Company receives Deloitte’s ultimate Platinum award.
Specialist excavation attachment manufacturer Hill Engineering has achieved recertification as one of Ireland’s best managed companies in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards programme.
The company, which is based on Derryboy Road, Carnbane Business Park, in Newry, Co Down, demonstrated superior business performance for the seventh consecutive year – the first as a Platinum award winner – and was recognised during a virtual awards ceremony on September 8th. It was one of just 12 companies awarded Platinum standard.
The Deloitte Best Managed Companies programme, in association with Bank of Ireland, promotes and recognises excellence in Irish/Northern Irish owned and managed companies. It is the only awards scheme on the island of Ireland that considers a business’ performance from every perspective.
Entrants to the programme compete for the designation in a rigorous process that evaluates the calibre of their management abilities and practices in addition to the strategy, capability, innovation, culture and financial performance of their companies.
This year’s programme saw the highest number of new applicants in its 13-year history. The winning companies represent 26 counties across the island of Ireland and come from a range of sectors. With this year’s new winners, there are now 139 companies that are recognised as Ireland’s Best Managed Companies. This network of companies has a combined turnover of €8.5 billion and employs a total of 40,000 people.
Commenting on the award, Hill Engineering’s Head of Global Business Development John Lines said: “This award shows we are never content to rest on our laurels, even in the face of a global pandemic.”
Anya Cummins, Lead Partner for Ireland’s Best Managed Companies Awards Programme at Deloitte Ireland, said: “In a relentlessly challenging year, the winning companies displayed true bravery in how they adapted to change, with many innovating and some even accelerating their plans for their businesses.”
Harry Goddard, CEO, Deloitte Ireland and judging panel member, commented: “This year’s winning companies had robust strategies in place prior to the pandemic, which enabled them to respond comprehensively to the changing situations they found themselves in. With no sector untouched by the impact of Covid-19, many companies remained committed to ensuring that they did not fall into the trap of doing things like they had always been done, just because that had worked in the past; in fact, many companies took the extraordinary challenge as an opportunity to develop and improve processes.
“The judges noted that, despite the risk of falling into crisis mode and focusing solely on the immediate challenges facing their businesses, the winning companies were adept at maintaining a long-term view of where their organisations were going and a strong clarity of purpose on what the business was trying to achieve, and why.”
Nikki Canavan, Senior Director, Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking and judging panel member, said: “Over the last number of years the companies in the Best Managed Companies network have shown huge strength in the face of disruption and uncertainty. This year in particular – a year that tested Irish businesses like never before – the judges noted the commitment, bravery, resilience and tenacity of the applicant companies.”
In addition to Ireland, the programme is currently run in a total of 37 countries including Canada, where it originated, China, the US, Southeast Asia, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Czech Republic, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Turkey, Mexico and Chile, with upcoming launches planned in three other countries.
