The Hardware Journal November/December 2020

November/December 2020

The Official Magazine of Hardware Association Ireland

2021 - WILL THE LADDER BE MIGHTIER THAN THE CRANE? www.thehardwarejournal.ie

ge sa es m services to address member’s needs. With the government’s pledge of ¤280m to retrofitting we will focus on this opportunity more closely.

Already, The Hardware Show in November 2021 is filling up.

December will see the end of Sean Moran’s Presidency of HAI and Michael O’Donohoe will step into the role. Sean has been a constant source of wise counsel and leadership. His commitment and professionalism were especially evident in the initial onslaught of Covid-19. At a time when member’s businesses were challenged, and all had enough on our plate, Sean was always available. Long hours were spent in getting understanding from Government and delivering a coherent message to members. HAI’s board have a positive attitude and that attitude has been fostered by Sean. For HAI, his term as President has left our Association in a much better place and we would like to thank Sean for that.

In this issue Sean gives us his views on the sector.

Elections are due to take place for the board. The important thing is that you vote. Having a good Board is key to the success of HAI. Board membership gives people an overview of the marketplace and an opportunity to contribute with people who you may not typically meet.

As we enter 2021, we can expect that Covid-19 and Brexit will shape us. So too will the roll out of a vaccine, which is looking increasingly promising. These things we know, but consider this, if 2020 taught us anything it taught us that the future will be a different marketplace with a different set of challenges and opportunities on the horizon.

And, we know that resilience will be the winning formula to springboard us into 2021 and to find the possibilities on our path.

In conclusion I would like to take this opportunity to wish each of you a successful winter and Christmas Trading period and to thank you for your support throughout 2020.

EO eC th

November/December 2020

m fro

Speaking with members over the last few weeks a couple of common themes emerge - firstly, most are very busy. Few predicted the surge in consumer demand on the DIY and hardware fronts, and new build is likely to perform better than expected.

The most recent market figures for Q3 from Behaviour and Attitudes show an increase of 4% in the value of the market for the first nine months, and new build is now estimated at 20,000 completions - much better than the 16,000 forecasted in April.

On RMI (repair, maintain and improve) the desire of consumers to upscale their homes is thankfully, unrelenting. And we are only starting on the retrofitting journey.

Looking to 2021, although better than expected, new build completions fall short of the target for 24,500 for 2020 and well shy of meeting a demand for 35,000. So, with an unresponsive new build market in 2021 RMI will be dominant - to paraphrase “the ladder will be mightier than the crane”.

Again, in conversations with members another theme is that members and their staff are understandably fatigued. It has been a tough year on everyone. There have been many long hours worked, lost weekends and holidays not taken. It is said that adversity is a challenge by which we know ourselves. One thing that this period has taught us is the sheer resilience, and agility of HAI members to evolve to meet new challenges and opportunities. In lockdown there emerged some new business models and highly impressive, creative, and innovative approaches to keeping business going.

As with anyone reading this article HAI had great plans for 2020.

We began the year with a highly successful conference in Dublin, introducing - The 20/20 Vision for the Future of Hardware. Well no one had the 20/20 vision to see what was coming and its impact.

The next couple of months were largely spent putting our case to Government and interpreting their guidelines. And those shades and shadows needed a lot of interpreting. In early summer we launched Rebuilding our Future which is our strategy for the sector. Many of our recommendations were taken on board in the budget. HAI will continue to push for the others. We also lobbied on the timber issue. Thank you to members who got involved.

Again, we will continue to push for a better outcome.

This year we welcomed many new members to HAI. Our training programme has gone online and we have had a suite of well-attended webinars on digital marketing and personnel management. The ‘one to one’ advice sessions on digital are also very popular. We will continue with these and put forward new

Martin Markey Chief Executive Officer - HAI 3

contents FRONT COVER: 2021 - Will the ladder be mightier than the crane?

Blackchurch Business Park, Naas Road, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, D24 C796 t +353 1 298 0969 e info@hardwareassociation.ie w www.hardwareassociation.ie

38

@hardwareassoc ISSN 2009-5481

news

Published by: Hardware Association Ireland Editor: Jim Copeland, editor@hardwareassociation.ie Editorial/Feature Contributor: Aoife Kinsella, Aoife@hardwareassociation.ie Advertising Manager: Jim Copeland, jim@hardwareassociation.ie Design and Production: Stephen Broad, ConceptRoom, stephen@conceptroom.co.uk Printers: GPS Colour Graphics Ltd, Belfast.

Distribution: MMS Mailing Services, Dublin.

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: To advertise in The Hardware Journal and reach the key decision makers in the industry please contact Jim Copeland at 01-298 0969; email jim@hardwareassociation.ie

© 2020 All editorial contents and all advertisments prepared by the publishers and Hardware Association Ireland HAI can accept no responsibility for the accuracy of contributors’ articles or statements appearing in this publication and any view or opinions expressed are not necessarily those of HAI, save where indicated. No responsibility for loss or distress occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by HAI, authors, contributors, editor or publishers. The publication of advertisements does not constitute any endorsement

by HAI, authors, contributors, editor or publishers of the products advertised. Readers should take specific advice when dealing with specific situations.

4

6

A message from HAI President.

10

Dulux Reveal 2021 Colour of the Year.

12 CEDRAL the new home for Tegral.

14

IITC Celebrates 100 Years in Business.

16

Quinn to Rebrand to Mannok.

18 PURA Composites seeking distribution partnerships.

23 Helske Energy Save launches Irish business.

24 Minister launches Guaranteed Irish Construction Sector Listing.

regulars 3

A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO Martin Markey introduces the latest issue of The Hardware Journal.

30 CORPORATE PARTNERS A look at HAI’s corporate partners and the

services they offer.

47 HARDWARE JOBS A round-up of Hardware Jobs in 2020 and

how you can set up your company on hardwarejobs.ie in 2021.

November/December 2020

features 28 ECOMMERCE CASE STUDY John Byrne from McMahons

Builders Providers explains how their website and social media developments help them serve the sector.

38 THE HARDWARE SHOW 2021 New dates have been announced for The Hardware Show 2021.

40 PUBLIC PROCUREMENT Advice and information from

the experts on the public procurement, etendering and framework agreements.

32 profiles

42 BREXIT UPDATE The latest Brexit related information and

32 STORE PROFILE: TJ O’MAHONY NAAS

market intelligence

36 SUPPLIER PROFILE: KORE INSULATION

HPC Group Sales, Managing Director Dennis O’Connor talks about how the group’s new concept store provides a one-stop plumbing, heating, timber and building centre.

advice.

8

Noel Brady talks to The Hardware Journal about the dedicated team and core values behind their 23 years of growth and innovation.

BUSINESS INDEX The latest HAI Business Index figures for Q3 2020.

business support 49 PRODUCT QUALITY DATA How GS1 standards are

available to meet the requirements of construction.

50 HR CONSIDERATIONS FOR WINTER 2020 Tommy Smyth 51 BRENSON LAWLOR Ian Lawlor explains to readers why

36

training

COMMERCIAL FEATURES

has good advice for HAI members.

the Trading Online Voucher is the perfect Christmas present for SMEs.

29 DIGITAL MARKETING CONSULTANCY HAI showcases

a digital marketing consultancy service to HAI members looking for help with ecommerce, social media and more.

48 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT A round-up of HAI’s

training and development in 2020, plus plans for 2021.

classified ads 68

A SELECTION OF CLASSIFIED ADS

November/December 2020

52 HAND AND POWER TOOLS

The latest product launches and industry news in the hand and power tools sector.

57 IRONMONGERY AND SECURITY

A look at the latest product developments in response to the changing trends and demands in the sector.

63 FASTENERS AND FIXINGS

The growing importance of the fasteners and fixings market and investment in R&D provides confidence for the recovery of the sector post-Covid-19.

5

Message from HAI President

message

from the President

After two very quick but very eventful years my term as President of Hardware Association Ireland (HAI) is, sadly, drawing to a close.

The purpose and objectives of the HAI remain as before:

As I reflect on my time as President, I find it difficult to escape the underlying feeling of frustration and, perhaps, regret for how our plans and progress as an Association have been impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. 2020 will always be remembered as the year Covid-19 arrived and while we would have to acknowledge that our sector was somewhat more fortunate than most in the economy, continuing to trade and sustain our businesses was a considerable challenge – one which, sadly, at the time of writing this note is not over yet!

• Training

We are all very fortunate to be members of such a vibrant and progressive Association. We have a very professional, capable and dedicated board which actively supports and directs the work of the CEO and the HAI team. The hard work and strength of purpose of all involved in the Association has held the HAI in good stead and helped navigate the way through the past two challenging years.

2019 was a busy and successful one for me and the Association as we grew the membership numbers and sought to improve in every area where we represent our diverse range of members - hardware stores, builders’ merchants, manufacturers and suppliers to the sector. In January of 2019 the board met to undertake a strategic review of the Association, clearly setting out the purpose of the Association and where it must deliver and add value for all its members. Following the meeting a number of effective sub-committees were set up and the review has improved the focus of the Association and helped channel its efforts to better support members’ needs.

6

• Representation

•

Market Intelligence

• Networking The Hardware Show and President’s Ball held in Citywest was, for me, the highlight of 2019 and my entire tenure as President of the Association. The 2019 show was the most successful one to date with a huge attendance and support from throughout the industry and, very importantly, generated a very welcome surplus for the HAI. As always, the success of the show was made possible by the generous support of all those who exhibited, those involved in its organisation and those who made valuable contributions to the various seminars and demonstrations which took place during the show.

Another notable highlight and success for HAI in 2019 was the recruitment of a new CEO, Martin Markey, who arrived in July as a replacement for Annemarie Harte who left the Association in April. Our past President, Kieran Burke, our Treasurer, Mark Lohan and I were tasked with finding an experienced and capable executive to head up the Association.

With the advice and assistance of a recruitment firm, Principal Connections, we undertook a thorough and ultimately successful recruitment process.

November/December 2020

Message from HAI President

Having Martin in place as CEO and having the entire team focused and motivated was vital as we headed into the extremely challenging environment in 2020 brought on by the Covid-19 crisis.

I am very proud of how HAI has conducted itself throughout the crisis - the quality, timeliness and relevance of the various communications, the amount of effort put in by Martin and his team and the fact that the Board was always on hand to meet when called upon, offering valued opinion and support to the Association as required. It has all been hugely proactive and thoroughly professional.

In the midst of the crisis HAI launched its Rebuilding Our Future plan and set about actively engaging with government to garner support for this plan and have policies and initiatives put in place to help secure the future and long term viability of our sector – a sector which is so vital to the overall economy and every community throughout the country. Key elements of the plan such as supports for those buying a home and grants in support of retrofitting projects are notable inclusions in the current programme for government.

Finally, I would like to thank Martin and his team in HAI Aoife, Jim and Orla - for the support they have given me over the past two years and for all their hard work and valuable efforts on behalf of the Association. I would also like to sincerely thank all the members of the board, in particular past President Kieran Burke and Treasurer Mark Lohan and to acknowledge how much I have enjoyed working with them all during my term. At the end of the year I will be formally handing over the office of President to Michael O’Donohoe and I would like to thank him for agreeing to take on the role and I wish him every success and offer him my full support as he takes on the challenge of the next two years. I wish HAI, all its members and partners every success and good wish for the future.

Thank you all.

Sean Moran President, Hardware Association Ireland.

At the start of my term as President I spoke about the need for togetherness - the benefits to our sector of creating one voice and supporting one Association that truly represents the industry. These sentiments are even more relevant in today’s challenging environment. As individual business owners or managers we all want to do what is best for our business and we make decisions and take action on that basis. However, we all need to recognise that there is real strength in unity and that together we can achieve so much more for our sector and for our own businesses. It is my sincere hope that HAI will continue to be viewed as the Association that can offer the unity, togetherness and strength of common purpose which will be so vital for the sector in the months and years ahead.

November/December 2020

7

Market Intelligence Branches Profiled

BUSINESS INDEX Q3 2020 RESULTS

Branches Profiled

64% 57%

36% 43%

Rural 36% 43%

192 149Member Branches included in Index Index 192 149Member Branches included in53%

Rural

The Q3 figures for the market continue to illustrate the extraordinary volatility of trading in 2020. For seven of the nine months this year the market has shown growth compared to 2019. At 17% growth September was second only to July at 23%. Overall Q3 saw a 13% increase on Q3 last year, very nearly wiping out the losses in Q2. Overall the value of the market to the end of September is up 4% on the same period in 2019. Every part of the country, and every size of company has seen this growth.

Number of Employees

Urban 64% 57% Urban

42%

53%

Number of Employees 29% 35%

42%

18% 23%

29% 35%

18% 23% < 10

10-15

>15

< 10

10-15

>15

Business Location

How to get involved

Business Location

The more retailers and merchants involved in contributing to the index, the more robust the data. All raw data is kept confidential and never revealed to HAI. If you agree to participate in the monthly business index, you will receive an email from Behaviour and Attitudes, our research partner, once a quarter (usually at the start of the second week), asking for several pieces of information that will form the benchmark survey: • Number of employees; • Location of business; • What type of area your business operates in, i.e. to get an urban/ rural split; • Annual sales turnover (less VAT) for your business broken down by month; • Sales turnover per month.

Once this benchmark is complete you will only be asked for one piece of information each quarter thereafter, sales turnover per month for the quarter.

15% 12

18 18%

15% 12

18 18%

38% 40 38% 40 29% 30%

Dublin

Rest of Leinster

29% 30% Munster

Connacht / Ulster

Dublin

Rest of Leinster

Munster

Connacht / Ulster

Monthly Business Index: % change in revenue from 2019 to 2020 Monthly Business Index: % change in revenue from 2019 to 2020 18%

16% 2020

16%

8%

+ Ϯй 2020 8% Ϯй +2019 2019

14%

18%

ϭϭй 14% ϭϭй

ϰй ϰй Feb

Mar

Jan

Feb

Mar

21%

21%

Ϯϯй 21%

ϭϳй

ϭϱй

Ϯϯй

ϭϭй ϭϭй

Jan

21%

ϴй

ϭϱй

ϭϳй

Ͳϰϴй

Ͳϭϯй

Ͳϰϴй

Ͳϭϯй May

June

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

April

May

June

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

April

ϴй

Quarterly 2020 v Q3 MonthlyBusiness BusinessIndex: Index:Q3 YTD 2015 vs 2019 YTD 2014 Quarterly 2020 v Q3 MonthlyBusiness BusinessIndex: Index:Q3 YTD 2015 vs 2019 YTD 2014

Please call 01 298 0969 or email martin@hardwareassociation.ie for more information and to participate.

13% 13%

Monthly Business Index 2020 Year on Year Comparisons*

+8%

Versus sameDublin Qtr 2019

Versus same month 2019

Dublin

Jan-20

102

Feb-20

Qtr 1

Mar-20

Urban

Aug-20

Apr-20

Connacht / Ulster

No. Branches

+12%

+16% 4%

+12%

+16% 4%

+14% Rural

Single Branch

Rural

Single Branch

+14%

Versus same Qtr 2019

102 117 104

Mar-20

Munster

+12 % +12 %

4

Jun-20

Multi-branch Multi-branch

No. Employees

+4%

+19%

+13%

<10 +4%

10-15 +19%

>15% +13

<10

10-15

>15

Source: B&AData 2015. collection Data collection from192 149HAI HAI Member branches Source: B&A 2020. from Member Branches.

Qtr 1 Qtr 2

105 87

Qtr 3

111

113 Year to date end September = +4%

52

Q.3 saw a year on year 13% increase in revenue; May-20estimate for year to date end September 87 2020 2020 is an increase of 4% yearNovember/December on year.

8

No. Employees

Source: B&AData 2015. collection Data collection from192 149HAI HAI Member branches Source: B&A 2020. from Member Branches.

115 108

Jan-20 Sep-20 Feb-20

*Month 2019 = 100%

Urban

123 Versus same month 2019

Connacht / Ulster

Rest of Leinster

113

Apr-20 Monthly Business 52Index 2020 Year on Year Comparisons* May-20 87

Jul-20

+13% Munster

Qtr 3

111

Jun-20

Rest of Leinster

87 No. Branches

Area

+12%

-13 %

+13% -13 %

105

Area

Qtr 2

104

+12%

+20% -7% +20% -7%

+8%

123

J.1070 | HAI | Q4 Index | January 2020

Freedom to design with complete peace of mind

MAXimum Design Possibilities

MAXimum Flame Retardance*

MAXimum Environmental Commitment

SMARTPLY MAX FR B Industry leading Euroclass B OSB

Let’s do the right thing! *Maximum Euroclass rating for a timber panel **This panel complies with the FR/FR Build performance requirements in accordance with STA’s (Structural Timber Association) “Design guide to separating distances during construction”.

Comprising all the properties you would expect from a SMARTPLY OSB panel – strength, moisture resistance and no added formaldehyde – SMARTPLY MAX FR B is a new and innovative product which offers increased levels of fire protection for the creation of safer, more resilient buildings.

With a Euroclass B reaction to fire rating, SMARTPLY MAX FR B offers reliable assurance to specifiers, of its ability to suppress fire

To find out how we are setting new standards in timber panel engineering, go to www.mdfosb.com/max-fr-b

ignition and growth in the critical early stages of development, making it an appropriate consideration for modern methods of construction.

Smart, consistent and strong, with even greater flame retardance, ‘B’ sure to do the right thing with SMARTPLY MAX FR B**.

News & Products

DULUX REVEAL 2021 COLOUR OF THE YEAR - BRAVE GROUND™ Dulux has revealed a bolstering and balancing new shade that will connect us back to nature and the simple things for the year to come. Dulux Brave Ground is a warm, natural colour that works as strong foundation for embracing change in the home. It stands on its own as a beautiful, powerful neutral and can be used in a way that allows other colours to shine. Earthy and empowering, it evokes security, growth and potential to help us create environments that infuse us with courage.

According to Irish Dulux Colour Consultant Cora Collins, “2020 saw people look to paint colour to make positive changes in their homes. They stretched themselves by spring boarding outside their comfort zones to make interior changes that they may have put on the long finger in the world as we used to know it.”

