18th November 2021
Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English TD, visited the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) in Wicklow today as part of a series of visits by the Minister, who is keen to engage with the LEO teams and their client companies throughout the country.
The Minister was greeted at the Wicklow County Campus at Clermont House by the Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr. Shay Cullen and LEO Head of Enterprise, Vibeke Delahunt and was joined by Senator Pat Casey.
Minister English was then briefed on developments and future plans in the county. This included presentations by Wicklow County Council’s Lorraine Gallagher and Vibeke Delahunt on the Mid-East Regional Enterprise Plan, as well as an overview of the role of the film industry in Wicklow, by the LEO’s Linda Healy.
The Minister spoke to members of the LEO staff and was shown a display of some of the locally supported and produced food and beverages from the Wicklow Naturally brand
Minister English said:
“I am delighted to be here in Wicklow today to hear about current developments and the exciting future plans from the Council and the Local Enterprise Office. The support of local networks such as the LEOs has been vital for the last twenty months, providing training, mentoring and other practical supports to local businesses. Their role is hugely important and they will play a key role in the coming time as businesses continue to confront the challenges presented by Covid.”
Refreshments at the Campus were provided by LEO client, Kevin Ward of Reward Catering, who provide purpose-built vintage trailers and vehicles for the catering community and the corporate sector. Minister English also met LEO client companies The Foley Lab and Hubbcat, who are based at the Wicklow County Campus.
The Foley Lab works in the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to film, video and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality. Hubbcat are a technology and communications company who offer what is called ‘Push to Talk’ (PTT) communications for corporate customers.
For his final engagement the Minister travelled to Green Treats Ltd in Arklow where founder Stephen Smith gave him a tour of their premises. The company manufactures and produces pet food treats for private label companies and provides a full product development service to clients. Green Treats is one of many former LEO supported businesses that has grown and graduated to the Enterprise Ireland portfolio of clients.
On the conclusion of his visit Minister English said:
“It is extremely important for regional development that we continue to support local entrepreneurships and start up businesses. There are a number of initiatives and programmes that do just that, such as the Regional Enterprise Development Fund. When this type of support is complemented by the Local Enterprise Offices it can bring about hugely positive results - as can be seen here in Wicklow. The local companies I have visited today are making a real difference to the local economy and beyond. The Government will continue to support and encourage other businesses like them so that they can become the next success story.”
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