Applegreen, an Irish motorway service company, has won the prestigious 'Star of 2016' honour at the European Small & Mid Cap Awards.
It beat out rival companies from Kainos Group plc, based in Northern Ireland, and Spain's Inclam Group plc to snatch up the award in Brussels on Friday.
In receiving the award, Applegreens is acknowledged for its corporate citizenship and performance among many newly-listed mid-cap companies across Europe.
The winning criteria demanded a company with strong leadership, which excels in several broad areas, has obvious growth potential, as well as effective management that makes good use of the proceeds of flotation.
An independent jury selected by the European Commission created a shortlist of three companies per category. There were four categories in the 2016 Awards – International Star, Rising Star, Star of Innovation and Star of 2016, with three companies shortlisted in each category
The awards are an initiative of the European Commission, the Federation of European Securities Exchanges and EuropeanIssuers, and aim to encourage SMEs to access capital markets via initial public offerings (IPOs).
Applegreen’s CEO, Bob Etchingham, accepted the award on behalf of the company and said, "Listing on the Irish Stock Exchange has been a hugely positive experience for Applegreen. Our IPO in June 2015 enabled us to raise funds which we have used to expand in Ireland, the UK and the USA. Our listing has increased our profile and importantly, diversified our shareholder base internationally."
Applegreen, which is also expanding its presence as a petrol forecourt retailer in the UK and has 11 sites in the US, reached €70 million on its IPO on the Irish Stock Exchange in June 2015.
