A group of six ambitious seafood entrepreneurs from County Galway are set to benefit from an intensive business programme. The official graduation ceremony for the ‘Galway Seafood Development Programme’ took place today (Tuesday 29th November 2011) at BIM’s offices at the Docks in Galway city. If business plans for the companies are successful, two million in increased sales and 16 potential job opportunities will be achieved by 2014.
L-R Back row: Aisling Roche, Arms Marketing and Training (Course Provider), Ian Mannix, BIM; Mairtín Walsh, BIM; Michael Browne of Aran Gourmet; Freda Fleming of Fleming Seafoods and Seán Seosamh O’ Flatharta, L-R Front Row: Gearóid de Brún of Aran Gourmet; Breda Fox of Galway County and City Enterprise Board; Guenael Trahan of Breizon Limited and CGuenael Trahan of Breizon Ltd, Rossaveal, Co Galway.athal Sexton of CS Fish Limited.
The ‘Galway Seafood Development Programme’ was introduced in the Western region after a similar, highly-successful syllabus was made available to participants in coastal communities in West Cork, Wexford and Donegal.
Aimed at both start-up and existing seafood enterprises, the course was co-ordinated by BIM, the Seafood Development Agency, in conjunction with Galway County and City Enterprise Board. Training and mentoring support was delivered by Arms Marketing. The course is target driven and tailored to each of the company’s specific needs, providing the companies with the necessary tools to achieve their business objectives.
Participants were mentored in core areas of business development including strategic planning, market trends and distribution and route to market.
Donal Buckley, Business Development and Innovation Manager BIM, believes that the new programme has ensured that local seafood companies are fully-prepared for the opportunities and challenges of a contemporary marketplace: “We’re confident that the ‘Galway Seafood Development Programme’ will mean a boost for local seafood companies that are determined to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills and strategically develop their businesses. The demands of the marketplace mean that businesses in the region have to re-think and re-position themselves to ensure the products they are offering are innovative and ‘value-added’ and this course has enabled the participating companies to develop new business plans to survive the current economic climate and ultimately increase sales”
Breda Fox, CEO of Galway County and City Enterprise Board added; “Galway County and City Enterprise Board are delighted to have worked with BIM to provide this course for the benefit of the Seafood Processing sector in the West of Ireland. Seafood processing companies are a vital source of employment and income in coastal communities. By supporting development in this indigenous sector, we expect that there will be significant benefits to our region through increased revenue generated by local companies through fishing, processing and retailing”
A group of six ambitious seafood entrepreneurs from County Galway are set to benefit from an intensive business programme. The official graduation ceremony for the ‘Galway Seafood Development Programme’ took place today (Tuesday 29th November 2011) at BIM’s offices at the Docks in Galway city. If business plans for the companies are successful, two million in increased sales and 16 potential job opportunities will be achieved by 2014. 