A LEADING business support forum has said it is committed to supporting the SME sector in the region. Plato Mid West, the business support forum for owner managers of SMEs in the Mid West Region announced the commencement of its new Programmes for 2009 to 2011 to interested companies from the region’s SME sector at a series of recent seminars in Limerick and Ennis.
Attendees at the recent seminars heard from Plato Mid West member companies including Richardsons Foods in Old Clare St, Limerick who shared their experience of the Plato Network. Group Leaders from Mid West based large parent companies including Aughinish Alumina, Filtertek and Loyalty Build highlighted their role as facilitators and mentors, a feature unique to the Plato Network.
Details were also released that the new support programmes will commence at the end of August with introductory training sessions but will begin formally in September, running until June 2011.
Aileen O’Connell, Plant Manager at Aughinish Alumina and Group Leader with Plato Midwest in Limerick for the past two years said, “What we do as Plato Group Leaders is facilitate the members to set goals and identify what they need in terms of training and support whether it’s in Sales & Marketing, Finance or another business discipline. We then direct this and assist companies in achieving those goals. Plato works really well as an informal, participative, noncompetitive forum. It is important to remember that as with anything, companies get out as much as they put in and as long as the meetings are action orientated, a lot can be achieved.”
The Plato Network has been operating in Ireland since 1993, has over 1500 member companies and is part of a European wide network of over 10,000 SMEs and 500 parent companies. Membership of the Plato Network is open to companies in all areas of commercial activity where access to the wider Plato Ireland Network and also the dynamic European Plato Network across 11 countries.
In a bid to recruit new members, Eoin Tynan-O’Mahony, Regional Manager for Plato Mid West spoke to companies about the benefits of the Plato Network to small business including, Facilitated Peer Group Learning, specialist expertise and advice, unique partnership with large parent companies, networking and training.
Commenting on the forthcoming new Programmes due to commence in August / September, Tynan-O’Mahony said, “There will be a Plato Advanced Programme for existing members and new members will be offered the Plato Programme. The Advanced Programme will take goal setting a step further for members. We also look forward to expanding the number of parent companies acting as Group Leaders to include the likes of Microsoft who have expressed an interest in getting involved in the Mid West. Plato in the Mid West has been highly successful to date and 98% of Plato Ireland members have said they would recommend it as a forum for small business to develop and grow. The introductory training sessions in August are also open to new members who didn’t make it to our recent seminars.”
Eamon Ryan, CEO of Limerick City Enterprise Board commented, “We are delighted to approve the continuation of the Plato Mid West Programme for 2009 to 2011. We look forward to welcoming new companies into the group and working with all member companies going forward to support and mentor the development of the SME sector in the Mid West.”
Plato Mid West plans to expand into North Kerry and West Tipperary in 2009 and companies from these areas are invited to join Plato Mid West in its next programme of activity.
For information on the introductory training sessions see the Plato website, www.plato.ie/midwest. To receive further information on Plato Mid West, please contact Eoin Tynan O’Mahony at 086 303 5664 or email [email protected].
