Cygnum Timber Frame claims top honour at Operational Excellence Awards 2025

Cygnum Timber Frame, one of Ireland’s leading off-site manufacturing companies, has been honoured with the overall operational excellence award at the fifth annual Operational Excellence Awards, held at the Crowne Plaza in Santry, Dublin.

The prestigious ceremony, hosted by Eric Lalor, brought together 193 industry professionals to celebrate outstanding achievements in operational excellence and business transformation. A total of 21 trophies were awarded across various categories, recognising excellence among 120 competition entries.

Established in 1997 Cygnum designs and manufactures timber frame structures including homes, hotels, apartment blocks, care homes and schools.

On receiving the overall operational excellence award, finance director John O’Callaghan commented: “We’re absolutely delighted. We came here without too many expectations, particularly when we saw the calibre of companies we were up against. They’re incredible businesses that have been multiple winners over the years, so to come out winning has been amazing.”

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Mark Keeley, key account manager, said Kärcher Ireland proudly supports the awards, as they celebrate innovation, efficiency and leadership within the industry. “Furthermore, this event provides a valuable opportunity for us to connect and network with key individuals and organisations, including fellow sponsors and suppliers, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing,” he added.

Eric Doyle, managing director at ISS Ireland, the event’s other gold sponsor, commented: “ISS has been a proud sponsor of the Operational Excellence Awards for many years, as they continue to highlight the businesses striving for excellence in Ireland. These awards reflect our commitment to excellence and allow us to share our values with like-minded organisations.”

Judging coordinator Brian Coll noted that entering the awards is a valuable opportunity for organisations to showcase their commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence. “Participating not only enhances your organisation’s reputation but also inspires others in the industry on their Lean & OpEx journey,” he explained.

The ATU Sligo academic said the introduction of Digital Transformation and AI award categories in 2025 reflects the evolving landscape of operational excellence. He went on to detail the relationship between traditional methodologies and emerging technologies.

“The operational excellence (OpEx) and lean methodologies are critical in optimising processes by eliminating non-value-added activities, reducing delays and enhancing overall workflow efficiency,” he said.

According to Coll, there was a logical progression in implementing these improvements. “Following a lean and OpEx transformation, processes are then ready for the integration of digital tools and AI, facilitating the automation of repetitive tasks and ensuring a streamlined operational flow.”

Liam O’Brien, owner of Doolin Ferry, said his company’s award highlights the commitment across Ireland’s tourism sector to delivering world-class experiences. “It’s a credit to the hardworking teams behind the scenes who consistently raise the bar for visitors at home and abroad,” he stated.

WuXi Biologics won the award in the life sciences category. Karl Keogh, operational excellence lead, praised the awards event for celebrating innovation, dedication and teamwork in a fantastic atmosphere. “It was a proud moment for our team to be part of such excellence,” he remarked.

Willie Murphy, operations manager of Aurivo, was presented with the leader award. Based in Sligo, Aurivo had turnover of €725 million in 2024, and activity spans dairy ingredients, consumer foods, nutrition, retail and lifestyle stores, animal nutrition and livestock marts.

Winners of the Operational Excellence Awards 2025

Murphy remarked that teamwork in conjunction with leadership is a driving force in operational excellence. “I could see that from talking to the other awards entrants, and it was great to see that they’ve been rewarded for their efforts,” he said.

“This awards event is all about the culture in the business – it gets people involved and engaged in the process of continuous improvement. We see that in our business, and tonight is a celebration of that.”

Alex Lynam, community lead at Business River, organiser of the awards, noted: “Events like this are made possible through the support of sponsors. We are thankful to our 2025 sponsors Kärcher Ireland and ISS Ireland. I also want to recognise our supporter, Amárach Research, and The Irish Times, our communications partner. Their investment in the awards underlines their commitment and support of this key business area.”

Brian Coll (judging coordinator) – lecturer, lean and operational excellence, Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Sligo
Nuala Culhane – operational excellence delivery manager, ESB
Paul Davis – associate professor, Dublin City University
Steve Giles – head of operations, Aurivo Consumer Foods
Ian Gourlay – founder, Business Process Solutions
Danny Hughes – head of retail operations, Eason
Miriam Keogh – head of supply chain, lean and human resources, Dawn Farm Foods Ltd
Alessandro Laureani – independent lean six sigma scholar
Seamus O’Reilly – senior lecturer, UCC
Patrick Quinn – head of operations, Cheshire Ireland
Glen Winn – director of service operations, Virgin Media Ireland Limited
Darren Woods – chief executive, WD Excellence

Overall operational excellence award

Winner: Cygnum Timber Frame