Dulux has built four colour palettes around Brave Ground which take this neutral shade in very different directions. Responding to specific needs, each one allows consumers to confidently express themselves with colour: Earth, Timeless, Trust, Expressive.

Dulux Brave Ground is available through colour mixing in any finish for walls and wood. Dulux Colour of the Year is also available from the Dulux Signature Collection.

Discover more about the Colour of the Year on www.dulux.ie/en/ dulux-colour-of-the-year-2021

Earth palette - Brave Ground and Night Seas.

INTRODUCING SMARTPLY MAX FR B

MEDITE SMARTPLY has recently launched SMARTPLY MAX FR B, the brand new Euroclass B OSB3, a market innovation bringing increased safety and reliability to an industry contingent on safety and predictability.

SMARTPLY MAX FR B is the first Euroclass B board - the maximum Euroclass rating for a timber panel - manufactured in the UK and Ireland to feature wood flakes treated with flame retardant solution before pressing. This ensures its flame retardance is integral and maintains its structural integrity, unlike many post-treated alternatives, making it the safer choice for use within timber frame construction, or projects that will require a large amount of timber product.

“We are extremely excited to introduce SMARTPLY MAX FR B to the marketplace, expanding our already extensive SMARTPLY OSB range,” comments Richard Allen, Sales Director at MEDITE

10

SMARTPLY. “In SMARTPLY MAX FR B, customers can expect all the fantastic benefits of a SMARTPLY OSB board, with the addition of ZeroIgnition® solution, a water based and environmentally friendly flame retardant which is added during panel production.

“This is a solution that has potential in a huge range of applications and industries, encompassing many modern methods of construction such as offsite and timber frame construction, light gauge steel and modular construction systems, as well as temporary structures.

“Whatever the sector, all customers can rest assured that this board’s flame retardance will hold to Euroclass B standard, even when cut to size, which makes it different to other FR boards out there.”

Manufactured using advanced resin technology that results in a high performance, no added formaldehyde panel, SMARTPLY MAX FR B can help specifying architects, contractors and fabricators contribute to the creation of safer, healthier environments.

SMARTPLY MAX FR B meets with the requirements of European Standards EN 300 and EN 13986, while also complying with the European reaction to fire class B-s2,d0 and Bfl-s1. Boards can be manufactured in largescale formats of up to 2.8m wide by 7.5m long, making it ideal for offsite manufacturing, as well as traditional building.

For more information of the new SMARTPLY MAX FR B, visit: mdfosb.com/en/smartply/products/smartply-max-fr-b November/December 2020

QUINN IS BECOMING MANNOK Your new brand for superior building products.

With our new brand, we renew our commitment to our customers to bring you more innovation, more quality products and a continued focus on environmental leadership; from the same people, with the same expertise and energy you have come to expect from us.

“With growth comes change”

– LIAM MCCAFFREY, MANNOK CEO

Go to mannokholdings.com to find out more.

News & Products

FAREWELL TO TEGRAL AND A WARM WELCOME TO ETEX IRELAND AND CEDRAL SLATES

CEDRAL – one brand for the entire house EURONIT – one brand for agriculture EQUITONE – one brand for architecture VIRIFORM – one brand for commercial and structural engineering

At Tegral, they have some news that is really worth writing home about. They have been working with you, building for generations, proud to be your partner in construction across Ireland since 1936. Now a new generation awaits, as they say farewell to Tegral and give a warm welcome to their new Identity, Etex Ireland, and their new commercial brand for all residential products – CEDRAL. In 1988 Tegral joined the global building materials group Etex, who are leading the way in terms of lightweight, sustainable building materials and inspiring ways of living across the world.

With a passion for perfection, a dedication to customer experience and a commitment to sustainability, as a global group, Etex has looked closely at how they can facilitate improvements in all of these areas for you - their customers.

They want to grow together with you towards a promising future. One strong company at your service, for all your construction and architectural needs.

To this end, they will now offer four commercial brands, each specialising in a core area of business to optimise your experience. This will allow them to work even more closely with you to ensure they offer you the best products, services and solutions for today and tomorrow.

What does this mean for you?

As part of the rebrand, Tegral slates are now Cedral slates, as they unite globally under the name Cedral, where their mission is to build more beautiful worlds. Committed to a sustainable future, committed to generations to come.

Paddy Kelly, Managing Director of Tegral / Etex Ireland says, “This is an incredibly exciting time for us and we look forward to seeing the new Cedral brand out there in the market, in the yards of Builder’s Merchants, in the hands of roofing contractors and on the roofs of homes all across Ireland. We have been part of Etex for a long time now and this rebrand is one that now unites us to face global challenges together, like housing shortages, sustainability and more. Our commitment to continual innovation and ever improving standards remains unwavering. We are the same people you know and trust, still manufactured in Athy, still Guaranteed Irish, just with a new name.”

In the coming weeks, Cedral slates will start to be rolled out, still with the same flagship product names of Rivendale and Thrutone Endurance, and we invite you now to check out the new dedicated residential website www.cedral.ie

RTE’S DIY SOS: THE BIG BUILD It was great to see a number of Hardware Association Ireland members on RTE’s DIY SOS: The Big Build programme in recent weeks.

Filmed over the summer, the DIY SOS team, including presenter Baz Ashmawy and an army of tradespeople and volunteers, banded together to renovate the homes of deserving families.

In the first week the DIY SOS team visited McMahons’ Builders Providers in Limerick and the following week they visited Stakelum`s Home & Hardware in Tipperary to collect essential supplies for the renovation of the homes of deserving families including that of a 13 year old girl who suffered devastating disabilities following an accident, and the family of a husband 12

who unfortunately didn’t get to complete his home renovation before his untimely passing. In the third and final week the team visited Leixlip to fully renovate and retrofit the home of a family with twin boys in need of round-the-clock care.

Many other HAI retailers and suppliers also made great contributions, donating supplies (from Building Materials and Timber to Garden Products) and their time to families in need, allowing major housing renovations to be completed in as little as nine days! Well done to all involved!

The full lists of retailers and suppliers for these projects can be found on the RTE website - www.rte.ie/tv/ programmes/1171049-diy-sos-the-big-build-ireland/ November/December 2020

News & Products

IITC CELEBRATES 100 YEARS IN BUSINESS An Taoiseach Micheál Martin T.D. officially launched Irish International Trading Corporation’s (IITC) 100-year anniversary celebrations. A video featuring An Taoiseach highlights the significant milestones of the business from 1920 to 2020, vimeo.com/455544434.

Irish International Trading Corporation (IITC) was founded by a collective of Cork business families at the Grand Parade in Cork in 1920. The founders were motivated by a desire to support commercial and industrial development in a new emerging Ireland. IITC has played a key role in the development of Cork, from supplying materials to aid the rebuilding of the city after its burning in 1920 all the way through to supporting local enterprise today. From relatively small beginnings, IITC has grown to become a national business with a global reach, employing over 120 people with annual sales of ¤60 million.

Many of those involved with the company today have links back to the founding families.

Speaking about the milestone anniversary as IITC marks 100 years of operations, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin T.D. said, “Today we are celebrating a success story. Indigenous businesses are the lifeblood of communities across the country, and none more so than Irish International Trading Corporation (IITC). IITC was built on strong foundations and today marks another milestone in its journey”. Over the last 100 years, IITC has grown, developed and adapted to continue to meet customer needs as the landscape around it changed considerably. Irish International Trading Corporation is now a diverse wholesaler and retailer of Hardware, Steel, Wire, Salt, Plumbing Materials and Bathroom Supplies. The business is headquartered at Tramore Road, Cork and has distribution

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, TD with Irish International Trading Corporation’s Managing Director, David Heffernan and Chairperson, Brendan Lenihan. Picture: Darragh Kane.

centres in Tivoli, Cork and Osberstown, Naas, County Kildare allowing it to service the entire country.

Managing Director, David Heffernan said “We are very proud of what IITC has achieved over the last 100 years and the contribution it makes to the local and national economy. Today, we celebrate the people who took the brave steps to establish this company 100 years ago, along with the great team and board who continue to drive success. We look forward to a bright future for our business as we grow through investment and expansion.”

TEC7 PLUMB GETS THE JOB DONE FIRST TIME, EVERY TIME Tec7 has become the number one choice for both the tradesperson and DIY enthusiasts alike because all its users have supreme confidence in its performance qualities.

As the tagline goes: ‘It gets the job done first time, every time.’ Tec7 even performs under water.

Because of its overall strength, flexibility, sealing and mounting quality, customers know that Tec7 sticks to almost all building materials, including most plastics and - with each cartridge containing 310ml of product - they are getting better value compared to most other MS Polymer’s on the market.

With customers expecting high quality from the Tec7 range of products, Tec7 Plumb is no exception.

Tec7 Plumb permanently and quickly seals heating system leaks with one 750ml can sufficient for 75 litres of water - enough to do a standard three-bedroom home or eight to ten standard radiators.

Simple to use, the can comes with an applicator, making it easy to pour into any radiator. If you have an open heating system, no problem, Plumb7 is ideal for use in both open and closed heating systems.

To see just how effective Tec7 Plumb and the full range of products are, contact Contech Buildings Products on 00353 (01) 629 2963, simply log on to the website at www.tec7.ie, or connect with the company on Facebook.

14

November/December 2020

News & Products

QUINN TO REBRAND TO MANNOK “Mannok” was recently unveiled as the new identity for Quinn Industrial Holdings, a name which the company’s familiar brands “Quinn Building Products” and “Quinn Packaging” will transition to in the coming weeks and months. The rebrand announcement also revealed details of the company’s strong 2019 financial results, which show it to be in the strongest position since its acquisition in 2014, with a fifth consecutive year of increased earnings (EBITDA).

Rebranding to Mannok marks the culmination of a fiveyear transformation and investment programme that has repositioned the business as a provider of increasingly sophisticated and sustainable building and packaging solutions, supporting an increase in sales of over 30% during the period.

The name derives from Fear Manach, the origin of ‘Fermanagh’, reflecting the company’s pride in their roots in the Fermanagh and Cavan region, and their commitment to the people and communities that are the lifeblood of the organisation’s success.

The new identity resonates well with domestic and international stakeholders, an important consideration given the company’s increasing export focus.

2019 saw heavy investment in both Quinn Building Products and Quinn Packaging, totalling ¤11.5m, which included fleet and mobile plant replenishment, as well as investment in fixed plant augmentation projects expected to yield significant profitability over the years ahead.

Speaking of the new brand and the 2019 performance, the company’s CEO, Liam McCaffrey, said, “We are extremely pleased to unveil Mannok as our new brand identity, which we believe better reflects the ownership, evolution and

Mannok Directors: L-R - Donal O’Rourke, Tony Lunney, Kevin Lunney, Liam McCaffrey, Dara O’Reilly, Brenda Rennick and Paddy Mohan.

future focus of our business. It marks a major milestone for us following a five-year transformation programme that has empowered our staff and repositioned our businesses for continuing growth and innovation”.

“Trading for both our Building Products and Packaging solutions is strong year to date, despite the impact of COVID-19 and continuing Brexit concerns, and we are confident of another strong performance for both areas of the business this year.

Looking ahead to 2021 and a post-Brexit environment, we are very optimistic about the future of Mannok and the strong position of the company going into the coming year.”

During 2019, employment numbers remained steady at 830 staff, as the company continues to roll out its lean and multiskilling based initiatives across the business with a continued focus on health, safety, and the environment.

PROTECTING YOUR BUSINESS IN DIFFICULT TIMES These are unprecedented times for business with many retailers being forced to close for a prolonged period for the second time this year. 2020 will be a year we all want to forget.

Building Materials & Hardware retailers deemed an essential trade and remaining open is a very positive thing. Insurance companies like Dolmen Insurance Brokers are also deemed essential and continue to trade during this and the previous lockdown, albeit many are working from home.

Insurance is a strange offering, we buy it in the hope that we never have to use it, unlike hardware, but it is vital nonetheless.

We at www.hardwarestoreinsurance.ie have been working closely with our clients undertaking thorough reviews of their insurance programme in these uncertain times. Now is the time to review your cover, your sums insured, your policy terms, conditions and very importantly, policy exclusions.

16

We at www.hardwarestoreinsurance.ie will happily talk to any of our fellow HAI members on a no obligation basis to ensure the cover you have is adequate for your needs. We will also offer a competitive quote with the broadest possible cover for your needs.

One final point. When you receive your policy details at your next renewal date, check what changes your insurer might have made to your cover following Covid-19. They will issue an endorsement letter with your renewal notice so ensure you are familiar with the changes before something goes wrong.

Please visit us at www.hardwarestoreinsurance.ie, email John Bourke johnb@hardwarestoreinsurance.ie or phone 01 8022361.

November/December 2020

News & Products

PURA COMPOSITES SEEKING DISTRIBUTION PARTNERSHIPS Eco-friendly decking company PURA Composites Ltd imports and distributes throughout Ireland a range of composite materials including decking, cladding and screens. The company`s market share is growing rapidly and they are now seeking distribution partnership agreements for their PURADECK, PURACLAD, PURA SCREENS, and HARMONY DUODECK ranges with all major players in the Irish timber and builders’ merchants’ sectors.

Their decking ranges utilise the latest composite technology to produce a long-life, low maintenance, slip-resistant, and child-friendly material while also offering a 15 year warranty on its PURADECK and up to 25 year warranty on the HARMONY DUODECK range.

The company’s primary focus is on improving the environment.

It achieves this by innovative use of a combination of Forest Stewardship Council FSC 100% certified hardwood timber from well-managed, sustainable sources and recycled plastic waste in its decking and composite products.

Behind PURA Composites are two men with a solid pedigree in the timber and importing sectors. Managing Director Keith McMahon founded Timber Ireland in 2011 which specialises in timber importing and nationwide distribution of timberbased products and services. He has over 30 years of industry

experience which began in his family timber and builders merchant business McMahons Builders Providers. Commercial Director Declan Timoney has 35 years timber merchant experience which began in McMahons Builders Providers Dublin operations.

Keith McMahon says, “Our entire ethos is centred around a range of products that offer low maintenance and long life, are socially responsible and kind to the environment, safe and childfriendly. Not only is our slip-free composite decking comfortable to walk on barefoot, it’s also a naturally splinter-free surface. Both stockists and end-users have the satisfaction of knowing that they are selling and buying a product that’s great for the environment.

Consumers are increasingly switching to composite materials instead of plastic as global challenges around plastic waste and the ability to plant forests to meet future timber demands increase, composite products provide a sustainable and genuine alternative to timber” To find out more information about becoming a PURA Composite stockist, contact their sales office 01-8427669 or to order a sample email sales@puracomposites.ie or visit their website www.puracomposites.ie

NIKO BATHROOMS & UPPERCROSS LIFTS SPIRITS 2020 has been a year like no other. Like many companies government restrictions have limited the ability of the sales force at Niko Bathrooms and Uppercross to engage with their customers in normal face to face settings. This proved extremely difficult as it upset the culture of how their sales force operate and interact with their customers.

As some of the restrictions were lifted in the past couple of months, they decided something had to be done to try and lift the spirits of their customers and employees. The company came up with the idea of creating a Fantasy Football League which is based on player performances in the English Premier League.

It`s a simple process, your team is awarded points depending on how the players on your team play. The company league name is “Niko/Uppercross 2020”, and their scoring started from Game Week Two (19th September).

The league sees their customers make one team per store and compete against each other. The employees of the stores build a team with a budget of ¤100 million of fantasy money! The store with the most points will win a One for All voucher at the end of every month worth ¤100 and then the overall winner will win a ¤500 voucher.

18

When the company first released the news to their sales force, they immediately wanted to join the league, but this would have defeated the purpose of the customer league as they have some serious fantasy players among their ranks! So, they built an internal league where all their employees can join and compete for similar prizes.

The purpose of this Fantasy Football isn’t to talk solely about football, it is to bring back and reconstruct the relationships that Covid-19 has restricted all of us in having due to the recommended guidelines of limited social gatherings and social distancing. The company`s aim is to have a competitive league where people can create conversations and start to enjoy talking to people about positive subjects once again, and of course who doesn’t want to win the prizes!

November/December 2020

Scan here

News & Products

BRINK’S CASH SERVICES OFFER PREFERENTIAL RATES TO HAI MEMBERS The Brink’s Company, a global leader and the world’s largest cash management company have agreed a preferential deal for HAI members.

Brink’s are at the forefront of new technology and innovation and are delighted to be able to bring HAI members the latest in cash automation.

centre where they count, verify, report and EFT your funds directly into your account overnight. They also can deliver any coin/note orders you may need. There are no additional delivery charges when orders are delivered on your scheduled collection day. As an example, there is a potential cost saving of ¤48 - ¤100 p/week on an amount of ¤15,000 lodged, depending on your current bank.

WHY should HAI Members use CASH IN TRANSIT? • •

• •

• •

IT IS CHEAPER TO USE BRINKS THAN LODGE CASH LOCALLY IN THE BANK Banks are charging between ¤4.50 – ¤8.00 per ¤1000 lodged to business customers. Brinks, in contrast, allows you to completely avoid the charges imposed by banks for cash deposits Save time and staff resources Eliminate risks to the personal safety of you and your staff.

Insurers factor in owner risk for bank walks while quoting premiums Free deliveries of Coin/Note orders in conjunction with collections Gain access to a full online lodgement, reporting and ordering portal.

The Brinks deal for HAI members offers a secure, competitive alternative solution for banking your cash and cheques. They collect and transport your cash deposits securely to their cash

Testimonial from Sean McNamara - Finance Director - Home Project Centre Limited (HPC Ltd) Oct 2020 “A key factor for Home Project Centre engaging Brinks was staff safety. With the risk of snatch & grab thefts, Brinks have allowed us to ensure that staff are never required to transport cash.

Our bank account fees for ordering change and making lodgements have reduced. Rather than going to the bank to collect the change order and make lodgements, Brinks save us staff time and costs by coming to our retail locations and doing it for us.”

