Business All-Star accredited companies are defined as progressive, indigenous Irish businesses which meet the highest standards of verified performance, trust and customer-centricity.
This is an independently verified standard mark for indigenous businesses, based on rigorous selection criteria. The Accreditation is overseen by the prestigious All-Ireland Business Foundation, whose adjudication panel is chaired by Dr Briga Hynes of the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick and Kieran Ring, CEO of the Global Institute of Logistics.
Ballyhoura Development is a community-led Local Development Company, and a registered charity, which works with communities, families, individuals and businesses in the Ballyhoura region of East Limerick and North Cork.
The company has successfully managed, coordinated and implemented a wide range of national and European projects and programmes since its establishment in 1989, and currently delivers over 30 programmes, focussing on three key aims: community development, economic development and environmental development. Partnership and participation are the guiding principles of Ballyhoura Development’s work and activities, and a bottom-up approach is central to all of the organisation’s programme delivery.
Responding to today’s announcement, Padraig Fitzgerald, Chairperson of Ballyhoura Development says, “Partnership and participation are the guiding principles of Ballyhoura Development's work and activities. The Business All-Star Accreditation is a testament to the inclusive and innovative approaches, hard work, passion and integrity of the Board, Staff, Communities and Stakeholders of Ballyhoura Development over the last 32 years. It also validates our commitment to provide the best quality programmes, projects, initiatives and customer service in working toward an area with empowered, inclusive communities, and a diversified economy.”
Kieran Ring, Deputy Chair on the Adjudication Board said in support of the announcement: “This certificate verifies that Ballyhoura Development has been named All-Star Development Agency of the Year 2021. The Accreditation is in recognition of Ballyhoura Development’s outstanding contribution to the social, cultural and economic development of its community. Furthermore, we wish to recognise Ballyhoura Development’s conduct in the areas of trust, commitment, performance & customer centricity. Ballyhoura Development is hereby included in the AIBF Register Of Irish Business Excellence.”
Dr Hynes said the Accreditation, which is now held by over 450 firms, is needed by the thousands of small and medium businesses which operate to their own standards, but have nothing to measure them by.
“We evaluate a company’s background, trustworthiness and performance, and we speak to customers, employees and vendors. We also anonymously approach the company as a customer and report back on the experience. The business goes through at least two interviews and is scored on every part of the process against set metrics”, she says.
The All-Ireland Business Foundation is a national body which accredits best-in-class Irish businesses as Business All-Stars. The Foundation also oversees the All-Ireland Business Summit while promoting peer dialogue amongst our members on an ongoing basis.
The process to select the next group of Business All-Star accredited companies has begun and further information is available at businessallstars.ie.