Pictured (l-r): Deirdre McPartlin, Manager Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Enterprise Ireland, Holger Erdmann, German-Irish Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and Martin McVicar – CEO, Combilift, who won Best Overall Irish Exporter to Germany Award.

Irish exporting companies Combilift, Dennison Trailers, Cupprint and the Irish Dairy Board are the winners of “Irish Exporter to Germany Awards”. The awards were presented by the Minister for Education and Skills Mr Ruairi Quinn at a ceremony in Enterprise Ireland.

The awards are sponsored by German freight forwarding and logistics solutions provider DB Schenker and were organised by Enterprise Ireland and the German-Irish Chamber of Industry and Commerce. The aim of the awards was to mark 50 years of Irish export success to Germany and the 50th anniversary of the opening of Ireland’s first trade office in Frankfurt in 1962.

The Best Overall Exporter to Germany Award went to Combilift from Gallinagh in Co. Monaghan. Combilift manufactures customised forklifts and material handling solutions. Naas-based Dennison Trailers won “Best Emerging Exporter” on the back of their targeted approach to entering the German marketplace. The jury awarded the “Best German Online Presence” to Cupprint from Ennis, Co. Clare which offers bespoke branded paper cups and winning most of their 1,000 German customers from their German language web shop.

The Irish Dairy Board received a special ‘Outstanding Achievement’ award for its outstanding performance for over 40 years in the German marketplace, becoming the number one branded butter in Germany with Kerrygold and effectively being a trailblazer for many other Irish exporters who followed.

Announcing the winners, Minister Quinn said: “Germans call the small and medium enterprises and family-owned companies which form the backbone of the German economy their “Hidden Champions”. These awards celebrate Ireland’s own “Hidden Champions” who are well on their way to becoming European or global leaders in their sectors. Success in Germany - a market which sets the highest possible standards for suppliers – is hard won and requires a truly high-quality offering. With three of the four winners coming from outside Dublin and all increasing their employment, these are success stories for the whole country to celebrate.”

Frank Ryan, CEO Enterprise Ireland added: “Enterprise Ireland clients had their strongest year ever in 2011 and indications are that 2012 will be an even stronger year. Germany has played a central role in this growth. Our clients’ exports to Germany grew by 22% in 2010 and 17% in 2011. It is a reflection of the ever increasing sophistication achieved by Irish companies that they are growing strongly in a mature market like Germany where they face competition from both local players and other highly skilled economies”.

For more information on the awards and the winning companies please visit www.enterprise-ireland.com/exporteroftheyear and http://www.german-irish.ie/.