Chamberlink Issue 6 2018

chamberlink ISSUE 06 2018

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CONTENTS COVER Story 4

Cork Together

TRANSFORMING CORK

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City Regions Ireland

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City Regions Ireland

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Forging Our Own Unique Path

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Maximising Our Public Transport Potential

10 On Board with Cork Chamber 11

Putting Cork on the Map as Ireland’s Broadband Capital

EMPOWERING YOU 12

Outstanding Achievement in Business Award - Frank Boland

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Cork Chamber’s Dublin Dinner in partnership with EY

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What our Customers Say

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Upcoming Events

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Annual Christmas Lunch in association with O’Flynn Exham Solicitors

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Connecting You

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

Cork Chamber’s Dublin Dinner

20 SME Growth 2018-19 21 Joining the Dots 22 New Members 24 Members News 25 70 Years of Sparkle for Keanes 26 Gain a Competitive edge with Smart Working

Welcome With 2018 drawing to an end, all eyes are firmly placed on the year ahead.

2019 will be a year where vision for Cork must be matched with action. There has been significant recognition of Cork as Ireland’s fastest growing city region in Ireland 2040. The dial must now move in relation to delivery of the key infrastructural assets which will enable Cork to grow in a planned and sustainable manner.

In 2018, Brexit has been unavoidable, and with the current pace of daily change, committing words to print is almost and exercise in futility. All eyes will be on Brexit in Q1, and as ever we urge every business to carefully

consider and plan for the potential impacts on their supply chain, customer base and general economic outlook.

In 2019, Cork Chamber will celebrate our 200 year anniversary, and we see no limit to what we can achieve over the next 200 years. We will soon announce a programme of events and activities to mark this momentous year with our members and the wider community.

There has been much to celebrate in 2018, from camogie championships to continued indigenous and inward growth. It is a time of unprecedented change in Cork. It is important for us to reflect and acknowledge our achievements, personal, professional, as individual companies and as a business community.

Chamberlink is published by Cork Chamber and is a bi-monthly publication exclusive to members. The opinions expressed in Chamberlink are not necessarily those of Cork Chamber, Chamberlink main sponsor neither do they accept any responsibility or liability for any legal implications arising there from. Registered in Ireland no. 13918

Enjoy the Christmas break. We have a busy year ahead. Working together to make Cork the best place for business.

Conor Conor Healy Chief Executive, Cork Chamber.

T +353 (0)87 9471858 E conor@corkchamber.ie

Fitzgerald House, Summerhill North, Cork, T23 TD90.

CorkChamber.ie

ChamberLink Main Sponsor

Cov e r S to ry

Celebrating 200 years Cork has seen a lot of change in the last 200 years, and Cork Chamber has been there every step of the way.

From taking our place on the international stage to navigating times of huge growth as Ireland has changed, Cork has risen each time and the Chamber has been there to champion the region.

In 2019, Cork Chamber will celebrate our 200 year anniversary, and we see no limit to what we can achieve over the next 200 years.

We will soon announce a programme of events and activities to mark this momentous year with our members and the wider community.

See www.corkchamber.ie for details 04

TRAN S FO R M I N G CO R K

Cit y Reg ions Ire l and Launched with 8 principles for the urban future Cork Chamber has been a leading force behind the initiation of City Regions Ireland, the new grouping brings together the Chambers of Commerce of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford: Ireland’s 5 cities as identified by the National Planning Framework, Ireland 2040.

Last month, City Regions Ireland met with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Urban Development Eoghan Murphy TD to outline what is needed to safeguard an ambitious urban future for Ireland’s City Regions.

In one voice, the 5 cities have devised a document detailing the following 8 principles, spanning infrastructure, housing, and planning to inform policy making, maximise growth, and tackle the common issues and opportunities in our urban regions.

City Regions Ireland’s 8 principles call on policymakers to; • • • • • • • •

Plan for Core Density & Reduce Urban Sprawl Increase Housing Supply Support International Connectivity through our Ports and Airports Develop Transport Infrastructure to Connect our Cities Invest in Public Transport Create Destinations of Higher Education Rejuvenate our City Centres Manage Water and Waste

City Regions Ireland is working for the common goal of ensuring the country’s 5 cities are developed sustainably as the national and regional economic engines and to support a population projected in the National Planning Framework to grow by 25% in Dublin and 50% in the other four cities out to 2040.

Commenting at the meeting, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Urban Planning Eoghan Murphy said, “It’s essential that we as a country recognise the important part that our cities play in driving our national economy, they are centres of business, culture, education and innovation for everyone, and not just for those who live in them. I’m happy to see that Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford have come together for the collective betterment of urban Ireland, and I look forward to working with City Regions Ireland to ensure that our cities grow and develop sustainably into the future.”

City Regions Ireland said, “For too long urban Ireland has been badly in need of a unified voice calling for what all of our cities require, calling for sustainability and to be effectively planned as cities that people can live, play and do business in. Today, City Regions Ireland has been launched to remedy this and to give our cities a clear urban agenda incorporating every aspect of city planning from housing and core density to

public transport and international connectivity. Ireland’s 5 city regions have been identified as the economic engines of the country in the National Planning Framework and City Regions Ireland has come together under the common goal of ensuring the cities of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford are developed with the coordination and intent of real urban planning.”

City Regions Ireland is made up of Cork Chamber, Dublin Chamber, Galway Chamber, Limerick Chamber and Waterford Chamber, all members of Chambers Ireland.

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The next generation?

78%

European Family Business Barometer - Ireland Edition

of Irish family businesses are considering passing their management to the next generation.

Find out more in the Ireland edition of the KPMG Private Enterprise 2018 European Family Business Barometer. Š 2018 KPMG, an Irish partnership

kpmg.ie

TRAN S FO R M I N G CO R K

Forg ing Our Own unique path 2018 has seen a rich tapestry of opportunities and challenges weave together in an exciting, journey for Cork as a growing, eclectic City region. Cork Chamber President, Bill O’Connell shares his thoughts and vision for Cork as the best place to do business and as a City forging its own unique path, both nationally and internationally.

As we near the end of 2018, we pay hearty tribute to the past 12 months, with Cork confirmed as the fastestgrowing city region in the Country under Government’s Project Ireland 2040.

Ambitious and iconic new developments are taking shape across the City skyline, and envious plans for the years ahead have been formed. It is crucial that we plan for a future that grows the region’s uniqueness as a location to live, do business and enjoy. We have an unprecedented opportunity to achieve a public transport infrastructure that can adapt with the City, to incorporate additional public spaces and amenities, and to cultivate a ‘Living City’ strategy for Cork. We need to continue to innovate, to be thought-leaders and to stay on the growth trajectory as a City region that attracts investment, skills and talent.

