Episode 4: Why Global Companies Choose Wexford

Gerard Reynolds of BD and Deirdre Hannon of Danone share why some of the world’s largest companies continue to choose County Wexford as a place to invest, grow and lead from. 

In conversation with Paula Roche, CEO of County Wexford Chamber, they discuss the continuing appeal of County Wexford’s skilled and loyal workforce, strong ecosystem of suppliers, global connectivity, and unique quality of life. They also discuss how their companies are not only benefiting from operating in Wexford, but how they are actively contributing to the economic strength, talent development, and future growth of the county 

About the guests: 

Gerard Reynolds has built a 30-year career in the medical technology industry and now leads operations at BD in Enniscorthy — part of a $22 billion global business with more than 60,000 employees worldwide. From Wexford, his team designs and manufactures life-saving medical technologies used across the globe. 

Deirdre Hannon is Plant Manager at Danone’s Wexford facility, which produces 350 different products for over 50 countries worldwide. The plant plays a critical role in Danone’s global operations while also supporting local farming, suppliers and sustainability initiatives across the region. 

Business Connections is supported by LEADER.  

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

I think Wexford has a lot to give for any international company thinking about setting up business here. The skills and the talent that we have in our county is second to none. The location, the contractors, suppliers, the expertise, all of that is available at the tip of their fingers.

SPEAKER_03 0:15

Skilled people will settle where they have a reasonable salary and a great quality of life. And I think Wexford does that. As a location, it's a fantastic place to live, it's a fantastic place to do business. We have the best of people, and I would say to anybody looking to invest here that it really is the right place to look.

SPEAKER_04 0:33

You're welcome back to Business Connections, a podcast brought to you by County Wexford Chamber. In this episode, Paula Roach is joined by two leaders whose careers reveal why global companies are choosing to invest in County Wexford and how those decisions are shaping both international success and local opportunity. Jerd Reynolds has built a 30-year career in the medical technology industry, now leading operations at BD in Enniskorthy, part of a $22 billion global business with over 60,000 employees worldwide. From Wexford, Jerd's team designs and manufactures life-saving technologies that are shipped across the globe, supported by highly specialized on-site expertise that places Wexford at the forefront of global healthcare innovation. And Deirdrahan, plant manager at Denone's Wexford facility, which produces 350 different products for over 50 countries worldwide. This facility plays a critical role in Denone's global operations, but also locally, providing significant support for local farming, supply chains, and sustainability initiatives across the region. Deirdre and Jerd talk about why Wexford continues to attract and retain global investment like this, for reasons including its skilled and loyal workforce, its strong ecosystem of suppliers, global connectivity, and great quality of life. They also discuss how their companies are not only benefiting from operating in Wexford, but how they are also actively contributing to the economic strength, talent development, and future growth of the county.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

Deirdre, Jair, thank you so much for joining me this morning. You have both built global careers with two big international companies. Tell me a bit about how that happened. We'll go to you first, Jair.

SPEAKER_03 2:19

Okay, so um hi Paula. Originally I am a Wexford man. I would come from Tlinard, so I'm originally from Tlenard, just out past Whitford House there on the New Line Road. Um I would have grown up in Wexford, I went to primary school in Piercestown, I went to school in St. Peter's College. Uh I did a degree and went from there, did a degree in mechanical engineering in UCD in Dublin and a master's in environmental engineering. After that, then I returned back to Wexford. There was a a startup in Wexford called Lake Region. I was the third employee there. So I joined out as a Brownfield site and I started my career there as an engineer, transferring and starting to build that business there. Um so I stayed there a few years, lived in New Ross for a little while. Then I moved to uh Boschen Laam. I worked in an RD function there uh for 11 years, and then I moved from there to Abbot Lonmel again in in an RD engineering function as a as a lead there, and moved then back to what is now BD NSG at the time, C R Bard, uh back in 2012 as manufacturing manager and now I'm director of operations and moved into that role now. So I suppose I've been 30 years in medical device business, originally Wexford man, back living in Wexford and enjoying that experience. Um so it's it's it's a lot of you know, I suppose a lot of experience over that time has has led me to this position.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

And when you were studying in UCD mechanical engineering, did you know you were going to get into medical devices? Had you any interest in medical devices itself?

SPEAKER_03 3:43

Not specifically, my two brothers did engineering, okay, which is why I did engineering. I enjoyed maths and enjoyed that type of science activity, so it made sense. But I was very fortunate when I did come out of college that there was I suppose it was the start of that growth of the medical device manufacturing industry in Ireland. Um so you know, it would have been the early 90s, and it really has served me well. You know, it's great to work in an industry that impacts people's lives in a positive way. Yeah, absolutely. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:11

Deirdre, let's go to you. So I am uh from lovely Leitrim, so I'm not from County Wexford, however, I have been living and working down in the southeast of Ireland since uh 2002. Um, so I completed a degree in occupational health and safety uh back in 2002 in Sligo, and I started my career with BAM in the construction industry where we were building the River Noor drainage scheme, so a number of years there, and then continued on that career with the BAM in the South East of Ireland on many, many projects. Also spent a couple of years in the Middle East where we were building a new port in Jordan, and when I returned from the Middle East in 2013, that's when I started my career with Denome. I've been working for Denome for the last 13 years now, starting there as uh health and safety manager, then taking on the scope of environmental and also performance manager before I became the plant manager in 2021. I completed my degree in SLIGO back in in 2002, and then throughout my career, I completed my master's in environmental, health and safety and business management. So a change of career in terms of moving from health and safety, environmental, performance management, which is all about lean and business management, into plant manager. But I'm really enjoying the role of looking after operations in our factory, and I've been plant manager there now for the last five years. It's the busiest place I've ever worked in in my life. Always something happening, always changes happening and a super environment to work in.

