News and Media Releases
VVVisions Clean Up All Ireland Title
31/10/2007
Brendan Moore, Andrew Thompson and James Dowling of VVVisions in County Carlow, picked up the prestigious 2007 Shell Livewire All Ireland Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and €5,000 prize money at a glittering ceremony hosted by Andy Pyle, Chairman, Shell Ireland, in The Pavilion at Leopardstown Race Course last night.
Edward Hutton of Snack Points Ireland in County Londonderry, took the Runner Up award and prize money of €2,000, whilst Carrie-Anne Barry of De Barra Publishing Ltd in Ennis, County Clare, was awarded €1,000 for the Special Category award for Export Potential.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Shell Livewire Awards mark the culmination of six months of tough competition for each of the finalists, all of whom excelled in a series of interviews with an expert panel of judges to assess business acumen, potential and long-term viability of their businesses. Entrants were whittled down through four regional heats to determine the eight finalists which included an IT consultancy, a signage manufacturer and designers and manufacturers of commercial and private security systems.
Whilst playing golf during their time at NUI Maynooth, Brendan, Andrew and James, identified a gap in the market for the design and manufacture of high-quality golfing equipment. They set up VVVisions in 2006 and currently have four products in their brand portfolio.
The company’s first product, V-Towel Elite, will become the new standard for on course golf club cleaning. It comprises of a looped towel attached to a cleaning mechanism that efficiently cleans the face, cavity and sole of a club in one easy action. After a thorough 18 month design programme, rigorous product testing, vetting by caddies at the 2006 Ryder Cup, the V-Towel Elite was recently launched at the European Golf Trade Fair in Munich. The company generated an order of 40,000 units to be distributed across 22 countries as a result of attending the show and aim to launch the product in the US market at a similar event in Orlando in February. VVVisions have already secured an endorsement with I.M.G for three- time Ryder Cup player, Sergio Garcia and top L.P.G.A player, Paul Creamer to represent the brand.
Speaking at the awards, Andy Pyle, Chairman, Shell Ireland, said: “Shell created Livewire 25 years ago to help foster a spirit of entrepreneurship across the UK and Ireland, and the programme has proven to be enormously successful, unearthing and supporting young entrepreneurs who create jobs and wealth. Through the annual Livewire awards, Shell will continue to value, reward and celebrate young people who take incredible risks to set up their own businesses, because we recognize how important they are in stimulating economic growth across the island of Ireland.”
Also speaking at the awards, Billy Kelleher, TD, Minister for Labour Affairs said:
“A strong entrepreneurial culture is increasingly being recognised as one of the key drivers of our economy. It forms a vital part of the Government’s vision and policies for continued economic growth and wealth generation. The economic benefits Ireland has enjoyed, particularly in the last decade, are undeniable, and the Irish economy has managed to compete remarkably strongly in the global marketplace. The continuation of this performance is now down to entrepreneurs and their endeavours.”
On winning the title, Brendan said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won the 2007
All Ireland Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. Andrew, James and myself, have thoroughly enjoyed participating in this competition which has been quite an exhilarating, fiercely competitive journey. Winning the title is such a fantastic reward for all our hard work and effort. We would encourage other young people considering starting a business to explore their potential and to make use of services such as Shell Livewire to help them make their dreams a reality.”
The Livewire programme celebrates the spirit of enterprise that is alive and kicking in young people aged 16-30. It has been developed in over twenty countries worldwide and is promoted across the island of Ireland by Shell Exploration & Production in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
The Hot House Programme run by the Dublin Institute of Technology and based in the Docklands Innovation Park was this year’s recipient of the annual Shell Livewire Services to Enterprise Award.