Project Ireland 2040 reinforces the socioeconomic need to develop brownfield areas in towns and cities, maximising the potential of our development footprint for smart, compact and connected growth that works for people, for business and for Cork. In the last few months alone, we have seen a range of impressive projects take shape across the City with the commencement of the HQ development at Horgan’s Quay, the second office block of Navigation Square, the planning application for an iconic Prism office building at Clontarf Street and the commencement of the Harley Street bridge connecting Parnell Square to McCurtain Street. This is just a flavour, but it is an impressive glimpse of the not too distant future for Cork. We expect an additional 5,000 jobs to be created in Cork over the next 3 years, with our metropolitan population expected to hit half a million by 2040. Such growth is of a scale that hasn’t been seen for decades, creating whole new opportunities throughout the region.

We’ve never had strategic vision as strong as Project Ireland 2040. An Tánaiste Simon Coveney speaks

passionately about how 25% of the city’s footprint has yet to be developed. We have the resources and track record to back this up. Now I say - let’s just do it, let’s make it happen. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we truly have it in our grasp to make this great city region of ours a global brand and real counterpart to Dublin.

As part of a changing Cork we will see a much greater emphasis on public transport prioritisation. Already Government has committed to investing €200m in Cork’s bus services over the next ten years so Cork becomes less congested, greener and more enjoyable.

We need this made available without delay, with the commitment to future public transport investment. A firm commitment to high standard cycle infrastructure throughout the region is also a necessity. We need clarity. We need confirmation of timelines on announced projects such as the M20 Cork to Limerick which will bring significant efficiencies, having the capacity to trigger an additional 5,400 jobs in the region.

Ultimately, it is essential that we are enabled as a region, otherwise we could be revisiting the mistakes of the past and failing to plan for success. No one wants to be retrofitting Cork in the future. This is a mentality and headache of the past.

We have the opportunity now to create the conditions that will underpin a thriving, living City region.

The ever-changing Brexit landscape remains our largest geopolitical hurdle, but in saying that we see our Cork business community striding forward with a resounding 96% of our members reporting confidence in business in our most recent Q3 Economic Trends Survey. As good as 2018 has been, housing availability and homelessness remains our number one national concern. We need solutions to evolve at a much faster pace. Yes, we have

housing developments being approved and certainly the step to fast track developments of scale directly to An Bord Pleanála was a move in the right direction. Nonetheless, there is still significant work to be done in creating the conditions to bring a diversity of housing forward, to further fast track delivery of state initiatives such as the Land Development Agency and identify additional opportunities through open engagement between the public and private sector.

‘Cork must succeed if Ireland is to succeed’: the words of An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at a recent Cork Chamber dinner hosted in Dublin. We’re certainly in a good, positive place but there’s absolutely no room for complacency.

We’ve got here through hard work and the determination of countless individuals, businesses and institutions.

Everyone of us has a vested interest in seeing Cork succeed. We want our families to have jobs here, to study here, to live here. To have a choice. We want to enjoy the environment on our doorstep, we want a bustling retail and cultural offering, an integrated and connected public transport and cycle network, and an enhanced and inviting public realm.

All of this is achievable if we pull together nationally and regionally to ensure a thriving proactive, flexible, climate-resilient and adaptive region through committed infrastructure investment, innovative housing projects and strong policies to support a diversity of housing and tenure types, public transport investment, the investment in clean energy and a taxation system that rewards entrepreneurs and our flourishing indigenous start-up and investment culture.

It is our opportunity to ensure our economy is influenced by global trends rather than weakened by them, and this opportunity is now.

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TRAN S FO R M I N G CO R K

Ma xim ising our Public Tr anspor t Potential Michelle O’Sullivan, Public Affairs Executive, Cork Chamber Never has the demand for public transport been greater in Cork. The City is growing at pace with the development of office space significantly shifting up in gear even in the last year. With cranes popping up across the skyline, there is no doubt that Cork is making serious headway in turning plans into reality. In the next 3 years alone, it is estimated that there will be an extra 5,000 jobs created in the City as current development projects reach completion, with this growing to 10,000 in the coming years as the docklands is developed.

Alongside this really positive growth story, we must also take the opportunity to meet the associated challenges for Cork commuters, as the Cork region navigates development to maintain the quality of life and the clean, green environmental attributes of the region.

As a Chamber, we’re highlighting to government the immediate need to increase the pace of investment in the public transport network across Cork.

As a nation, we need to be enabling our regions to grow smarter. To do this, we need action now. We need to be developing our Cities to meet the potential of this future growth, to have this growth happen in a way that learns from past missed opportunities and builds on future potential.

As part of Project Ireland 2040, Cork is to be the fastest growing City region in the Country over the next 20 years, with the City population expected to grow by at least 125,000. To accommodate these numbers, we need a massively enhanced public transport network and infrastructure for the Cork Metropolitan Area. There has been much anticipation around the publication of the National Transport Authority’s Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy, now expected for public consultation in early 2019. It is crucial that we have this plan for the metropolitan area and that we develop our transport corridors and network to meet the needs of a growing population base connecting residential zones with employment zones and amenity areas.

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The Bus Connects funding of €200million announced as part of the Project Ireland 2040 plan is a starting

point, and we need this released without delay. The opportunity lies in being proactive, in facilitating this growth, and in driving a public transport programme that matches the needs of the City as it grows and evolves.

Rail travel is an essential pillar of any best-in-class sustainable public transport network, and we still have significant latent capacity in Cork to see commuter rail passenger numbers grow from strength to strength, and to meet the significant potential which rail travel offers in alleviating growing traffic congestion as well as ensuring a cleaner environment, quality of life and air quality for the commuters and residents alike.

Take for example, the Mallow to Cork service, which could facilitate more sustainable commuting patterns for North Cork commuters. This currently sits within the InterCity fare pricing structures. Mallow is a key residential zone in North Cork with Census 2016 reporting Mallow as a major commuter location for workers accessing Cork city and suburbs daily. In recent years rail passenger numbers have increased on services between Cork to Mallow, Cobh and Midleton, up 9% to 1.2m in 2017 demonstrating already the growth potential for rail. As Cork grows, so does the daily commuting workforce, and here lies the opportunity.

To maximise the value of the railway network already servicing Cork City, the Cork to Mallow route should be reclassified as a commuter rail service.

This could be pivotal in increasing the number of those commuting by train, improving the affordability and practicality of the service to those travelling daily.

Mallow is located as close to Cork as Naas is to Dublin, which is included in the Short Hop Commuter Zone resulting in great fare reductions for passengers travelling in the Greater Dublin Area.

Currently to travel from Mallow to Cork is €9.19 one way online (€11.35 one way at the ticket desk), equating to €18.38 as a daily return fare for commuters, whereas the fare between Naas to Dublin Heuston is €4.75 each way, €3.72 with a LEAP card. Right now, as Mallow

isn’t included as a Commuter station, there’s no opportunity to avail of any LEAP card reductions for passengers.

Unfortunately, the recent public transport fare changes announced by the NTA didn’t bring an improvement for North Cork rail commuters just yet but we would like to see this happen in the near future.

