Three businesses from Donegal are among those from throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe exhibiting at the 2016 Auto Trade EXPO in Citywest in Dublin next weekend (October 22 and 23). This is the third year in-a-row that the Auto Trade EXPO has taken place and it has grown in size and visitor numbers year-on-year.
JBM Tools/Sweeney Motor Factors Falcarragh, One Stop Motorshop Letterkenny and Ulster Tyres Letterkenny will be showcasing their wares over a busy two days. The event attracted 5,000 visitors last year.
From this year on, the Auto Trade EXPO will be a biennial exhibition (taking place next in 2018), so a very large attendance is expected for the largest ever auto trade exhibition every held in Ireland.
Coinciding with the EXPO are the prestigious Irish Auto Trade Awards 2017, taking place in Citywest Hotel on Saturday, 22nd of October. The awards are a celebration of excellence in the Irish auto trade in Ireland, a sector that accounts for over 35,000 jobs. Kellys of Letterkenny are nominated for Trade Parts Main Dealer of the Year, while JBM Tools/Sweeney Motor Factors in Falcarragh are up for Hand Tools Manufacturer Of The Year. Ulster Tyres Letterkenny are shortlisted for Tyre Distributor Of The Year, with Irish Garage Equipment in Buncrana hoping for the Workshop Tools & Equipment Supplier Of The Year award.
Retail auto businesses undergo a rigorous selection process that includes phone and personal mystery shops before being finally adjudicated on. Manufacturer and distributor companies were shortlisted based on votes received by readers of Irish Auto Trade Journal earlier this year.
According to organiser, Padraic Deane, of Automotive Publications, the Irish Auto Trade Awards are a timely recognition of excellence in a sector that is too often overlooked. “The aftermarket provides employment in every town in Ireland and is made up in the main of independent local small and medium sized businesses. The Auto Trade Awards are about acknowledging these unsung heroes, who have shown great resilience throughout a testing economic period and who - through hard work, innovation and a commitment to high standards, have now bounced back stronger than ever.”