Two New Enterprise Centres!
E Millstreet and E Bantry to Support Local Businesses
On the 23rd of January, the County Mayor, Cllr. Barbara Murray opened two new enterprise centres in County Cork – the E Millstreet Enterprise Centre and the E Bantry Enterprise Centre.
Speaking at the events she said ‘I am delighted to be here to celebrate with you. These wonderful business facilities are something new and something to be celebrated. Watch this space folks, there are E Centres popping up all over the place!’
The two new facilities come about as part of Cork County Council’s Economic Development Fund. The initiative works with local communities in towns and villages all over Cork County to provide facilities for local people to start and grow their business.
Speaking of the initiative, Ger Power, Head of Finance and Economic Development for Cork County Council says ‘Cork County Council took a brave decision to make funds available for these initiatives. Projects like this don’t start and or not sustained without partnerships and we are delighted with the support that has been received from the Enterprise Boards, IRD Duhallow, the Millstreet Development Association, O’Keeffe’s Supervalu Millstreet, Alps Electric and the Bantry Business Association’.
The new facilities have hot desks, training/meeting rooms and break-out facilities. The Centres have access 24/7, are furnished to a high standard, have broadband, direct-dial telephones, a break-out area and comfortable meeting facilities. It has everything a business would require without any of the hassle of setting up an office or taking out a long term lease. Hot Desks are generally rented out on a month-to-month basis and there is also a flexi-desk option available for those who would like to use the centre for just a day or a half day. The big advantage of the centre is that businesses will meet peers in a similar situation, establish and develop supportive contacts with them and the state enterprise bodies.
The County Manager Martin Riordan also spoke at both events and thanked all those involved who worked very hard to make the two projects a success. He said the facilities provided a low cost, high quality facility and encouraged local businesses to start and grow their business in the supportive environment being established.’
Ideal clients for the new centres include those who are starting or growing a business, those who wish to use a smaller office space due to the need for downsizing or those who are working remotely from head office and do not wish to work from home. The Centre will also be open to those who wish to book meeting space for training or other meetings.
The Chairman of West Cork Enterprise Board Michael Hennerbry said in his speech that ‘This E Centre is for the local community and surrounding hinterland and we encourage people to use it to the fullest and to support it. The Enterprise Board organises a wide variety of training courses and we would hope that these spaces will be a training space for businesses. Programmes offered in the locality can be viewed on www.wceb.ie and www.nceb.ie.
Speaking at the Bantry event, the Chairman of the Bantry Business Association said that ‘it was great to be involved in something that brings good news to Bantry and that he was delighted to have the Town Mayor, the Mayor of the County and the County Manager at the event. He said he looked forward to growing the ongoing relationship the Association has with Cork County Council.’
In Millstreet, Tony McCaul, Chairman of the Millstreet Development Group gave the large attendance ‘a warm welcome and sincerely thanked the County Council for funding the E Centre and said without their backing it would never have got off the ground’.
Cllr. Gerard Murphy who is Chairman of the Economic Development Strategic Policy Committee also spoke at both events and said that ‘the participation of the local community is of the utmost importance. He said that Cork County Council are getting more and more involved with Economic Development with 1% of the rate base being contributed to continue the development of these and a lot of other initiatives.’
The E Millstreet Centre and the E Bantry Centre join a network of centres in Cork including Charleville, Macroom and Fermoy.
Project manager Maeve Bowen said ‘If you are in business, we would be delighted to meet you and show you the new facilities and also if you are a community/business group who wish to start an enterprise centre locally, please don’t hesitate to contact me for further information on the funding and assistance available’.