The opportunities far outweigh the negatives. With the reclassification to a commuter train station and a lower rail fare, there is scope for significantly growing passenger numbers. There would be enormous benefits to our future environment in changing commuter travel modes, offering commuters viable alternatives to private car transport. There’s also the opportunity to develop the Kilbarry commuter station, also on this route, and which could again further grow the commuter passenger numbers, greatly increasing the accessibility and permeability of the northside, supporting the growing employment zone in Blackpool, and development of the Kilbarry Business and Technology Park.

Maximising the potential of our current public transport network is a necessity and would be 100% complementary to the ongoing work of the National Transport Authority, and the Local Authorities here in Cork in planning for growth. We need to greatly expand and develop the public transport network and infrastructure across the Cork region to take in a range of transport modes such as rail, bus and cycling, adding mobility interchange hubs at key locations to provide additional park and ride, and park and cycle options.

In the future, and hopefully the not too distant future, a smart, integrated, accessible, affordable and cleaner technology, and where possible completely renewable fuel, public transport infrastructure and network is the goal.

With growth, there are opportunities. We need to catalyse these opportunities and make them work for Cork.

TRAN S FO R M I N G CO R K

on Board with Cork Chambe r The Board at Cork Chamber provide strategic advice, oversight and direction to the team at Cork Chamber, performing a practical and strategic role for our entire membership.

We are delighted to welcome Shane Clarke of Nano Nagle Place, Maxine Hyde of Ballymaloe Foods, Karen Galligan of Brown Thomas and Rob Horgan of Café Velo to our Board.

COR K AM BASSADORS CONTRIBUTE €11M TO LOC AL ECONOMY IN 2018 Cork Convention Bureau hosted its annual Cork Conference Ambassadors Awards at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Little Island, Cork recently. The prestigious ceremony paid special tribute to 31 ambassadors, including four special category winning ambassadors, who have helped secure almost €11 million for the local economy over the past 12 months. The ambassadors were instrumental in bringing almost 8,000 delegates to Cork in the past year, approximately 80% of whom were international guests.

Seamus Heaney, Chairman of Cork Convention Bureau, said: “This is our fifth year of celebrating the extraordinary efforts of our Cork Ambassadors in bringing valuable business tourism to the city and county. The Conference Ambassador Programme has been running for over ten years in conjunction with Meet in Ireland.

It identifies local people who are part of international organisations or associations and we work with them to bring their conferences to Cork.”

“Almost €87m has been generated in Cork as a result of business tourism and more than 75% of all business events that come to Ireland come here with the help of an ambassador. It is wonderful to be able to pay tribute to our Cork ambassadors, to acknowledge their dedication to Cork and to give them the recognition they deserve,” concluded Mr Heaney.

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Above: Award Winners photographed at Cork Convention Bureau (CCB) annual Cork Conference Ambassadors Awards at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Little Island, Cork.

Right: TJ Ryan from Skibbereen, Munster Rep of Rowing Ireland photographed with Evelyn O’Sullivan of Cork Convention Bureau. Rowing Ireland hosted the Coupe de la Jeunesse, the international rowing event, at Inniscarra Lake and won the overall Sporting Event Award. It brought together 14 nations from all over Europe, over 750 athletes took part and the event delivered more than €1 million to the local economy.

Pictures: Joleen Cronin

TRAN S FO R M I N G CO R K

Putting Cork On The Map As Ir e l and’s Broadband C apital John Keaney, CEO SIRO Just as canals and railroads were at the heart of the industrial revolution, broadband is now the foundation of the modern commercial world. Access to high speed connectivity is vital for all businesses who depend on broadband to communicate globally, use the cloud to power their operations and take advantage of the latest innovations in areas like blockchain.

The challenge in Ireland, however, is that a digital divide exists, which means that a business’s potential is dependent on its location and access to high speed broadband. Recognising this challenge, SIRO was established by its two shareholders ESB and Vodafone in 2015 to build Ireland’s most powerful broadband network.

Using the existing ESB network, SIRO broadband is delivered by fibre optic cables all the way to the building.

This technology, known as ‘Fibre-tothe-Building’ (FTTB), has no copper connections at any point to slow it down and delivers 1 Gigabit (1,000 Mbps) download and upload speeds. Given the latest research by Ookla (January 2018) shows that average internet speeds in Ireland are 40 Mbps (download) and 13 Mbps (upload), SIRO is a step change in connectivity for Cork and Ireland.

You only have to look at Skibbereen and how Gigagbit connectivity is driving a digital revolution in the town to see the potential for the entire county. Two and a half years ago, we connected the Ludgate Hub to our 1 Gigabit broadband network, before rolling it out to the full town, sparking a digital transformation.

One company in the town taking full advantage of SIRO is Spearline, founded in 2003 by Kevin Buckley and Matthew Lawlor. With customers based all over the world, high speed broadband access is crucial to its business.

“Spearline has grown rapidly over the past few years and the Internet connection provided by SIRO has played a key role. It has completely removed any concerns about the quality and speed of our Internet connection which had caused us issues for so long. Quality of voice and video conferencing are key for us to do business with our customers who are based all over the world and the SIRO connection speed and availability has always delivered for Spearline.”

Matthew Lawlor, Co-Founder and CTO Spearline Similarly, “Morgan O’Driscoll Auctioneers has seen SIRO’s Gigabit Broadband change the way they work. The images for

an auction could previously have taken an hour and half to upload. Now they take a matter of seconds. This allows them to focus on other tasks, helping them cater to their customers in 43 countries around the world.

Ludgate’s potential was highlighted recently, when it was awarded €2 million as part of the Regional Enterprise Development Fund announced by the Department of Business. The funding will go towards the establishment of the Ludgate Innovation Centre and a series of enterprise supports, including a startup campus and education and food tech/ agritech innovation centres, all enabled

by SIRO Gigabit connectivity.

This revolution in connectivity allows local communities to retain and attract the talent and skills to build a positive future for their area and gives people the opportunity to pursue their dream without leaving their town.

If the same digital transformation in Skibbereen is replicated across the other Cork locations in SIRO’s network rollout, then the county will well and truly be established as the broadband capital of Ireland.

The first phase of the SIRO rollout is an investment of €450m across fifty locations around the country, giving them the same world class broadband as leading international hubs such as Hong Kong and Tokyo. Cork is the largest beneficiary of phase 1 with a €70m investment giving Cork City, Ballincollig, Mallow, Carrigaline, Skibbereen, Little Island, Midleton, Carrigtwohill, Blarney, Tower and Charleville access to Gigabit connectivity.

While Cork is already home to a range of market leading companies in a diverse set of industries such as retail, cybersecurity, pharmaceuticals and financial services and Cork city itself is known as Ireland’s second capital, the county has an opportunity to seize the mantle of “Ireland’s broadband capital” thus positioning it for future success. With access to Gigabit connectivity, there’s no reason why the next Google or Microsoft couldn’t be founded in Cork.

