Companies compete in international arena

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR: The International Entrepreneur of the Year nominees reflect a growingconfidence among Irish business people, writes Laura Slattery

Damian Fannin and Jerry Hughes, joint managing directors, Inflight Audio

In 1984, Mr Damian Fannin and Mr Jerry Hughes founded Inflight Audio, a privately-owned Irish company dedicated to the production, sourcing and management of inflight entertainment products for a range of international carriers.

Mr Fannin and Mr Hughes initially produced inflight videos before moving on to audio production, forming technical partnerships with Boeing and Airbus suppliers Rockwell and Matsushita.

The Dublin-based company is now a market leader in its sector, serving 62 airlines and employing 16 full-time staff.

Turnover in the year to April 2002 was €2.48 million.

Angela Kennedy, business director, Megazyme International

Ms Angela Kennedy founded Megazyme with Dr Barry McCleary in Australia in 1989. The food technology company pioneered new testing methods for industries including malting and brewing, milling and starch, baking, animal feed, textiles, detergents and the leather industry.

Megazyme's customer base includes Kelloggs, Weetabix, Guinness, Anheuser Busch and a number of university departments and government institutions. The company exports 97 per cent of its products to more than 45 countries and has a minimum expected growth rate in revenues of 20 per cent per annum over the next five years. Turnover for 2001 was €1.8 million.

Brian McCarthy, chief executive, Fexco

Mr Brian McCarthy founded Fexco in 1981 as a bureau de change franchise, and since then the company has moved into making VAT refunds to tourists and processing prize bonds.

The business expanded into the UK and France, and Western Union agencies for Ireland, the UK, Spain and Malta were acquired by 1994. Bank of Scotland bought 50 per cent of Fexco UK in 1996.

Fexco has moved into tourist reservation services for Ireland and credit card processing for international cardholders. It now employs more than 900 people. Total revenue for 2001-2002 was €87 million and expansion over the next five years will be in the international payments side of the business.

Cathal McGloin, chief executive, Performix Technologies

Mr Cathal McGloin and Mr Ray McGloin founded Performix Technologies in September in 1998. They developed the Emvolve Performance Manager, a software solution designed to improve employee productivity and performance in the contact centre industry. Emvolve, which provides online performance results to both management and employees, has been deployed across Europe and the US. Current customers include AOL Europe, Eircom, Conduit plc, O2, euroConex and VHI. Performix Technologies employs 120 people and revenues in 2001 reached €11 million. The company intends to develop performance solutions that can be used outside of the contact centre industry.

Jonny Parkes, managing director, Electric Paper

Mr Jonny Parkes has driven the business development of e-learning company Electric Paper since becoming its managing director in 1999, overseeing a 600 per cent revenue growth between 1999 and 2001.

The self-funded, profit-making company provides assessment, training and testing products for certifications. Its Everyday Computing product line serves the basic "digital literacy" market and the company has also developed e-learning solutions for particular demographics such as children and senior citizens.

Electric Paper is recognised as a market leader in its niche in Ireland, the UK and Australia and is developing its business in North America, the Middle East and Asia. The company employs more than 80 people.

Peter Sherry, operations director, Macalla Software

Mr Peter Sherry, Mr Bryan Maybury and Mr Niall Ó'Cléirigh founded Macalla Software, a provider of mobile e-commerce platforms and solutions, in 1998. Macalla is now an established global player with offices in Dublin, London, Madrid, Rotterdam, New York and Frankfurt. It has recorded an average growth of 1000 per cent year on year since its inception and Macalla believes this is set to continue. The Macalla Mobile e-Commerce Platform is used to underpin Europe's largest e-commerce deployment supporting over 500,000 users with ING/Postbank and Telfort (mmo2) in the Netherlands.

The company employs 60 people and has raised more than €11 million in two rounds of funding.

Terence Monaghan, chief executive, Betatherm Sensors

In 1998, Mr Terence Monaghan, chief executive for the Betatherm Group, successfully led a management buyout of the total group companies. Since the MBO, Mr Monaghan researched competitors and transformed the company's sales methods. The company was valued at $17.6 million in 2001. Betatherm manufactures precision NTC thermistors in Ireland, the US and Barbados and has a joint venture manufacturing agreement in Poland. NTC thermistors are temperature sensors used in the aerospace, medical, instrumentation, communications and refrigeration markets.The Betatherm Group now consists of three operating companies with 250 employees. Its headquarters are in Galway, where all research and development is carried out.

Frank Salmon, managing director, CMS Peripherals

Mr Frank Salmon formed CMS Peripherals (UK) in 1988 and established CMS Peripherals (Ireland) in 1992.

The company is a leading distributor of data storage solutions and now has around 1,500 customers in the UK and approximately 200 in Ireland, including CARA, Siemens, Xnet, PC Pro and Compustore. It is the appointed distributor for technology companies like Veritas, HP, CA and StorageTek.

CMS employs 110 people in the UK and 55 people in Ireland and is aiming for 25 per cent annual growth.

It says the growth will come from increased product offering, more customers, increased sales personnel and growth in the data storage market.