Three leading businesses from the local transport and logistics sector are celebrating after recently winning top awards.
Henderson Wholesale, Derry Bros and Maire Claire Reid from TST Group have all been recognised at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards.
Henderson Wholesale has been named the Corporate Community Champion in recognition of its life-saving work installing a defibrillator network.
Its entry to the category centred on the work Henderson has done delivering the UK’s largest public access defibrillator network.
Henderson has 290 automated external defibrillators (Aeds) installed outside Spar, Eurospar and Vivo stores. At least 23 lives have been saved.
The company said: “The initiative continues, expanding installations, education and training to strengthen safety and support the communities these stores proudly serve.”
All Henderson Group’s Spar, Eurospar and Vivo stores now have defibrillators available outside, with the community able to access them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The business has also trained staff at their stores in CPR.
Bronagh Luke of Henderson Wholesale said: “Winning this award is testament to our team’s commitment to make a positive impact within communities across Northern Ireland, and we’re thrilled to be announced as the winners.
Maire Claire Reid, the winner of the Young Business Person of the Year, said she is proud to be a young woman succeeding in the traditionally male-dominated industry of logistics.
Maire Claire (33) picked up the prize in recognition of her work as managing director of TST Group, a company her family founded.
The firm describes itself as a Northern Ireland–headquartered third-party logistics partner delivering integrated transport, warehousing and customs across the UK and Ireland.
Entering Maire Claire for consideration, the company described how she had “transformed TST Group from a family start-up into a 400+ employee, multi-jurisdictional third-party logistics operator.
“Operationally grounded and strategically driven, she delivers sustained growth, builds inclusive teams, and turns disruption into opportunity — shaping resilient supply chains while creating jobs, developing talent and strengthening regional economies.”
As chair of Logistics UK for Northern Ireland, she is proud to part of an industry full of “problem solvers”, which provides vital services.
She is also proud to win an award as a young woman in traditionally male-dominated field. “To be a 33-year-old, young woman winning an award like this means an awful lot.”
Derry Bros Shipping and Customs Clearance won the Excellence in Exporting Award, in a category sponsored by the NI Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Derry Bros supports businesses trading across Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Ireland and the EU by delivering expert customs clearance and trade compliance services.
The business, led by Brigid Derry (pictured), says that by “combining deep regulatory knowledge with its bespoke digital platform, Digicom, the company enables efficient, compliant and scalable cross-border trade in complex trading environments”.
In its awards entry, it outlines how it has built “a strong export-focused business by helping hundreds of companies trade across Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Europe”.
Sarah Louise Murray, customs manager at Derry Bros, said staff were “over the moon” with the win. “It’s so nice to receive the recognition for the team’s hard work, and Brigid leading us. We’ve just been ecstatic.”
At a time when the exporting business has been challenging, Sarah Louise said success involves “really keeping ahead of the game, horizon scanning, looking to the future and being proactive rather than reactive to changes”.
