Cork County Represented at National Enterprise Awards 2021

This year sees the addition of two new categories to reflect the business environment of 2020.  The “Pivot Award” will be presented to a company who has successfully pivoted their business in the face of challenging conditions in the last 12 months.  The “Brexit Ready Award” will be presented to a company who has excelled in preparation for Brexit.

Finalists are selected by Local Enterprise Offices across Ireland and Cork business Complete Calibrations Ltd will represent Cork County Council’s Local Enterprise Office (LEO) South Cork at the 2021 Awards. They will compete against 29 other finalists for a prize fund totaling €50,000.

Founded in 2006 by Darren O'Sullivan BSc (Hons), Complete Calibrations Ltd is an award-winning ISO17025 accredited calibration company, specialising in the calibration and supply of test weights to all industries. The company’s growth led to a decision to move to specialised premises in 2014. Suitable premises were secured in Little Island and following a year of upgrades to the premises to meet the exact standards required by a state-of-the-art calibration laboratory, the company relocated in 2016. Employing a second full time technician allowed Complete Calibrations Ltd to grow their products and services.

Over the next few years, with the help of Cork County Council’s LEO South Cork, Darren was able to design a robust industrial thermometer for the Irish and overseas markets, as well as design and build a wireless temperature monitoring system that is currently in final stages of testing. The first Design and Build Robotic Mass Comparators to calibrate test weights is now available, with a further three models launching globally later this year.

Minister for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English TD, said;

“Through the National Enterprise Awards, we celebrate the very best in small local companies who are leading in their field of business expertise.  Over the past 20 years the awards have been the benchmark for excellence in micro-enterprise across the country.  Looking at the list of winners, finalists and participants through the years it is easy to be inspired by our talented businesses and people who are the backbone of outstanding Irish entrepreneurs, many of whom are trading successfully across the globe.  This year’s finalists are no different with some exceptional companies shortlisted.  The very best of luck to all finalists and no doubt they will continue to grow beyond this and become part of Ireland’s growing international business community.    

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Mary Linehan Foley added;

“This has been an incredibly challenging year for small businesses so this opportunity to highlight positive stories and businesses who have excelled in the face of unprecedented challenges is really important.  Businesses go through a rigorous process of judging and auditing and this in itself can be of huge benefit to them as they plan for the future.”

Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey commented;

“Cork County Council’s Local Enterprise Offices strive to support our indigenous industries and promote entrepreneurship. Supporting and mentoring the talent here in County Cork is fundamental to a resilient economy and to driving job creation and our LEOs provide top-class supports. Complete Calibrations Ltd is a remarkably successful model of growth and I wish them continued success. Whether or not they win on the night, finalists in the National Enterprise Awards are well positioned to follow in the footsteps of the success stories that have gone before them, like Pestle & Mortar, Simtech Aviation and Terra NutriTech.” 

Previous winner Sonia Deasy, co-founder of Pestle & Mortar, noted the benefits of winning the award in 2019;

“Every bit of exposure we got led to an increase in business, whether direct from consumers or from stockists. It’s very good if you are going on the investment trail. If you are calling somewhere, people are more likely to know you and you are more likely to be seen. It can even facilitate entry to overseas markets. We are in 32 countries now and, when it comes to meetings with distributors, we find that in countries such as China, they love awards, so it’s a huge help.”