Enterprise Ireland reports on successful 3-day Trade Mission to Canadaaccompanied by 30 companiesA total of €8million in new business contracts
were announced by Irish companies, and a further five significant new
Irish-Canadian partnerships were announced during the trade mission to
Canada led by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton
TD.
Minister Bruton returned to Ireland this weekend following the 3-day
Enterprise Ireland trade mission on which he was accompanied by Enterprise
Ireland officials as well as 30 Irish companies seeking to grow their
exports to Canada, ranging from high-potential start-ups employing fewer
than five people to more established businesses employing over 3,500.
The contracts and partnerships secured during the trade mission include:
· Lincor Solutions, a life sciences company based in Cork, announced
over $4 million CAN in new business with hospitals in Quebec and
Newfoundland
· Leading Edge Group (Cork), a business process and consultancy company
announced several major contracts worth over $350,000 CAN with new
clients including the Ministry of Health in Alberta and Toyota
dealerships in Quebec and Ontario.
· FINEOS Corporation, based in Dublin, a provider of claims management
software, announced a significant contract with the Manitoba Teachers
Society, to manage claims and payments from its employee benefits
plan
· Dundalk-based Multihog Ltd announced a significant deal with
Vancouver Airport to supply three Multihog base vehicles and a wide
range of attachments. The machines supplied for Vancouver will
primarily be used for snow clearance and de-icing around parked
aircrafts.
· Waterford company ZolkC announced that they are providing
interpretive audio tours for over 20,000 Canadian users at two of the
top Canadian tourist sites. The CN Tower turned green during the
Minister’s visit to mark the announcement
The aim of the trade mission was to cement and build on links and open new
doors for increased export business. Exports to Canada by Enterprise
Ireland clients rose by 19% to €224m in 2011. Significantly, it is hoped
that exports for 2012 will increase by a further 20%.
Speaking following his return to Ireland Minister Bruton said:
“Central to the Government’s plan for jobs and growth is creating a
powerful engine of indigenous enterprise. Indigenous exporting companies
currently directly and indirectly employ over 300,000 jobs in Ireland. If
we are to create the jobs and growth we need we must build on this to
improve the performance of our domestic industries, and through the Action
Plan for Jobs we are providing a range of improved supports to help achieve
this.
“The intensive programme of trade and investment missions which I – along
with many other Ministers – have led since taking office is a major part of
this. The 30 companies who accompanied us on this mission to Canada have
seen significant benefits in terms of new business won and new contacts
made which will lead directly to increases in exports and ultimately more
jobs in Ireland. I commend the companies, Enterprise Ireland all involved
in the preparation and execution of this successful trade mission. Through
continued strong implementation of the Action Plan for Jobs I am determined
to ensure that we can continue our strong export performance, create a
powerful engine of indigenous enterprise and create the jobs we need”.
Frank Ryan, CEO, Enterprise Ireland commented:
‘The objective of this mission was to develop partnerships and grow sales
for Irish companies in Canada. All events on the trade mission were aimed
at opening doors for Irish companies and paving the way for more Irish
exports into Canada. The impact of export success in markets such as Canada
on the Irish economy is significant. Indigenous Irish companies are
responsible for the direct and indirect employment of more than 300,000
people in every town and village in Ireland. The performance of Irish
exporters in Canada is to be commended. Enterprise Ireland will continue to
provide every support to Irish companies to secure more business in Canada
and North America, boosting the economy and sustaining and creating much
needed jobs in Ireland.
’Canada is an extremely important market for Irish companies, and the
expected 20% growth in exports to Canada by Enterprise Ireland client
companies in 2012 clearly demonstrates that there are significant, tangible
opportunities for increased trade and partnerships between Irish and
Canadian companies.’
