Ireland’s Best Managed Companies for 2023 revealed

Deloitte Best Managed Companies Award winners 2023 have combined turnover of €17bn and export sales of €3bn and employ more than 53,000 people nationwide.

Eight new businesses have been awarded Ireland’s Best Managed Companies accolade at the 15th annual awards programme, led by Deloitte in association with Bank of Ireland.

This year, Deloitte recognised 130 indigenous companies at the awards representing 24 of the 32 counties across the island of Ireland. 

The network of companies has a combined turnover of €17bn and €3bn worth of exports sales, providing employment for over 53,000 people across Ireland across a range of sectors – from manufacturing and tech to construction and food and beverage.

Strengthening governance

A detailed judging process precedes the recognition, evaluating the entire management team and business strategy. The judges look beyond financial performance at areas such as a company’s environmental, social and governance standards, strategic planning and talent strategy, when awarding Ireland’s top privately owned businesses.

In addition to the Best Managed Company Award, there are several other award categories with the Family Business Award going to Cork-based food wholesaler and foodservice company Musgrave Group. 

“This year we’re celebrating 15 years of the BMC programme and the incredible companies that have qualified,” said Brian Murphy, lead partner for Ireland’s Best Managed Companies Awards Programme at Deloitte.

“Even though this year’s cohort faced into another challenging period, over the past 15 years we’ve seen how indigenous Irish businesses find opportunities in change. Strengthening governance and recognising the value of specialist expert advice on critical areas such as ESG were key discussion points in the coaching sessions. We also saw companies increasingly focused on innovation driving internationalisation. Despite the uncertainties of the past few years, the confidence of Irish businesses is clear as more and more are scaling their market reach internationally.”

Resilience at their core

Stephanie Leonard, CEO, Kyte Powertech and Brian Murphy, Partner and Best Managed Companies Lead, Deloitte Ireland. Picture: Jason Clarke

The eight newly qualified companies are: APC Ltd (Dublin), Codex (Dublin), JJ Rhatigan & Company (Galway), Kyte Powertech (Cavan), Lowe Corporation (Antrim), Mail Metrics (Dublin), Production Equipment Europe (Galway), and Topflight Travel Group (Dublin).

“Despite challenging headwinds and uncertainty, the Irish economy continues to perform remarkably well and the contribution that these companies make cannot be understated — providing employment to over 53,000 individuals and contributing €3bn to our export sales,” said Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath.

“The businesses showcased here are emblematic of the resilience of our people and the underlying strength of our economic fundamentals.”

There were also 112 companies that requalified as a Best Managed Company, five companies achieved Gold Standard, and five companies were awarded Platinum Standard. 

“Bank of Ireland is delighted to be the Lead Sponsor of the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards for the sixth consecutive year,” said Nikki Canavan, senior director and head of Origination & sustainability at Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking.

“Once again this year our judging team has been extremely impressed by the resilience and flexibility displayed by businesses who have successfully navigated the choppy waters of the Irish commercial landscape. These businesses have also integrated sustainable practices into their everyday operations, embracing new challenges and deploying targeted resources as their business models evolve. I want to congratulate every one of this year’s winners, especially the 8 new first-time winners, and wish them sustained success into the future.”

The members of this year’s judging panel were: Frank Ryan (Chair of Judging Panel) and current Chairman of the Board of IDA Ireland; Nikki Canavan, Senior Director at Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking; Feargal Mooney, Non- Executive Director and former CEO of Hostelworld Group; Sarah Murphy, CEO, Business Post; Colm Foster, Director of Executive Education at the Irish Management Institute; Ellvena Graham OBE, Chairman and Non-Executive Director, Ellvena is Chair of the Belfast Waterfront, ICC & Ulster Hall, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Group (EAG) in Northern Ireland, member of Senate & Senior Independent Governor of Queen’s University, Non Executive Director Dale Farm, and Chairman Catalyst; Lionel Alexander, Chairman Intact Software, Board Member Fine Grain Property, Board Member at St. James’s Hospital Dublin and Chairman Advanced Manufacturing Centre Ireland.

2023 winners

The 9 first-time winners are:

The Gold Standard winners are:

The Platinum Standard winners are:

The Requalifier winners are:

Main image at top: Brian Murphy, Partner and Best Managed Companies Lead, Deloitte Ireland with Patrick Murphy, CEO, Codex. Picture: Jason Clarke