NI firm tops business awards

The firm was involved in Belfast's Waterfront Hall

A Northern Ireland firm has won the overall title at the All Island Trade and Business awards in Dublin.

Belfast consulting engineers Kirk McClure and Morton were presented with the award at an event in Dublin on Thursday night.

It is the second year in a row that a firm from Northern Ireland has taken the top prize at the event, sponsored by Intertrade Ireland, the body set up to promote cross-border trade.

Kirk McClure and Morton has been involved in many flagship projects across the country, including the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

It has increased its earnings in the Irish Republic by about 50% in the past couple of years.

Senior partner Jonathan Hegan said its cross-border business now accounted for a third of its turnover. The work has included a number of major public sector projects.

We're proud of the fact we have specialist expertise in certain areas such as in the environment

Jonathan Hegan
Kirk McClure Morton

"We're doing a river basin catchment management study on the Shannon which is part of the new European water framework directive.

"We have just completed one in the Lough Ree - Lough Derg area and we've also secured the Killybegs port project," he said.

"We're proud of the fact we have specialist expertise in certain areas such as in the environment."

Another company which made the short-list for an award was Norman Emerson and Sons from Derryadd, County Armagh.

The aggregates firm employs more than 100 people extracting gravel from local quarries and sand from Lough Neagh.

It has been doing an increasing amount of business in the Irish Republic over the last five years, and cross-border sales now account for nearly 20% of the company's turnover.