MBTA 2024: Meet the finalists in the Local Enterprise Office category

Providing critical energy storage solutions with an eye to a greener future

Premier Energy Storage

Tell us about your business and team

Premier Energy Storage based at Hurdlestown, Kells, designs, builds, installs and maintains fuel systems for critical back-up power generation and transport sectors. They specialise in building systems to operate on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) - a non-hydrocarbon alternative to diesel fuel

Describe the best thing about your service

Premier Energy Storage’s customer service is proud of its commitment to excellence. It strives to understand and meet customer needs, ensuring quick and effective service, with the team providing a personal touch and making every interaction a positive and memorable experience. The team prioritises friendliness, empathy, and fairness, and giving customers control and confidence in our services. This approach not only satisfies customers, but also fosters loyalty and contributes to the growth of the business.

What does the future hold for your business?

The future of Premier Energy Storage is shaping up to be a cornerstone in the transition to a greener future with the transition to new Green fuels, E Fuels and Hydrogen fuelling coming down the tracks.

Spreading colour, joy and positivity through luxury wearable art

Clare O’Connor Design

Tell us about your business and team

Clare O’Connor is an award-winning multidisciplinary luxury Irish design artist with a brand of wearable art and accessories based on her own vibrant, energetic and abstract paintings. After living for a time in Venice and Berlin, Clare launched her brand in 2018 and has been developing and fine-tuning her collections ever since.

Clare works alone with the help of an “incredible” seamstress, offering a range of luxury scarves, Kimonos, Shift dresses, eco-friendly umbrellas, cushions, hair pieces, eye masks and tote bags.

Describe the best thing about your service

“I want to spread colour, joy and positivity through my paintings, scarves and homewares,” says Clare. “My collections and packaging which completes my products beautifully are statement pieces, which are season-less, collectable, sustainable and in-line with the principles of slow fashion, quality pieces that are collectible and that are made to be cherished for years to come.”

What does the future hold for your business?

Clare is just about to participate in an exciting new trade show called Milled + Made in New York where she is hoping to gain new stockists and broaden her network. There will also be some exciting new designs and new product launches in the pipeline while she will be participating in markets in the run-up to Christmas.

Bringing order and organisation to the chaos of a cluttered home

A Sorted Affair

Tell us about your business and team

Fittingly, clutter busters Kim Fitzgerald and Lynn Luxford first met on RTE show Home Rescue, which aims to bring order to the chaos of a cluttered home. An instant friendship was born, followed quickly by a fresh business idea in A Sorted Affair. The business offers a variety of professional organising services along with e-book offerings and product solutions designed to help declutter and organise space.

As busy mothers’ owners Lyn and Kim understand just how overwhelming it can be trying to keep on top of everything life throws at them..

Describe the best thing about your service

“We believe that an organised home is essential for both productivity and mental wellbeing. We understand that everyday life can be hectic and that it can be challenging to keep everything running smoothly,” says Kim. “We always joke by saying we give the gift of time! But it’s true! By teaching our clients a new way of living we save them precious minutes, hours and days previously lost to disorganisation and clutter.”

What does the future hold for your business?

Our business and products have longevity and will stand the test of time. Un-organisation has always been a problem for people and getting organised will forever be on people’s to-do lists. We want as many people as possible to feel the benefits of organisation. We recently launched our ebooks so we can hopefully reach as many people as possible.

The big dream is to create a course to train the future professional organisers of the world and eventually franchise the business.