SPEAKER_01 5:42

Excellent. So you both work on a truly global scale. For people listening who don't understand your businesses very well. Tell us a bit about what products your business make and how far they go globally in terms of customers.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

So Danone is a global food and beverage company, and we're focused on health-driven categories. Okay. Um so we have both essential dairy and plant-based products, uh, waters, and specialized nutrition. For years, our mission has been to bring health true food to as many people as possible. And here in our Wexford factory, we produce specialized nutrition infant formula products. So your listeners will be used to products like Cowand Gate and Optimal, which are both made in our factory here in Wexford. We produce for over 50 countries worldwide in our factory in Wexford. So it is the largest easy packpacking facility for Danone in the world. We have over 350 different SKUs that we make, as I said, go over 50 countries worldwide. Um, so we're a very key factory for the Danone brand. Uh, and also making infant formula really makes that connection to our product and to our customer. Um, we supply for one of the most vulnerable customers in the world. They can't speak for themselves. We have to do that for them and make sure that we always have our right first-time product on the shelf every day.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

Brilliant. Jerry, you also provide for vulnerable customers.

SPEAKER_03 7:06

Yeah, so look, we we we're uh BD is is a medical technology company. It's a very large organization. A lot of people won't necessarily have heard about BD, even though they probably have experienced those products regularly in any visit to a doctor's office or a hospital. So it's a business with 22 billion revenue worldwide. It's it's very large, over 60,000 employees. There's 45 plants around the world. Uh we have a manufacturing facility in NSCorty. Our primary focus is peripheral vascular intervention. So we make catheters for people with uh blockages of arteries in particularly in the peripheral sphere. Um, and we also make some stented products to support that as well. Additionally, we do some work for dialysis patients around fistula creation. A fistula is where you where you draw blood from a body uh while you're going through a dialysis process. Uh so it's collection of a vein and artery, and when we do uh products for that. So we have a varied range of products in that peripheral sphere. We ship those around the world. So if we look at it, I suppose 35% of what we make goes to the US, 25% to Europe, and 40% to the rest of the world. We're very fortunate on site. Um we're probably a little bit unusual in the BD sphere that we have the an RD team research and development team on site and regulatory affairs team on site as well. So that helps open new pathways for us in the regulatory environment and opening new markets for us with the regulatory team, and also from an RD perspective, uh creation of new products. So a number of the products we have on site were developed internally. Um pretty much all the products in actual fact were developed internally, some acquisitions. Um so it's fantastic to have that availability on site. Um, but but uh as a business, yeah, people may not necessarily have heard of us, but I can guarantee you they've come across us in in any hospital uh or or or surgery.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

They may not be looking at the brand name attached to the catheter that's about to go into them.

SPEAKER_03 8:54

Yeah, well, you know, BD BD will make an awful lot of product for um if if you're giving blood, okay. Typically the device that's used will be BD products, syringes would be heavily BD. Um so you know, anyone that's dealing with with insulin-based products, diabetes will will have have come across BD products in historically. And then broadly speaking, across infusion pumps and a number of different areas across hospitals would be BD product.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

So I have been to both your sites, very, very different. Well, the commonality is huge at scale. At Denon Deirdre, you have these very, very corporate offices, and then you have a hugely impressive production line where we get to see all stages of the baby formula being made. Jar in BD used to have the precision line of all the various medical devices being produced. Jer had me suited and booted from head to toe, and then he had me um use a dummy body to inject a catheter. So it was cool. He put me to work when I was on site here. It was really good. Yeah, it was fascinating, Ger, like to see it and what you'd have to do in terms of using the products. It was great. Um so we're absolutely blessed to have both of your companies in Wexford, such big international companies. Do you know much about why they chose Wexford as a destination?

SPEAKER_02 10:10

I think for Danone, uh location is hugely important, of course. And Wexford, located in the southeast of Ireland and being in Ireland, it means that we have access to high-quality dairy ingredients, which is very important for inforna products. As a leading producer of grass-fed dairy, Ireland is a natural fit for Denon. Okay. Okay. Danone as well are very conscious of that. We invested uh over 100 million euro each year in the dairy Irish uh sector.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

So a commitment from Denone there because of the importance that that has for the products that we make. Danone as well have invested. So we have, as you know, our factory in in Wexford, but we also have our sister factory located in McRoom and Cork and then our offices in Dublin. We employ over 700 people across those facilities, and we've invested over 300 million euro in our manufacturing sites alone in Ireland over the past decade. We obviously, as a company, we're very focused on uh sustainability and reducing our emissions, in particular in Wexford. We installed a biomass boiler back in 2013. We have been working on our sustainability journey for many years now, reducing our carbon emissions and our energy by over 80% since 2013, since we installed the biomass boiler. So we're very much focused on that, and Ireland is a good setting for that in terms of what we're promoting here in Ireland as well.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

100 million investment into the dairy sector in Ireland. That is incredible. Obviously, you know where baby formula products come from, milk, but you forget the connection that you're powering a whole dairy farming industry at 100 million. Am I right in saying that's around a quarter of the milk production in Ireland?