In the coming months Brink’s will be launching a new range of Smart Safe solutions ‘Brinks Complete’ with an in-built early payment model which they feel will revolutionise retail banking in Ireland.

For further information please contact: Jim Copeland, jim@hardwareassociation.ie / 01 2980969 / 087 6671361 or Email: denise.mccarthy@brinks.com

IRISH CEMENT ADD A NEW `HOW-TO` VIDEO TO THEIR HELPFUL SERIES After the successful launch last year of their ‘how to mix concrete’ videos and handy concrete calculator, Irish Cement have now added another ‘how-to’ video to the series. This time the series takes the viewer through a step-by-step guide on how to lay a concrete base for a garden shed.

The short animated video, less than three minutes long, builds on the previous series and provides easy to follow guidance and tips for the DIY enthusiast. Commenting on the new video, Richard Bradley, Head of Technical Marketing with Irish Cement said, “We were keen to add more video content to our website. The previous videos and particularly the concrete calculator proved to be very popular with our bagged cement customers when we launched them last year.

For this video we chose the base for a garden shed because it is a very achievable project for those interested in DIY. The video provides some simple steps to achieving a great result and depending on the size of the shed the base can be scaled up or down. The video contains some common tips and techniques that can be used in other concrete projects.”

Does your customer need to mix concrete for a DIY project at home, like a path or a patio? Are they or you as a retailer

20

unsure about the correct ratio of cement, sand, and gravel to mix? Would they or you know what to do if there was too much water added to the mix? The answers to these and many more questions can be found by visiting the dedicated website www.irishcement.ie/howto.

Irish Cement, a CRH company, is Ireland’s leading manufacturer and supplier of cement in bags and bulk for over 80 years. Irish Cement has been trusted by professionals for generations. For more information visit www.irishcement.ie

November/December 2020

YOU TALKIN’ TO ME?

By providing live project leads to Keystone we can help drive business to your branches.

In return for leads Keystone ‘Movies from Home’ prizes are waiting to be picked-up by lucky entrants, prizes include: – – – –

Movie Hampers Annual Disney+ Subscription Home Movie Projector & Screen 65” 4K TV

Along with the chance to WIN one or more of our many spot prizes.

Keystone Lintels ‘Movies from Home’ offers branch employees the chance to win fabulous movie prizes to enjoy from the comfort of their very own home.

keystonelintels.com/movies for more details.

News & Products

UNITED HARDWARE LAUNCHES NEW 7,000 SQ. FT. TRADE SHOWROOM United Hardware has launched an impressive new showroom facility at its Head Office and Distribution Centre in Dublin. This is a solution that will allow it to showcase the latest product trends to its retailing members in place of the traditional trade show format which the Group has suspended as a result of COVID-19.

United Hardware will showcase the latest products and innovations on a phased, appointment-only basis with retailing members to ensure that best possible social distancing is always maintained. Attendees will be temperature-checked on arrival and provided with sanitiser and facemasks for their visit.

The showroom has already successfully welcomed its first tranche of member visits, however, all future tours will be dependent on COVID-19 related travel restrictions imposed by the Government at any particular time.

Commenting on the launch of the new facility, Lourda Kildea, Purchasing & Marketing Director, said, “We’re delighted with our new showroom facility and we expect to put it to great use over the coming months. This facility gives us the flexibility to continue showcasing the latest products and innovations across our industry in a safe and controlled environment where members can feel comfortable. It also gives us an opportunity to deliver a more personalised experience as attendees will be accompanied by a dedicated point person on their visit to answer any questions they might have.”

“With some level of travel restrictions likely in place well into the New Year, we’re forecasting another summer of strong consumer demand and are already putting a massive emphasis on ensuring that our members are best equipped to satisfy the appetite of the increasingly home and garden proud consumer.”

KILSARAN TO OPEN THEIR NEW PRECAST PLANT IN 2021

Product categories on display include Summer 2021 garden furniture, accessories and BBQs, home decorating, heating, bathroom furniture and accessories, tools and much more.

United Hardware also launched its latest own brand ranges that include BathWorx, GardenWorx, BuildWorx, Love Nature Bird Feed, LaundryWorx, CleanWorx, and Ecozone, an environmentally friendly cleaning range, all of which are on display at the new showroom facility.

United Hardware Ltd supplies and operates the Homevalue retail brand on behalf of its members who together have over 150 stores across Ireland and combined retail sales in excess of ¤400 million. These members employ over 1,900 people across 26 counties.

Kilsaran is excited to announce its entry into the precast market with the launch of a new precast concrete manufacturing facility at their Brownstown site in County Kildare. This site, scheduled to come on stream in early 2021, will be dedicated to the delivery of factory finished materials to the Construction Sector.

The new precast offering will fit seamlessly into Kilsaran`s well-established product range that has long been recognised for its site-based benefits and reliability. It now has the enhanced advantages of factory production bringing increased certainty in quality and budgets.

Their new fully automated structural precast concrete plant features the most advanced concrete production machinery available in Europe. It has been assembled in a circulation plant that has robots providing shuttering, placing fixings, prefabricating reinforcement cages, and placing concrete to the highest degree of accuracy. Computer-controlled production systems transfer information from designers directly to the robots, meaning that just in time delivery is always available.

Buildings of all sizes can now be designed, manufactured, delivered, and assembled by Kilsaran. The company are now actively speaking with clients regarding their precast requirements for 2021 and beyond as well as building a team of talented personnel to run the plant. The first panels from the new plant are on schedule for delivery in Q1 2021.

For more information on open positions please visit their Current Vacancies page on www.kilsaran.ie

22

November/December 2020

News & Products

HELSKE ENERGY SAVE LAUNCH IRISH BUSINESS In April 2020, Helske Energy Save Ireland, introduced their range of Thermal Insulating Plaster and Accessory Products to the Irish Market.

Since 2012 the Helske Group has been manufacturing and distributing sustainable building materials across Europe with a primary focus on Energy Saving and building methods that enhance a healthy living environment.

David Rossiter heads up the Irish business as General Manager, with over 30 years’ experience working within the Construction and Building Materials Sector. David says “Helske Energy Save is using modern technologies to transform traditional methods of construction. While plastering and plaster finishes have been a long-established building trade, innovation is at the core of what Helske do, using Nanotechnology to develop innovative thermal plastering solutions that are also sustainable and environmentally friendly”.

New to the market, HELSKE NANO COAT HOME® Thermal Insulating Plaster contains a unique patented Nano-technology which creates an active wall, allowing this smart plaster achieve a very low thermal conductivity (0.04 W/m.K) that helps reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 35%. It’s hygroscopic ability to absorb moisture vapour from the air,

November/December 2020

helps regulate a constant indoor humidity, enabling the “natural breathing” of external walls.

Because it raises the surface temperature above the dew point, it is the perfect solution to prevent the formation of mould, condensation, mildew, and bacteria, creating a healthy living environment that limits “sick building syndrome”.

David added “The Irish construction sector has embraced recent changes in building standards and new methods of construction, and here at Helske Energy Save we strive to deliver energy saving product solutions. Helske Energy Save plan to expand their product range in 2021 with the introduction of an Aerogel Plasterboard”.

The Helske Energy Saves Product Range also includes Plaster Preparation & Accessory Products including Primer & Sealers, Bonding Adhesives, Ready Mixed Joint Finishers and Repair Fillers.

With offices located on the Old Belgard Road (Dublin 24) and a distribution warehouse located just off the N7, the Helske Energy Save team are on hand to answer any product, technical or stockist queries at: sales@helskeenergysave.ie or contact the office: 01 223 4010. www.helskeenergysave.ie

23

News & Products

MINISTER LAUNCHES GUARANTEED IRISH CONSTRUCTION SECTOR LISTING

(L-R) Fergal Murphy General Manager Kingspan Insulation Ireland, Brid O’Connell CEO Guaranteed Irish, Paddy Kelly Managing Director Etex Ireland & Chairperson of the Board of Directors Guaranteed Irish, Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD and Michael Crowe, Chair of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland Housing Taskforce.

Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD has recently launched the Guaranteed Irish House online listing. This is the country’s first national listing of sustainable construction sector businesses based in Ireland.

The new initiative by Guaranteed Irish offers architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and interior designers a listing of locally produced raw building materials and home furnishings for both private and commercial builds.

The online listing www.guaranteedirishhouse.ie includes all the elements of the supply chain required for a building, from raw materials to final furnishings, that can be sourced locally and help reduce the carbon footprint while supporting jobs and businesses here in Ireland.

This initiative is supported by Guaranteed Irish construction members, Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI), Engineers Ireland, Construction Industry Federation (CIF) & more. The listing is open to all Guaranteed Irish members that manufacture and supply products and services that are used in the build, retrofit and design of private and commercial projects in Ireland, at no additional expense to the member.

Leading global construction firms including Kingspan, Etex Ireland (formerly Tegral), IPL, Tretford, Glennon Brothers, Wavin and SISK are all supportive of the need for a standardised specification listing of sustainable construction

24

and interiors sector businesses for Ireland. These firms operate in Ireland, protect local jobs, and support communities.

This is one of many steps in Guaranteed Irish`s efforts as an organisation to support Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Projections 2040 while supporting local manufacturers and suppliers and in turn, contributing to the local economy amid the social and economic impacts of Covid-19.

Paddy Kelly, Managing Director of Etex Ireland (formerly Tegral Building Products) & Chair of Guaranteed Irish said, “The members within the construction supply chain are frustrated to see so many opportunities pass them by. Our members can easily match, if not exceed, the quality and competitiveness of international firms that do not support jobs, communities, or local economies. The concept of providing access to a onestop-shop for local Irish suppliers of building materials was borne out at last year’s Construction Forum.”

Minister for Housing, Local Government & Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD welcomed the Guaranteed Irish House initiative as a collective showcase of all Irish based businesses that can contribute to the building of homes, schools, factories, or hospitals. He said it would raise awareness of the range of Irish construction products available to architects and developers and encouraged them to make use of the resource when determining specifications.

November/December 2020

Advertorial

Homeland light the way forward with New Solus Lighting Centres Leading Irish lighting company, Solus have launched an attractive new brand refresh, 150 additional LED lines and now announce the exclusive roll out of the innovative ‘Solus Lighting Centres’ across all Homeland Stores.

Aurivo Co-Operative Society is a global agribusiness with exciting consumer brands and a diverse portfolio. This includes 34 Homeland retail stores located across 8 counties, including a store in Northern Ireland. Based in the heart of their communities they pride themselves on their team’s friendly customer service-based expertise across the expansive range of product categories such as agri, garden, fuel, homeware, hardware, paint, pet and more.

“Solus are proud to partner with Aurivo and the outstanding Homeland Stores to light the way into these darker winter months with the launch of a whole new look, a brand refresh, new packaging, a new Planet First sustainability initiative and the innovative Solus Lighting Centres which echo the customer-centric culture at Homeland.“ said David Carron, National Key Accounts Manager at Solus.

The new Solus Lighting Centres at Homeland.

fitting options be it bayonet or screw fit. The interactive ‘try me’ stations are a pioneering move and a first for the lighting sector as customers can see exactly what the bulb looks like when lit in a familiar room setting.

Solus is a proud Irish company with over 80 years of building customer trust, recognition and reliability. Solus have now increased the depth of their range with 150 additional LED lines. Solus light bulbs are built to cover all the requirements of the International Standard ISO 9001.They are active participants in the Energy Savings Trust and are members of WEEE Ireland and Repak.

Homeland store locations.

The new Solus Lighting Centres are both interactive and informative. There are up to 8 bays but the size of the display can be tailored to the space available and the design and production is of the highest quality. After over a year of research and design, Solus found that customers were often overwhelmed by the complexity of choice in the light bulb sector with lots of different considerations including wattage, fitting, product type, energy benefits and more.

The new Solus Lighting Centres predict and answer user’s questions in a simple friendly way. The customer is brought on a journey with clear visuals and descriptions from Halogen and LED to the new premium Solus XCross™ Filament LED range.

Various shapes including the classic bulb, candle, reflectors, round and fluorescent each have their own wattage guide and

The new Solus brand refresh and I5O new LED lines.

News & Products

KEYSTONE MAKE MERCHANTS “AN OFFER THEY CAN’T REFUSE” Keystone Lintels, leading manufacturer of steel lintels, is to make their builders merchant partners “an offer they can’t refuse.” In a dramatic movie themed campaign designed to boost turnover.

The company have launched a dynamic new programme of increased support to turn live project leads into sales!

The powerful new message to their merchant partners is simple – let Keystone do all the hard work and we can grow together.

Just tell them about any live projects in your area and their team will do the rest, the initiative will see Keystone Lintels entire salesforce follow up on leads provided by their merchant customers. Once it is ready to convert to an order, it is passed back to the merchant that generated the lead, resulting in a direct sale for them.

The lead generation partnership message will be communicated to merchant partners in an eye-catching and tongue-in-cheek movie themed campaign that takes inspiration from iconic films such as Jaws, Top Gun and Toy Story. Key movie lines have been adapted to help reinforce the lead generation message

and provide a memorable way of keeping the message in everyone’s minds.

“Keystone has always valued our partnership with builders’ merchants and have a proud 30 year history of unwavering support to our merchant partners,” said Kris Willis, Ireland Sales Director of Keystone Lintels. “Merchants are our eyes and ears on the ground, but with a vast amount of other products to sell we try to take away the workload of chasing these jobs down, to ensure we are successfully securing orders together.”

“We are simply saying let us do the job for you. Keystone’s team will chase all leads that are new to us and the merchant, to create a schedule/quote and work to convert that schedule to an order!”.

COLOURTREND LAUNCHES A NEW PALETTE Colourtrend, Ireland’s iconic paint brand, has launched a stunning new palette featuring 28 new shades, as part of their 2020 Contemporary Collection. Updated every three to four years to evolve with trends in colour and modern life, the Contemporary Collection’s new shades are a mix of luxurious neutrals and vibrant colours, split across four inherently Irish themes.

Taking inspiration from elements of modern Ireland, the four themes consist of The Irish Landscape, Architectural Ireland, Cultural Ireland and Nostalgic Ireland. Whether it’s to inspire, calm or excite, each colour has a purpose and a story, capturing one or more of these themes, all while celebrating the unappreciated role of colour in our everyday life.

Speaking about Colourtrend’s 2020 Contemporary Collection launch, General Paints Group Head of Marketing, Edel Nicholson comments: “We are delighted to finally launch the 28 new shades to our Contemporary Collection. The new shades featured are inspired by our first love, Ireland, but also created with people at the core. Looking at what matters most to the people that inhabit a space. Researching the growing trends across fashion, interiors and design we developed a palette that we are incredibly proud of and one that will resonate with consumers.”

The 28 new luxurious shades join Colourtrend’s iconic Contemporary Collection and are available in three interior finishes; interior matt, ceramic matt and soft sheen, in addition to three trim finishes; eggshell, satin and gloss.

They are now available at www.colourtrend.ie and from Colourtrend stores and key stockists nationwide.

26

November/December 2020

Are you getting the broadest Insurance Cover at the best available price?

Log on to www.hardwarestoreinsurance.ie to arrange an alternative competitive quotation for all your Insurance Needs. www.hardwarestoreinsurance.ie is a Dolmen Insurance brand.

John Bourke ACII Direct Dial â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 01 8022361 Mobile â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 086 8146236 E mail johnb@dibl.ie

Dolmen Insurance Brokers Ltd. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

ECommerce

eCommerce Case Study: McMahons Builders Providers In this issue Aoife Kinsella speaks to John Byrne from McMahons Builders Providers, on how their website and other online resources have helped their 11 stores to serve the building industry and the DIY enthusiast.

Tell me about how you got started with McMahons and what are your main goals with your online strategy?

The company has always embraced innovations and experimented with the latest trends and developments, so I was brought in to develop digital capabilities and social media communications.

Our current website acts as a hub of information for visitors.

Outside of the eCommerce function, we currently have over 8,000 products listed and there are touchpoints that are very popular with our customers such as Request a Quote, Create a Credit Account and Store Locations.

My main focus with the website is the Online Customer Experience of the McMahons brand. People aren’t generally interested in websites, they have ‘wants and needs’ that they are trying to satisfy. This is why I am constantly aiming to improve how our brand appears on Google search results by regularly updating our Google My Business page and linking our product feed to the Google Shopping platform.

Then there is the influence of social media on everyone’s lives.

This presents opportunities for marketers to reach people with products that they have indicated they have an interest in. We use our social profiles to present products but also to communicate the activities and sponsorships we are involved in.

We have found people subscribe for our mailing list (the most under-rated sales channel!) most actively through social media.

How did your online functionality help you in recent months?

and these improvements in IT foundations will allow for more applications to be successfully built into our website and outgoing communications.

We are currently trialling some booking systems on the website that allow us to conduct personal consultations with our customers on an appointment basis. There has been good interest with our latest trial for a Bathroom Consultation. This allows a customer bring plans for their bathroom renovation or house build and discuss directly with our in-branch experts.

We have the ability to quote prices and order from suppliers during the consultation, we see this as a competitive advantage. To date, the people who have attended a consultation have discovered our wide range of products and services allowing us to cross and up-sell.

We are also investigating an AI application that helps website visitors with an improved ‘related products’ offering to optimise their on-site search. If successful this will reduce the bounce rate, improve ‘pages per user’ and drive more footfall into branches.

What advice would you have for any similar hardware retailers/builders’ merchants looking to get started on their own online journey?

If you’re getting started my advice would be to first concentrate on your locality. Secondly design into your website, and other online channels, as many ways as possible for a customer to contact you. Once they contact you, see if you can build your mailing list.

Our strategy in recent years has been to leverage our in-branch experts to develop our merchandising, customer service and product advice at all customer touchpoints. This year with the Covid restrictions our retail customers moved online in significant numbers to place their orders and we reacted in supporting our central warehouse by operating ‘dark stores’ in Limerick, Cork and Portarlington. This meant we were able to service all our online orders with no downtime or reduced product lines.

Can you tell me about any of your future plans?

We are currently in the process of re-engineering the IT infrastructure to ensure the integrity of business operations

28

John Byrne, Group Marketing Manager, McMahons Builders Providers.

