Technology company BMS Ireland has won the overall SFA National Small Business Award 2011.
BMS which designs, develops and manufactures technology-based industrial products, was presented with the award at a ceremony in Trinity College yesterday. This is the seventh year of the SFA National Small Business Awards, which are organised by the Small Firms Association.
Announcing the winner, Ian Martin, SFA chairman and chair of the judging panel, said, “BMS are a fantastic example of the innovation that we all know exists in small businesses throughout this country. Their commitment to research and development must be recognised as a driving factor in their success to date. BMS was established over 30 years ago and I sincerely hope that winning the overall prize in the SFA National Small Business Awards this year will be a highlight for their business in the years to come.
“This university has a mission to provide a liberal environment where independence of thought is highly valued and where individuals are encouraged to achieve their full potential. This ethos can also apply to entrepreneurs like us, as we know, that with independent thinking and people working together we can ensure that small business will come out of this recession, will thrive and will reach its full potential.”
Martin added that every small business in Ireland can create jobs, given the right environment, “but we need help.”
Martin believes a reduction in employers’ PRSI is needed, along with a corporation tax break for all small firms who re-invest in their business. He said there is a need for an overhaul of the social welfare system which currently acts as a disincentive to work. He also says a committed Minister for Small Business is needed and a return to a functioning banking system, so access to credit is no longer an issue.
Delivering these actions would assist dynamic small businesses in leading Ireland out of the recession, Martin said.