SPEAKER_02 11:48

Yeah, so Danone would definitely be a big taker in terms of the dairy ingredients in Ireland. We are very conscious of the work that we do with our suppliers. As I said, Danone are very focused on our sustainability journey, but we're also working with the local farming industry to ensure that they're embedding the same uh practices as ourselves. Um, but for sure the dairy is an essential ingredient for our infant formula, and and that's why Ireland is very important.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Brilliant. Didn't know that history to it, so I love that. Um Jer BD has gone through a few, quite a few acquisitions back originally back as far as 1997, maybe?

SPEAKER_03 12:26

96, yeah. So yeah, so I I mentioned there that that you know I I was involved in the medical device uh early on in in that whole uh I suppose the explosion of medical devices in Ireland um back in the early 90s, and part of that was Angio Dynamics set up a business in in NSCorty. And they're a US company, they're a US-based company based out of New York, yeah. Um Lens Falls, New York. So that was set up back in 1996 with a focus on cor coronary devices, which are hard-based devices. They decided to exit that business in 2000, and there was a management buyout by the team on site at the time in 2000 to form ClearStream Technologies, and they developed those devices um to with a focus on peripheral intervention. And at the time, it probably would have been three five three to five percent of the business at that point in time. Yeah, they saw an opening in the market and they developed uh peripheral devices specifically for that, and now that's a hundred percent of pretty much what we do. So ClearStream was formed in 2000. Um CR Bard as a business decided to buy a drug-coated balloon called Utonix in 2012, and as part of that acquisition, Clearstream were supplying the base catheter uh to that company. So they purchased ClearStream Technologies at that time, uh CR Bard. It was interesting at the time Mark Wolovska was the vice president and he was told by some of his team that it was the worst mistake they were ever going to make, and he said it was the best worst mistake they ever made because it has been a fantastic journey. So we grew very substantially under CR Bard in 2018. Uh BD as a business decided to buy CR Bard in a very large acquisition. Uh so we became part of the family of BD at that point in time. BD have continued to invest in El Scorti, they've been fantastic for us as well. Similar uh to the known, we have been on a sustainability journey. So um we are now 99.5% elimination of scope one and two emissions. Uh we have over a thousand solar panels on the roof, we have two half megawatt heat pumps on a site, and we have transitioned to pretty much the only place where we use any kind of it's HVO at this point in time, any kind of um fuel is is in the uh generators. So we're we're in a really good place there, and that has been because of support from the IDA, but also the investment that uh BD as a business has has made, and they continue to make in us over time, and that's really you know, I suppose, based on our delivery that as a business and the people we have, we continue to deliver uh for the business. So BD has been a very good very good for us, you know, since that takeover has taken place.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

So yeah. You are both in the top five employers in the county in terms of number of staff. Um, there might be a misconception in Wexford that you don't have the ta we don't have the talent pool here, but clearly you are thriving as businesses and you have very large staff numbers. Tell us about the talent side of things in Wexford.

SPEAKER_02 15:11

So in uh Danone we have we're very proud to have a Growing in Denon programme. So it's a specific program for students and graduates who can join Denone, be it as a graduate from college or in on an apprenticeship. And we have a specific programme, as I said, called Growing in Denone, which helps them navigate through the first early years of their career. So many of the students that are coming to us on placements, um, be it a six-month placement or a two-year program, we are then able to place those students then into future career positions in Denone. For example, one of our graduates at the moment on a two-year program is moving through the different departments. So it really gives them the opportunity to get a feel for what do they want to do for their future. So they spend six months in the health, safety, and nature department, then move for six months into the quality department and maybe another six months in the supply chain department. So they're able to get a feel for the different departments that we have in our factory and also see, well, what is it that I want to do in my future? So there's great scope for graduates to learn and to get that exposure. We do a lot of work with CETU and also local schools, where, as you say, when you drive past the factory, people have no idea what's going on in behind there. But it's amazing to see the faces of children when they're coming in on a visit to our factory to see uh what we actually do in Wexford. And it also gets their minds thinking about what could be my future uh career and realize there is opportunities for them in their local county in the future after they've completed their education. So it's great to have all of this talent coming through Wexford in terms of employment for ourselves in Wexford. We have super talent coming through in in our factory. There's great opportunities for people to settle in Wexford and and make uh Wexford their home and have a super career in Dunone and the likes of BD and other international companies that are located in Wexford.