November/December 2020

Training

Get your eCommerce up to Speed in 2021 Under the shadow of Covid-19 the importance of eCommerce and Digital Marketing has become all apparent in our sector, with businesses being forced to rapidly adjust their operations to keep their customers supplied with essential products and to keep connected with their community.

Now with a second lockdown and further restrictions possible in the future, now’s a good time to get your ecommerce and online communications up to date.

HAI has collaborated with social media consultant Greg Fry and his colleagues to launch a one-on-one digital marketing consultancy virtual call service for the hardware industry.

By availing of this service, you will get a one-hour slot to pick the brains of some of the Digital arena’s top experts, and get immediate help and advice in challenges such as: •

Setting up/improving your eCommerce channel on your website

•

Improving social media communications

•

Improving website and SEO performance

•

Email Marketing

•

Video Marketing

Cost per one-hour session is ¤80 for HAI Members (¤120 for non Members). Your chosen consultant will have your details and questons in advance of the call to give you the optimum benefit of the allotted time.

The Consultants:

Greg Fry Greg is one of Ireland’s top thought leaders in the Social Media space in Ireland and an experienced digital marketer, consultant, and trainer with a real passion for Social Media.

He has 12+ years’ experience delivering bespoke Digital Marketing & Social Media training and consultancy to government organisations, multinationals, and SMEs. He has delivered several training programmes for HAI in recent years and spoke at the HAI conference in Citywest in February to great acclaim.

Greg can help you with: • Advertising • Social and Digital Strategy • Digital Video • Digital Marketing Tools • Instant Messaging

Elish Bul Elish Bul has been helping businesses, brands and organisations grow through Content Strategy & Creation, Copywriting, Social Media & Community Management, and general B2B & Brand Marketing across offline and online media.

Elish can help you with: • Graphics and Branding • Email Marketing • Instagram • Facebook

Niall Devitt Niall Devitt has worked as a Digital and Social Media consultant, manager and trainer and delivered training and workshops for the National College of Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices, the Sales Institute, SureSkills and others.

Niall can help you with: • Website optimisation • eCommerce • Remote Working • LinkedIn

Eileen McCabe Eileen McCabe is an experienced digital consultant and marketer with specific experience building and developing social media communities. She also has extensive social media management, online advertising, and digital strategy consultation expertise.

Eileen can help you with: • Twitter • Facebook • Community Management • Digital Marketing Tools

If you are in need of some emergency Digital Marketing support and would like a book a call with one of our experts then email Aoife@hardwareassociation.ie for more information.

November/December 2020

29

News & Products

HAI Corporate Partners CASH IN TRANSIT

ECOMMERCE AND MARKETING SERVICES

Brinkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cash Services

Denise McCarthy

1890 474 000 denise.mccarthy@brinks.com www.brinks.com

Monsoon

Ed Wyeth

01 475 0066 ed.wyeth@monsoonconsulting.com www.monsoonconsulting.com

CREDIT MANAGEMENT, LEGAL AND FINANCIAL

Credit Risk Brokers

James Riordan

01 491 6007 james.riordan@creditriskbrokers.com www.creditriskbrokers.com

JPA Brenson Lawlor

Ian Lawlor

01 668 9760 ian@brensonlawlor.ie www.brensonlawlor.ie

LCMS Ltd

Paddy Nolan

045 431 143 sales@lcms.ie www.lcms.ie

The Credit Coach

Declan Flood

087 244 7052 declan@icmt.ie www.icmt.ie

30

sales-i

John Downes

+44 121 489 1070 jdownes@sales-i.com www.sales-i.com

.IE

Alan Finneran

01 236 5400 afinneran@weare.ie www.weare.ie

Pointy

Matt Dockrell

01 513 3323 matt@pointy.com www.pointy.com

HR SUPPORT

TSA Consultants

Tommy Smyth

021 463 4154 tommy@tsaconsultants.ie www.tsaconsultants.ie November/December 2020

Corporate Partners

SHOPFITTERS

Johnston Shopfitters

Shane Brennan

01 419 0419 sales@johnston-shopfitters.com

www.johnston-shopfitters.com

INSURANCE

Dolmen Insurance Brokers Ltd

John Bourke

01 802 2361 info@hardwarestoreinsurance.ie www.hardwarestoreinsurance.ie

HSF Health Plan

Mia Shephard

1890 451 451 mia.shepherd@hsf.ie www.hsf.ie

Profile Technology Ltd

Peter McCullagh

071 916 2122 PeterMcCullagh@Profteck.ie www.profteck.ie

LOGISTICS SERVICES

Woodland Group

Lee McMullen

01 811 1500 lee.mcmullen@woodlandgroup.com www.woodlandgroup.com

The Logistics Consultants

Ronan McDonnell

00 353 86 8385278 ronan@thelogisticsconsultants.com www.thelogisticsconsultants.com

PAYMENT SERVICES

IT SUPPORT AND SERVICES

CORE Technology

Stuart McDonnell

025 41400 stuart.mcdonnell@coretechnology.ie www.coretechnology.ie

Herbst Software

Sean Fitzgerald

01 450 9329 sean.fitzgerald@herbst.ie www.herbstsoftware.com

Intact Software

Mark McArdle

042 933 1742 mark.mcardle@intactsoftware.com www.intactsoftware.com

Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS)

Carla Bremner

01 545 7100 carla.bremner@kerridgecs.com www.kerridgecs.ie

November/December 2020

AIB Merchant Services

Jonathan Mahon

01 218 2116 jonathan.mahon@aibms.com www.aibms.com

Prommt

Adam Ball

01 539 2309 adam.ball@prommt.com www.prommt.com

Service Partner Business Partner Corporate Partner

Contact us today to become a HAI Corporate Partner info@hardwareassociation.ie or phone 01 2980969

31

Store Profile

HPC Group open their new concept store The HPC Group have recently opened their new-concept TJ O’Mahony store in Naas, providing a one-stop Plumbing, Heating, Timber and Building Centre. The Hardware Journal takes this opportunity to talk to HPC Sales Managing Director Dennis O`Connor about this and other developments within the group.

Amazing what can be achieved with some decisive thinking and a strong team pulling out all the stops. In just eight weeks the team at HPC Group took an idea from the drawing board to reality, creating a new-concept store at Tougher’s Park in Naas, opening its doors on September 30th.

The Group’s 17th store brings together two of their top brands to offer the very best to the builder, plumber and serious DIYer. As Managing Director Dennis O’Connor explains, “TJ O’Mahony would be well known as both a Timber and Builders Merchant, and PH Ross (O’Mahonys sister brand), is well recognised in the Plumbing and Heating sector. Combined, they offer our customers a complete solution under one roof.”

Although branded as TJ O’Mahony, the spacious 20,000sq ft premises incorporates a dedicated Plumb centre branded as PH Ross.

The location could not be more convenient, just a few minutes off Junction 10 on the busy N7.

32

Speed merchants For all tradespeople or serious ‘Diyers’, time spent on site is key.

“When designing our store in Naas we looked at numerous ways we could introduce a faster, smarter service in terms of store layout and operations.

The key word is ease; the ease with which customers are able to get in and out of the store, find what they need and get to work on the project.

Or as Dennis quipped: “our mantra sounds like a country and western song, we like to get them in, get them sorted and get them moving”.

So, every design element was scrutinised, and the question always asked, will this detail make the experience better?

How much better?

Having what the customer wants when they want it is critical to efficient service, so priority was given to intelligent stocking and display.

November/December 2020

Store Profile

New branding demonstrating the PH Ross Plumb Centre.

Warehouse area, all you need to get the job done.

The HPC team drew upon their extensive experience with stock optimisation tools. Specialist product buyers worked closely with suppliers, to ensure the right ranges and the right sizes and quantities of goods within each range, would always be in stock.

Up until the Covid -19 pandemic, its calendar was full, with training for beginners up to veteran employees seeking to upskill.

“The teaching and coaching offered is a mix of internal and external training, all aimed at equipping our people with the kind of competencies they can use every day, in areas such as credit control, warehousing and customer engagement.”

“Not just to enhance their own skills, but to improve the customer experience. The skills cut across and keep standards high in all areas of the business and also keep us up to date with developments in products and systems.”

“Whilst its currently not practical to bring our people together in the Academy, it doesn’t mean the learning stops, the Group has continued with its mantra of being ‘serious about learning’, by utilising Zoom and Microsoft Teams to bring the learning on site to each of its seventeen sites”.

The Group also actively avails of the bespoke courses offered

by Hardware Association Ireland, and the response back from those that have attended has been extremely positive.

Leading the change TJ O’Mahony Naas is managed by Mark Doyle, who has been in the industry for over 25 years, joining HPC in 2006.

Mark brings a wealth of industry expertise from a product and systems perspective and was instrumental in the design and build for the new store.

A summer job in Merchant Meade’s was Mark’s introduction to this sector. Even back then he was learning valuable lessons about how to optimise space and guarantee the products customers wanted were always available. This knowledge helped inform the planning process.

Mark started on the new store project in early summer 2020, basing himself in the Group’s sister store, TJ O’Mahony in Prosperous, Kildare.

The Naas store will continue to work closely with the Prosperous branch, sharing supplies in the event of a run on a product. If there is a supply shortage in Naas, back up stock can be fast-tracked from Prosperous.

Trained-up team Mark is ably assisted by highly skilled specialists who deliver expertise in both the Builders and Plumbers Merchant areas.

Derek Dowdall is one of those skilled specialists. Derek is well known in the industry for his in-depth knowledge of the newer generation heating technologies. Most posts were filled internally; a sign that the investment the Group made in creating its own HPC Learning Academy is paying dividends.

The Academy was set up two years ago, to provide a dedicated in-house centre of learning and development.

“Our aim was to use our own learnings and experiences as a valuable knowledge bank to share with new members when they join the company. This would also foster a culture of mentoring and passing on information throughout the organisation,” states Dennis.

When planning the Academy, “it was very important that we gave the Academy a physical presence, a fixed home”.The premises is based in Ballymount, in the upstairs of the Timber & Panel products facility.

November/December 2020

Harnessing resources As one of the founding members of Allied Merchants Buying Association, www.alliedmerchants.ie, HPC were able to draw upon expert support, such as that of Ivan Colleran, Allied Group’s Purchasing Manager. No better source of guidance in ensuring the very best ranges and brands were available in the Plumb Centre and that levels of stock and quantities matched anticipated demand.

“As the saying goes, when you’re buying, you’re selling.

Having the confidence that we have the full backing of the Allied Group and can tap into their buying power to be more competitive, gives great confidence to our sales team”, says Derek Casey, HPC Group Development Manager for Plumbing and Heating.

At a click Covid-19 has pushed HPC to accelerate innovation, to ensure continuity of first-class service even in a pandemic. The Naas store will be the first branch to roll out a Click and Collect facility. This convenient, safe way to shop will be available in the next few weeks.

33

Store Profile

The new Paint Centre at TJ O’Mahony’s.

The new Trade Centre at TJ O’Mahony’s.

Click and Collect marks a further expansion of the Group’s online platform www.tjomahony.ie, launched in April 2020.

Click and Collect is the second of a three-phase rollout; the final stage being a trade specific platform, allowing all trade customers to administer their account, review pricing and access invoices and statements.

Since acquiring the business, the store has undergone a complete makeover and the branch is re-branded and now operating as TJ O’Mahony’s Ardee.

“Like so many others we are busy trying to forecast what the future or at least 2021 holds. In contrast with this time last year, we are now very familiar with how to do business in Covid times, and my own view is that the domestic spend will continue to focus on home and garden improvements.

Trying to determine what the impact of a no deal Brexit will be is more difficult, but we’re a resilient industry, we have come through difficult times before and we will come through these times as well”.

What does the future hold?

“Earlier in the year the Group acquired Deeside Supplies in Ardee, Co. Louth, the Ardee Branch was a strategic move to bring together our store in Navan and Kilshane Cross, the Group has a number of customers operating in the region and having Ardee will aid us in improving the service we can offer to those customers”.

34

November/December 2020

pipelife.com

TRAINING ACADEMY TO BOOK YOUR PLACE CALL 021 488 4700 E-MAIL – IRELAND@PIPELIFE.COM

TO BOOK YOUR PLACE CALL 021 4884700 E-MAIL – IRELAND@PIPELIFE.COM

PIPELIFE Ireland Limited, White’s Cross, Cork.

1B Damastown Way, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15

T +353 21 488 4700 E ireland@pipelife.com , pipelife.com

Supplier Profile

Dedicated, innovative and experienced to the KORE Noel Brady from KORE Insulation talks to Aoife Kinsella about the core values behind 23 years of growth and innovation and their strategy for success in changing times.

Covid doesn’t offer many silver linings, but for KORE Insulation, it has underscored the value of being agile and listening to customers; just two of the qualities that have propelled this Irish manufacturer to success in its 23 years serving the construction sector.

As Managing Director Noel Brady confirms, “we can turn a down-time into a success”. He advises other businesses to “use the opportunities available to you and the time to upskill, create new customer communication streams, and always be on hand to assist when you can.”

KORE Insulation has weathered many changes since its establishment in 1997, not least the recession in 2008 which hit the industry hard. But challenging times taught the growing company valuable lessons about resilience and adaptability.

high-quality EPS insulating solutions at its 45,000ft+ state-ofthe-art facility in Kilnaleck, Cavan.

An Irish family firm

KORE serves a large and diverse customer base, including insulation contractors, architects, engineers, building developers, general building contractors and other manufacturers.

The company also works directly with homeowners, community organisations and commercial businesses, alongside a variety of manufacturers, to offer retrofit services.

“We have positioned ourselves to incorporate all aspects of the construction industry, from retrofit to new build”, says Noel. “We are continually building relationships with key manufacturers and suppliers and expanding our reach by working with builders merchants throughout the country to supply KORE EPS in all areas, including Northern Ireland.”

For every customer challenge, the KORE team have a solution.

As Noel explains: “Our customers want products that meet and exceed the building regulations and requirements. They seek products that are easy to work with and install and help solve a problem. KORE EPS meets this need.”

KORE’s is a story of spotting and maximising opportunities.

The business was initially founded as Airpacks Ltd by Tommy Brady, Helen Brady and Jimmy Macken, who spotted a gap in the Irish construction market for high quality, long lasting and sustainable Expanded Polystyrene Insulation (EPS).

Their first site was a humble 60ft x 190ft factory in need of extensive repairs. But the business quickly took off, powered by an agreement with Amalgamated Hardware in a distribution deal that included over 200 stores.

As demand and resources grew, the premises underwent numerous extensions and expansions. The now-famous KORE Insulation brand kicked off in 2007, spurring further growth.

Diversification into additional product opportunities followed, giving the business the chance to reach new markets with their Irish-made insulation.

Today KORE Insulation manufactures a complete range of

36

Reaching the retrofit market Introducing the KORE Fill range marked a key milestone, enabling the business to broaden their horizons. “KORE Fill helped to increase our presence in the retrofit market, supplying older builds with improved energy efficiency at a lower cost compared to other insulation materials and methods.”

Before long, KORE’s Retrofit Division was up and running, which Noel describes as “a one-stop-shop for home, community and commercial energy upgrades, offering project management from start to finish”.

Customers drive innovation

November/December 2020

Supplier Profile

Noel Brady, Managing Director, Caroline Ashe, Commercial Director and Pauric Kavanagh, Operations Director.

MD Noel Brady and John Flynn, Delivery Manager at SEAI inspect the EPS production line.

“We are focused on lean construction and lean manufacturing.

Many of our customers want solutions that come with backup and support. Our products are NSAI/BBA certified, have the required environmental product declarations, technical backup and certifications.”

Customer input is integral to innovation and success. “We’re always listening to our customers, and a lot of the change we’ve implemented has been a direct result of the feedback we’ve received.”

A personalised sales approach ensures KORE stands out. “Each customer enquiry is answered within one day, with support and guidance for the project at hand. We listen to our customer needs and how best we can assist. We assign one person to each customer, who will liaise with all departments to ensure you get the solution you need.”

communications, utilising multiple channels to raise awareness about KORE’s brand and products.

Communications include sharing upcoming events, testimonials, case studies and in-house videos across all of the major social media platforms, and regular advertising in industry publications.

With Covid, engagement has become even more important.

Events also play a big part in customer connection. In normal years, KORE regularly exhibits at major industry events including The Hardware Show, the Architecture Expo, SEAI Energy Show and SelfBuild Live Events in Dublin, Cork and Belfast.

Team strength From a small family-run enterprise, KORE has grown into an industry-leading company nationwide, with nearly 50 full-time employees across administration, technical, sales, marketing, operations, production and senior management. “We succeed by running our business like a family,” Noel affirms.

The company is headed by Noel; Caroline Ashe Brady, Commercial Director, and Pauric Kavanagh, Operations Director; supported by their dedicated staff, bringing years of experience from inside and outside the organisation.

Key personnel include Andrew Butler, who has been KORE’s Technical Business Development Manager and in-house BIM expert for the past eight years. Steven Magee has been Business Development Manager for over 15 years. Regional Sales Managers Jonathan Malone, Donovan Ogle and Quality Manager Fergal Harrison, who keeps a close eye on all products that leave the factory all play key roles.

The Technical team includes Technical Sales Manager Leon Creamer, Support Assistant Gerald Olwill, and newest member Paulina Mlodawska, Product Development Engineer.

The office team is fronted by Office Administrators Ailish O’Reilly and Glen Gargan, who manage the office operations and sales process, Sinead Ashe, Office and HRM Manager, and Accounts and GDPR Manager Breda Briody.

Noel isn’t short of praise for his employees. “We believe our people set us apart. KORE prides itself on having the most enthusiastic, skilled and driven team committed to producing and supplying high quality insulation solutions to the market.

Dedicated. Innovative. Experienced.” And much more.

Reaching out The Marketing team, led by manager Brian Flax and Executive Lisa Downey, are responsible for online and offline November/December 2020

Winning ways 2018 was a tremendous year as KORE scooped Most Innovative Business of the Year and Overall Business of the Year Awards at the Cavan Business and Tourism Awards.