Bill O’Connell, President Cork Chamber; An Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade Simon Coveney TD; Jerry O’Sullivan, ESB Deputy CEO and Anne O’Leary, Vodafone CEO, at the announcement of a €70m investment

by SIRO. Picture Darragh Kane

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Frank Boland awarded ‘Outstanding Contribution to Business Award’ pictured with Conor Healy, Chief Executive Cork Chamber; Paula Cogan, Vice President Cork Chamber; Bill O’Connell, President Cork Chamber and John Higgins, EY at Cork Chamber’s Dublin Dinner held in association with EY. Picture: Finbarr O’Rourke

Outstanding Achievement– Fr ank Bol and Cork Chamber awarded the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Business Award’ 2018 to Mr. Frank Boland at Cork Chamber’s Dublin Dinner.

This is the eight year the award has been presented at the Chamber’s annual Dublin black-tie event. Frank Boland joins a distinguished group of previous recipients including Dan and Linda Kiely of Voxpro; Sean O’Driscoll of Glen Dimplex Group; Darina Allen of Ballymaloe and Brian McCarthy of Fexco.

Cork Chamber partnered with EY for this popular annual event. John Higgins, Managing Partner, EY Cork, commented on the award announcement saying, “I would like to congratulate Frank Boland who is a worthy recipient of this prestigious award. He has made a substantial contribution to Cork’s business and cultural development over the years. Frank has been a fantastic advocate for Cork and pioneered many marketing initiatives that have helped encourage investment and tourism in the City.

Bill O’Connell, President of Cork Chamber said of the announcement, “Frank Boland’s contribution to Cork city as both a businessman and as a President and long serving member of Cork Chamber has been wide ranging and significant.

From building a successful business of his own, to his active engagement on the boards of key semi-state companies, Frank has had a defining influence on

EY is proud to have partnered with Cork Chamber on the Dublin Dinner for several years. This event is a highlight on the calendar for many Cork people and has helped to strengthen the connections between the Dublin and Cork business communities. The cooperation of Ireland’s two main cities is increasingly important for Ireland’s competitiveness on the global stage.”

Mr. Boland accepted the award in front of more than 600 leading political and business people in Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road.

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the business and social life in his native city and acted as a formidable advocate for Ireland and for Cork.”

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Frank has made a substantial contribution to Cork’s business and cultural development over the years. Frank has been a fantastic advocate for Cork and pioneered many marketing initiatives that have helped encourage investment and tourism in the City.

‘‘

Cork Chamber’s Dublin Dinner, held in partnership with EY

Upon receiving the award, Frank Boland said: “I am honoured to receive this award from Cork Chamber and to join a group of recipients who have made such a notable contribution to Irish business over the years. This is not an easy time for Irish business as there are many uncertainties at present. But we are resilient and innovative and well capable of meeting the challenges that lie ahead.”

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Cork Chamber’s Dublin Dinner 2018 held in partnership with EY 1:

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An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD addressing the attendees at Cork Chamber’s Dublin Dinner 2018.

Rhona Abbey, EY, Caitlin Cuppage, EY and Frank O Keeffe, EY Cork County Council Mayor Patrick Gerard Murphy and Bill O’Connell, President Cork Chamber.

Ray O’Leary, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Dave Austin, Tungsten Consulting, Sarah Foley, Cork Chamber and Ted Owens, Cork ETB. Attendees from Matheson: Kieran Mc Carthy, Ross Forde, Claire Kelly O’Brien, Cormac Gilroy, Grainne Callanan, Peter O’Brien and Brian Cotter.

Mick Finn, Lord Mayor Cork City Council withAnn Doherty, CEO Cork City Council.

Pictures: Finbarr O’Rourke

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What our custome rs say “Inspiring and thought-provoking Future Leaders Programme equips future leaders with the necessary skills for leading today.

My biggest learning was that in our dayto-day experiences in the workplaces, we had so many similar challenges and experiences – knowing this was reassuring! Great set of trainers and guest lecturers“ .

Dana Brophy, Trend Micro “I have been very impressed with Cork Chamber Skillnet and with this training course - Future Leaders Programme. It’s clear to see that a lot of time and effort goes into organising these courses and researching the material to present on training day. The in depth research into the courses is clearly evident in the material and literature provided to trainees and the line-up of guest speakers at each event. I would highly recommend Cork Chamber Skillnet for any future training needs.”

Tom O’Halloran, Laya Healthcare “All courses were very well run, very relevant and easy to follow. Instruction was excellent and facilitators were extremely knowledgeable. All courses had excellent interaction and participation.

I would not hesitate to recommend or book given the standard that has been provided.”

James O’Sullivan, Efkon Ireland

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I spent one day training on Google Analytics with GlowMetrics run by Cork Chamber Skillnet it was a brilliant day absolutely full of great tips and actions that I am now implementing as I come close to launching our new website. It will help transform how we generate and use content as well as informing me of which digital campaigns work for our company.

I’d definitely recommend it!

Alanna Carty, 0rthoXel

“I have just finished doing the project management course. Doing this course gave me so many different opportunities to bring back to my workplace. The course helped me improve on my confidence hugely and prepared me further for the job I am currently in today.

The course is an extremely exciting and interesting course as it doesn’t just cover one aspect of the industry it covers them all so it really is for anybody that has any interest in Project management .

I would highly recommend this course to anybody, it really caters for everybody and can also help you to develop to your fullest potential, to achieve the goals you set out for yourself.”

Lyndsey Crowley, Nova Broadband

Cork Chamber “Thank you for a great course. The Training Delivery & Evaluation Programme was presented in an enthusiastic way.

Great presentation style with lots of opportunities to ask questions and talk about real life examples which all made for a really enjoyable and informative course, it met my expectations, both personally and professionally. I will take away lots of things that I can quickly and easily apply. Very interesting and useful.”

Kieran Mitchell, TRS Global Ireland

“Excellent GDPR course which I found to be very relevant to my role as a Marketing Manager. I really enjoyed the interactive elements during the day. The trainer, Liam Lynch, was very knowledgeable on the subject matter, covered all aspects thoroughly and took the time to answer questions from course attendees. Would fully recommend.”

Caroline Leonard, Spearline

Details of 2019 courses can be found at www.corkchamber.ieupskillingyou

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UPCOMING EVE NTS

The E volution of Safet y

N et wo r k ing Maste rcl ass

Nespr esso to wo r k

How Vo lvo E xce l s i n a Pr em i u m M oto r i n g M ar ket Date: Thursday 17 January Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm Venue: Cork International Hotel Cost: MII & Chamber Members €15 / Non-Members €25 Cork Chamber in partnership with MII Cork invite you to buckle up this January as we host David Thomas, Managing Director of Volvo Ireland who will give a much anticipated presentation on the evolution of the Volvo brand to date. He will also give insights on Volvo’s 2020 Vision which states that “by 2020 nobody should be seriously injured or killed in a Volvo car”.

What are the strategies underlying this vision and how will Volvo market and communicate this vision in the years ahead?

