Around Noon announced as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies 2021

Company receives award for fourth time

Newry headquartered Around Noon has been named as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies. The awards programme is led by Deloitte Ireland, in association with Bank of Ireland. The company, which demonstrated superior business performance for the fourth year, was recognised with a Gold Standard Award.

The Best Managed Companies Awards programme promotes and recognises excellence in companies and is the only awards scheme on the island of Ireland that considers a business’ performance from every perspective. Entrants to the programme compete for the designation in a rigorous process that evaluates the calibre of their management abilities and practices in addition to the strategy, capability, innovation, culture and financial performance of their companies.

Around Noon has been in business for over 30 years and employs over 300 people. It supplies a broad range of high-quality sandwiches, wraps, salads, fruit pots and cold pressed juices to customers including forecourt and convenience retailers and cafes. It also sells healthy ready meals via its Simply Fit Food business and bakery items under its Sweet Things brand.

Commenting on the award, Gareth Chambers, CEO, of Around Noon said: “It’s great recognition for the whole Around Noon team to achieve a Gold Award. We’re immensely proud of our people and the relationships we have forged with our valued customers.”

“At the heart of our approach to management is developing great people and ensuring that we run our business in a sustainable way. That’s why we have invested over £250,000 this year in green projects reducing our impact on our planet,” he adds.

Anya Cummins, Lead Partner for Ireland’s Best Managed Companies Awards Programme at Deloitte Ireland said: “This year, a record number of applications to the Ireland’s Best Managed Companies Awards programme were received. The quality of the applicants demonstrated the extraordinarily high-quality businesses operating across the island of Ireland today. In a relentlessly challenging year, the winning companies displayed true bravery in how they adapted to change, with many innovating and some even accelerating their plans for their businesses.”

17 companies from across the island achieved Gold Standard at this year’s awards, having requalified for their fourth consecutive year.

Harry Goddard, CEO, Deloitte Ireland and judging panel member commented: “This year’s winning companies had robust strategies in place prior to the pandemic, which enabled them to respond comprehensively to the changing situations they found themselves in. With no sector untouched by the impact of Covid-19, many companies remained committed to ensuring that they did not fall into the trap of doing things like they had always been done, just because that had worked in the past; in fact, many companies took the extraordinary challenge as an opportunity to develop and improve processes.

“The judges noted that, despite the risk of falling into crisis mode and focusing solely on the immediate challenges facing their businesses, the winning companies were adept at maintaining a long-term view of where their organisations were going and a strong clarity of purpose on what the business was trying to achieve, and why.”

Nikki Canavan, Senior Director, Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking and judging panel member said: “Over the last number of years the companies in the Best Managed Companies network have shown huge strength in the face of disruption and uncertainty. This year in particular – a year that tested Irish businesses like never before – the judges noted the commitment, bravery, resilience and tenacity of the applicant companies.”

The members of this year’s judging panel were Frank Ryan, Chair of the Judging Panel; Harry Goddard, CEO, Deloitte Ireland; Nikki Canavan, Senior Director, Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking; Kate Malone, Director of Human Resources, IMI; Feargal Mooney, Non-Executive Director,  Meetingsbooker and Colm O'Reilly, CEO, The Business Post.