For further information contact:
Ciara Concannon, Press Manager, Enterprise Ireland +353 1 7272284,
087-2043435
Patrick Cluskey, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, 087-3748301
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Over the course of the three-day trade mission, Minister Bruton
participated in a total of over 20 meetings and engagements including:
• 17 meetings and events with Irish exporting companies targeting the
Canadian market, Canadian companies who may offer opportunities to
them, as well as other Irish and Canadian business leaders in
targeted sectors
• 3 interviews with Canadian broadcast media, as part of the ongoing
plan by the Government to rebuild Ireland’s reputation abroad
• A meeting with the Canadian Minister for Finance, as part of a
programme to improve opportunities for Irish companies, as well as
discussing other issues
This is Minister Bruton’s twelfth major trade/investment mission since
taking office in March 2011. Other missions undertaken include:
• Five IDA investment missions, two to the USA east coast, two to the
west coast and one encompassing the East Coast, South and Mid-West
• Three Enterprise Ireland trade missions, one to Saudi Arabia and
India, one to the south-eastern USA, one to France accompanied by a
total of over 100 Irish companies looking to break into new export
markets
• A 7-day joint IDA/EI mission to China led by the Taoiseach
• A 5-day EI/IDA trip to the west coast of the USA built around St
Patrick’s Day
• A 2-day mission to Germany around St Patrick’s Day 2011, including
a series of meetings arranged by Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia and
Tourism Ireland
• A large number of shorter trips to Europe for EU business as well
as trade/investment objectives, including most recently a one-day
trip to Bucharest with the Taoiseach to attend the European People’s
Party Congress in advance of the European Council meeting.
Minister Bruton also met with leading Canadian financial services and
telecoms executives at a series of advisory panels for Irish companies as
well as meeting with key stakeholders in the local Irish community
including the Irish Dairy Board and the Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce.
Significant commercial agreements and announcements were made by a number
of companies including:
· Lincor Solutions, based in Cork, announced over $4 million CAN in new
business with hospitals in Quebec and Newfoundland. Lincor produces
MEDIVista, a digital service delivery platform for hospital patients.
· Millmount Healthcare, a Co. Meath based pharmaceutical packaging
company, announced the completion of its first order with major
Canadian pharmaceutical company Apotex Inc. for the contract
packaging of their high-value pharmaceutical product.
· Waterford company ZolkC announced that they are providing
interpretive audio tours through their VGuide for over 20,000
Canadians users at two of the top Canadian tourist sites, CN Tower
and Jasper Tramway. Minister Bruton visited the CN Tower to
experience ZolkC’s technology in action. To mark the Minister’s visit
the CN Tower turned green for the night of 7th November.
· Dundalk based Multihog Ltd announced a significant deal with
Vancouver Airport to supply three Multihog base vehicles and a wide
range of attachments. The Multihog is a one-machine solution for a
wide variety of groundcare, highway maintenance and winter clearance
applications. The machines supplied for Vancouver will primarily be
used for snow clearance and de-icing around parked aircrafts.
· Galway
company, Lifes2Good, will shortly announce a significant
partnership with a Canadian distributor to bring health and beauty
products, Viviscal and Micropedi, to leading Canadian drug and
grocery chains.
· SAAS Markets (part of Dublin group Sysnet) will launch their
Software-as-a-Service App Store for Canadian Entrepreneurs at an
event in Toronto today (Friday 9 Nov). This technology offers more
than 1,300 trusted SaaS applications specifically designed to meet
the needs of small to medium-sized businesses.
· One Posting, Co. Dublin opened an office in Toronto.
· Leading Edge Group (Cork) who expanded into Canada five years ago
announced several major contracts worth over $350,000 CAN with new
clients including the Ministry of Health in Alberta and Toyota
dealerships in Quebec and Ontario.
· FINEOS Corporation, based in Dublin, a market leading provider of
claims management software, announced details of a significant
contract with a leading Canadian insurance plan provider.
· Drogheda based company, IPL, announced details of a contract with GO
Transit for the provision of their RS Sockets which were used by the
organizers of the 2012 Olympic Games to easily and safely install and
remove posts and signage along key traffic routes in high congestion
areas.
Over 220 Irish companies are selling goods and services into Canada
spanning a wide range of sectors including telecoms, financial services and
consumer retail. To further grow and develop export sales into Canada and
North America, 10 Irish companies will set up offices in Canada this year
including:
· Lifes2Good
· One Posting
· Openet
· ZolkC
· The Now Factory
· Ezetop
· Vizor
· Mapflow
· Aurum
· Intuition Publishing
· Adaptive Mobile