SPEAKER_01 17:09

So not a challenge for you at all. In a lot of ways, you're kind of creating the talent through your own pipeline internally, like giving them the opportunity to move around.

SPEAKER_02 17:17

Yeah, no, there's great internal opportunities for people to progress. Uh, even recently we advertised for operator uh positions on our factory floor. We had 11 positions to fill, and after uh one day we had over 100 applicants. So wow, uh we there's definitely a pool of talent there to enter into the into the world of infraformula and progress their career from there.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

Yeah. And Joe, you were at our jobs fest.

SPEAKER_03 17:42

Yeah, we were actually, yeah. So thank you for that. It was a great experience. What the guys actually commented on I really enjoyed was the schools coming in.

SPEAKER_01 17:50

Oh, they're great, weren't they? 450 students came to it from all the schools across the county.

SPEAKER_03 17:54

And very engaged in the whole process and very engaged in trying to understand what the businesses did. Um so that was fantastic to see. Um, but we we have we you know we have a great talent pool, and and in terms of of you know, in terms of hiring, we find a lot that people are coming back to Wexford. Coming back, so they're coming back. Yeah, we we get a lot of that. Um so a lot of a lot of our hiring comes from people that wish to return, you know, they've they've gone and experienced got experience elsewhere, maybe Galway or or abroad, um, and they're and they're wanting to come back and settle in Wexford, which is fantastic. Uh I did the same thing. Yeah. Uh but it's it's um it's really a positive thing, and and similar to there, what's happened in the known, the the um we recently were hiring product assemblers and we were the same thing. We were hiring ten and we got over 160 applicants. Like there's you know, we get the best of people, and I think that's broadly speaking in Wexford we we see that. And if you look at the most recent census, I think 37% of the population of Wexford have a third level education, yeah. Heavily supported by SETU. Um Veronica Campbell does a brilliant job. I think she's fantastic uh for that. And uh one of the things that I suppose we we do a lot of work with is with Skillnet, and the Wexford Chamber of Commerce supports us on that. Um so we have activities on site uh with lifelong learning uh focus as well. But something like the leadership development programme that we're doing with with Charlie and Natasha Hughes is really fantastic and and we see some great uh people coming through that through that process. But broadly speaking, I think I think the skillnet is is something that as a business we we capitalise on. A fantastic mechanism uh for lifelong learning and Veronica is very supportive of that as well. So so we see uh you know, we as a business we do a lot of internal development and a lot of our a lot of the the roles that we would be filling, um office-based roles or more technical roles, a lot of those are filled by um people who've come in at operator level, product assembler level. So, you know, uh some of our leadership team um would historically have come from the manufacturing floor. Yeah. And we've seen that growth and that development of people over the years, and that's really helped us as a business, that organic growth, heavily supported by local areas like the SETU and Skillnet.

SPEAKER_01 20:00

Well, it's knowledge is power, really, isn't it? And if you're working from manufacturing floor right up to management level, you're bringing all the knowledge with you, you know all the issues and challenges you have to work through as an organization. So it really helps in terms of growth of the business as well and operations.

SPEAKER_03 20:14

Yeah, absolutely it is.

SPEAKER_02 20:15

I think it's important as well for people to see that growth and what is the opportunity. So in Danone, we have a very clear path in terms of when you come in at operator level, you can progress to a shadow team leader, to a team leader, to a process lead, to a line lead, line shift lead, a line lead in the future. So you have those uh clear career steps for people, and and people are very ambitious and want to progress through those levels. So it's really good to see that growth from operator level up.

SPEAKER_01 20:42

And that's what people want to see when they're looking for a job. They don't want to just see the job they're going to be in now that they're applying for, they want to see their roadmap in terms of where they could take their um employment in that company. So um, yeah, it's great to have that offered. The ecosystem, so you've mentioned SETU, our skillnet. Thank you for getting involved with our skillnet. We'll we'll it's great what we can do in the skillnet, really. We can actually tailor any kind of training need you need, and then obviously having SETU, and your right president Veronica Campbell is fantastic. And there's the Wexford campus coming soon. George, you mentioned the ecosystem of the dairy side. Is there any other kind of businesses or supporters or logistics or any providers you use in Wexford that support your businesses?

SPEAKER_02 21:23

I think one of the ecosystems that we're very proud of is our connection with the local forest farmers. When we installed our biomass boiler in 2013, we supported the uh Irish Wood Producers Group, uh, which set up local uh forestry farmers so that they could supply us with a sustainable supply of wood chip. Um so we were very conscious that we didn't want to install a biomass boiler in Wexford and to be sourcing our wood chip from far afield. So um, that was a super example of an ecosystem which we supported from 2013 to 2016. It's fully Functional itself now and working very well for us where we source the majority of our wood chip from that Irish wood producers group.

SPEAKER_01 22:07

Another sector you must support is logistics. You obviously have to move all that product around. So you use a lot of local providers, right?

SPEAKER_02 22:14

Yeah, for sure. And being located in Wexford, obviously being located to Rossell Airport is key. So we would work with many logistics providers. It's not only the direct Denon employees that you're bringing business to, it's all of the local contractors, logistics, haulers, etc., that we work with across the south east of Ireland. So it's it's great to be able to bring that to a locality and and have that opportunity there to work with the the local providers that we have here.

