The recent EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards night saw not one, but two winners from among our alumni in the persons of Patrick Joy (OC 1969 – centre) and Brian Hogan (OC 1970 – fourth from right). They received their awards from another successful past pupil, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton (OC 1969 – second from left) at the ceremony that took place at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin on October 24th…
Patrick Joy, the founder and Chairman of Suretank Group, was named as EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2013. Headquartered in Dunleer Co. Louth, Suretank Group is the world’s largest manufacturer of cargo carrying units for the offshore oil and gas industry. Holding a 62% global market share, Suretank is also the leader in the transport tank industry, currently employing 700 people with revenues of over €68 million.
“I am absolutely flabbergasted”, said Patrick Joy of his unexpected win. Thanking his employees for building the business to where it is today through their talent and innovation, Joy also made a touching tribute to his family, attributing his success to their support. “As entrepreneurs we have to realise that we can’t do it without family and, in particular, I’d like to thank my wife, who has always encouraged me to pursue my career – this award is as much yours as it is mine.”
In addition to being selected as the overall winner of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2013, Patrick Joy was also named as the International EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™. Patrick was among 24 finalists from across the island of Ireland that made it to the competitive final stages of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme and will now go forward to represent Ireland at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in Monte Carlo where he will compete with over 50 leading entrepreneurs from across the globe.
“An integral part of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme is to encourage our entrepreneurs to think global and become global”, said Frank O’Keeffe, Partner-in-Charge of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™. “Suretank Group has scaled to become a market leader in the fiercely competitive offshore oil industry and has achieved this from their headquarters in Co. Louth, Ireland. Patrick’s big thinking and uncanny ability to compete and dominate in the global arena should serve as an inspiration to us all.”
Brian Hogan receives award for Industry EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™.
Were that not enough another Brian Hogan of Kylemore Services Group, the commercial catering, restaurant and hospitality service provider, scooped the award for Industry EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™. “Tonight’s award is for the 1000 people in KSG”, said Brian Hogan, who beat out seven other entrepreneurial heavyweights to secure the renowned business accolade. “Their passion, determination and sense of excellence about everything they do drives the company forward each and every day.”
Hogan started off in the family business in the 1970s as a baker where he spent more than a decade baking from as early as 3am. Brian went on to become CEO of KSG in 1980 and purchased the business from the Hogan family in 1989. The group now operates restaurant and hospitality services in the retail and commercial catering sectors and has grown to achieve an annual turnover of €50 million. Their workforce is comprised of 1000 people operating in over 110 restaurant locations nationwide where they prepare and serve fresh food to approximately 10 million customers annually.
“KSG is a remarkable example of an Irish company that has continuously evolved to meet the changing consumer environment” said Frank O’Keeffe, Partner-in-Charge of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™. “That level of agility and foresight is not often common in companies of their size and it can be attributed to the vision of the entrepreneur at the helm, Brian Hogan.”
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