Rural company named NI's Outstanding Business of the Year while chief gets lifetime gong at Belfast Telegraph Business Awards
A rural company has been recognised as Northern Ireland's Outstanding Business of the Year while the CEO of pharma firm Almac has won the Lifetime Achievement accolade at the 2025 Belfast Telegraph Business Awards in partnership with Ulster Bank.
The celebration on Thursday drew around 500 businesspeople and was attended by Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald.
A total of 19 winners were recognised at the prestigious event, which marked its 25th anniversary at a glittering ceremony hosted by BBC journalist Mark Simpson at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Belfast.
Co Fermanagh company Encirc, a manufacturer of glass bottles with nearly 1,500 staff, was the Outstanding Business of the Year.
Almac boss Alan Armstrong has helped grow the Craigavon-based manufacturer into a global business employing around 6,500 people.
The remaining category winners included Woodside Logistics Group as Family Business of the Year, with Hammy Obikoya named Young Businessperson of the Year.
Mark Crimmins, head of Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland, said: 'Once again, the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards in partnership with Ulster Bank was a fantastic showcase for our local business community and highlighted the breadth of talent, resilience and innovation of business owners across the region.
'Congratulations to all the winners and finalists, you should be very proud of your achievements, and we look forward to following your continued achievements in the future.
'On behalf of Ulster Bank, I'd like to thank our partners at the Belfast Telegraph for delivering such a great event and to everyone who made the awards such a fantastic celebration of local business success.'
Eoin Brannigan, Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life editor in chief, added: 'We were delighted to host the 2025 Belfast Telegraph Business Awards on the 25th anniversary of the most prestigious event of its kind in Northern Ireland.
'Congratulations to all our winners, and in particular Alan Armstrong of Almac for his Lifetime Achievement award, and Encirc for their win as Outstanding Business of the Year.
'Thank you to Ulster Bank for their support as headline sponsor, and to all our category supporters.'
Economy Minister Dr Archibald said: 'It is great to be part of this celebration of the achievements of our business community.
'These achievements are all the more remarkable given the economic challenges faced over recent years.
'I congratulate all the winners and nominees for helping to showcase the ambition, innovation and resilience that our local business community demonstrates each day.'
Remarking on Mr Armstrong's award, the judging panel, chaired by Clare Guinness, chief executive of Belfast Chamber, said: 'The judges were delighted to nominate him for this award.
'His principles are second to none and he has grown Almac to such a significant global company — but stayed true to the legacy left by founder Sir Allen McClay.'
And the judges praised Encirc as a company that demonstrated 'perpetual innovation, agility and adaptability, was strong on employee engagement, has a strong sustainability story, and was clear on their business objectives and goals as well as success metrics and proof points'.
'The company is a very worthy winner of our 2025 Belfast Telegraph Outstanding Business of the Year in partnership with Ulster Bank,' the judging panel added.
Here are all the winners and how they were announced at the awards ceremony:
13 minutes ago
That's all folks...
That's it for the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards for another year. Huge congratulations to all tonight's winners.
46 minutes ago
Outstanding Business of the Year
Our final award of the night is Outstanding Business of the Year, sponsored by Ulster Bank.
This has been presented to Encirc, recognising the success of the business which has been growing from its headquarters in rural Fermanagh.
Our judges said they picked a company that they felt demonstrated perpetual innovation, agility and adaptability, was strong on employee engagement, has a strong sustainability story, and was clear on their business objectives and goals as well as success metrics and proof points.
🏆 👏
49 minutes ago
Employer of the Year
S&W Wholesale has been named winner of the Employer of the Year award, sponsored by CIPD.
This employee-owned wholesale business delivers service across the island of Ireland, driven by a people-first culture that includes strong engagement, career development, meaningful rewards and impactful wellbeing initiatives.
Congratulations also go to Mackle Petfoods and Musgrave NI for being highly commended in this category.
Best Large Business of the Year
Encirc has been named winner of the Best Large Business of the Year award, sponsored by Wilson Nesbitt.
Part of the Vidrala group, Encirc is a market leader in glass container design, manufacturing, bottling and logistics for the food and beverage industries in the UK, Ireland and across Europe. With almost 2,000 employees, it operates from purpose-built sites in Derrylin, as well as Chershire and Bristol.
Congratulations also go to AbbeyAutoline and Mackle Petfoods for being highly commended in this category.
53 minutes ago
Best Medium Sized Business of the Year
Sumer Northern Ireland has been named winner of the Best Medium Sized Business of the Year award, sponsored by MKB Law.
Formerly the Belfast office of ASM, it merged with the Sumer Group in 2025 to become Sumer NI. With 120 members of staff, the tax, audit and accountancy firm services SME clients across a range of sectors.
Congratulations also go to Haymarket Belfast for being highly commended in this category.
55 minutes ago
Best Small Business of the Year
Vision Fabrications has been named winner of the Best Small Business of the Year award, sponsored by NFU Mutual.
Founded by Barry Lyttle in 2017, Vision Fabrications delivers high-value engineering projects across the UK and Ireland, specialising in stainless steel, mild steel and aluminium for the rail, commercial, residential and hospitality sectors.
Congratulations also go to Rory's Travel Club, Solmatix, Solarfix, PropertyPal and Propertynews, and RBCA for being highly commended in this category.
58 minutes ago
Tourism & Hospitality Company of the Year
McKeever Hotels has been named winner of the Tourism & Hospitality Company of the Year award, sponsored by Belfast International Airport.
