Success for two local businesses at top awards

(L-R) Andrea Hunter, Aer Lingus, Dr James Cochrane, AJ Power and Julie Davidson, Aer Lingus

AJ Power won the Best Medium Business award at the Aer Lingus Viscount Awards ceremony lunch held on Tuesday 21st April in the exquisite surroundings of the Members Dining Room, at the House of Commons, Westminster. The Viscount Awards, which have grown over the years to become one of the most respected events on the business calendar, continue to reward those organisations that represent the absolute best in their respective fields. — (L-R) Andrea Hunter, Aer Lingus, Dr James Cochrane, AJ Power and Julie Davidson, Aer Lingus AJ Power won the Best Medium Business award at the Aer Lingus Viscount Awards ceremony lunch held on Tuesday 21st April in the exquisite surroundings of the Members Dining Room, at the House of Commons, Westminster. The Viscount Awards, which have grown over the years to become one of the most respected events on the business calendar, continue to reward those organisations that represent the absolute best in their respective fields.

Five of Northern Ireland’s most ambitious companies and one individual have been recognised for their achievements at the seventh annual Aer Lingus Viscount Awards, in association with Ulster Business.

The Awards lunch took place recently April in the exquisite surroundings of the Members’ Dining Room, at the House of Commons, Westminster and was attended by some of Northern Ireland’s most impressive and tenacious companies, representing a variety of industries and sectors.

Amongst those honoured were Moira-based Hannan Meats who won the ‘Best Small Business’ trophy, and Craigavon based AJ Power took the ‘Best Medium Business’ award.

Hannan Meats, the high-end producer, processor, wholesaler and distributor of meat products to the food service sector in the UK, Ireland and Europe, continually develops new techniques to improve the quality and range of food they produce, which in turn allows them to pay premiums to farmer and primary producer partners.

Peter Hannan, owner of the company said: ““The management and staff of Hannan Meats are truly delighted to be the recipient of this Viscount Award. As a small business, it is particularly gratifying to receive this accolade on behalf of a team of extremely dedicated people.

“We would like to thank Aer Lingus and Ulster Business for their wonderful hospitality at the House of Commons.”

ON top of wining the Best Medium Business award, AJ Power was also a finalist in the ‘Exporter of the Year’ category.

The company’s recent highlights include the manufacture of 12 2MW acoustic enclosed generators for ICT centres in Scandanavia with each unit weighing 80,000kgs.

AJ Power has aggressively sought to increase its global reach year-on-year and has a license agreement with Massey Ferguson to design, manufacture, sell and distribute their products under the Massey Ferguson brand worldwide.

Dr James Cochrane, Production Director at AJ Power said: “None of this would have been possible without the knowledge, application and sheer hard work of a dedicated workforce.

“I would particularly mention our highly talented graduate engineers who constantly challenge the status quo to produce ever more efficient, innovative and productive solutions.”

The winners were: Most Innovative Company: Devenish Nutrition; Exporter of the Year: TG Eakin; Best Small Business: Hannan Meats; Best Medium Business: AJ Power; Best Large Business: Gilbert-Ash; Business Person of the Year: Jarek Zasadzinski; Overall Excellence: TG Eakin.