Minister Higgins Visits Ace Enterprise Park, Celebrating 230 Local Jobs

On Friday, 19th July, Ace Enterprise Park held a Townhall Q&A with Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Employment, and Retail, Emer Higgins TD.

Ace Enterprise Park has a 30-year history in the community and now supports 70 businesses and nearly 230 jobs. This fantastic event brought together almost 30 local businesses and entrepreneurs, offering a chance to network and share their business journeys.

Organised in conjunction with the Local Enterprise Office (LEO), the event heard from Lisa Rowntree, CEO of Ace Enterprise Park and Tom Rooney, Head of Enterprise at LEO South Dublin. Minister Higgins was the guest speaker, providing valuable insights into the steps and measures government are taking to support local businesses.

The event included a walkabout tour of the premises, showcasing the diverse range of businesses housed at Ace Enterprise Park, from food production to technology to health and wellness and various other industries.

Minister Higgins said, “Ace Enterprise Park plays an enormous role in the local economy, providing essential supports for those looking to enter the business world but who don’t want to go it alone. The track record of Ace Enterprise Park is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team here, led by Lisa Rowntree, CEO. Supported by Tom Rooney and his team at the Local Enterprise Office, Ace Enterprise Park plays a significant role in driving forward the local economy”.

“As Minister of State for Business, Employment, and Retail, I see firsthand the vital role the LEO’s play in our country’s ecosystem, providing services to SMEs, promoting entrepreneurship, and supporting fantastic ideas across towns and villages.”

Lisa Rowntree, CEO of Ace Enterprise Park said "Ace Enterprise Park is incredibly grateful for the unwavering support and dedicated time from Minister Emer Higgins over the years. Her commitment to our thriving business park, which is home to nearly 70 startups and scale-ups, is pivotal to the future of innovation in Ireland.

We deeply admire Minister Higgins' authentic understanding of the challenges faced by SMEs today and her diligent efforts to address and minimise these obstacles. Her constant willingness to listen and learn is commendable, and being part of this engagement with her on Friday was invaluable for both Ace Members and Staff. Ace Enterprise Park looks forward to the opportunity to host future networking events, bringing together the decision-makers of Enterprise Ireland to further foster collaboration and growth”.

“Earlier this year, alongside Minister Peter Burke, I was delighted to launch the 15-point business plan to support businesses. This plan details a range of supports available to businesses, and more recently, I was pleased to launch the National Enterprise Hub, which serves as a single source for all government supports for businesses” Higgins concluded.

Among the businesses in attendance, Yang Tong of My Cloud PA (IT Solutions Company) said "Thank you for organising and inviting us to join such a wonderful event. The Minister's visit and the food tasting were indeed a huge success, and I thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was a great opportunity to connect with others and foster collaboration within our community. I look forward to future events and would love to contribute any ideas."

Ruth Joly of Grásome (Gluten-Free Desserts) continued, "it was brilliant and delighted to be part of it. So fabulous to meet my neighbours [at Ace] and sample all the treats. All so so good; we are surrounded by greatness! It was a very inspiring experience and just so great to be a part of it so thank you. 

Caroline Power, Programme Manager for Dublin Regional Enterprise Plan concluded by stating "It was an excellent event to showcase all the SME’s in ACE Enterprise Park. It is a fantastic business environment and I love your model for scaling SME’s."