Double business awards success for Carrickfergus company

Yelo, which exports its test systems to markets across the world including the USA and Asia, lifted the ‘Small Business of the Year’ crown at the third annual Business Eye First Trust Bank Small Business Awards.

Yelo was also named ‘Manufacturing Business of the Year’ at the awards.

Speaking after the presentation at Belfast’s Crown Plaza Hotel, a spokesperson from Yelo said: “It’s a wonderful achievement to win both small business of the year and manufacturing business of the year. It’s also great recognition and a celebration for everybody at Yelo who extremely hard all year round.”

The awards, which are organised by Business Eye magazine and sponsored by First Trust Bank, shine a light on the small business sector and recognise top performers across 13 different categories.

Offering his congratulations, Des Moore, head of First Trust Bank, said: “Together, small and medium businesses and self-employed people account for more than 75 percent of turnover across Northern Ireland’s private sector.

“As well as contributing significantly to Northern Ireland’s economic fortunes, they have a momentous impact on the social and cultural fabric of our local communities; supporting the supply chain, employing local people and engaging with schools and charities.”

“It was particularly gratifying to see not just a sectoral but a regional spread of businesses taking part. While they may have come from different parts of the province and from different sectors, they all shared a common denominator; namely an appetite to innovate and grow.”