The hospitality group was founded in 1986 by Eugene and Catherine McKeever. It now has a portfolio of six hotels across Northern IReland and Donegal, including The Dunadry Hotel and Gardens, The Dunsilly Hotel, The Adair Arms, Corr's Corner and Dillons Hotel.
Congratulations also go to Crowne Plaza Belfast, Haymarket Belfast and Hillyard House Hotel for being highly commended in this category.
Today 10:11 PM
Excellence in Innovation
Hunter Apparel Solutions has been named winner of the Excellence in Innovation award, sponsored by Sumer NI.
Based in NI, it is a technology-driven specialist in head-to-toe uniforms and personal protective equipment. Founded in 1936, it is now led by CEO Simon Hunter – the third generation of the family business.
Congratulations also go to Inclutech and Sensoteq for being highly commended in this category.
Today 10:09 PM
Excellence in Manufacturing
Brankin Engineering has been named winner of the Excellence in Manufacturing award, sponsored by Invest NI.
Established in 1974, Brankin Engineering is a leading ventilation ductwork contractor operating throughout the UK and Ireland. It uses an innovative manufacturing process to deliver high-impact products.
Today 10:07 PM
Excellence in Exporting
TES Power has been named winner of the Excellence in Exporting award, sponsored by Belfast Harbour.
The fast-growing company is focused on advancing critical data infrastructure. Its global clients deploy its power distribution and monitoring systems to keep infrastructure operating at maximum capacity.
Congratulations also go to Sensoteq for being highly commended in this category.
Today 10:05 PM
Excellence in Marketing
Belfast City Airport has been named winner of the Excellence in Marketing award, sponsored by S3 Creative.
Located five minutes from the city centre, the airport provides a fast and efficient connection to and from the heart of Belfast, with flights to destinations across the UK, Europe and beyond.
Today 10:03 PM
Excellence in the Development of Management & Leadership
NI Water has been named winner of the Excellence in the Development of Management & Leadership award, sponsored by Northern Ireland Chamber.
Established in 2007, NI Water is a Government-owned company responsible for delivering 560 million litres of drinking water and treating 320 million litres of wastewater to two million people every day.
Congratulations also go to Musgrave NI and M&M Contractors for being highly commended in this category.
Today 10:01 PM
Excellence in Workplace Health and Wellbeing
AG Paving + Building Products has been named winner of the Excellence in Workplace Health and Wellbeing award, sponsored by Kingsbridge Private Hospital.
AG has built its business on making concrete products. In the workplace, it has launched a health and wellbeing programme to promote physical and mental wellbeing across the company.
Today 09:59 PM
Corporate Community Champion
Musgrave Northern Ireland has been named winner of the Corporate Community Champion award, sponsored by Belfast City Airport.
The food, retail, wholesale and food service company, which employs more than 1,500 people in Northern Ireland, has a long-standing partnership with Action Cancer. In its 25 years of supporting the charity, it has reached a landmark fundraising total of £4 million.
Congratulations also go to Progressive Building Society for being highly commended in this category.
Today 09:56 PM
Outstanding Commitment to ESG
Telefónica Tech has been named winner of the Outstanding Commitment to ESG award, sponsored by Almac.
This global leader in digital transformation provides solutions in data and AI, cybersecurity, cloud, business applications and digital workplace. Its ESG strategy focuses on sustainability, digital inclusion and social impact, with a commitment to net zero by 2040.
Congratulations also go to Belfast Metropolitan College and Encirc for being highly commended in this category.
Today 09:55 PM
Young Business Person of the Year
Hammy Obikoya has been named winner of the Young Business Person of the Year award, sponsored by Queen's University Belfast.
Hammy is the founder of Mama Bobo Africa, a leading African grocery store and Belfast's first Nigerian restaurant, introducing traditional West African flavours to the city. He was previously recognised in Belfast Telegraph's 30 Under 30.
Congratulations also go to Ellen Yates and Yasmin Forsythe for being highly commended in this category.
Today 09:52 PM
Retail Sector Business or Retailer of the Year
Street Life has been named winner of the Retail Sector Business or Retailer of the Year award, sponsored by Retail NI.
The family-run business in Newtownards focuses on men's fashion. It offers a personalised shopping experience, specialising in suits for all occasions, but also offering casual wear, footwear and more.
Congratulations also go to Cityman Menswear for being highly commended in this category.
Today 09:50 PM
Family Business of the Year
Woodside Logistics Group has been named winner of the Family Business of the Year award, sponsored by AbbeyAutoline.
For the last 55 years, the family-run business has delivered professional transport and logistics solutions across the UK and Ireland. These include ambient transport and warehousing, car transport, tankers, freight forwarding and custom clearance.
Congratulations also go to P McVey Building Systems and Hunter Apparel Solutions for being highly commended in this category.
Today 09:48 PM
Best Start-up or Emerging Business of the Year
Share Energy has been named winner of the Best Start-up or Emerging Business of the Year award, sponsored by Gateley.
The locally owned business is looking to transform the energy market with its electricity solutions, market-leading rates and profit-sharing model. It aims to provide fairer and more transparent energy services to residential and business customers.
Congratulations also go to farmdrive for being highly commended in this category.
Today 09:47 PM
🏆 T he award goes to…
Now we move on to the main awards of the evening, with the winners chosen by our judging panel.
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