Mayo firm wins national innovation award for manufacturing and design
Mayo company PEL Waste Reduction Equipment has won the Manufacturing and Design Award at The Irish Times Innovation Awards 2019.
The Balla-based company won the award for ‘BriteBin’, its innovative solar-powered compacting litter bin which has up to ten times the volume of a standard street bin.
‘BriteBin’ also offers real time monitoring which enables operators to focus their litter collection resources on only those bins which are full, while it cuts down dramatically on street litter and nuisance from seagulls and other wildlife.
Company CEO and Founder Tommy Griffith said the company was delighted to be recognised as one of the leading innovators in the sector.
“Our aim is to be the best at what we do and to have our solar powered Internet of Things litter bin recognised in this way is a validation of all the hard work put in by the team.
"The Irish Times Innovation Award verifies the pending expansion of the business.
“We have ambitious plans for the future with our move to a larger manufacturing plant in 2020 the first step in growing PEL Waste Reduction Equipment into a major influencer in the domestic and international waste reduction markets going forward.”
The company has 23 staff at present but plans to double that over the next 36 months. In addition, it has about 40 to 50 indirect employees.
The awards, which are now in their tenth year, were presented at a ceremony attended by over 200 people at the RDS, in Dublin. As a category award winner PEL will receive a communications package worth €10,000.
Galway and Mayo based companies were very well represented in this year’s Awards, particularly in the Manufacturing and Design Category.
PEL was up against Westport based Showergem, which was nominated for developing a shower caddy which can be attached to tiles using a transparent glue designed for wet environments and Chameleon Colour Systems from Tuam.
It was a great occasion for the west overall with companies from Mayo, Galway and Limerick claiming four of the five category awards which were on offer.