Stryker named Cork Company of the Year
Cork Chamber announced Stryker as the Overall and International Cork Company of the Year 2023. At the Cork Chamber annual dinner held at City Hall is Ronan Murray, Cork Chamber president; Sinéad Scully, head of large business, Vodafone Ireland; Bernard O’Connor, VP advanced operations and global additive technologies, Stryker; Laura Healy, senior director HR, Stryker; John Crowley, VP global technology officer GQO, Stryker; John Meany, VP manufacturing, and Conor Healy, Cork Chamber CEO. Picture: Darragh Kane
Medical technology firm Stryker was named overall Cork Company of the Year winner at the 25th Cork Chamber annual dinner held in City Hall on Friday night.
The US firm which first opened in Cork in 1998 has expanded significantly to operate across six sites today employing more than 4,000 people. It produces a range of orthopaedic medical devices along with lifesaving products for the treatment of brain aneurysms and strokes.
The award, in association with Vodafone and the , recognises the diversity and vibrancy of the Cork business community. Previous winners include Carbery, Irish Distillers, and Ely Lilly.
At the same awards, there were four category winners. Gym management firm LegitFit was named best-emerging company, wholesale food supplier M&P O'Sullivan was named SME company of the year, renewable energy development firm Amarenco was the next large company of the year while Stryker also won the international company of the year category.
Brian O'Sullivan, CEO of Zeus Packaging, delivered the keynote speech on the night.
Speaking at the awards, Ronan Murray, Cork Chamber president, said the calibre of applicants was phenomenal.
"It is clear that each has had a unique journey filled with ambition, vision, and hard work, and I wish each winner every success as they continue to grow," he said.
"Our overall winner. Stryker's campus in Cork is a key contributor to their innovative offering of products and services that impact over 100m patients worldwide every year. Not only have they grown their product portfolio to become one of the world's leading medical technology companies, but they have also contributed hugely to the Cork economy. They recently invested $300m in their Carrigtwohill facility, creating capacity for an additional 600 new jobs."
Bernard O'Connor, vice president at Stryker, said the award is a testament to the drive and dedication of their teams.
"Stryker's story in Cork began with 20 people in 1998, 25 years later we now employ over 4,000 people across six sites. We are proud of our success.
"Stryker benefits from the talent pool in Cork and works closely with our education and business partners to drive a programme of lifelong learning."
In his address, Mr Murray said Cork is on the cusp of fulfilling its true potential by being a cradle of innovation but said it needs to constantly innovate to stay ahead in a rapidly changing global environment.
"In the world we now live in, the pace of change is increasing. Technology and geopolitics are reshaping the global economy, the Irish economy, and indeed our own city.
"In this new environment we have shown an outstanding ability to adapt and succeed, but to continue to do so, we must constantly innovate and continue to challenge ourselves."
He pointed to Zeus Packaging as an example of successful homegrown firms.
“While foreign direct investment is so important to our country, so too are the private indigenous small, medium, and large companies that are the lifeblood of our economy. We, therefore, need to ensure we always have the right structures in place to encourage and support these companies.