KORE were also selected as finalists in the Small Business Category at the SEAI Energy Awards and picked up a third win for Energy Efficiency Project of the Year at the KPMG Property Industry Excellence Awards.

2020 continued the impressive sweep of accolades, including two wins at the Small Firms Association Awards; one in the manufacturing category and the top trophy, Overall Business of the Year.

Connections count KORE values the relationships developed with organisations, including Hardware Association Ireland, Guaranteed Irish, Small Firms Association, National Insulation Associations of Ireland and the UK and Irish Green Building Council. The business also works closely with Electric Ireland, SEAI and the NSAI.

Positive outlook Noel and his team recognise the challenges facing the sector, but are confident their positioning helps them continue to create new opportunities: “Ireland’s existing housing stock is in need of deep retrofit upgrades. This presents a huge opportunity to our retrofit division. There are many new upgrade schemes currently being announced by government in its drive to improve energy efficiency that will present us with more opportunities in this space.”

Addressing skilled labour shortages in the construction industry is a priority. “We are actively working to help upskill the industry and provide more training opportunities at local level.”

Top Tip? Know and make the best use of opportunities available, even in downtime, by listening and responding to buyers, spotting gaps in the market, using the time to upskill and reach out to customers, and always be ready to help.

37

Hardware Show

New dates for The Hardware Show - November 2021 Hardware Association Ireland are delighted to report resounding support for the decision taken to reschedule The Hardware Show 2021, www.thehardwareshow.ie, to the new dates of 14th & 15th November 2021 at the Citywest Exhibition Centre. The show will run on the Sunday & Monday as normal.

The decision was taken considering the continued uncertainty brought on by COVID-19. We can report that not only have the vast majority of exhibitors agreed to support this move, we have also seen an increase in the number of new bookings since the new dates were announced.

We can also report that our event partners, EventHaus Ltd, have been working tirelessly with the Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation to draft a set of protocols and guidelines for the safe running of trade fairs and exhibitions.

This work was recognised by the present Government within the recently published “Resilience and Recovery - Living With

Covid-19” plan where it is laid out now that trade fairs and exhibitions will be allowed to restart once the country is back in Level 1 or 2 and once the event is held in a large purpose built exhibition venue such as the Citywest Exhibition Centre.

We are also monitoring trade fairs which have restarted in other European countries such as Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. These fairs have been run in a safe and controlled manner within guidelines similar to the ones that will be used at The Hardware Show next year. We will continue to monitor trade fairs especially within the Hardware/DIY sector and any positive learnings will be considered for our own event next November.

To book your stand please contact: Margaret Andreucetti Sales Manager Email: Margaret.andreucetti@eventhaus.ie Mobile: + 353 86 0554181

EXHIBITOR LISTING 2021 • Ames True Temper • Arc Building Products • Ard Ri Marble • Ashtown Trading • Axus Décor Ltd • B&G • Basta Wholesale • Blåkläder Ireland • Bolle Safety Ireland • Bolton Adhesives • Bord Na Mona • Bostik • Botament Systembaustoffe - MC-Building

Chemicals Brett Martin Plumbing & Drainage & Ariel Bryko Build Box Calor Canadia Flooring Cardboutique.ie Classic Hardware CPL Fuels Ireland Ltd Credit Risk Brokers Crown Paints Dargan Tools DEFE Flood Barriers Dosco Draper Tools DS Supplies Ltd Dulux ECC Timber Products Elite Fence Fleetwood Paints

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 38

• Flogas • Galco Steel Ltd. • Glennon Brothers • Gold Crop • Green Equipment Ltd. • Guardian Distribution • Halo Ltd • Henkel Ireland Dist.

• Herron & Son • Hightower Painting • Homeline • Hultafors Group Ireland • Hygeia Group Limited • Instantor • Intact Software • International Tools Industries • Irish Abrasives • Irish Cement • Irish International Trading Corporation • Irish Wire Products • IS Varian • Jefferson Professional Tools & Equipment • Johnston Shopfitters • Kärcher Ltd. (Ireland) • Kilsaran Ltd. • Larsen Building Products • Laydex Building Solutions • Locks & Hardware • Mascot International • OHRA Regalanlagen GmbH • O’Neill Wholesale • Origo • Passive House Systems

• Paul Small Wallcoverings Ltd • Pipelife Ireland Limited • Portwest • Power Providers Ltd. • PVC Fabrication • Reisser Ireland • Rhino Distribution • Ronseal Ireland • Saint-Gobain Construction Products Ireland

• Sichern Hardware • Solvall Ltd. • Stafford Fuels • Sterling Safety Workwear Ltd. • South Coast Sales • Tec7 - Contech Building Products • T.I.Midwood & Co Ltd (TIMco) • Toolbank Ireland • Tucks Fasteners & Fixing • TW Clarke Ltd. • United Hardware • Uppercross Enterprises Ltd. • Unilin Flooring • Vendek Ltd. T/A Powerline • VF Corporation • Wavin • Westaro Hosing Ltd. • Westland Horticulture • Whiteriver Group • Wood Mouldings • Xtratherm

November/December 2020

OVER

70%

OF ST AND S

ALLOC

PACE

ATED

Public Procurement

Business opportunities in selling to Government Public procurement is the process by which public bodies buy from suppliers and covers a wide range of buying decisions, from large-scale infrastructure projects to small everyday items.

How can I grow my business by selling to Government?

Understanding public procurement and the guidelines associated with it is key to businesses of all sizes succeeding in a competitive market either at home or internationally through our membership of the European single market. The SME sector plays a fundamental role in contributing to economic growth and employment in Ireland. Public procurement offers significant opportunities to businesses of all sizes and the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) wants to encourage SMEs to avail of these both in Ireland and across the wider EU market.

The underlying principles are always the same; to ensure competitiveness, transparency, inclusivity, and that there be a delivery of value for money. In Ireland, procurement rules apply to how public money is spent and is closely monitored. The process opens up the market and ensures that opportunities for businesses are made available openly and regularly. The State spends approximately ¤8.5 billion every year on goods and services which represents a considerable business opportunity.

Innovation is important in all sectors of the economy and public procurement is a major instrument by which Government can encourage and stimulate innovation in the Irish economy.

The OGP recently published a Request for Tender (RFT) for the provision of “tools, hardware, and consumables” to the Irish Public Sector. Under this RFT, the tools, hardware and consumables covered a wide range of goods and supplies used for the maintenance of buildings, parks, depots, gardens, etc.

The RFT was published on eTenders (etenders.gov.ie). This RFT will cover most public service hardware requirements for the coming years, so if you missed out, it’s essential that you become familiar with eTenders ahead of the next competition!

What is eTenders and why you should register your business eTenders is the Irish government’s eProcurement platform managed by the Office of Government Procurement. It is the central facility where you can register to find competitions and award notices advertised by public bodies for local projects, right through to high-value projects advertised across the whole of the EU. Registering on eTenders (etenders.gov.ie) and setting up email alerts to match your type of business, will keep you in the know when the public sector are looking for goods or services that your business provides. Central Government, Local Authorities and all other public sector bodies will publish their request for tenders (RFTs) on eTenders, giving your company the opportunity to submit a bid and gain new business.

Registering for eTenders is straightforward and only takes a few minutes. The site contains Prior Information Notices (PINs), which

40

give advanced notice that a procurement process is planned within the next twelve months and live opportunities in the form of requests for tenders (RFTs). You will find all the tender documents needed to submit a bid on the eTenders platform and using eTenders is completely free.

Alerts about new competitions are sent out on the basis of codes from the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV). Codes are allocated to all of the goods and services commonly procured across Europe and you can select to receive alerts on the basis of categories of goods (like “tools”) or more specific products (like “saws”). These codes can be found when you register for alerts on eTenders.

OGP YouTube channel and InterTrade Ireland Go2Tender programme While the OGP works by aggregating public sector demand to maximise value for money, there are a number of measures in place to support SME engagement in public procurement competitions. The OGP also engages with industry representative bodies such as Hardware Association Ireland and through the SME Advisory Group. These groups provide feedback on how the OGP can engage better with businesses of all sizes.

A useful source of information is the series of animations created by the OGP on its YouTube channel. You can find the YouTube channel by following the link from the OGP’s website, ogp.gov.ie.

The videos available online explain the procurement process as well as how to register on eTenders and to create alerts. You can also find testimonials featuring successful Irish SME bidders.

Another great support available to your business is the successful Go2Tender programme delivered by our partners in InterTradeIreland. InterTradeIreland provides a range of development supports to businesses across the whole island of Ireland. The Go2Tender programme aims to give SMEs across the island of Ireland the confidence, skills and knowledge to successfully compete for public sector tenders in their own jurisdiction and on a cross-border basis. The programme consists of two days’ training by experienced bid specialists.

Participating in the Go2Tender programme would benefit your business in gaining a better understanding of the public procurement process and how to be successful and grow your sales. More information about upcoming workshops can be found at InterTradeIreland.com OGP provide procurement solutions, advice, guidance, and systems to organisations across the public service.

For more information please visit ogp.gov.ie or contact them via email at support@ogp.gov.ie November/December 2020

Public Procurement

Tips for Public Procurement Contracts Patrick Downes is the founder of Lionheart where he works closely with organisations who are continuously engaging with the state sector on tender submissions. In this article he shares some tips and tricks gleaned from his experience of the process.

A few years ago, I had the experience of investing quite a bit of time and effort into competing for a state tender. I found it to be a complex and time-consuming process.

To add insult to injury, despite my best efforts, I didn’t win the bid.

So, let me share what I’ve learned since.

Size of the Prize It seems to me that context can sometimes be worth 90 IQ points, so let’s put it in context. We know from the recent Budget that from a prize point of view the Public Capital Programme will be over ¤10 billion next year. In addition, we also know that the semi-state sector will require ¤8 billion and Ireland’s 3,000 contracting authorities will tender for ¤15 billion.

That’s a staggering ¤33 billion.

If You’re Not in, You Can’t Win As Wayne Gretzky famously reflected “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” So too it is with tendering and you need to engage with the process in order to succeed.

The primary portal for public sector tenders in Ireland is www. etenders.gov.ie. The first thing you need to do is register and set up alerts on areas of interest. Etenders are very active on Twitter so I would also suggest you follow them at @etendersie.

No harm in taking a look at Intertrade Ireland’s Go-2-Tender website as another valuable resource.

Get Your House in Order Public Procurement is a process driven exercise and you need to prepare yourself accordingly. It’s a little bit of work but definitely worth it to build up a Tender file which contains templates of questions that you will be asked and this may include Company profile/org chart, VAT and CRO numbers, accounts/financial statements, CVs of key personnel, product brochures, accreditation certificates and copies of insurance policies. An important element of this file will be your Tax Compliance Certificate. This is a vital document, as if you don’t have one you cannot be given a state contract. If for whatever reason you don’t have one, I suggest you go to www.revenue.ie and get one without delay.

Read the Tender Carefully Then read it a second time. Consider what the buyer wants and pay particular attention to specification’s and words like “Shall”, “Will” and “Must”. Don’t be shy and seek clarification November/December 2020

if necessary. Ask if there are points for Green Procurement initiatives and if there is, ensure you are able to get some. Pay particular attention to the evaluation weightings and focus your attention on this aspect as this is where the battle is often won and lost. Ensure sufficient information is submitted in order to allow each criteria attract maximum points that you can achieve.

Complete your pricing schedule very carefully.

Submission Follow the format and attach all requested documentation.

Be specific to the competition and use the language of your particular profession. Be clear and concise. Sell the benefits of your bid that address the client’s needs.

It’s always good practice to have someone double check your bid against the criterion prior to submission. Keep a close eye on the deadline and monitor Etenders for requests for information from other bidders which have to be shared as they arise.

If in hardcopy check the address and send by registered post or if in soft copy request a “confirmation of receipt” on your outbound email Every Day is a School Day With the best will in the world you can’t win them all so if debriefings are offered engage with the process and have your questions ready in advance. If not offered request one.

Best of luck and remember what Wayne Gretzky said “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Contact Patrick at patrick@lionheart.ie

LIONHEART C O N S U LTA N T S

41

BUSINESS BUSINESS OWNERS OWNERS Whether Whether youyou manufacture manufacture concrete, concrete, runrun the the local local shop shop - or-anything or anything in between in between - there - there are are three three keykey steps steps youyou need need to take to take nownow to prepare to prepare youryour business business for the for the lasting lasting change change thatthat Brexit Brexit willwill bring bring on 1on January 1 January 2021.

2021.

STEP STEP 1: 1:

STEP STEP 2: 2:

STEP STEP 3: 3:

CUSTOMS CUSTOMS CHANGES CHANGES

CONTINUITY CONTINUITY OF SUPPLY OF SUPPLY

CASH CASH FLOW FLOW

If youIfplan you plan to move to move goods goods to, from, to, from, or through or through the UK, theexcluding UK, excluding Northern Northern Ireland, Ireland, afterafter 1 January 1 January 20212021 youryour business business mustmust complete complete customs customs formalities. formalities.

Examine Examine your your supply supply chainchain closely closely for UK fordependencies.

UK dependencies.

SeekSeek assurances assurances fromfrom your your suppliers suppliers aboutabout continuity continuity of of supply. supply.

Talk to Talk your to your freight freight and logistics and logistics providers providers aboutabout theirtheir Brexit Brexit readiness readiness and their and their continued continued ability ability to gettoyour get your products products to your to your customers. customers.

Protect Protect youryour cash cash flow.flow.

Contact Contact youryour financial financial provider provider to discuss to discuss options options including including currency currency hedging hedging or a working or a working capital capital loan.loan.

PleasePlease see www.gov.ie/brexit see www.gov.ie/brexit for more forinformation more information on theon steps thebusinesses steps businesses can take cantotake limittothe limit the impactimpact of Brexit of Brexit and the and supports the supports available. available.

Prepared Prepared by the Department by the Department of Enterprise of Enterprise Trade & Trade Employment & Employment

42

November/December 2020

Brexit Readiness Checklist Customs Register with Revenue for your EORI number in order to trade with the UK after 1st January 2021

Find out what is needed to complete customs formalities and decide if they will be completed in-house or through a customs agent/broker

Consider if you will be responsible for completing customs formalities in the UK and how this will be organised

Check out customs authorisations and simplifications operated by Revenue that could be useful in completing customs formalities, such as the system of deferred payment on import duties

Consider the cashflow implications of import duties, VAT and excise on goods imported from the UK (excluding Northern Ireland)

Other Controls Identify sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls needed for live animals, plants and products of animal and plant origin (including wood and wood products)

Register with the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine as an importer or exporter of live animals, plants and products of animal and plant origin

Contact the Environmental Health Service of the HSE for food of plant origin where applicable

Ensure that you and your UK suppliers use the international standard ISPM 15 standard wood pallets for imports and exports of goods

Product Compliance Ensure you are compliant with import/export regulatory requirements, especially if you are importing/distributing goods from the UK post Brexit

Ensure imported goods are correctly labelled and marked under EU Law If you use a UK notified body for conformity assessment you will need to transfer to an EU notified body. A list of EU notified bodies is available on the EU Commission’s NANDO database

November/December 2020

43

Supply Chain Map your supply chain for goods going to, from or through the UK including the route to final destination

Examine supply chain costs and possible implications e.g. tariffs, customs formalities and transport logistics

Seek assurances from your suppliers/distributors to ensure continuity of supply or consider alternatives e.g. changing supplier in another market

Review contracts terms with your UK suppliers and customers Find out the origin of product components as some goods that come from the UK may not originate in the UK and may have an impact on duties or tariffs payable on the final product

Acquaint yourself with the relevant documentation to demonstrate the originating status of your goods

Financial Management Do you know your breakeven €/£ exchange rate for conducting business with the UK and take the necessary steps to reduce your exposure, e.g. currency hedging?

Avail of Government financial supports to help manage your cashflow e.g. by availing of the Brexit Loan Scheme and the Future Growth Loan Scheme

Check out the range of enterprise and financial supports available to businesses to meet Brexit related challenges under Government Support and Advice on this leaflet

Also…

Ensure that adequate protections are in place so that you can continue to transfer personal data if your business involves the transfer of personal data to or from the UK

Take the necessary steps to ensure continued protection of intellectual property rights in the UK

Apply for licences/authorisations in the EU-27 if your business has relied on these from UK authorities, or transfer such licences/authorisations issued by the UK to an EU-27-authority

If you have a trade representative body engage with that body for additional information

44

July/August 2019

Government Government Support and Advice Support and Advice Government Advice and Guidance Government Advice and Guidance

•Enterprise Ireland’s Brexit Readiness Checker •Enterprise Ireland’s Brexit Readiness Checker •Enterprise Ireland’s Currency Impact Calculator •Enterprise Ireland’s Currency Impact Calculator •Enterprise Ireland’s Customs Insight Online Course •Enterprise Ireland’s Customs Insight Online Course •Local Enterprise Offices’ Brexit Mentor Programme •Local Enterprise Offices’ Brexit Mentor Programme •InterTradeIreland’s Brexit Advisory Service •InterTradeIreland’s Brexit Advisory Service

•InterTradeIreland’s Tariff Checker •InterTradeIreland’s Tariff Checker •InterTradeIreland’s Brexit Digital Content •InterTradeIreland’s Brexit Digital Content •Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Guidance •Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Guidance •Skillnet Ireland’s Clear Customs Training •Skillnet Ireland’s Clear Customs Training

Financial Supports Financial Supports

•Brexit Loan Scheme •Enterprise Ireland’s Be Prepared Grant •Enterprise Ireland’s Act On Initiative •Brexit Loan Scheme •Enterprise Ireland’s Be Prepared Grant •Enterprise Ireland’s Act On Initiative •Enterprise Ireland’s Market Discovery Fund •Enterprise Ireland’s Ready for Customs •Future Growth Loan Scheme •Enterprise Ireland’s Market Discovery Fund •Enterprise Ireland’s Ready for Customs •Future Growth Loan Scheme •InterTradeIreland’s Start to Plan Voucher •InterTradeIreland’s Start to Plan Voucher

Preparing for new Customs Arrangements Preparing for new Customs Arrangements

In addition to the advice about changes in customs arrangements which is offered through Enterprise Ireland, In addition to the advice about changes in customs arrangements which is offered through Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Offices, InterTradeIreland, Skillnet Ireland and Bord Bia, information relating to Customs formalities the Local Enterprise Offices, InterTradeIreland, Skillnet Ireland and Bord Bia, information relating to Customs formalities is available at: www.revenue.ie/brexit is available at: www.revenue.ie/brexit

Preparing for changes in Legislation and Standards Preparing for changes in Legislation and Standards

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) provides support and advice to Irish companies regarding the legislative obligations for goods The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) provides support and advice to Irish companies regarding the legislative obligations for goods and products such as chemicals machinery, pressure equipment, transportable pressure equipment, lifts and safety components, PPE, and products such as chemicals machinery, pressure equipment, transportable pressure equipment, lifts and safety components, PPE, equipment for use in explosive atmospheres, and on accreditation and the use of notified bodies. The National Standards Authority equipment for use in explosive atmospheres, and on accreditation and the use of notified bodies. The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) provides advice on how best to ensure businesses are certified to appropriate standards to access markets. of Ireland (NSAI) provides advice on how best to ensure businesses are certified to appropriate standards to access markets.

