West Enterprise Case Studies

‘Brian was a broadcast engineer with the BBC and we relocated to Sligo from London in 1992. We saw an opportunity to bring the skills we had to a new market. Brian’s BBC broadcast engineering experience and Odilon’s administrative skills, combined to provide  people organising conference and events with technical expertise and equipment, under AVA Audio Visual. AVA Acoustics provides specialist acoustic monitoring and consultancy services, designing solutions to deal with noise across a wide range of sectors.

“There has been significant investment in the region over the past 15 years.  The current economic climate is challenging but we have firm foundations and are ready to meet the challenges head on”, says Odilon.

“Our clients include multi national companies, SMEs, financial institutions, Government departments, hotels, professional bodies, arts centres and community groups.  While we understand the benefits that advanced technology brings, we recognise that the most important element of service is the human factor driving it” adds Brian.

AVA Systems invests in staff training and development and has won National awards which demonstrate this commitment.  Technical qualifications are important in their business, and, with 7 employees, ongoing training is a key issue for the company. International suppliers have been happy to travel to Sligo to provide in-house training to AVA staff.   AVA works closely with St. Angela’s College and IT Sligo which provide excellent educational and research facilities. They have also received assistance from FÁS over the years.

Sligo County Enterprise Board has been hugely helpful to the company.  “Sligo CEB provides excellent support to small businesses in the county.  We initially got a feasibility grant and have had ongoing support from them in terms of grants, loans, training and mentoring.  They have a very dynamic ‘Women in Business Network (SWIBN)’ which I find very helpful and it provides a forum for networking, discussion and training with links throughout the country” says Odilon.

AVA benefits from the proximity of Sligo Airport and Knock Airport, which not only facilitates them in travelling to meet clients, but increases the number of conferences and events held in the area, leading to more business for the company.  In terms of local infrastructure, improved road and rail access is very welcome.  Broadband is widely available but could be improved, with better or faster speeds needed.

According to the Hunts, there is ‘no shortage’ of leisure amenities in Sligo with lots of clubs and social activities.  Staff benefit from lower living costs, cheaper house prices, less commuting time and more time with their families.  They believe the development of better facilities has encouraged more people to locate in Sligo.

Brian says “Young people raised in the West often want to see the world and traditionally stayed away a long time.  Now, when they’ve got their skills and education, young people find the standard of living here preferable to that of large cities.  It’s very encouraging to see a number of new businesses setting up in the past few years by people returning to the region.’

Brian and Odilon would definitely recommend Sligo to others.  Having had no family connections with the county when they first moved here, they have worked hard to grow and develop the successful business they have today.  They believe that AVA Systems can and will grow from strength to strength, even in challenging times.