David will also discuss the future of mobility, as seen by Volvo, a future that will focus on infotainment; autonomous cars and a subscription model for car sharing.

Date: Wednesday 16 January Time: 12pm – 2pm Venue: The Imperial Hotel Cost: €20 per person.

Date: Thursday 24 January Time: 10.00am to 12.00pm Venue: Republic Of Work Cost:

Exclusive Member Event

We know it can be hard to get back in to the swing of things after the Christmas break, so we are giving you the perfect opportunity to shake off the January blues and kick-start 2019 at our hugely popular annual ‘Networking Masterclass’.

Networking expert Caitlin O’Connor from Accelerating Performance will walk you through everything you need to know to fully utilise any networking opportunity that should come your way. You will learn about building valuable networks and the key things to remember in building lasting relationships with your business connections.

Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment

Cork Chamber and Republic Of Work will host a Nespresso coffee morning for Cork Chamber Members in the Republic Of Work Business Lounge, 12 South Mall, on the 24th of January 2019 from 10am to 12pm.

You will be given the chance to drink unlimited Nespresso coffee, have a look around Republic Of Work, mingle with those in and out of the Republic Of Work community and have the option to work from Republic Of Work for the day.

Registration via Eventbrite, more info on www.corkchamber.ie

David has been working with Volvo for over 22 years, and brings a wealth of international experience to his present role as Managing Director of Volvo Ireland.

Annual Dinner 2019

Pre-booking is essential so please visit www.mii.ie to book your place today

Friday 1 February, City Hall

See more at CorkChamber.ie

Yes, it has been a year already! Cork Chamber’s spectacular Annual Dinner returns in February.

It is the largest event in the Cork Chamber calendar and continues to be the most sought after ticket in town.

We look forward to once again welcoming close to 1000 people to City Hall for the ultimate black tie networking event.

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Easy glamour and the ultimate space to eat, drink and be social.

W theriverclubcork.ie Western Rd, Cork T12 X2AH

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Annual Chr istmas Lunch

in association with O’Flynn Exhams Solicitors 2

The festive season got into full swing on Friday 14 December as over 340 people attended Cork Chamber’s Annual Christmas Lunch, held in association with O’Flynn Exhams Solicitors, at the Radisson Blu, Little Island.

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A buzzing festive drinks reception carried through to the ballroom where guests enjoyed a feast that would give Christmas Dinner a run for its money! Colm O’Regan then took to the stage to ensure bites of desert could only be carefully consumed between fits of laughter.

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Richard Neville, Managing Partner O’Flynn Exhams Solicitors; Katherine Fitzpatrick, Cork Chamber; Brian Lougheed, Chair Marketing Institute of Ireland Cork Branch; Bill O’Connell, Cork Chamber and Colm O’Regan.

Orla Flynn, Vice President of External Affairs CIT and Marguerite O’Sullivan, Organisational Development &Talent Manager at DePuy Synthes Johnson&Johnson.

David Sweeney, Sweeney Solicitors, Aoife O’Reilly and Barry Hanrahan from Laya Health Care Aideen Murphy, Clíonadh O’Brien, Marissa Maher, Tara Higgins from Barden Recruitment Raymond Kelleher and Kylie Basnett, Trigon Hotel’s Tara Lyng and Ana Lapot from Reardens

The event finished with the legendary Christmas charity raffle and it was almost a case of ‘one for everybody in the audience’ thanks to the outstanding generosity of the many Chamber members who donated prizes. The proceeds were shared between Focus Ireland, Irish Guide Dogs and Age Action (South).

The event was run in partnership with the Cork branch of the Marketing Institute of Ireland and a great mix of members from both organisations attended the event.

O’Flynn Exhams is a leading commercial law firm that provides a full range of legal services to both national and multinational clients as well as the State sector.

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Connecting You Mo r n ing Br iefi ngs

Bob Savage, vice-president, EMEA Centres of Excellence, Dell EMC, (centre) guest speaker at the Cork Chamber Business Breakfast in association with the Irish Examiner at Fota Island Resort, pictured with Conor Healy, CEO, Cork Chamber; Bill O’Connell, President Cork Chamber; Katherine Fitzpatrick, Director International Relations, Cork Chamber and Aidan Forde, Irish Examiner and Evening Echo. Picture Denis Minihane.

John Creedon RTE broadcaster, Bill O’Connell Cork Chamber President, Dee Forbes Director General RTE and Miriam O’Callaghan RTE current affairs broadcaster at the RTE Breakfast Briefing at the Imperial Hotel in Cork. Dee Forbes addressed over 150 people from the Cork region about developments in RTE and showcased the new RTE Player launching this week. Picture: Gerard McCarthy

N ew mem b e r s we lcome Br e akfast The welcome breakfasts , held in association with AIB provide an opportunity for new members to connect and introduce their company to fellow new members.

Thomas McHugh, Cork Chamber, and Bill O’Connell, President of Cork Chamber with Oonagh Connolly, AIB Bank. Pictures: Diane Cusack

Elaine Buckley, Make A Wish with Barry Williams, Glandore and Margaret Mohally, Signage Design.

Marina Gould and Kenneth Barry of AIB Bank. Philip O’Byrne, Tellit Talks with Karina Taoughlist, Confidence Coaching,

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Ciarán McGann, AIB, and Stephen McDonnell, Live Unbound,

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E xecutive Ci rcle i n a ssociation with aon The final instalment of the Executive Circle focussed on the immense challenges and risks posed by cybersecurity and the correlating opportunity for Cork to continue building its expertise in this space.

Karl Curran, AON; Kevin O’Dwyer Mc Afee: Ray Clarke, AON and Thomas Mc Hugh Cork Chamber.

Festive Ch ee r i n Vi enna Woo ds Is there a cosier place for an evening of pre-Christmas networking than next to an open fire in Vienna Woods? Our Clock out and Connect series continues in 2019. Keep a watchful eye out for our upcoming events.

Niamh Murphy, ETC - Events, Tourism and Communications with Michael Magnier, proprietor Vienna Woods Hotel.

Ciara Buckley, Wombat Media and Brigid Farrell, AllTalk Training.

Andrew Whitaker, Culture Co-Working with Jurgita Petiul and Jurij Petiul, both Right Solution Centre.

Helen Walsh of Employmum with Aidan Forde of the Irish Examiner.

Gillian Hennessy, Triskel Arts Centre; Saskia Kremer, From Burnout to Breakthrough; Josselin Le Gall, Alliance Francaise de Cork and Michelle Johnson, A.S.A. Marketing Group.

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SME growth outlook 2018-19 EU outlook strong for SMEs with international ambitions Enterprise Europe Network’s SME Growth Outlook 2018-19 provides a snapshot of the current outlook for SMEs in Europe. It is based on a survey of the Enterprise Europe Network clients and captures the views of small businesses with international ambitions and provides insight into how SMEs across Europe view growth in terms of turnover, workforce, market share, prospects for international expansion, and innovation.

