Loughrea pharma company is Exporter of the Year

It was a night to remember for Loughrea’s Chanelle Group as it took three of the main prizes at this year’s Export Industry Awards at the weekend – including the overall Exporter of the Year Award.

Eleven companies won individual category Awards across a range of sectors – and Chanelle won both the Life Sciences Exporter of the Year and Export Innovation of the Year award categories earlier in the evening, before it was named as the overall winner on the night.

The Chanelle Group provides a spectrum of services in areas of research and development, and registration and production of generic pharmaceuticals for both Human and Veterinary Pharmaceuticals. Headquartered in Loughrea,

The company was founded in 1983 by Michael Burke, a Veterinary Surgeon. Chanelle Group currently employs 385 people, over 300 of whom are based at its headquarters in Loughrea.

The company plays a pivotal role in employment in the area and exports to over 80 countries worldwide, with key markets in the EU, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa and the Middle East.

Over 500 export industry professionals attended the black tie Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner which took place last Friday at Dublin’s Convention Centre.

Galway-based Polypico was shortlisted for High Potential Exporter of the Year, while Chanelle was also shortlisted for Multinational Exporter of the Year – as was Portwest from Westport which also has an outlet in Galway city.

The Irish Exporters Association’s Export Industry Awards in its 16th year is the premier event for recognising the achievements of Irish Exporters and the businesses that support them.

The award categories cover a broad range of export sectors, including emerging exporters, established indigenous exporters of manufactured goods, services, software food and drink and multinational companies, as well as the key support sectors of logistics and maritime services.