SPEAKER_01 22:41

Any local providers future?

SPEAKER_03 22:42

Yeah, so look we we would have um 27 businesses across Wexford 27. Yeah, that support our our site. Wow. Like 65% of our material, our raw material that we use in our manufacturing process comes from Ireland. Um so we we really a lot of our investment as a business is in Ireland. And I think historically what we've seen um particularly with the medical device manufacturing field is that the suppliers to those companies have grown organically with medical devices in this country. So we're very well serviced by national and a national level and a local level in terms of suppliers and sourcing.

SPEAKER_01 23:20

What about community? So I know Deirdre, I meet Denone at the National Opera House from time to time. That's uh I suppose a more cultural organization you support.

SPEAKER_02 23:32

Yeah, so supporting local communities is very important to Denone. As you've mentioned, we are over 15 years partnered with Wexford Festival Opera. The opera is not something that I attended before I worked with Denome, but it's something that I attend every year now, where we sponsor one of the uh headline productions every year. Um, we also uh provide an annual bursary for their emerging talent. So there's uh young talent that's emerging in the opera world, and we uh have a bursary that supports them in terms of their tuition and their progress through through their careers. We absolutely get involved with many local communities supporting, for example, the FLACOL. So we would have given the opportunity for our employees to volunteer um during 2024 and 2025, and also sponsoring some products like water and yogurt for the many volunteers that gave up their time for those weeks, which was a fantastic event to happen in County Wexford. We support in terms of local schools with CETU. We have our employees get involved with the South End Resource Centre, whereby we would support uh a resource there for them, and also our growing in Denome program where our graduates and students would support in terms of uh kids' clubs during the summer, where they would do some sporting events. We also are always have a stand at the Relay for Life, and that's all driven as well, not just by Danone as a company, it's driven by the local the employees. So there's a huge amount of engagement from our employees themselves where they set up different connections with charities, uh with the blood bikes, with the different charity every year where we're uh helping and supporting that. So the local community, you see where our factory is. We're very much uh on the outskirts of Wexford Town, very much in the heart of the community there. So we want to make sure that our impact is felt in a positive way.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Absolutely. I know I met some of your team at Down Syndrome Wexford's Great Beach Walk last year as well. An event we were um supporting, they're a great charity. Um, and uh yeah, quite a few of your team were there supporting on the day too.

SPEAKER_02 25:34

Yeah, no, it's super nice to see the involvement from from all of our employees. The engagement is great, you know. It's great to see, and and as I said, these initiatives are set up by the employees themselves, and it's great to have that.

SPEAKER_01 25:45

Yeah, what about BD?

SPEAKER_03 25:46

Yeah, so look at it. Um Eamon Sinnard actually, I don't know if you know Eamon, he's general manager of Intel and he's he was here last week, he's actually just he was here last week in your in your hot seat last week, he was probably just walk down the road. Yeah, he's from Hill Street here, but it's great. Okay, Eamon has a saying, and I really like it is that we don't just harvest the crop, we invest in the soil. And I think that is is really about what we are. So, you know, when we were setting strategy for the business, um one of the key areas of focus and and one of the areas that that people really wanted us to focus on was community, and that goes beyond just the the economic impact that we would have on the local community in terms of contribution to wages and and whatever else it might be. And I mentioned already the businesses we support. So that really, you know, talks to the work we do with schools and the work we do with charities. I would be very passionate about that in terms of STEM, in terms of um, you know, in the longer term, particularly with girls getting involved in engineering and not STEM activities. Um, you know, it's it's it's going into schools, it's engaging uh students. So we would have a STEM team that that engage with with a number of local schools. So we would have had six different secondary schools and two third-level colleges that we were involved in school fairs with. Um we've had three different transition years schools uh coming on site and we bring them on tours and show them what we do. And broadly speaking, we go into schools and talk about uh STEM and talk about opportunities in maths and and and science and and how that can develop into a career in a medical device area like ours. So that that is very important for us. Beyond that, as well, we have an events and wellness team on site that do do a lot of work for raising money for charities. So over the last two years, last year we gave over 20,000 to Marine Watch here in Wexford. Oh, our our team our teams on site um raised funds through various different activities, uh things like Helen Back and doing runs and bake sales and whatever else it might have been. So last year we we gave 20,000 to Marine Watch, and this year uh we gave 20,000 to Futures in Mind Talk to Tom. Um and every year that's that's a focus we'd have that we will uh donate to charities and it's supported by the business. But again, it's the passion of the associates on site that that make that happen. So I would say that as a business, um we know we contribute very significantly to the local economy and then escorty, obviously, but we have a real focus on what we do with schools and charities as well to make that difference.

SPEAKER_01 28:02

Yeah, and you haven't mentioned it, but you're both corporate partners of Kentucky Expert Chamber too. Yes, very important. And your um sponsors have our business awards coming up in May. So um your longtime sponsors, why is that important, J? Why is it why is it important to support what we do with the chamber?