As economic growth forecasts across Europe continue to improve, SMEs with international ambitions remain optimistic about their future growth.

Fast Facts - Jobs and growth projections 2018-2019 • • •

63% of SMEs who internationalise expect to increase their turnover 33% expect to create jobs 54% expect to increase their market share

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67 % of companies targeting their international expansion beyond the EU were confident of increasing their market share. This is compared to 54% whose focus was primarily within the EU.

The key insight is very encouraging one: the Enterprise Europe Network’s 2018 survey data shows consistent levels of confidence among SMEs in Europe in terms of growth and job creation compared to 2017.

This fits the positive outlook of the European Commission’s economic forecast that growth is set to remain strong into 2019. According to the European Commission’s Spring 2018 Economic Forecast, 4.1% is the projected GDP growth % for Ireland in 2019.

Why should your business consider growing internationally in 2019?

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SMEs that are internationally active are more competitive.

Being internationally active strongly relates to higher turnover & employment growth.

The relationship between internationalisation and innovation is strong (26% of internationally active SMEs introduced products or services that were new for their sector in their country; for other SMEs this is only 8%).

An estimated 90% of global growth originates outside the EU. Developing and emerging markets are expected to account for 60% of world GDP by 2030.

Given increased market integration, SMEs can play an important role in global value chains.

Enterprise Europe Network Seminars in Cork Kick start your international ambitions in 2019!

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Build your capacity and develop an international focus

Seminar 1: Market analysis – target the right international markets

Seminar 3: Build the right international market partnerships

SMEs in Cork have identified resources, time, market intelligence, access to finance and sourcing talent for business development as key challenges when looking to internationalise their business. However, an informed approach to internationalising can serve to lay a good foundation for future success.

SMEs frequently approach export/ internationalisation in reaction to opportunities which arise. Take advantage of this session to develop your strategy, identify if internationalisation right for your business and improve your market knowledge and intelligence.

It is often expensive and difficult for an SME to establish suitable, trustworthy relationships in overseas markets.

Develop a sound approach to finding and establishing winning partnerships and developing sales channel partners.

In the New Year, Enterprise Europe Network Cork will offer a series of themed seminars to help build SMEs’ capacity and awareness of international opportunities. This series aims to support companies who have never internationalised or those who are currently doing so but wish to develop their strategy.

Seminar 2: Communication to boost international business relationships Build awareness of the differences in doing business with international partners, particularly in terms of cultural understanding and expectations around business agreements and project delivery.

For more information and to book your place, contact: Margaret Kelly, Enterprise Europe Network Coordinator – mkelly@ corkchamber.ie / 021 4530138

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Joining the Dots Trading relationship between Ireland and the UK cannot be understated - new report by Cork Chamber & the British Embassy reveals significant economic opportunities On 26 November, Cork Chamber and the British Embassy in Ireland launched a joint report: ‘Joining the Dots – Promoting Economic Opportunity between the UK and South West Ireland’ and agreed a programme of work to drive closer business and academic links.

Key findings of the report include: • 93% of survey respondents envisage future potential for expanded collaboration between the UK and Ireland • Scope for increasing awareness about the scale and diversity of both the UK economy and the economy in South West Ireland • International Financial Services and ICT are highlighted as prime sectors to forge closer business links The report sets out a joint British Embassy-Cork Chamber action plan covering the 2018-2020 period, which will drive future collaboration and economic growth between the South West of Ireland and the UK. A UK delegation with representatives from the Midlands, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield and Wales attended a launch event to explore new business links and opportunities for collaboration. On the day, a panel of experts representing different sectors

and projects presented best-practice experience in joint UK-Ireland initiatives.

A second panel discussed smart growth agendas and strong regional economic development strategies.

Attending the launch as key note speaker, An Tánaiste Simon Coveney TD, commended the approach of Cork Chamber and the British Embassy in Ireland towards promoting more impactful collaboration, so the future Irish-British trading relationship remains a positive one. He reiterated a strong agenda for regional growth under which the Southern Region is set to create 200,000 new jobs in high performing sectors such as financial services, ICT and agri-food. Specifically, he noted, that ‘’the importance of the trading relationship between Ireland and the UK cannot be understated.

Raising awareness about market opportunities within the regions of our closest neighbour continues to be important to create additional jobs growth and prosperity in both South West Ireland and the UK.” The British Ambassador to Ireland Robin Barnett, commented: “The relationship between Cork and the South West of Ireland and the UK goes deeper than trade and business. It also centres around people and our close historical, cultural and sporting connection.

An Tánaiste Simon Coveney TD launches new joint report between the British Embassy Dublin and Cork Chamber to promote economic opportunity between UK and South West Ireland. Pictured with HM Ambassador to Ireland, Robin Barnett and Conor Healy, Cork Chamber CEO. Picture: Darragh Kane

We look forward to working closely with Cork Chamber and a wide range of regional stakeholders on implementing the report’s recommendations to promote mutual future growth and prosperity and to support the Irish Government’s strategy for developing the South West of Ireland contained in Project Ireland 2040.”

Conor Healy, Cork Chamber CEO concluded the morning’s proceedings by adding that ‘with Cork set to become Ireland’s fastest growing city region and our population set to double, we look forward to delivering on the recommendations of this report and to scaling our economic output.”

The programme of work between the Embassy and the Chamber includes: • Sector focused exchanges, particularly on financial services and trade with longer term focus on agri-food, construction and smart cities.

• Missions between South West Ireland and the UK. • Initial focus on Manchester City, Liverpool, North Wales, Sheffield, Leeds, Birmingham and South Wales.

An Executive Summary of the report may be read on CorkChamber.ie under Transforming Cork/Representing You/Submissions & Reports

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New membe rs We welcome the following new members

Bóthar Charities A non for profit NGO Irish charity that enables families worldwide overcome hunger and poverty and to restore the environment in a sustainable way.

T: 061 414142 E: info@bothar.ie W: www.bothar.ie DataStax Ireland Limited Software/Software Services DataStax powers the Right-Now Enterprise with the always-on, distributed cloud database built on Apache Cassandra and designed for hybrid cloud.

T: 021 2377028 W: www.datastax.com Emotionise Media/Publishing/Video Production Businesses that fail to connect emotionally will surrender to those who do. Emotionise will ensure your message connects with your audience T: 087 2079711 E: marietoft@emotionise.media Fairways Design Web Design We are a vibrant graphic and web design agency based in Midleton, Co Cork. We strive every day to create timeless, eye-catching designs for our clients, whether that takes the form of.

T: 021 2021155 E: info@fairwaysdesign.com W: www.fairwaysdesign.com Glandore Property Management/Lettings Founded by the Kelly family in 2001, Glandore is Ireland’s leading provider of coworking, private offices and flexible workspace across Cork, Dublin and Belfast.

