INDUSTRY CATEGORY:THE FOUNDER of telecoms group Digiweb has been named winner of the industry category of the Ernst Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Colm Piercy established the telecoms and broadband firm, which operates in Ireland, the UK and Belgium, in 1997.
“It has been 15 years since I set up Digiweb. I couldn’t have imagined then that today Digiweb would be the largest independent telecoms company and I’d be here accepting this award,” Mr Piercy told the crowd.
Mr Percy told The Irish Times the judging panel comprised former winners “and top-notch business leaders, so it’s great to be recognised by them”.
Digiweb supports just under 100,000 enterprise, home, wholesale and public sector clients, and employs 148 people between its Dublin, Dundalk and London centres.
Mr Piercy said the company injected about €8.5 million in wages into the local economy, and a further €7 million in taxes to the national economy. Its turnover was €40 million in 2011, with operating profits of €8 million.
The company was initially focused on web-hosting but in the 15 years since its inception it has developed into a major independent telecoms player. A number of strategic acquisitions have been key. These include the purchase of TalkTalk, Smart Telecom, Internet Ireland and Novara, which has resulted in the successful repatriation of 40 previously outsourced jobs from Belgium and the UK.
Frank O’Keeffe of Ernst Young said: “Digiweb has grown from its original incarnation as a web-hosting business to an international enterprise that is today a major provider of converged telecoms, managed networks, and web-hosting services to over 100,000 business, residential, wholesale and public sector customers, employing almost 150 people between its Dublin, Dundalk and London centres.”
Mr Piercy faced competition from seven other companies for the award.
Other shortlisted candidates were Michael Barry of Barry Fitzwilliam, Stuart and Russell Dickson of Decora Blind Systems, Denis Lynn of Finnebrogue, Ray Breen of Keltech, Brian McErlain of Genesis Crafty, John Tuohy and David Field of Nightline Logistics Group and John McCann of Willowbrook Foods.