SPEAKER_03 28:18

Well, it really for me it comes down to quality of life in Wexford Town. And I think the chamber makes a huge impact on that because they support businesses like restaurants and whatever else here, whatever else it might be, businesses that make a difference in people's lives and improve the quality of people's lives. And for us, I think as as businesses, skilled people will settle where they have a reasonable salary and a great quality of life. And I think Wexford does that. Yeah. Um the Wexford Chamber supports businesses to make sure that happens, and it is so important that that is part of the fabric of Wexford. Uh, and I just think that it is critical for businesses of our scale that we're supporting smaller businesses um through the likes of Wexford Chamber to make that to make that successful.

SPEAKER_02 28:55

Yeah, I'd fully agree with your, you know, the the support that the Wexford Chamber gives to local businesses, and we're very happy to be part of that. I think the business awards is a super event I attended every year. And it's great as well. Uh, the day in in White's Hotel where we're uh judging the applications, it's amazing to see how serious all of the local businesses are taking that and the pride that they have when they are shortlisted or they win an award on the night. I think Wexford Chamber does super work in relation to the local businesses, and we're very, very happy to be to have a part to play in that.

SPEAKER_01 29:31

Yeah, well, thank you for your support. Um let's go back to the global side again. You're both international companies. What do your colleagues think of Wexford when and how do you explain Wexford to them?

SPEAKER_02 29:46

Um so as an international company, we would have many visits and people coming from all over the world to visit our factory in Wexford. I think people are very surprised when they come and see the state-of-the-art facility that we have in Wexford. And there's always a big wow factor, Pauly. You've been on our top floor where our offices are are located. You describe them as like an office in in New York, and the view that we have out of our boardroom is amazing. So I think people are very surprised when they come to Wexford. I think also they don't just spend time in our factory, they also are here for a couple of days. So they're using the local hotels, they're bringing business to the to the local businesses in that manner, and they're also visiting Wexford. So we've used the walking tour of Wexford, where some of our visitors will go on a walking tour and learn about the history of the uh town. Also, we've taken visitors in the past out to Hookhead, and you know, we try to show them what Wexford has to offer and the location of Wexford, as I said, the connection with Dublin, the road hopefully will get it continued all the way from Inniscorthy down to Rosslair in the future. Um, but that's a that's a key part as well for people when they're visiting that they're able to get to us in a straightforward manner and and not having to face too many difficulties.

SPEAKER_01 31:01

I'm glad you let them off site. I used to travel a lot as well in my career prior to the chamber, and it can be tiring travelling, so having your destination site arrange a little visit or a little tour for you is so nice. So I'm so glad to hear you do that. What about yourself, Chair?

SPEAKER_03 31:14

Yeah, look at it. You know, we bring visitors a site, uh, Wexford has a lot to offer. It has some fantastic hotels, both in Enniscorty and in Wexford, fantastic restaurants. You know, and we've done things like you know, we we brought people to Enniscorty Castle for a meal, uh, which is really nice to do. Uh and it's great for people to experience that, particularly you know, Americans that are coming really like that experience. But beyond that, you know, in terms of people visitors, because visitors are always impressed with Wexford. Um but associates, people that are coming to work for us really enjoy Wexford too, because Wexford has a huge amount to offer in terms of you know, you're close to beaches, yeah. Um, as I mentioned, great restaurants and lovely towns, you know, what lovely towns to live in. And there's lots of various activities that that you know support um family life and community life here. You know, for me coming back, I have four kids that are you know between fifteen and nine. They're involved.

SPEAKER_00 32:06

Four between fifteen and nine. Yeah. That's totally that's a lot in that teenager year, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 32:10

15, 13, 11, and nine, so they're well spread. But but they're involved in soccer, in GAA, in swimming, in piano, in ballet, in you know, singing. You know, they they do uh an awful lot of activities here in Wexford, and and that's something it's interesting because um my kids have friends in Dublin, they don't have access to those things. Okay, they you know it's very difficult to get into a swimming thing, or it's very difficult to get into um GA. You know, if you're joining some clubs in Dublin, you can play one sport or the other, you can't play both. There's an enormous amount of opportunity here for in Wexford for for families, great schools. Um, you know, I think Wexford has an awful lot to offer um for people that may choose to come live and work here. Uh it's a great place to live.

SPEAKER_01 32:55

Yeah. George, you and I are talking about your twin girls, 11-year-old twin girls before we started, and you're talking about all the activities, horse riding is one of them as well, which is great in County Wexford, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 33:05

Yeah, there's there's as Jerry said, there's great activities for kids. Um, I think uh as a parent you turn into a taxi driver more than a parent uh as they get older. But yeah, for sure, my girls are very much involved in in GA. My husband actually trains them on camoe and and football, uh, a group of under 12 girls, which probably stresses them out, uh I'm sure. But they have great engagement in the local community with the GA, they're horse riding, they're part of the Kiltras music group, and also a big part of the Danes Castle music group. So they play a lot of instruments. Circe plays the harp and the flute and the piano, and Sive plays the banjo and the mandolin and the piano. So they love traditional Irish music and into all of that, and that gives them great opportunities as well.