T: 01 669 4700 E: info@glandore.ie W: www.glandore.ie Good Day Deli Restaurant/Bar/Catering A sustainable foods deli serving a mix of healthy, local, seasonal, organic and fair-trade foods with a commitment to sustainability throughout our food chain. Located in Nano Nagle Place.

T: 021 4322107 W: www.gooddaydeli.ie

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Green REIT plc Property Developers Green REIT plc is a Real Estate Investment Trust listed on the Dublin and London Stock Exchange T: 01 2418400 E: website@greenpropertyltd.com W: www.greenreitplc.com Insight Multimedia Web Design Our focus is to produce high quality, clean, intuitive, yet powerful solutions for our clients that grab the attention of their customers.

We offer a full range of design and marketing services.

T: 021 4328060 E: info@insightmultimedia.ie W: www.insightmultimedia.ie Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard Food/Drink Irish Distillers Is Ireland’s Leading Supplier of Spirits and Wines and Producer of The World’s Most Well-Known and Successful Irish Whiskeys. Led by Jameson, Our Brands Are Exported To 130+ Markets.

T: 021 2405767 W: www.irishwhiskeytrail.com Joseph Mackey Architects Architects/Town Planners Joseph Mackey Architects are an RIAI registered practice designing high quality modern architecture. We operate through collaboration, working closely with our clients to deliver a bespoke service.

T: 089 2453666 E: info@josephmackey.ie W: www.josephmackey.ie KOS Ergonomics Office Supplies/Equipment/Furniture An ergonomic company who help companies and organisations manage and prevent employees suffering from back/neck pain, rsi, msd. This is achieved be ergonomic equipment and assessment services.

T: 01 6110 200 W: www.kos.ie Live Unbound Limited Education/Training/Languages LiveUnbound is a Leadership, Performance & Team development consultancy with global reach and expertise that help companies create winning teams, powerful leadership and excellent business results.

T: 086 2097495 E: stephen@liveunbound.ie W: www.liveunbound.ie

Leading Sport Services Sports Consultancy Services T: 0861582725 E: maeve@leadingsport.agency W: www.leadingsport.agency Ludgate Hub Enterprise/Trade Development Digital Innovation Hub in Skibbereen with 1GB connectivity. Home to startups, SMEs and successful second site location for expanding Cork companies T: 087 1904174 E: info@ludgate.ie W: www.ludgate.ie Margaret Mohally Signage Design Signage & Print Bespoke design & graphics. From idea & concept stage to finalising and installing signage where required. All designs can be used on all social platforms, further promoting your business online.

T: 0862203947 E: mmillustrationsireland@gmail.com W: www.instagram.com/margaretmohallydesign MTReconnect Services A new wave of HR & Strengths Consultancy, I enable authentic and tenacious start-ups to increase self-awareness across teams, using strengths conversation every day to get the results they want.

T: 087 2440214 E: Maria@reconnect.ie W: www.reconnect.ie Murgitroyd Solicitors / Legal Services Murgitroyd is a global firm of European patent attorneys, trade mark attorneys and IP attorneys with offices across Europe and the US and now a presence here in Cork.

T: 01 882 9400 E: info@murgitroyd.com W: www.murgitroyd.com Nations Ireland Education/Training/Languages Business English Centre, with over 40 years experience of bringing candidates from corporate clients in Europe to Cork, to work on international English communication skills building for 1 or 2 weeks T: 021 427 7422 E: nationsireland@nationsireland.com W: www.nationstraining.com

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IR E L A N

CC-Halfpage-Advert-2019.indd 1

ProPrivacy Solicitors/Legal Services ProPrivacy provides data protection (GDPR), privacy (PECR and ePR) and electronic law specialist compliance services through consulting, auditing and training and Data Protection Officer support.

T: 021 2348890 E: info@proprivacy.com W: www.proprivacy.ie ProService Services ProService Technicians deliver quality, efficient, reliable technical heating services for industrial commercial and domestic buildings. We have over 20 years’ experience in the industry T: 01 2340234 E: info@proservice.ie W: http://www.proservice.ie

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Prochem Engineering Limited Engineering Engineering Consultancy to the Life Sciences, Food and Beverage and Industrial industries.

T: 021 2066178 E: info@prochem.ie W: www.prochem.ie Providence Resources Plc Fuel/Energy Providence Resources is an Irish based Oil and Gas Exploration Company with a portfolio of appraisal and exploration assets located offshore Ireland.

T: 01 219 4074 E: info@providenceresources.com W: www.providenceresources.com SRG Recruitment/Executive Search SRG Ireland are a unique recruitment partner from dedicated national team, resources in the UK, within Europe and across global offices are available to clients.

T: +353 (0)87 796 1282 W: www.srg.co.uk/

The Kinsale Experience Company Event Management The Kinsale Experience Company works with the pulse of Kinsale creating the most unique experiences and events for corporate, client, leisure & life celebrations.

T: 087 115-3470 E: jo@thekinsaleexperiencecompany.com W: www.thekinsaleexperiencecompany.com Tungsten Consulting Limited Management Consultants Management consultancy leveraging over 38 years in multinational companies in Ireland and abroad. Experienced in Management of change, Crisis Management and HSE leadership.

T: 087 2073705 E: daveaustin183@gmail.com

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Pictured with Shaun Murphy, Managing Partner KPMG Ireland the 2018 prize winners of the Chartered Accountants Ireland exams and the Irish Taxation Institute Exams. KPMG were delighted with their market leading exam success in 2018 - most recently the FAE prize winners- KPMG trainees achieved 6 of the top 10 places in Ireland.

Ronan Daly Jermyn (RDJ) announced the appointment of four Partners across the Firm’s banking and finance, employment, healthcare and litigation practices. This brings the total number of Partners within the firm to 47. The new partners are Cian Fenton (Banking and Finance), Peter Groarke (Healthcare), Louise Smith (Litigation and Dispute Resolution) and Antoinette Vahey (Employment).

Pictured after Cork Airport’s win at the Ireland Chapter of Project Management Institute’s (PMI) National Project Awards 2018 are (l-r) Kevin Cullinane, Head of Communications; Nathan Wall, Safety Lead; Yvonne O Rourke, Head of HR; and Kevin Cotter, Airport Duty Manager.

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Frits Potgieter, General Manager of The Imperial Hotel and Darran Coyle Garde of Pieta House announced that, as part of a charity partnership, the hotel raised over €11,000 for Pieta House through the hotel’s 3rd annual Black Tie Gala Ball in October 2018.

Starry Starry Night for Marion Bradley, Tara Doyle, Conor Hyland and Orla Joyce from Heineken Ireland at this year’s Marymount Ball.

Former Cork Senior Hurling team captain Stephen McDonnell launches LiveUnbound, a Leadership, Performance & Team development consultancy with global reach and expertise, helping companies create winning teams, powerful leadership and excellent business results.

