shot during September. There will be an awards evening in the new conference centre at the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Ennis on Thursday, September 30.
Mr Flouch said, at the launch of the awards, “Clare is now ready to proclaim its excellence. These awards not only give local businesses an opportunity to showcase their strengths and successes and gain the marketing edge of being an award winner but they also communicate a clear message of excellence to the world at large. The awards benchmark the industrial, retail and service base in the county as a magnet for further investment.”
He encouraged all businesses in the county to enter the competition. “There is no charge for entry and most businesses will find at least two categories in which they can showcase themselves.” He underlined the benefits to businesses of “entering as not only recognising their success but also set your company as a benchmark for excellence, to promote your company and to acquire a free promotional video of your company”.
Entry forms are available on line at www.ennischamber.ie/fbd-clare-business-awards-2010/.