Small Businesses Set To Shine At National Ploughing Championships – Business Eye

Over 30 small businesses from across the country will get the opportunity to showcase themselves to almost 300,000 visitors at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, County Laois.  

The Local Enterprise Village, an initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices, will be located at the heart of this year’s National Ploughing Championships from the 17^th to 19^th September.  It will showcase the best of Irish entrepreneurship featuring small businesses selling everything from Mexican salsa and chemical free fertilisers to high end fashion designers and sensory friendly clothing.  

With some of the biggest companies in Ireland taking up residence at the Ploughing every year, the Local Enterprise Village continues to be a popular destination on the site for those looking to pick up something unique to bring home from some of the best small businesses in Ireland.

A selection of businesses from across the country helped launch the Local Enterprise Village for 2024 at Airfield Estate in Dublin.  These included Leah Cleary of Fore Distillery, Dublin fashion designer Jennifer Rothwell, Anouk O’Connell of natural wool company Olanmor, Joanne Doyle of Enchanted Castle Melts in Carlow and Mildred Tang of canvas tote company Chic Tote.   

Kieran Comerford, Local Enterprise Offices and Head of the Local Enterprise Village, said; “This is an opportunity like no other for a small business in Ireland.  The opportunity to bring their ideas and products to almost 300,000 potential customers is a showcase like no other.  The Local Enterprise Village has become one of those areas everyone wants to drop into to find their local business and see what they can pick up.  

There is a huge variety of businesses highlighting the depth of sectors that the Local Enterprise Offices support from manufacturing to food and beverage, to software solutions.  Whatever you are interested in there is something for everyone at the Local Enterprise Village.”        

Kildare NPA Director John Dunne said “It is wonderful to see so many diverse & impressive businesses partaking in this year’s ‘Local Enterprise Village’ at the National Ploughing Championships taking place in Ratheniska, Co Laois on September 17^th, 18^th & 19^th.  This is an ideal and unique opportunity for these companies to showcase their products & wares to over 250,000 visitors that Ploughing attracts.”

The Local Enterprise Village is just one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country. Others include Local Enterprise Week, the National Enterprise Awards, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women’s Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland. 
 
Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Since their inception eight years ago, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 25,000 jobs across the country. The LEOs work with thousands of client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses. For more information see www.LocalEnterprise.ie