Via Consulting is Ireland's newest business and IT consulting firm providing comprehensive, cost-saving solutions for all types of organisations. The people behind the venture say the company differs from the majority of consultancy firms in that it brings together a small, multi-disciplined team of experts, including principal consultant Joe Hussey, who understand and can face the challenges encountered by businesses.

Kilcully Decking this year celebrates a decade in business. In any day and age, regardless of economic booms or recession–affected climates, reaching such a milestone is generally a sign that those behind the venture posses a savvy business acumen, an unwavering dedication to maintaining good customer relations as well as a keen eye for new developments in their chosen fields.

Management at Cork based firm, Blackstone Security, will announce a plan to provide 150 jobs for the Munster area over the next twelve months. The official employment announcement will be made at the Blackstone Security corporate launch at the Boardwalk Bar & Grill in Cork on Thursday, July 9. Managing Director David Collins spoke enthusiastically regarding the company's positive outlook and aggressive business plan moving forward. "Security is a knowledge-based industry that evolves almost every day."

Ireland's first state of the art Abalone shellfish farm was officially opened in Beara, Co Cork by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Tony Killeen, TD this week. Abalone are not widely known in Ireland as they are not a native species and there is currently no domestic market for the shellfish. However, they are considered a delicacy in the Far East and demand a high value as a result.

Deloitte, in association with Bank of Scotland (Ireland), are calling on all Irish owned, managed and controlled companies to submit their applications for this year’s Best Managed Company Awards programme by the deadline Friday, July 3. The awards, which are open to companies from all 32 counties on the island of Ireland, offer benefits to all companies entering the Best Managed Companies Awards programme.

While many businesses continue to struggle in these straightened times, many others have successfully managed to turn the economic climate to their advantage. This week Mary O'Keeffe speaks with Tomas O'Sullivan, Managing Director of Cork Sheds about how his business is continuing to blossom despite the recession.

The 2009 Vhi Healthcare travel survey has revealed that many Irish holiday makers continue to travel without taking out insurance. For the third year in a row the survey confirms that almost half of those travelling abroad do so without any travel insurance. As many as 20 percent of those surveyed who didn't have travel insurance suffered the cost of not having it either as a result of a travel delay or a close relative falling ill while they were either abroad or just before they were due to go on holiday.

As many Cork investors continue to focus on wealth protection and preservation rather than wealth creation, Hibernian Aviva, the country's largest insurance group, has launched a new market beating deposit fund. Cork pension investors seeking security and a strong short term return can now get a market beating deposit rate of five percent gross over 15 months for deposits invested until September 2010 while also benefiting from the tax relief on pension contributions.

One of the country's leading Medical and Healthcare Recruitment Companies, TTM Healthcare, has established a Branch at Mitchelstown, the official opening of which will be performed by Junior Enterprise Trade & Employment Minister Billy Kelleher TD on Tuesday, June 23. The company is part of the 100% Irish-owned TTM Group which employs 15 people nationwide and expects to grow further.

A Cork based engineering company has been awarded the prestigious CPD (Continuing Professional Development) Accredited Employer standard from Engineers Ireland. Tyco Electronics (Wireless Systems Solutions) received the award following an audit of its lifelong learning practices for their engineering professionals.