Lawrence Engineering has been named as the Overall National Small Firms Association Small Business Winner for 2026.
The awards celebrate the achievements of small businesses in Ireland and recognise the important and vital contributions of this sector to the Irish economy.
48 finalists and five "Emerging New Businesses" were selected from hundreds of applications received for the 2026 awards.
Lawrence Engineering is a family-owned precision engineering and contract manufacturing company founded in 1984 by Michael Lawrence and led since 2019 by his son James. The Co Sligo firm makes high quality injection moulds, extrusion tooling, precision components and subassemblies.
Over the past five years, the company has transformed from a mainly domestic operation into a global partner and it now serves customers across 12 international markets including the US, Costa Rica, Turkey, Spain and India.
The ten category winners are:
Manufacturing Award (sponsored by PTSB) - Hygeia, Oranmore, Co Galway
Highly Commended: K Factory Print & Embroidery, Dublin
Food and Drink Award (sponsored by Bord Bia) - Builín Blasta, An Spidéal, Co Galway
Highly Commended: Pizza da Piero, Dublin
Services (sponsored by Sage) - Company Bureau, Dublin
Outstanding Small Business Award (sponsored by Elavon) - Donna Reilly People & Wellness, Dublin
Family Business Award (sponsored by Interpath) - Dromod Boxty, Drumod, Co Leitrim
Highly Commended: Boxty House, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Innovation Award (sponsored by National Standards Authority of Ireland) - JPK Fencing, Claregalway, Co Galway
Exporter of the Year Award (sponsored by Enterprise Ireland) - Lawrence Engineering, Lavagh, Co Sligo
Sustainability Award (sponsored by Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland) - Dingle Sea Salt, Dun Chaoin, Co Kerry
Workplace Wellbeing Award (sponsored by DeCare) - 3Q Recruitment, Dublin
The Emerging New Business award, sponsored by Microfinance Ireland, is a category to encourage emerging entrepreneurs to promote and grow their business.
The winners are Biovit Technologies (Dublin), Career Navigator (Dublin), Ealu (Co Wicklow), Four Acre Foods (Co Meath) and Irish Camper Goods (Galway City)
SFA Director David Broderick said the awards honour the work, tenacity, courage and sacrifices that small business owners make, which are often forgotten.
"All the award finalists are all here because they deserve recognition as business leaders and also as the often-unsung heroes of our communities," he added.
