Leading Donegal business The Cope has been named All-Star Donegal Business Of The Year 2021/2022 by the All-Ireland Business Foundation.

The co-operative retail chain based in The Rosses has been recognised for its commitment to the business life of its community and for its impact on trade and commerce in Donegal.

Founded in 1906 by a small group of people led by the extraordinary, “Paddy the Cope Gallagher” The Cope has a number of supermarkets as well as a full department store, a builders merchants and an agricultural division.

The business has brought huge social and economic benefits to the people of West Donegal and is now recognised as one of the leading retailers in Ireland, stocking more product lines than any other retailer in the North West.

Business All-Star Accreditation is an independently verified standard mark for indigenous businesses, based on rigorous selection criteria. The Accreditation is overseen by the prestigious All-Ireland Business Foundation, whose adjudication panel is chaired by Dr Briga Hynes of the University of Limerick and Kieran Ring, CEO of the Global Institute of Logistics.

Reacting to the announcement, Business Support Manager Emma McGarvey said:

The Cope has established itself as one of the Irelands leading retailers serving the community in West Donegal for over 115 years. The founder, Paddy the Cope Gallagher, was a visionary before his time and the Co-op as it stands today is testament to the people who have driven its success and sustainability by adapting and embracing change as required by the ever-changing needs of today’s retail consumer. This prestigious accolade has been achieved through a rigorous process that has evaluated our business in the areas of trust performance and customer-centricity. It is recognition of the efforts and hard work put in by the Cope team who consistently strive to deliver customer satisfaction through exceeding expectations.

Deputy Chair on the Adjudication Board Kieran Ring, said in support of the announcement: “The Cope has achieved AIBF 2021-1014 All-Star Donegal Business Of The Year 2021/2022, in recognition of the company’s commitment to the business life of its community. We wish to recognise The Cope’s conduct in the areas of trust, commitment, performance & customer-centricity. The Cope is hereby included in the AIBF Register Of Irish Business Excellence.”

Managing Director of the All-Ireland Business Foundation Kapil Khanna said the accreditation, which is now held by over 500 firms, is needed by the thousands of small and medium businesses which operate to their own standards, but have nothing to measure them by.

He said: “We evaluate a company’s background, trustworthiness and performance, and we speak to customers, employees and vendors. We also anonymously approach the company as a customer and report back on the experience. The business goes through at least two interviews and is scored on every part of the process against set metrics.”

The All-Ireland Business Foundation (AIBF) is an autonomous national accreditation body tasked with enterprise development and the promotion of Best-in-Class in Irish business.

The Foundation actively engages and supports its network through peer-dialogue, collaboration, mentoring and enterprise development activities. Companies are qualified for accreditation by completing an enterprise audit and are identified by their use of the AIBF’s Business All-Star Marque.

To learn more about The Cope, visit their All-Star showcase page here.