No Waste of Opportunity for Business in Cork – SMILE Event, 24 November.

10th November 2010

A unique networking and business matching event will take place in Cork on 24th November and will provide excellent opportunities to businesses in the Region to save costs and manage their waste more effectively.

The SMILE event is about Saving Money through Industry Links and Exchanges. It offers companies the opportunity to network with fellow businesses and, through a facilitated event, identify ways in which they can work together to better manage their waste streams and their costs.
This event, which is free for businesses to attend, is supported by Cork City and County Councils, the EPA, Cork County and City Enterprise Board and Macroom-e. It will take place at 8:45am in the Fitzgerald Vienna Woods Hotel on Wednesday, 24 November.

Businesses attending this event will benefit enormously from facilitated networking and waste-matching. Case studies from regional businesses will explain how they have significantly reduced waste costs and diverted products from landfill, while other businesses will show how they have created a successful business model through working with partners where synergies have been identified.

Paschal Buckley, Macroom Motors will describe how he has made significant savings by managing his waste, and collaborating with partner businesses. Sean Sheehan, Wisetek Solutions will explain how his company has developed its business through the management of other companies’ waste products.

“Wisetek Solutions provide Manufacturing services, including Reverse Logistics and Asset Value Recovery to the Electronics Industry. We work with companies in managing their by-products or waste products both in Ireland and globally. This provides enormous savings for our clients, in terms of both financial and human resources, but also it relieves the burden of managing their waste stream and WEEE compliance. We manage their “waste” products effectively and transparently and have created a viable, innovative and successful business model for Wisetek Solutions for now and in the future.”

Wisetek Solutions was recognised as ‘Emerging Cork Company of the Year’ by Cork Chamber in 2010, and has grown from strength to strength since it was established as a reverse logistics firm in 2006.

Michelle Green, Project Manager of SMILE at Macroom-e, has also seen how businesses can benefit from this programme. “This model of industrial symbiosis has been very successful internationally where it has been in operation for a number of years already. Thanks to our sponsors and supporters, the Cork programme is the first of its kind in Ireland, and promises to bring rewards for business participants engaging in the event on Wednesday, 24 November in Cork”.

“This event is timely for businesses in the Region – it’s about working together, building viable partnerships and reducing costs for all parties. The Enterprise Boards are delighted to be involved with this event, and we look forward to seeing very positive commercial results following this SMILE event in Cork”, said Sean O’Sullivan, South Cork Enterprise Board.

“The EPA are pleased to support the SMILE programme which will enable businesses to identify valuable resources which otherwise might go to waste. This process will not only result in cost savings for each business involved but makes sound environmental sense as well”, states Dr. Gerry Byrne, Programme Manager, National Waste Prevention Programme, EPA.

If you would like to attend this event, please contact Michelle Green on 026.20520 or email mgreen@macroom-e.com for more information.

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