Twenty-four companies in sectors ranging from manufacturing, food and property to construction and recruitment have been shortlisted for the Ernst & Young 2006 Entrepreneur of the Year.
The finalists were selected by a panel of judges headed by businessman Denis O'Brien from more than 150 nominations. One of the 24 finalists will be selected as the 2006 Entrepreneur of the Year in September.
The finalists are entered in three categories: industry, international and emerging.
The finalists will be profiled in The Irish Times over the next three weeks, beginning with the international category on May 26th. They will also appear in a three-part series to be shown on RTÉ in September.
Announcing the finalists, Ernst & Young partner in charge of the programme, Enda Kelly, said the enterprise culture in Ireland remained strong.
"About a quarter of a million adults here are actively engaged in enterprise and I believe it is this self-belief that stimulates the Irish entrepreneur," he said.
The programme is run in association with The Irish Times, RTÉ, Ulster Bank, Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland, Invest Northern Ireland and the Ryan Academy.
Robert Gallagher of Ulster Bank, which is a new sponsor this year, said the bank recognised that great entrepreneurs needed to be "energetic, passionate and think outside the box. We applaud their innovative spirit," he said.
This year's programme includes a retreat for the company leaders in Shanghai. They will be joined by previous winners and will hold meetings with Chinese business leaders and learn from global experts.
"China is bristling with opportunity for Irish entrepreneurs and this year's visit is a fantastic prospect to assist finalists in developing their businesses," Mr Kelly said. The trip is supported by Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland and Invest Northern Ireland.
The judging panel includes previous winners, Aidan Heavey of Tullow Oil, who is the current titleholder; Dr Peter FitzGerald of Randox Laboratories; Pat McDonagh of Riverdeep; and Brian Long of Seer Partners.
The other judges are Liam Nellis of InterTradeIreland; Mary Martin of AGI Therapeutics; Pat Maher of Enterprise Ireland; Pádraig O'Ceidigh of Aer Arann Express; Donal Durkan of Invest Northern Ireland; and Liam Shanahan of Shanahan Engineering.
Further information is available at www.eoy.ie.