Enterprise Ireland Skillnet Ireland Enterprisewww.enterprise-ireland.com Ireland Skillnet Ireland www.skillnetireland.ie

Údarás na Gaeltachta Údarás nawww.udaras.ie Gaeltachta

Revenue Local Enterprise Offices Revenue www.revenue.ie/brexit Local Enterprise Offices www.localenterprise.ie

Health and Safety Authority Health and Safety Authority www.hsa.ie

www.enterprise-ireland.com www.skillnetireland.ie brexitunit@enterprise-ireland.com info@skillnetireland.ie brexitunit@enterprise-ireland.com info@skillnetireland.ie 01 727 2727 01 207 9630 01 727 2727 01 207 9630 www.localenterprise.ie

www.udaras.ie eolas@udaras.ie eolas@udaras.ie 091 503 100 091 503 100

www.revenue.ie/brexit brexitqueries@revenue.ie www.hsa.ie wcu@hsa.ie

InterTradeIreland brexitqueries@revenue.ie wcu@hsa.ie 01 738 3685 1890 289 389 InterTradeIreland www.intertradeireland.com01 738 3685 1890 289 389 www.intertradeireland.com Department of Agriculture, National Standards brexit@intertradeireland.com Department of and Agriculture, National Standards brexit@intertradeireland.com Food the Marine Authority of Ireland 048 3083 4100 (028 from NI) Food and www.agriculture.gov.ie the Marine Authoritywww.nsai.ie of Ireland 048 3083 4100 (028 from NI) IDA Ireland www.agriculture.gov.ie brexitcall@agriculture.gov.iewww.nsai.ie BrexitUnit@nsai.ie IDA Ireland www.idaireland.com brexitcall@agriculture.gov.ie BrexitUnit@nsai.ie www.idaireland.com brexit@ida.ie brexit@ida.ie 01 603 4000 01 603 4000

Strategic Banking Strategic Corporation Banking of Ireland Corporation of Ireland www.sbci.gov.ie www.sbci.gov.ie info@sbci.gov.ie info@sbci.gov.ie 01 238 4000 01 238 4000

076 106 4443 076 106 4443

01 807 3800 01 807 3800

www.dbei.gov.ie info@dbei.gov.ie info@dbei.gov.ie 01 631 2121 01 631 2121

www.ccpc.ie 01 402 5555 01 402 5555

Department of Business, Competition and Consumer Department of Business, and Consumer Enterprise and InnovationCompetition Protection Commission Enterprisewww.dbei.gov.ie and Innovation Protection Commission www.ccpc.ie

Bord Bia

Bord Bia www.bordbia.ie Microfinance Ireland www.bordbia.ie brexit@bordbia.ie Microfinance Ireland www.microfinanceireland.ie brexit@bordbia.ie www.microfinanceireland.ie Fáilte Ireland info@microfinanceireland.ie Fáilte Ireland info@microfinanceireland.ie www.failteireland.ie 01 260 1007 01 260 1007

www.failteireland.ie info@failteireland.ie info@failteireland.ie 01 884 7101 01 884 7101

Health Service Executive Health Service Executive www.hse.ie www.hse.ie hselive@hse.ie hselive@hse.ie 041 685 0300 041 685 0300

Food Safety Authority of Ireland Food Safety Authority of Ireland www.fsai.ie www.fsai.ie brexit@fsai.ie brexit@fsai.ie 01 817 1300 01 817 1300

LEARN MORE LEARNGo MORE to www.gov.ie/brexit Go to www.gov.ie/brexit

July/August 2019

45

Construction Industry Update

CIS share some Industry Stats In this article Construction Information Services (CIS), www.cisireland.com takes a look at the volume, and value of construction projects across the various sectors and stages within the Construction industry that have been added/updated to CIS Online from 1st Jan – 30th October 2020 by the CIS Research Department.

Projects Published (Summary by Stage) Stage Completed Contract Awarded On Site Planning Not Required Plans Granted Plans Refused Plans Submitted Plans Withdrawn Pre Planning Tender

ROI Projects 201 439 1894 1 4148 603 2701 1078 19

NI Projects 21 208 421 0 1426 80 1388 20 70

ROI Value ¤1,140,050,358 ¤1,165,636,786 ¤18,535,785,970 ¤684,320 ¤17,344,245,018 ¤3,113,917,380 ¤8,022,420,490 ¤934,010,061 ¤4,273,880,000

NI Value £55,197,019 £871,956,726 £3,487,017,705 £0 £2,433,548,150 £69,732,848 £1,885,976,507 £38,311,148 £565,463,607

2501 13399

528 4165

¤6,176,333,034 ¤60,706,963,417

£2,151,141,353 £11,558,885,063

Projects Published (Summary by Location) Region Connaught

Leinster

Munster

Northern Ireland

Ulster (ROI)

46

County Co. Galway Co. Leitrim Co. Mayo Co. Roscommon Co. Sligo Co. Carlow Co. Dublin Co. Kildare Co. Kilkenny Co. Laois Co. Longford Co. Louth Co. Meath Co. Offaly Co. Westmeath Co. Wexford Co. Wicklow Co. Clare Co. Cork Co. Kerry Co. Limerick Co. Tipperary Co. Waterford Co. Antrim Co. Armagh Co. Down Co. Fermanagh Co. Derry Co. Tyrone Co. Cavan Co. Donegal Co. Monaghan

Projects 738 126 347 205 201 220 2856 561 383 264 168 373 534 262 253 393 390 356 1557 483 589 638 326 1671 327 920 167 533 547 244 650 283 17565

Total Value ¤2,438,849,452.00 ¤60,624,918.00 ¤871,767,403.00 ¤239,860,923.00 ¤385,802,789.00 ¤387,254,581.00 ¤29,713,007,371.00 ¤2,984,738,693.00 ¤820,076,525.00 ¤626,632,712.00 ¤366,965,850.00 ¤1,724,222,274.00 ¤2,856,688,752.00 ¤622,750,279.00 ¤411,721,435.00 ¤1,694,452,537.00 ¤1,463,024,482.00 ¤510,557,011.00 ¤6,848,193,904.00 ¤1,214,164,974.00 ¤1,485,101,338.00 ¤754,921,894.00 ¤778,419,401.00 ¤7,941,396,702.00 ¤370,971,511.00 ¤1,109,979,475.00 ¤161,778,440.00 ¤965,114,897.00 ¤1,009,765,683.00 ¤492,262,117.00 ¤681,184,999.00 ¤276,107,289.00 ¤72,268,360,611.00

About CIS Construction Information Services (CIS) is Ireland’s leading provider of business intelligence to the Construction and Allied Industries.

Founded in 1972, CIS is celebrating 48 years of providing comprehensive, researched, verified and real-time information on all building projects throughout Ireland - North and South. Our highly qualified research team investigate valuable projects in great detail to ensure businesses can make important decisions quickly and generate the right contract and supply opportunities for their pipeline.

For more information, call 01 2999200 or email sales@cisireland.com.

July/August 2019

Hardware Jobs

Join HardwareJobs.ie in 2021 The first of its kind in the Irish Hardware industry, www.HardwareJobs.ie is HAI’s own job board website. It is designed to connect hardware industry employers with potential employees new to the sector or with some previous experience in this or similar sectors.

If you have any new job opportunities in your business as a result of Covid-19, whether it’s a new merchandiser, delivery driver, marketing/social media assistant, or any other role needed to adapt to the new normal, www.HardwareJobs.ie is here to help. Reach out directly to those jobseekers with the right attitude, skills and enthusiasm to excel in the role.

If you have any upcoming vacancies or would like to link with active jobseekers in the sector, contact us today. We can accept jobs in any category, (part-time, full-time, entry-level, internship, management, etc) once they are hardware or building materials industry-specific.

www.HardwareJobs.ie 2020 Stats 33 job vacancies published 10 active jobseekers 480 average monthly website visits 2604 average monthly social media views

Benefits for Employers •

No more going through generic recruitment agencies

•

Unlimited job postings per year for a nominal fee

•

Target those interested in entering or upskilling through the hardware industry

•

Find candidates for highly specific job openings

•

Registered employers can access and contact a growing database of candidates

•

Weekly promotion of vacant jobs through HAI’s social media activity

•

Easily accessible dashboard to manage job postings and applicants

How does it work?

This is a “self-service” site where: •

Employers upload and edit their jobs through their own login

•

Candidates upload their CVs and cover letters, and apply for jobs

•

Job applications are sent directly to the employer

•

Employers can search the candidate pool through their employer login and contact candidates directly

Contact us today to join www.HardwareJobs.ie November/December 2020

For more information or to start advertising your vacancies with Hardware Jobs visit www.hardwarejobs.ie or contact Aoife at aoife@hardwareassociation.ie.

47

Training

HAI Training & Development Round-up 2020 2020 started rather traditionally for our training workshops, with over 50 attendees across six different classroom workshops including B2B Sales Management, Stock Control and Merchandising. Since then, we, along with the rest of the country, had to rapidly adjust our operations and how we provide training.

To help those who are looking to revitalise their skills and to change/update how they interact with their customers we have made available virtual and online training options for the hardware sector:

We are looking forward to delivering these webinars again in 2021, and are excited to introduce new topics such as:

Virtual Workshops and Webinars: We collaborated with a number of trainers and instructors to offer virtual workshops and free webinars for HAI members in the following topics:

Company-Specific Virtual Training: If your organisation is looking for company-specific training we have a number of instructors available to deliver tailored workshops for your team in topics including Stock Control, Sales, Customer Service, Credit Control, and more!

•

•

•

Credit Control Tips by Declan Flood, The Credit Coach, from the Irish Credit Management Institute Digital Marketing Tools and Advice by Niall Devitt from Content Plan Checklist for Employers During Covid-19 by Tommy Smyth from Tom Smyth & Associates

We collaborated with Peninsula HR and Legal Consultants to deliver a series of free webinars to members in topics including Absence Management, Return to Work and Working through Lockdowns, to business owners and managers in need of support in the wake of a second lockdown.

We also partnered with industry partners from across the water, Costello’s ACE Hardware, one of the biggest hardware retail groups in the USA, who presented a webinar on how they have used their strategies to “Not Just Survive, but Thrive” through Covid-19.

• Sales •

Time Management

•

Performance Management and Team-Building

•

And more!

eLearning – Hardware Education Hub: As always, the Hardware Education Hub, our e-learning portal, is available to HAI members on www.hardwareeducationhub.ie for access to a suite of modules in topics including: •

Social Media Fundamentals – video courses in topics including Google Analytics, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more.

•

IT and Desktop Skills – including Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Word, and Cyber Security

•

Personal Skills – including Assertiveness, Conflict Handling and Negotiating Skills

•

Commercial Skills – including Telephone Skills, Handling Customer Complaints and Remote Working

We look forward to welcoming back participants to our virtual classroom in 2021.

For queries about any of our training opportunities please contact Aoife Kinsella at aoife@hardwareassociation.ie or call 01 2980969.

48

November/December 2020

Business Support IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

It all starts with good quality product data SEAN DENNISON GS1 Ireland

In previous articles we looked at the drivers for digitalisation of construction and the requirements that they place on stakeholders in the sector. In this article we look in more detail at the GS1 standards available to meet those requirements and how these can provide added benefits to organisations.

Identification The key to managing products through their lifecycle is the use of a global, unique, interoperable identification system. The identifier links the physical product to its Digital Twin. The life cycle of some products will be measured in decades and their Digital Twins will last even longer. Proprietary identification systems and those which do not interoperate beyond the current project, software system or geographic region will not be useful in future. Identification needs to be at the base product level (and sometime at the product instance level), so a classification system will also not suffice. The construction sector is now recognising this and has identified the GS1 standards as a ready-made, trusted and neutral system for identification of products, assets, and locations. Manufacturers of construction products are assigning Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs – the same numbers used to barcode products in stores) to their products while building owners and construction companies are assigning Global Location Numbers (GLNs) and Global Individual Asset Identifiers (GIAIs) to maintainable assets.

Master data and transactional data associated with these products, locations and assets can be maintained in databases and registers by the brand owner, manufacturer, supplier, builders merchant, construction company (including within Building Information models) and owners (for example in Building or Facilities Management Systems). All documentation associated with a product or asset can be linked to it using its identifier.

Capturing The identifiers introduced above: GTIN, GIAI and GLN, can be expressed as linear or 2D barcodes or as RFID tags. Linear (or one-dimensional) barcodes are the familiar ones seen on consumer products. For barcodes which are required to hold more information or where space for printing is limited, two-dimensional barcodes - the GS1 DataMatrix and GS1 QR Code - are available.

The use of RFID tags is growing rapidly as prices have decreased and use cases have increased. They are particularly useful in construction where access to barcodes may be limited (e.g. when the product is behind a panel or underground). They can be scanned at entrance gates and doorways to track movements automatically.

Sharing Once captured, information can then be shared with partners. The GS1 standards facilitate the creation of electronic Orders, Despatch Advice and Advance Shipping Notices (ASNs) and Invoices. Shipments can be identified using Serial Shipping Container Codes (SSCCs) so that deliveries can be scanned onto a site. This facilitates the delivery of smaller batches of items at hours which suit site operations, using November/December 2020

GLNs, which can be directed to the exact point-of-use with very little site-specific knowledge. The ASN, sent as an XML file will contain all the details of the shipment and can be uploaded to inventory management systems and subsequently to the BIM and FM systems.

The building SMART IFC v4 exchange file format now incorporates the GTIN as a product identifier. The BIM model can therefor be exported for use in other systems with products, assets and locations identified in a globally unique and interoperable format. Building owners will no longer be restricted to using software solutions from a particular vendor – systems from many vendors will interoperate on site, across sites and across geographies without concern about non-uniqueness.

Further Uses By clearly identifying products and assets, further uses can be enabled.

These include Building and Facility Management, traceability (ensuring the correct provenance and assisting with anti-counterfeiting efforts), re-cycling and re-purposing products, parts and materials (and being able to demonstrate compliance with regulations). Identification is a major enabler of modern methods of construction – particularly the procurement, manufacturing and logistics processes. Identification also underpins the GS1 Digital Link standard which allows a scan of any GS1 identifier to open up access to additional data and information about the item scanned – including Specifications, Schematics, Bills of Materials, Declarations of Compliance, images, test results and all of the other information handed exchanged in the Soft Landings process – which may be held in multiple repositories.

GS1 Ireland is available to help you decide how your organisation could make use of these standards to improve your processes.

Sean Dennison is Head of Industry Engagement and Technical Standards at GS1 Ireland. He has over 30 years’ experience in the Construction, IT, Food Manufacturing & Distribution, Retail & Wholesale FMCG and Forecourt Retail sectors. He participates in standards development in GS1 and is a member of the NSAI BIM Committee and the DSCiBE workgroup.

About GS1 GS1 is a neutral, not-for-profit, member-owned, standards development organisation, best known for providing a system of unique numbers, data carriers (e.g. barcodes) and information sharing standards relevant to products, relationships, assets, locations, services and processes. GS1 standards improve the efficiency, safety and visibility of supply chains across physical and digital channels in 25 sectors including Retail Food and Grocery, Hardware & DIY, Transport and Logistics, Healthcare as well as Construction. The GS1 system of standards is the most widely used supply chain standards system in the world. www.gs1ie.org 49

Business Support IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

HR Considerations for Winter 2020 It has been a rollercoaster year for businesses in every sector and individual organisations have been impacted in a specific manner by the pandemic. As we continue to live with Covid-19, we wish to alert HAI members to some HR considerations that are likely to be relevant as we look to close out Winter 2020.

1. Annual Leave 2020: It has been a broken year with the opening and closing of businesses as a result of the lock-downs due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Employees may not have accrued their normal annual leave figures. They may also not have taken their usual quota of holidays if initial plans were cancelled and nothing new was ever planned.

We recommend that employers conduct a stock take on outstanding annual leave totals for 2020 now and communicate the results to their employees. Develop a plan for using untaken annual leave or consider what employees can carry over into 2021. If you generally do not allow a carry-over of untaken annual leave perhaps you could make a special allowance for this year only. (Be sure to clarify this in writing!).

Remember employees cannot be paid for any untaken annual leave.

Ultimately, it is up to the employee to take annual leave, but an employer must be seen to make sufficient efforts to allow time slots for leave to be taken.

2. WRC Inspections: The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) are currently carrying out inspections on both employment law compliance and Government Return to Work Safely and Covid-19 protection measures. As part of this, they are paying specific attention to the following five areas: • Annual Leave: As reflected in point number 1 above, inspectors have been checking that employers and employees are working together to ensure annual leave entitlements are available for employees to take.

• Public Holidays: The October Public Holiday occurred during the latest Level 5 lockdown. Employees who were on lay off are still entitled to receive their entitlement for this public holiday. It is important to note this as inspectors have been focusing on the area of Public Holiday entitlements.