SPEAKER_01 33:49

Fab, I was trying to think of Danes Castle's name today. I knew there was a really strong traditional Irish music group out um Carrigan Banner Direction, and it's Danes Castle, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 33:58

Yeah, it's a fantastic group, and it really gives great opportunity for all children. Um, they have a great scheme going there in terms of renting uh the instruments so it makes it accessible for everybody. And Anya Kennedy and the team there do absolutely fantastic work uh for the local community and and my girls for sure love it.

SPEAKER_01 34:16

Brilliant. So, where do you see the biggest opportunities for Wexford as a location for global investment?

SPEAKER_03 34:21

Yeah, so look at it. I I suppose for for me outside of the of the sphere of the business that that I'm working in the medical devices, I I would say the opportunities are in Rosslair Port and renewable energy opportunities. And I and I do think that Wexford has a massive capacity and capability there. Um it just it really needs an aggressive push on that by government to to make that happen. But I do think that that Wexford has a has a massive opportunity for the future in those spheres.

SPEAKER_01 34:46

Yeah, I think so. It's the the obvious no-brainer or e offering.

SPEAKER_03 34:51

Particularly in the current climate we're in in terms of energy supply and on a on a worldwide basis. I think uh it's definitely something that can be used as to secure a future here as a small island, um, and also give us opportunity perhaps to even export energy to to other places. So I think it's a massive opportunity and one that we really as a as a county and at a country need to capitalise on.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:13

I think because Wexford is already uh this hub for international uh businesses, I think it's important that we continue to foster those existing relationships and and building on those strengths. Like Jerry said, the location and offshore and the location to Rossell Airport is is really key and the strong transport links that we have to Dublin. So it's building on all of that, making sure that people are aware of the opportunities that Wexford have to give the coastal location. As I said, it's strategic gateway for global investors from both the UK and um wider European markets. And I think the access to skill talent is another key strength as well, and we should uh really build on that in terms of making sure people are aware of that skill talent that's located right on our doorstep.

SPEAKER_01 35:55

Yeah, I'm so glad you mentioned the talent side. Um, so if there's an international company considering can't do wexford, what would you say to them?

SPEAKER_03 36:03

Yeah, so the IDA occasionally do bring in companies to see us and uh just to showcase Wexford as a place to do business. Wexford is great um uh opportunities here for businesses in terms of people availability, that the skills uh that we have here. That you know, we've the best of people working here in Wexford, and that's what businesses are looking for. They're looking for people, the right people uh to to drive their business forward, and Wexford can offer that in abundance. So I I think as a location, it's a fantastic place to live, it's a fantastic place to do business. We have the best of people, um, and and I would say to anybody looking to to invest here that it really is the right place to look.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

Excellent. And from a leecher woman who's now living in Wexford, what do you think, Deirdre?

SPEAKER_02 36:48

I think Wexford has a has a lot to give for any international company thinking about setting up business here. Uh, like Jer said, uh the people and the skills and the talent that we have in our county is uh is second to none. Um I think the location, the contractors, suppliers, the expertise, all of that is available at the tip of their fingers, and I think it's it's uh super location for any international company to look at investing in the future.

SPEAKER_01 37:13

Yeah, the ecosystem is so strong here, and it's again it's our coastal um area that helps us. Okay, we'll finish up on the quick fire round. First is a person. Give us a name of a person who's made a big impact on your life.

SPEAKER_02 37:26

I think for me, one of our previous factory directors, uh Jean-Francois Cornell, you probably would have met him in the past, uh Paula. Um, he was definitely a key person that I would have received a lot of coaching and mentoring from. He opened the door for me to move from the world of health and safety, environment performance into the world of operations and to be a leader in the in the field of operations. So I have a lot a lot of gratitude to give to him in terms of how I've learned a lot from him as a leader. Um, and I will always be appreciative of the fact that he opened that door into the operations world because I've been in this field now over five years and and there's no looking back. It's it's a fantastic opportunity that was that Danone have have given me to progress on with my career.

SPEAKER_01 38:11

Yeah, it is. Chair?

SPEAKER_03 38:12

Yeah, so I suppose I uh for me I'd say Frank O'Regan. Um Frank would have been my original boss in uh Lake Region. So I was the third I was the third employee, I was 9503, he was 95001. Um but uh Frank was he was a he was very young, he was in the mid-30s when he when he's when he did that job. A great character, very driven. He's the kind of fellow that and he did actually turn up one day with two odd shoes on him, one purple, one one brown. Um that type of an individual, but very driven. And when I got that job, there were three of us interviewing for the job. So I myself and Potty O'Connor was the other individual that got polys from Gusaran, but he's in Boston now. But when we went to the States for three months to learn how to manufacture a product, and we came back. And Frank came down to me one day and he said, You know what? I didn't want to give you this job. He said, I wanted to give it to the other guy. Really? But I was told to give it to you, so you better prove yourself. So that sets you in either one of two ways. You can either say, Well, all right, fair enough, I'll go somewhere else, or you know, I'm gonna show you. So that set my career in terms of I'm gonna show you. Yeah. Um, so Frank really set the bedrock for that, and he offered me great opportunities. You know, I I started in setting up that business, I became a supervisor, I worked in in the engineering field, I designed equipment, uh, I programmed equipment, so it was a really great foundation for me as a career. And Frank was supposed to driver of that, and I followed him to Bosch and Laam. Um, so I worked with Frank for a good number of years, and he's a fantastic individual, so yeah, I'd say Frank O'Regan.

