TWENTY companies and organisations are celebrating winning one of the north's most coveted business accolades - an Irish News Workplace & Employment Award.
The 2023 WEA initiative culminated at a gala bash in Titanic Belfast, attended by more than 500 guests.
Some 22 awards were handed over, with two companies - building services engineering consultancy Bennett Freehill and Belfast-based software firm Datactics - each being double winners.
Bennett Freehill won the Best Place to Work (small) and Best Wellbeing in the Workplace Strategy (small) categories, while Datactics secured the Team of the Year and Best Diversity, Equality and Inclusion accolades.
Following a drinks reception courtesy of Diageo, guests at the black tie dinner were welcomed by Irish News editor Noel Doran.
He said: "This wonderful event, now in its 15th year, and is by a distance the largest of its kind in our region. We've again had a massive entry across the board for what is the most important night of the year in the employment sector.
"Every year we try to expand and cover new ground, and the latest innovation has a wider significance as it is the Best Sustainable Business Award, open to any organisation that sets new standards in lowering their carbon footprint. It is particularly encouraging that it has drawn such a strong response."
Winners in that new sustainability category were Henry Brothers and Ulster Carpets.
The judges said of Henry Brothers: “It has a clearly defined mission to deliver the best construction solution for every client, every time, which is underpinned by values which have been integral to the functioning of the business since its foundation – namely Integrity, Considerate and Dependable, Premium Quality, Agile and Innovative, and Sustainable.”
On Ulster Carpets the judges said: “Our winner walked all over the opposition here! This company has launched its own sustainability strategy as the next step in a long history of market-leading innovations, and it has also developed and patented its own unique weaving technology.”
This year’s partner sponsors for the Workplace & Employment Awards were Errigal Group, Options Technology, Carson McDowell and Queen’s University, and category sponsors were NI Chamber, NI Job Finder, Glandore, Galgorm, FScom and Titanic Belfast.
:: Full coverage of the event and will appear in a special supplement in the Irish News on Tuesday June 20.
