US multinational medical technology company Stryker has been named Cork Company of the Year.
The announcement was made at the annual dinner of the business group, Cork Chamber.
The function took place at Cork City Hall.
Stryker, which employs around 4,000 people at six locations in Cork, established a base in the county in 1998. At the time it employed just 20 people.
Cork is now a manufacturing, supply chain and R&D hub for Stryker. The company also has facilities in Limerick and in Belfast.
Last August, then-taoiseach Micheál Martin officially opened a 14,500 square metre manufacturing facility at Anngrove in Carrigtwohill, east of Cork City.
The facility represents an investment of $300 million for the company. Stryker hopes to create an additional 600 jobs at the plant.
Announcing Stryker as the international and overall Company of the Year award winner, Cork Chamber President, Ronan Murray, said the company had made a huge contribution to the local economy.
"Stryker's campus in Cork is a key contributor to their innovative offering of products and services that impact over 100 million patients worldwide every year," Mr Murray said.
Stryker Vice President, Dr Bernard O'Connor, attributed the company's success in Cork to access to a strong talent pool and a commitment to lifelong learning.
"We are embedded in our community and our success is only possible with its support," Dr O'Connor said.
"This award is dedicated to all of the people who are part of the Stryker story in Ireland."
LegitFit was named Emerging Cork Company of the Year; M&P O’Sullivan won the award for SME Cork Company of the Year and Amarenco was named Large Cork Company of the Year.
The awards are in their 25th year.