• Working Time Tracking: As per the Organisation of Working Time Act, employers must record the working time of their employees and inspectors continue to request these records. In the instance where manual and / or fingerprint clock-in machines are no longer in use, paper timesheets, once they meet certain minimal requirements, are acceptable.

• Premium Rates of Pay e.g. Sunday and Overtime: If employees are working different hours due to Covid-19, employers need to ensure that they are capturing any contractual right they may have to premium payments. The WRC also will request to see employee pay slips; these premiums must be outlined on the pay slip along with their normal basic pay.

• Dignity at Work: While inspections can cover a wide range of areas, we have noticed a particular focus on checking an employer’s Dignity at Work and/or Bullying & Harassment policies.

Employers must be able to provide evidence that they have

50

TOMMY SMYTH, Tom Smyth & Associates

policies on bullying and harassment. The Covid-19 pandemic is, of course, a source of anxiety for many and in certain workplaces some colleagues are more affected than others. Unfortunately, tales of parties, gatherings, socialising and non-compliance with restrictions may circulate and potentially lead to confrontation amongst workers.

We recommend that employers review and communicate their relevant policies, encourage employees to behave in a respectful manner at work and ensure employees know what protocols to follow should an issue arise.

3. Mental health support: This year has been extremely challenging both physically and mentally for everyone. Mental health issues have come to the fore as an area of concern and employers must be more aware and understanding of the impact Covid-19 may have had on their team’s mental health.

• There are a range of supports available from both Government and Independent bodies, such as: - www.hsa.ie - www.yourmentalhealth.ie - www.mentalhealthireland.ie - www.workpositive.ie - www.samaritans.org - Text ‘TALK’ to 50808 to access the HSE free text support service. This is for anyone going through a mental health or emotional crisis. Trained volunteers are available 24/7 for anonymous, supportive text conversations.

• Introducing an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) will provide support to employees struggling with work or personal problems. These schemes are available to purchase from private health insurers and specialist operators who can make customised supports available to your employees.

• Many corporate insurers have additional supports for mental health already included in their policies, make sure to check your insurance policy to see if these are included.

• Sometimes a simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way to ensure your teams know you appreciate the efforts they are making so don’t be shy about positive feedback!

Remember, this has been a challenging year for both employers and employees alike. Take some time to acknowledge the efforts put in by your employees and consider if, in the likely absence of a Christmas party, there are other ways in which you can show your appreciation to staff who have stayed the course in these unprecedented times.

We wish everyone all the best for the rest of the year. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact any member of the team on info@tsaconsultants.ie or call 021 4634154.

November/December 2020

Business Support IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

IAN LAWLOR JPA Brenson Lawlor

Smaller merchants should apply for this €2,500 grant The Genie is out of the bottle. Speaking to many hardware sector businesses it’s clear that Covid has pushed, shoved or dragged many into offering an online service. And, in my view, there’s no going back. No matter what happens in the near future people’s buying habits have changed, probably forever, in that they want and expect an online service.

Of course, when it comes to specialist tools or consumables, customers will probably want to have a ‘hands-on’ experience.

But if it’s replacing a light bulb, buying a hundred blocks or adding to that paint order, the vendors will have to be able to do it online.

but it’s still a bargain. Also, every day I learn about new or upgraded software that is making trading online simpler and simpler, so what might have cost ¤20,000 just a couple of years ago is now available for an absolute fraction of that amount.

As accountants we do our own specific kind of shopping.

We love finding clients little known, or in this case little used, bargains, and I think this one is a cracker. The expanded Trading Online Voucher Scheme (www.localenterprise. ie) is designed to assist small businesses with up to 10 employees to trade more online, boost sales and reach new markets. But, speaking to some of those involved with the scheme, the take up has not been massive. This is a real mystery to me for two reasons; one, online is the future and two, there’s ¤2,500 available from the government to pay to help get your business online.

Security, is a fundamental essential - the newest online trading software is state-of-the-art (Irish led Stripe is a world leader in this payments area).

Now, depending on the level of sophistication you’re expecting in this new e-commerce section of your business, that amount of money may not be enough. But a couple of things come to mind. Firstly, it’s better to have some presence, albeit a bit clunky, than no presence at all. Also, when you buy a new car you may covet a convertible, all bells and whistles, but when you look at your bank balance allied with your practical needs, the family people carrier is probably going to win the day. Thirdly, it’s about visibility. If you’re not online, you can’t be seen. Think of your own shopping habits and how you use Google to find out if a shop is open or shut, or if they stock whatever you may be looking for. Now, simply apply that to your own business. I’m sorry to say, but it is kind of obvious, isn’t it?

The Trading Online Voucher Scheme offers a grant (that’s the magic word – no need to pay back a grant), of up to ¤2,500 – the business does have to ‘co-fund’ 10% of that amount, November/December 2020

Now, just when I have you excited about the idea of going online (I hope!) the scheme does have a few limitations. Your business has to have a turnover of less than ¤2 million and have fewer than ten employees. I’m of the opinion if your business is much bigger than this that you probably already have a full online presence, so if that’s you, sorry but nothing for you to see here. Finally, you have to be in business for longer than six months (if you’ve survived the last six months, it probably feels like six years).

The application process is straightforward. Go to your own Local Enterprise Office (LEO) normally, but not always, based in or near your local authority (e.g. County Hall etc). In my experience they are helpful and so approachable. You’re not asking for something that isn’t yours. The Government is very, very keen that all businesses go online (the less I say about Internet access in some areas though, the better). Your LEO will put the process in train and I’m sure will probably point you in the direction of someone qualified in giving you that online presence. You can even discuss a second voucher with them, which is available when you want to upgrade payment systems and the like.

But first steps first. Give your business the Christmas present it deserves. Give it an online presence. There, 2021 is looking better already.

51

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Power tools market in Europe set to grow According to the Power Tools Market in Europe Analysis Report*, it is expected that the power tools market in Europe will grow by $1.36 billion (¤1.16 billion) during 2018-2022. This growth is being attributed to the rapid adoption of cordless power tools to keep up with the growing DIY culture.

52

Growing popularity of DIY in the European home improvement market has led to an increase in the demand for power tools that are convenient, lightweight, safe, and enable freedom of movement.

power density and enhanced power-to-weight ratio. Thus, the growing popularity of cordless power tools equipped with li-ion batteries is expected to drive market growth during the forecast period.

The cordless power tools segment is the fastest growing product segment of the power tools market in Europe. This is propelling the adoption of lithium-ion batteries as they are extensively used in cordless power tools as they use less toxic materials and have a low self-discharge rate. Cordless power tools powered by li-ion batteries also exhibit high

* Power Tools Market in Europe Analysis Report by Application (Commercial, Residential, and Industrial), Technology (Electric, Pneumatic, and Engine-driven), Geography (Germany, France, The UK, and Others), and Segment Forecasts, 2018-2022â&#x20AC;?.

November/December 2020

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

International Tool Industries all under One Roof!

The high-quality, professional brand BENMAN has been a great success for International Tool Industries (I.T.I) since commencing their business as a hand tool importer/ distributor two years ago.

Supporting the Benman brand and from the same stable is their FF hand tool range, a highly competitive semi professional tool, offering quality and reliability.

Complementary to their hand tools is MORRIS, a full range of acrylic and technical aerosol sprays and decorating tools, including paint rollers and brushes, a must for both the professional and the DIY enthusiast. HUGO is their lock range, offering padlocks to suit every application, with boron steel shackles, fully approved marine locks, multipack and combination key-less locks.

The company`s biggest challenge to date was finding a way to market. Recognising they had the brands with quality and range, they still needed strength in numbers and that came with them building a strong team of colleagues. From their warehouse to their purchasing department and a three strong sales team they have extensive industry knowledge and expertise. They realised that all the pieces of the jigsaw were starting to come together very quickly. As General Manager Don O`Toole says “We now have all the key components in place, but we wouldn`t have been able to get to this position without our customers. Thank you to all of our very loyal and supportive customers”.

the unprecedented expansion in sales. They continue to offer a next day service, supported by a pick rate of 97%, offering total customer satisfaction. Their online web shop has contributed to steady growth and has given flexibility to their extensive customer base to place electronic orders at a time that suits them.

For further information and access to 20,000+ products place an order now, call (Sales) on 047 30650 or email sales@internationaltoolindustries.com www.internationaltoolindustries.com

ITI INTERNATIONAL TOOL INDUSTRIES

Professional

40 VOLT POWER TOOLS

New Range of Power Tools Coming Soon!

Now Available

ONE BATTER

Having worked hard aligning their market position, ITI have acquired distribution for a high quality Italian manufactured pressure washer range, AR Blue Clean. This has become very popular for the company and their customers love the product, the pricing, and the quality.

ITI added another string to their bow in late 2019, Makita Power Tools. This brand has really elevated the company`s profile and added an extensive range to their portfolio of products. Makita is a brand leader in the construction and power tool industry for many years and is one of the best heavy-duty power tool products in the market. Consisting of 700+ cordless tools, using 18 & 36V battery power applications, and promoting “One Battery Fits All” they have since added the new 40V battery XGT range, giving more run time before charging.

Due to the continued growth in their business, ITI have just relocated to a 30,000 sq. ft warehouse, to facilitate November/December 2020

30% FASTER!

VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE www.internationaltoolindustries

YOUR NUMBER ONE TOOL SUPPLIER - 047 30650 ADVERT ITI.indd 1

40 VOLT POWER TOOLS Now Available

ITI INTERNATIONAL TOOL INDUSTRIES Unit 9, Monaghan Retail Park, Clones Road, Monaghan, Ireland.

Tel. 047 30650 www.internationaltoolindustries.com

40v power toold]s.indd 2

16/06/2020 12:53:42

53

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Get some Beaverdiscs in your tool bag!

Beaverscrews are excited to announce the launch of their newest additions to the ‘BeaverCrew’ – Beaverdisc high quality cutting and grinding discs at very competitive prices.

Only the best products join the ‘BeaverCrew’ and their new Beaverdisc product range certainly live up to the beaver’s ability to cut and grind through almost anything.

The first of the Beaverdisc range launched in October 2020 are for cutting Stone, Metal and Inox Steel/Stainless Steel plus there’s a Metal grinding disc too. Later this year the Beaverdisc range will be expanded – but as they are ‘eager beavers’ they couldn’t wait to hand them over to Olympic Fixings for distribution.

115 & 125 Flat Discs come packed in handy metal tins of five x Stone or Metal discs and 10x Skinny Inox Steel/ Stainless Steel discs. The 115 depressed grinding disc and their big brothers the 230 Stone and Inox Steel/Stainless Steel plus 300 Metal discs come shrink wrapped in fives.

Beaverdisc is being distributed in Ireland and the UK through Olympic Fixings who are offering these discs to retailers at amazing introductory prices. The offer means that you as a stockist can pick up the NEW Beaverdisc range in its eye-catching handy tinned retail packaging and put into your customers hands for less.

Stocks are available to order NOW but be quick.

Beaverdiscs are selling so fast that they are ramping up their manufacturing!

For more information contact the ‘Beaver Crew’ experts at www.olympicfixings.com

54

November/December 2020

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

EISENWARENMESSE - International Hardware Fair Cologne 2021 One of the most important international business platforms of the hardware industry is scheduled for the spring of 2021 with a hybrid concept, innovative special events and disruptive trend topics.

From 21st to 24th February 2021, the EISENWARENMESSE – International Hardware Fair Cologne will take place under the slogan “We’re starting the engine”.

As one of the first hybrid trade fairs, it will combine a safe live event with an online platform.

The broad range of topics as well as the extensive event and workshop programme has been very well received by exhibitors. 3,000 companies have registered so far, including many international players. Awaiting visitors are innovative solutions for e-commerce, 5G and 3D printing as well as unique new products and technologies.

The physical product presentations and first-rate networking formats that are so crucial for successful trade fairs will be enhanced by exciting digital offerings. This allows

EISENWARENMESSE – International Hardware Fair Cologne to generate even greater reach and offer exhibitors additional business opportunities in addition to a wider range of national and international visitors.

The tools segment will once again make up the core competence of the trade fair in 2021. Many well-known exhibitors will present their latest developments, which range from hand tools and tool accessories to machine tools. Besides current solutions for fastening technology and the separation of materials, the focus will also be on ideas for simplifying and accelerating work processes.

The area of industrial supply is also represented with around 450 exhibitors. The range of compressors, high-pressure cleaners, welding and soldering tools, workshop and storage equipment, store fittings, ladders and scaffolding as well as products for occupational safety cover the entire spectrum.

For further and updated information visit www.hardware-worldwide.com

01 4666 700 sales@origo.ie

Sign up to our new webstore

Origo Online

CSS Team

Sales Team

Origo Online

Onsite Warehouse

24/7 service Full product range Exclusive online promotions Quick & easy order processing

origo-online.origo.ie

5% off

November/December 2020

Please mention this advert when placing your next order to receive 5% off! *all orders must be received before Dec 15th.

55

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

C.K. Launches Cutting Edge Power Tool Accessories Renowned for high quality power tool accessories, Carl Kammerling (C.K.) offers everything trade professionals need to power through jobs quickly and efficiently. C.K. has enhanced its range with innovative new products, including three new Multitool Blade Sets; a new 40mm HSS Cobalt Sheet Steel Hole Saw; and a Glass and Ceramic Drill Bit Set of five, all designed to consistently achieve the best results.

The three C.K. Multitool Blade Sets, all feature bi-metal blades and include: The C.K. Multitool Blade five Piece Set (T0870) and two X two Piece sets (2 x 34mm x 40mm Wood/ Metal Bi-Metal Blades T0875) and (2 x 28.5mm x 57mm Wood/ Metal Bi-Metal Blades T0876).

The C.K. Glass/Ceramic Drill Bit Set of five (T3059) are Titanium nitride coated and tungsten carbide tipped, this premium Glass/Ceramic Drill Bit Set of five offers a quick and efficient solution to drilling holes in ceramic and glass.

The set contains: 4,5,6,7,10mm bits with a ¼” quick change hex shank.

Designed to work seamlessly with power tools from all the major manufacturers, C.K.’s new power tool accessories offer quality and reliability to ensure maximum performance every time.

Visit www.carlkammerling.com for more information.

All the C.K. sets were derived from field research, which showed that electricians often need to cut through wood and plaster - sometimes nail embedded - and therefore need tough blades to complete the task effectively. The new C.K. Multitool Blade five Piece Set contains two High Carbon Steel Blades and three Bi-Metal Blades, with the full set comprising: 2 x 34mm x 40 wood HCS; 1 x 34mm x 40 BIM; 1 x 80mm diameter BIM; and 1 x 65mm x 42 wood BIM M2.

The C.K. HSS Cobalt Sheet Steel Hole Saw 40mm (T3202 040) offers a faster, smoother cutting action to reduce burring, its cobalt and alloy steel construction allowing it to cut sheet steel faster than standard hole saws. This high performance 40mm hole saw is perfectly placed to address the growing popularity of gland nuts with a 40mm thread.

56

November/December 2020

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Significance of making better choices about the architectural ironmongery in all buildings New research conducted on behalf of the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) by AMA Research revealed that some types of buildings can incur up to 19% of their total maintenance budget on architectural ironmongery despite the average spend on this being 1-2% of the value of a new-build.

This research has analysed what proportion of a project’s overall cost and ongoing maintenance is attributed to door hardware such as handles, locks, hinges, door closers and other essential ironmongery.

Douglas Masterson, technical manager of the GAI, said: “As a proportion of a project’s value, the budget needed for specifying architectural ironmongery has increased over the last 40 years, most likely in response to increasingly robust standards for safety, accessibility and other improvements in the built environment, advances in technology such as access control products, and the quality of products themselves. The value can now be up to 5.8% of a project value, depending on the sector”.

November/December 2020

Repairing or replacing door hardware can still be time consuming and now we also understand its budget implications too – for some building types such as educational establishments it can be as much as 30% per year. This research underlines the financial significance of making better choices about the architectural ironmongery in all buildings. www.gai.org.uk/GAI/GAI_News/News-Items/2020/ Industry-research-sheds-light-on-ironmongery-budgetestimates-.aspx

57

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Timco add exciting additions to their range TIMCO is one of Ireland’s and the UK’s largest and fastest growing independent wholesalers to the construction industry supplying more than 7,000 essential products that trade professionals rely on every day. Did you know they’ve already launched over 350 new products this year including the following new and exciting additions to the Security & Ironmongery range: Grade 13 Ball Bearing Fire Door Hinges Designed for use on heavy duty fire doors in public buildings. Lubricated ball bearing washers make them ideal for use with door closures as they reduce closing friction.

Stainless Steel Twin Ball Bearing Hinges Designed for use on medium duty doors in domestic and commercial areas. Lubricated ball bearing washers reduce wear of the knuckles increasing the life of the hinge and providing a smooth door operation.

Fire Door Foam TIMCO is proud to partner with Fire & Acoustic Seals to offer a revolutionary Fire Door Foam which eliminates the need for specialist and expensive intumescent packers, insulation and mastics. The PU Foam has been specifically formulated to seal the gaps between walls and fire door frames. The product has been extensively tested to achieve 30 and 60 minutes fire resistance in a wide range of construction and building fire stopping applications. Fire Door Foam is an all in one solution with time savings of up to 80% on fire door installation and costs.

Door Grade 13 Fire Door hinge.

Fire Door Foam.

Intumescent Door Seals These are specifically designed to close the gaps between the fire door and the frame in the event of a fire thereby preventing the spread of smoke and hot gasses through a building. Their high performance intumescent core contains intercalated graphite which in the event of a fire expands multi-directionally up to 10 – 15 times its original size sealing the gap and holding the door in place.

Intumescent Seal.

58

November/December 2020

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Layering security from the outside to inside The significant number of people working from home presents Irish hardware and building materials retailers with the ideal opportunity to confirm their security expert status, build closer relations with customers and sell more security products.