Wisetek named Services Exporter of the Year. Nicola Byrne, Chairperson of the Irish Exporters Association, with Gary McCarthy, Business Development Manager, Wisetek, being presented with the Services Exporter of the Year Award for 2018 by Michael Flynn (right), Director of Executive Education, Trinity Business School (category sponsor), at the Export Industry Awards.)

8 Earth Wind and Fire: Made in Cork Contemporary

Eoghan Lynch, Chairperson of Arup with Artist Alex

Pentek and Curator Anne Boddaert at The Crawford Art

Gallery with sculpture Magnus Celestii by Joseph

Walsh.

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and Jill O’Donoghue of Cogans Toyota in Carrigaline,

Munster is driving growth in self-charging hybrid cars,

self-charging hybrid cars have seen significant growth

across the country in 2018, Led by sales of Toyota

models, Cork saw 68% growth in self-charging hybrid

with the Toyota CH-R .

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Growth’ are Ger O’Mahoney, Senior Partner, PwC

Cork with Sinead McSweeney, Managing Director,

Twitter Ireland and Maeve Fitzpatrick, Advisory

Consulting. The conference addressed how businesses

can survive and thrive amidst unprecedented disruption.

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70 YE ARS OF SPAR KLE FOR KE ANES

By Kat Campbell

2018 marks Keanes Jewellers seventieth year in business. This luxury jewellers opened its Cork store in 1948 and is still owned and operated by the Keane family, now in its third generation of leadership and with a trifecta of stores in Cork, Killarney and Limerick.

The Keanes story began when young watchmaker Patrick Keane started a business repairing watches and clocks from a premise on Patrick Street, in the heart of the city. Within two years, business growth prompted a move to lease a small shop at 95 Oliver Plunkett Street which, supported by his wife Eileen and young son Gerard, heralded the beginning of a family business that has stood the test of time and adeptly navigated its way through decades of challenging retail landscape.

Running an enterprise whose motto was to ‘look after the customer and the business will look after itself’ became a self-fulfilling prophecy, as by 1951 Keanes had extended its reach by leasing the adjoining shops at 93, 94 and 95 Oliver Plunkett Street, within which it retailed watches, diamond rings and wedding bands along with carrying out the watch and jewellery repairs that had gained Keanes a loyal clientele throughout the years.

In 1961 Gerard’s Brother, Pat Keane, joined the family business as a watch maker. Now in the second generation, the company continued to offer outstanding craftsmanship, service and customer care which saw them further expand their territory to open Keanes in Killarney in 1965.

A pivotal moment in the Keanes success story came five years later when The Clancarthy Buildings were up for sale, allowing Keanes to purchase the Oliver Plunkett Street stores and the business entered a new era. The four small premises were converted into one large destination shop which featured a dramatically increased window display area which became an immediate success with both their loyal customers and new clientele alike. The eye-catching displays, created under the watchful guidance of Pat Keane, catapulted Keanes into the industry stratosphere where they won a National Jewellery Display award following the launch of this new retail hub.

Another time point in the development of Keanes Jewellers was the acquisition of the exclusive Rolex Agency in the early 80’s, followed by the exclusive Patek Philippe agency in 2007.

Keanes continues to build on the success of its first 70 years. The company further expanded to Limerick one of the key shopping locations of Ireland, and have recently celebrated after 50 years of the Killarney store.

“We are proud of Keanes many accomplishments over the past 70 years, and we are excited to support our fantastic team and customers through the next 70 plus years,” said Patrick Keane Senior. “The reputation we have for the unrivalled quality and exemplary service we provide today that helps our clients feel cherished and cared for are the same values that my father began this company with in 1948.”

Now in its third generation of leadership, with the addition of Gerard’s son Ger, and Pat’s son Patrick Keane, diamond and watch specialists respectively, who both bring vast experience and knowledge having grown up immersed in the trade.

These men, alongside their fathers from the Keanes leadership team who have developed a strategic plan that will pave the way for another 70 years of success.

The Keanes team strives daily to deliver the very best for the people of Cork, Limerick and Killarney, and for this family business. We welcome the opportunity to continue as the jewellers of choice for our clients both in-store and online for many more years to come.”

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Gain a competitive edge with smart working Regina Moran, Enterprise Director of Vodafone Business Ireland, on new research The Future of Business in Ireland: A Conversation with SMEs We are moving towards a single technology ecosystem where 20 billion devices will be connected by 2020. This connectivity is changing working patterns as new tools and services transform the traditional workplace into a smart one.

With at least 216,000 people in Ireland working from home or from a co-working space, smart working, which is the combined use of technology and connectivity with flexibility and agility for people to work from home, a co-working hub or using a hybrid model (part-home, part-office), is increasingly becoming a key consideration for Irish SMEs and it is predicted that over 35% of all employees will be smart working by 2022.

And these trends are echoed by the latest research we conducted at Vodafone Business Ireland, where one in three of the 300 SME employees surveyed said they would be willing to change jobs for the sole purpose of having smart working options. In light of the growing issue employers face in Ireland in attracting and retaining staff – smart working could be a key differentiator for companies, not only for SMEs but also with other, larger businesses, in recruitment. This highlights real potential gains in the short-term for the 71% of employers who said they were committed to investing in staff attraction and retention. In the long term, it is equally important that SMEs recognise that there are commercial benefits to introducing smart working that will help them to remain competitive.

Smart Working and SMEs in Ireland And yet, according to our research – The Future of Business in Ireland: A Conversation with SMEs, part of a new series we call Open Conversations – very few SMEs in Ireland are embracing smart working principles. Just 9% of SMEs are fully embracing smart working, despite 77% of employees being in favour of it.

When asked, most employees and employers recognise that introducing smart working could bring positive benefits such as increased employee engagement, improved job satisfaction, improved quality of life as well as an improved employer brand.

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We found that both employees and employers, across all regions, cited company culture, broadband connection and the potential impact on customers as the top three barriers to introducing smart working. So despite the favourable sentiment among SMEs towards the principles of smart working – it was agreed that the right cultural conditions, having adequate technology and skills and training are necessary for it to be fully embraced.

A common misconception is that smart working benefits the employee more than the organisation. In reality, smart working is simply reimagining operating models across all sectors and creating efficiencies in business that can greatly contribute to business success. The impression that smart working won’t reduce operating costs or increase productivity has led to a lack of motivation to embrace the principles.

Our research also highlights the risk to SMEs of failing to remain competitive by not adapting to these changes.

Where should employers start?

Smart working is just as much about being able to manage assets more effectively as it is about employees being able to work flexibly. Using converged communications that allow employees to work flexibly – businesses can manage resources much more effectively through IoT devices and greater analytics. And having smart ways of working, particularly where employees are often field based, offers huge potential for cost savings across businesses.

Sentiment among both employees and employers was favourable towards the concept of smart working. However, it was agreed that the right cultural conditions, having adequate technology, and skills and training are necessary for smart working to be fully embraced. Using a combination of smart devices and flexible working options the following business benefits can be realised for many different sectors, with these principles at the core of smart working adoption.

Download the report at www.vodafone.ie/ business