SPEAKER_01 39:44

Sometimes those kind of negative words can be your biggest inspiration or your biggest driving point, can't they?

SPEAKER_03 39:48

Yeah, absolutely, you know, and he and he and he set the agenda for me. He said, But you know, I I I when I was in Lake Region at the start, I had my 39 hours done by Wednesday afternoon. Oh right. So I used to work, you know, it was a start-up company, and we had to put a huge effort into making that successful, and it is very successful. There's over a thousand people working there now. But we did a lot of work and Frank was the driver of that.

SPEAKER_01 40:10

Yeah, it's a lot of hard work and ethic, isn't it? Um, okay, place. So a place that's important to you, a place in Wexford, obviously. Um a place that's important to you. It could be a place to eat or a place to have a pint or have a Pinot, a place in Wexford.

SPEAKER_02 40:22

I think um Wexford has some beautiful beaches to offer, and one of the beaches that we would uh visit quite regularly, as it's located very close to where I live, is Cullenstown Beach. Oh, it's lovely, isn't it? So we would spend some time down there at the weekend going for a walk on the beach, building sandcastles with the girls, dipping our toes in the water. But it's a beautiful beach and and it's one of many in in uh Wexford County, but it definitely gave us it's within our 5k during COVID time, so it was a great place to go and to experience the beauty of Wexter County.

SPEAKER_01 40:54

And it randomly has a handball alley and it has a beach with a handball ad.

SPEAKER_02 40:58

And it's featured on muddy ads on TV. Where are you to get it? Absolutely. Yeah, now I won't claim that I'm able to play handball, but for sure I've stood in it.

SPEAKER_01 41:07

I have too.

SPEAKER_02 41:07

Jared, what about you?

SPEAKER_03 41:08

Yeah, it's for me as well, it's it's uh it's it's the beach, I suppose. You know, the fact that we're so close to them and there's fantastic beaches in Weissford. But the one that we'd use most regularly would be Ross Lear. Okay. Um and then with the kids you have the ice cream shops there, and you have coffee and fantastic little small cafes and stuff. So uh we go down for a swim about three days a week during the summer. Wow. Um as a family, we jump in and and uh it's fantastic to be able to do it. It's it's incredible that you have that facility so close to you here in in Wakesburg.

SPEAKER_01 41:39

There's such a holiday field down in Ross Lair, isn't there? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 41:41

It's fab. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:42

Last one, a plea. Is there a plea to government?

SPEAKER_02 41:46

I think for for Danone, um, as you know, we're strongly committed to sustainability and emissions reduction with the global ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2030. In Ireland, a significant portion of our scope three footprint comes from our dairy ingredients that we source from our suppliers. As I said, we collaborate with stakeholders and suppliers to address this and and uh challenge it, uh, address this challenge together. So just asking government to support that, to make sure that we're advancing in uh regenerative agriculture and developing biomethane industry in Ireland, that's vital to enable the dairy sector to meet the emission reduction targets. So we welcome any government developments that they would have in this area.

SPEAKER_01 42:30

The really important one, Deirdre, and it's on our list as well at the chamber for in terms of lobbying. Jar?

SPEAKER_03 42:35

Yeah, look at I suppose it's the speed of project delivery is is something that is is very important for us in infrastructure. Um, you know, Wexford is lucky that it has with the Wexford County Council, it has people like with the capability of the likes of Eddie Taff and Forum Tom Enright. You know, in terms of of um housing delivery, they were over 80% over delivered last year on social housing. So Wexford is probably an anomaly in the country. Uh but on a national level, I think the government really needs to drive infrastructure, um, making sure that we are supporting house building, um supporting I suppose transport infrastructure among others and i i in Ireland. And I that for me is where I think the biggest bang for the book as a business for us is is going to be uh making sure that we have continuing developing the areas as a quality place to live. Yeah. Um so that for me.

SPEAKER_01 43:23

Yeah, Wexter County Council hit so many of their targets last year, and I'm sure they're set to achieve them this year, but planning at a national level needs a lot of work, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_03 43:31

Absolutely. And I think that that's where that's where the drive needs to be to make sure that government are are adequately resourcing and driving um decision making at a planning level.

SPEAKER_01 43:40

Okay, thank you. Deirdre, Jarrett, thank you so much. I've learned more again about your businesses, and thank you for choosing Wexford. Thank you for being in Wexford and creating the employment that you do.

SPEAKER_03 43:51

Very welcome. Thank you. Thanks, Paula.

SPEAKER_04 43:54

Thanks for listening to this episode of Business Connections. For more information on County Wexford. Chamber and how it is working to shape Wexford's future as a great place to work, live and do business. Visit countywexfordchamber.ie. The recording of this podcast is supported by Leader.