Burg-Wächter believes that good security is all about building in layers. Starting with the perimeter, advise customers to lock the gates to show that entering the property is going to be an obvious hurdle. External lighting along with correctly positioned and installed CCTV cameras provide both a good view of the property along with a strong visual deterrent.

Recognising that Covid-19 has seen a dramatic rise in the number of online orders and home deliveries, it’s also worth offering customers a post or parcel box. Not only will this keep their post or packets dry and secure, it also limits contact with the delivery driver.

All Burg-Wächter post boxes are robust and conform to the European standard EN 13724 assuring superior performance, greater resistance to attack and enhanced protection from the best and worst of the Irish weather.

Offering everything from cylinders and nightlatches, to mortice and rim locks, to digital locks and door/window locks, it’s easy to see how Sterling, a Burg-Wächter brand, is helping retailers latch onto sales opportunities that make customers feel safe as houses.

Easy to install smart alarms provide both a visual deterrent to would-be burglars, as well remote notification via an app for early warning in the event of a break in, fire or flooding.

BURGprotect wirelessly connects to up to 200 accessories including movement, contact, smoke, vibration, and water sensors as well as external sirens and remote controls. This allows customers to build a tailored solution that matches their

60

needs and can be easily expanded to meet future requirements.

Finally, customers need reminding that for a safe’s insurance and fire ratings to be valid in the event of a claim, it must be properly installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, ideally by a professional. Space, location, and fixing method are important considerations, as are the frequency and number of people accessing the safe. As Europe’s largest manufacturer of safes, Burg-Wächter is able offer retailers not only the widest range of AiS approved certified safes, but also the training, support services and sales materials needed to make the most of this growing marketplace.

For further information on these and other related products please contact, Peter Walsh +353 (0) 83 1306689, email peter_walsh@burg.biz or visit www.burg.biz/uk

July/August 2019

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Locks and Hardware, making Ironmongery an easy decision Consumers like easy choices, so simplify the decision and the sale will happen. So says Paul Webb, business development manager at Locks & Hardware. “Long gone are the days of loose hinges & handles in buckets at the bottom of a stand”.

Over the last decade the paint category has taken the customer experience to a whole new level in hardware stores around Ireland. With a bit of imagination & marketing, the door hardware section can look every bit as good.

We at Locks and Hardware feel strongly about allowing the shop displays to assist the store by being a silent seller. The layout helps customers to understand the products and visualise their choices. They are then happy to browse the section before approaching the salesperson.

Paul Traynor from Dunleer Hardware explains what the recent revamp by Locks & Hardware of their Door Hardware section has meant for them. “From the moment our customer enters the store our main objective is to make the experience enjoyable. So, with the help of Locks & Hardware we have

July/August 2019

revamped the whole Ironmongery area with new Carlisle Brass stands. Their uniformed range of products gives a far more polished look to this area. We are delighted with the results as it’s helped us fulfil our customer’s needs.”

Dunleer Hardware.

61

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Kasp offers the right security combination With demand for combination security products increasing, leading brand Kasp, renowned for padlocks and security products you can trust, offers a wide range of high-quality Combination Padlocks and Combination Key Safes to suit all requirements.

Perfect for a whole host of outdoor and indoor applications, the Kasp combination range also enables customers to maximise sales by offering additional price competitive options.

New Kasp Combination Padlocks A premium weather-resistant combination padlock, the new Kasp Series 114 Marine Combination Padlock (30mm/40mm) three or four dial padlock is easy to use and maintain. This durable padlock features a resettable combination, its mirrored chromed solid brass body and stainless-steel shackle providing superior corrosion resistance, whilst rust-free internal components offer an extra level of protection against corrosion.

The Kasp Series 116 Disc Combination Padlock 70mm combines superior quality with a closed disc shackle design for increased security against shackle attack. A resettable combination provides added convenience, and a four-digit code offers extra security. A hardened steel shackle offers protection against hacksaw and cropping attacks and a unique powder coated body shields against corrosion.

New Kasp Combination Key Safes The new Kasp Combination Key Safes are designed to provide discreet, secure, wall mounted storage for keys and entry cards, allowing authorised access to a multitude of domestic, commercial and factory buildings.

The 600 Combination Key Safe (90mm) (K60090D) features a durable weather-resistant construction ideal for outdoor or indoor use, providing wall mounted storage for up to five keys and entry cards. A tough die cast body is powder coated to protect against corrosion. Its matt black door provides discreet product mounting, with a resettable four-digit combination dial for convenience and security.

Ideal for indoor situations such as offices, warehouses, industrial settings, or domestic environments such as blocks of flats, the Kasp 601 Combination Key Safe Compact (75mm) (K60175D) is a robust, compact combination key safe that will safely store two-three keys. An easy open mechanism enables fast, simple access and a resettable four-digit combination dial offers added security.

For more information call 01758 704704, or visit www.kaspsecurity.co.uk

62

July/August 2019

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

The importance of Fasteners & Fixings The importance of fasteners & fixings can be put into perspective by the fact that these tiny components comprising screws, nuts, bolts, pins, and hinges, play a big role in providing support and mobility to equipment and machines.

Securing essential fixings and joints is vital and fastener failure and breakage can result in machine and structural failure and damage to property and life. After this period of hiatus, growth trends in the market during the pre-COVID-19 period

will gradually re-emerge as the economy begins to normalise.

R&D investments in fastener and fixing technology will recover steadily supported by the evolving needs of new generation products and need for new assembly line solutions. www.globenewswire.com/newsrelease/2020/07/13/2061237/0/en/Global-IndustrialFasteners-Industry.html

You’d be NUTS to go anywhere else!

The Tucks Fasteners & Fixings core product range of Fasteners & Fixings (as in the name) are being extended to offer an even deeper range of products and brands to offer the Irish market.

As part of their ongoing development Tucks Fasteners & Fixings are now offering a range of Forgefix Trade pack products in trade bags. This new range offers an alternative to the traditional loose bin stock that has been a standard offering in the Irish Market. This comprehensive bagged range covers everything the merchant will need and guarantees a high return on investment without the hassle of managing loose stock!

Tucks Fasteners & Fixings are also expanding their offering on Gas Nails including the ever Popular Paslode Range of IM360 Nails and Tools. Also their traditional IM350 range of Gas nails and tools as well as the SPIT Pulsa and both the SPIT and DeWalt PAT ranges to offer a real alternative to builder’s merchants all over Ireland.

2020 also witnessed significant growth on their comprehensive range of BPC builders metal products including Wall Starters, Joist Hangers, Wall Ties and Metal strapping. The entire range is CE certified on all relevant products and is backed with a catalogue to help merchants & trade customers easily locate the right product for the right job.

The very popular German Reisser Schraubentechnik Tub range includes top quality screwdriver bits with 2 x Wera Pz2 bits included free in every single tub! The response from the merchants has been incredible and the companys deep stock holding was evident during the summer months where demand grew significantly.

SPAX continues to develop the range of products and are now offering a range of SPAX Tubs to the Irish Market complete with a merchandising solution. Tucks have also increased their range of SPAX Construction screws and have included a NEW SPAX storage box for the tradesman to keep all the SPAX assortment in one convenient durable storage box.

New innovative Point of Sale solutions have been a huge success for the company and has helped increase sales dramatically in stores that have rebranded with their comprehensive range of Industry leading quality brands, backed up by their team of professional merchandisers.

July/August 2019

Tucks Fasteners & Fixings is a one stop shop with all of the above product ranges and lots more available for same day delivery in Dublin and next day guaranteed delivery for the entire 32 counties.

These service levels were very much valued by their customers during the Covid-19 related restrictions. Customers can log onto their B2B Trade only web shop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Or contact your local sales representative or call them on 01-8845100 or via email at sales@tucksfasteners.ie . The company have an even deeper range of stock available since their acquisition by the Dormole group and are Brexit-ready for 2021!

If you take all of this into account, we firmly believe ‘You’d be NUTS to go anywhere else!’

63

The most comprehensive range of products and services in fasteners and fixings in the Irish market.

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Celebrating 20 years in business John Murphy (Castlerea) Ltd /Allgrip will be 20 years in business in 2021. They will celebrate the anniversary with their staff and customers. The philosophy of customer service has remained the same over the years and is fundamental to the success of the company. Their core range is fasteners and fixings covering their own Allgrip brand but also including other strong brands such as Paslode, Senco, Rapier Star screws, Mikalor hose clips, Thorsmann, Plasplugs and others.

The company`s general hardware category continues to grow. This includes Allgrip hand tools, Allgrip wire netting, Conmetall chain and rope, Simpson Strong Tie, Exitex along with many other hardware categories.

For in-store presentation of fasteners and fixings they continue to offer customers the choice of both prepack and drop-down bins. The Unifix prepacks are available in smaller prepacks or in the larger trade pouches.

Looking forward, the company say, it is a little like Groundhog day as we all face the challenges of Brexit yet again. The company are building up stock levels in order to avoid any delays that may occur with deliveries from the UK in January.

Like others we are also looking forward to the post Covid-19 era and as we move towards 2021 the company would like to thank their customers for their business in 2020.

Their Heller drill bits superior quality offers reliability and extra durability which ensures value for the customer. The new Heller modular display helps customers navigate the range in store.

Regarding their online B2B system, customers just need to contact them with their email address and they can self quote or order online.

New to John Murphy (Castlerea) Ltd /Allgrip is Senco Low noise compressors which are catching the attention of many trade users and are selling very well in shops.

November/December 2020

65

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

4Fire…

Fix & Clip 18th Edition compliant product solutions Big Stocks held in Bangor Warehouse • Over 3,000 catalogued SKU held in stock Online Trading• Register for Online Trading Customer Specific Pricing Create your own favourites basket

NEW

Exclusive Brands• Beaverscrews Beaverdiscs Beavertape Clip4Fire Fix4Fire

The 4Fire range distributed by Olympic Fixings consists of 120-minute tested fix4fire* steel concrete screws, clip4fire* steel cable clips and steel mini trunking cable clips*. This range also includes clamp4fire steel cable clamps, steel cable ties, steel wall plugs and steel spacer bar saddles.

To assist stockists the 4Fire range is backed by an arsenal of FREE marketing tools to inform buyers and promote sales. The FREE fix4fire countertop merchandising stand comes with the first order of 20 boxes, it’s red and yellow impactful flaming design is engineered to offer a ‘grab and go’ opportunity for electricians. The stand can hold 20 boxes of fix4fire or a combo of fix4fire and clip4fire product boxes. That’s not the only thing, a FREE easy to navigate 18th Edition Product leaflet gives the buyer instant compliance information right at the counter.

Merchandising Solutions• Bespoke Display Stands

BEAVERDISCS Brand New High Quality Cutting and Abrasive Discs join the Beaver Family...

NEW

The 4Fire range of products are ready to ship out with the merchandising stand and leaflets right now, grab these sales tools whilst you can, and become the local ‘go to’ place for 18th Edition Compliant Solutions from the renowned supplier of high quality, reliable fixing products Olympic Fixings. When you stock the new 4Fire range from Olympic Fixings you get their full support for FREE!

www.olympicfixings.com

Competitively priced BS 5839-1 tested products from www.olympicfixings.com *120-minute fire rated test and approved by Warrington Fire.

66

November/December 2020

COMMERCIAL FEATURE etag hardware association ad 90 x 252mm prt 3mm bleed .pdf

1

10/11

Back to basics - Etag know fixings Fixings was where it started for Etag. Their range of fixings and fasteners is one of the widest selections in Ireland, supplying fixings for concrete, masonry, and plasterboard.

Setting Etag apart has always been their customer service alongside their products, adapting and flexing to their customer`s needs.

‘We have differentiated ourselves as the go-to fixings distributor in Ireland across all technical disciplines,’ states Shaun Bonner, Sales Director for Etag. ‘We can supply a huge range of fixings, due to the fact that we have invested time in developing a network of great suppliers, such as Evolution Fasteners, Fischer and Sympafix.’ Etag also provide pull out tests for the construction industry. The tests are performed to establish the load capacity strength of fixings that have been fitted in walls, soffits, and slabs. The test ensures the correct installation of the fixings.

Etag are an approved distributor with the Construction Fixings Association in both the UK and recently in Ireland as well, as official suppliers for DeWalt, Fischer, Rawlplug, Sympafix and Spit Fixings. All of Etag’s fixings and anchors are provided with European Technical Approvals/ Assessments (ETA’s) for safety critical applications. ‘Our team have excellent technical knowledge of our fixings and our customers seek products that allow them to complete their work efficiently and safely,’ Shaun continues.

Etag was established in 2004, distributing fixings, hand tools and safety equipment. Over the last number of years, Etag’s product range has grown to include insulation, PPE, mechanical and electrical containment, fixings, drywall, and general building supplies. In 2011, Etag opened in London and began distributing construction supplies to the UK market. Etag has also continued to expand in Ireland, with a move to a 30,000 sq ft warehouse in Clonee, Co. Dublin.

Looking to the future, a recent senior management restructure will continue the growth and success of Etag.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

November/December 2020

67

Classified Ads November/December 2020

The Official Magazine of Hardware Association Ireland

Enhanced advertising opportunity for your business The Hardware Journal Classified Ads

SPECIALIST CREDIT INSURANCE BROKERS FOR YOUR SECTOR

Do you have Credit Insurance?

If so, do you need an expert to simplify things?

At no extra cost, Credit Risk Brokers will help HAI members get better value from their trade credit insurance.

If not, contact us anyway to avail of a free debtor book review & risk assessment.

CONTACT JAMES RIORDAN 00353-86 6019200 james.riordan@creditriskbrokers.com

Save time, money and reduce risk by having Brinks Cash Services collect your lodgements directly from your store Our Services include: • Low Cost Cash Processing fees- make significant savings on bank charges • Secure Cash/Cheque Collections directly from your premises • Free Delivery of Coin/Note floats with collections • Full range of smart safe-end to end solutions supplied

Avail of a brand new Affinity Deal for HAI members For further information contact Brinks Cash Services Ireland Denise McCarthy T: 087 7614 656 E: Denise.Mccarthy@Brinks.com

www.creditriskbrokers.com

Your HR Business Partner Are you getting the broadest Insurance Cover at the best available price ?

With HSF Health Plan your employees can get affordable health cover which includes HSF Assist®, our employee assistance programme.

Contact John Bourke

Visit our website to find out more www.hsf.ie or call us on 1890 473 473

086 8146236

Assisting Employers with their Human Resources & Employment Law Requirements since 1991 www.tsaconsultants.ie Email info@tsaconsultants.ie

To advertise to key decision makers in the industry, contact Jim Copeland at 01-298 0969 or email jim@hardwareassociation.ie Classified advertisements (text plus logo) can be emailed to: jim@hardwareassociation.ie and are to be prepaid, at least two weeks prior to publication.

68

November/December 2020

Classified Ads November/December 2020

The Official Magazine of Hardware Association Ireland

Enhanced advertising opportunity for your business The Hardware Journal Classified Ads

Accountants and Business advisers

Offering exceptional value in two new advertising sizes:

The hardware sector specialists - nationwide Nobody knows the hardware sector better than us. We are the nationwide leaders in the sector. We specialise in maximising your business profits.

THIS SIZE AD 100mm (h) x 55mm (w) €1,650 for six editions

We advise on buying and selling hardware companies. We are experts on tax and succession planning. We excel at tax efficient hardware business restructuring and we provide efficient compliance services.

And we’re only a phone call away Call Ian Lawlor or Michael O’Leary today.

T: 01 – 6689760 E: ian@brensonlawlor.ie E: Michaeloleary@brensonlawlor.ie JPA Brenson Lawlor, Donnybrook, Dublin 4

Classified Ads If you are reading this, your customer is too, in every issue!

JAN/FEB 2021 EDITION Contact Jim Copeland today with your content.

01-2980969 087 6671361

Please contact

Jim 087 6671361

THIS SIZE AD 50mm (h) x 55mm (w) €1,050 for six editions

jim@hardwareassociation.ie

To advertise to key decision makers in the industry, contact Jim Copeland at 01-298 0969 or email jim@hardwareassociation.ie Classified advertisements (text plus logo) can be emailed to: jim@hardwareassociation.ie and are to be prepaid, at least two weeks prior to publication.

November/December 2020

69

Advertise your job vacancy with Hardware Jobs Hardware Jobs (www.hardwarejobs.ie) is HAI’s hardware industry-specific job board website, which gives hardware retailers, merchants and suppliers the platform they need to reach out to ideal candidates for their roles.

Why advertise with Hardware Jobs?

No more going through generic recruitment agencies Targets those interested in entering or upskilling through the hardware industry Find candidates for highly specific job openings Weekly promotion of vacant jobs through HAI’s social media activity

Register your business for 2021 now €80 (HAI Member) €100 (Non-Member)

Unlimited job postings Dashboard access to monitor and filter

applications Access to a growing pool of candidates who you can contact directly Added publicity through HAI’s social media.

To find out more and to avail of our member-exclusive offer please contact Aoife Kinsella at aoife@hardwareassociation.ie or call 01 2980969.

The ultimate roof repair coating.

EASY TO APPLY ON DRY OR WET SURFACES Rito Waterstop is the effective smart solution for sealing and protecting any property from moisture, damp and wetness. It seals and protects from roof to basement and is ideal for flat roofs.

Bostik Industries Limited Newtown, Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland Phone: +353 1 862 4900, Fax: +353 1 840 2186 www.bostik.ie

WORTH WRITING HOME ABOUT CEDRAL – THE NEW HOME FOR TEGRAL Since 1936 Tegral has been putting roofs over heads across Ireland, proud to be building for generations. Now a new generation dawns, as we say Slán Abhaile to Tegral slates and Céad Míle Fáilte to our new name – Cedral slates.

We are the same strong, beautiful, sustainable, Irish-made slates; same heritage; same excellence of service, same people you know and trust – just with a new name.

We are still Ireland’s only manufacturer of fibre cement slates and are proud Guaranteed Irish members, supporting local products and jobs.

Now united globally under the name Cedral, our mission is to build more beautiful worlds. Committed to a sustainable future, committed to generations to come.

more at cedral.ie

Tel: +353 (0)59 863 1316 Email: info.ireland@cedral.world