Portwest’s success story will feature in TV series

SUCCESS STORY Westport businessperson Harry Hughes. Pic: Richie Stokes


Áine Ryan

THE meteoric success of Westport company Portwest Ltd will be explained when its managing director, Harry Hughes, features on tonight’s edition of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year TV series on TV3’s be3. Portwest is a finalist in the show’s ‘International’ category.
Hughes is one of a line-up 24 of Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs, which includes Castlebar native, Niall McGarry of Maximum Media, better known to the public as JOE.ie. Mr McGarry, whose company is shortlised in the ‘Emerging’ category, appeared on the opening show last Monday night, while Harry Hughes will tell his family’s success story in the next edition.
Speaking to The Mayo News, Mr Hughes said: “This is a recognition by EY of the development of Portwest as a leading player in the global safety industry. It is also a recognition of the contribution of all our staff both in Westport and around the world.”
He explained there are two key benefits to the accolade: participation in the annual week-long CEO retreat and access to the network of EY alumni companies.  “This year we visited San Francisco and attended lectures in Stanford University, Singularity University and a number of world leading digital companies as part of the retreat,” he said.

‘Inspirational stories’ 
THE EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) TV series profiles entrepreneurs who have ‘overcome adversity through innovation and creativity, to create world-leading businesses which are revolutionising technology, education, health, agriculture and more’. It explores the lives of the people behind these businesses and the inspirational stories in their journey to success.
Through the lens of 24 of Ireland’s most successful entrepreneurs spanning across Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster, the six-part television series will explore how and why Irish entrepreneurs are succeeding in 2017 and look back at how entrepreneurship has changed over the last 20 years. Each episode tells the stories behind the people who are setting up new businesses, who are taking chances and who are creating jobs in towns and cities around Ireland and the world.
Now in its 20th year, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year has three categories: Emerging, Industry and International.

MORE www.eoy.ie.