Food Companies in Top Northern Irish Business Awards

Three Northern Irish food industry companies have won top awards in the region's leading business, the Ulster Television Business Eye Awards.

Winner of the Agri-Food Innovation Award, sponsored by Tesco, a new category, was won by Linden Foods in Dungannon,, county Tyrone part of Fane Valley farmers co-operative and a major supplier of beef, veal and lamb to retailers throughout the British Isles.

Two other Dungannon companies were also successful in the awards. The small and medium sized enterprises category, sponsored by First Trust Bank, was won by Elmgrove Foods, a specialist in fifth quarter products which are exported worldwide particularly to emerging markets in Africa and Asia.

The company sources its products from other Northern Ireland meat companies, processes them and supplies to customers worldwide. Elmgrove also gained a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the Export category last year.

The award for the Young Business Personality of the Year was won by Jarek Zasadzinsky, the managing director of Greiner Packaging, a manufacturer of plastic packaging for dairy and confectionery products. Greiner also won the Flybe-sponsored Green Company of the Year.

The three food focused companies were among 10 awards chosen by a panel of high profile judges drawn together by UTV and Business Eye magazine.

Michael Wilson, managing director of UTV Television, said: "The calibre of entries for this year's awards show that there are plenty of ambitious, confident and well led companies operating in Northern Ireland.

"UTV is delighted once again to recognise and celebrate these top achievers and organisations in such a positive way. These awards represent all that is good about business in NI and it is great to see growth and success in so many sectors in spite of the tough times."