Episode 7: Careers, Opportunity and Choice in Wexford

Claire Byrne of Johnsons Celtic Linen and Helen Meade of Reynaers Aluminium join Paula Roche, CEO of County Wexford Chamber to share how Wexford can offer not just a great place to live, but real opportunities to build a meaningful and successful career. 

Claire started with what she expected would be a short-term role and built it into a senior leadership career, while Helen created her own opportunities from day one. Both found that Wexford offered the space, support and opportunity to build successful and rewarding careers.  

About the guests: 

Claire Byrne is Operations Manager at Johnsons Celtic Linen. She began as a general operative over 20 years ago and now helps lead a business processing two million pieces of linen every week across healthcare, hospitality and hotel sectors throughout Ireland. 

Helen Meade is Marketing Manager at Reynaers Aluminium, a global business operating in more than 70 countries, with a major base in Enniscorthy. After moving to Wexford and creating her own opportunity through work experience, she built a successful career while becoming deeply involved in the local business community. 

Business Connections is supported by LEADER. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

Doors have opened, people have been welcoming, people have given me the opportunities along the way. So I will always be very, very grateful to what the county has given me. A great quality of life, a great career. We've got the best of both worlds really in Wexford.

SPEAKER_06 0:13

I don't think anything is ever handed to you. You have to work first.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 0:16

But well-being, I think, is a lot more talked about now than it ever used to be, even if it's an hour a day for yourself. Yeah. And just go for a stroll, and you couldn't find anywhere nicer to go for a stroll.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

I know.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Welcome back to Business Connections, a podcast by County Wexford Chamber. In this episode, Pauline Roach is joined by two women whose stories reveal just how much opportunity exists when you choose to build your career in County Wexford. Claire Byrne began her journey at Johnson's Celtic Linen as a general operative, expecting it to be a short-term stopgap. Fast forward 21 years, and Claire is now operations manager, helping to oversee a business which processes two million pieces of linen every week across the healthcare and hospitality sectors. And Helen Mead moved to Wexford knowing no one and with no clear career path. Instead of waiting for opportunity, she set out to create it and found County Wexford a place where ambitious people can make things happen. Today, Helen leads marketing and commercial support at Rayners Aluminium, a global company operating in over 70 countries and with a base in Enniscorthy. She's also helping to shape the local business community through her role with County Wexford Chamber. Claire and Helen talk about building a career on a foundation of ambition and resilience, the importance of community and connections, and why Wexford offers not just a great lifestyle, but real opportunities to grow, lead, and succeed.

SPEAKER_02 1:43

Helen Claire, thank you so much for joining us here today, County Wexford Chamber. Our podcast series today is all about building careers in County Wexford. Well, not finished quite yet, but you know you're you've had a long career so far. And Helen, you moved to County Wexford, maybe not to start a career, but is certainly becoming a big career here in County Wexford. So tell me a bit about that evolution for you from in terms of when you started your career to where you are now.

SPEAKER_06 2:15

Okay, so I joined Celtic Linen back in 2005, and originally it was just a stock gap. I had come from sales, yeah. Um, and I left that job just because I had a young son and I was travelling the country and it just didn't suit. So I went to Celtic Linen. I said it'll just fill the gap till I find something else. And I literally just the industry just sucked me in, so I ended up staying. I progressed through, I started as a general operative on the floor, moved from the floor to the dispatch area, and it was there then that I kind of moved into supervisory roles, and then Joanne took me out of the dispatch and I started working on projects and stuff for her, and then from there we obviously went into receivership. Our roles changed, and obviously there was a lot going on. So during that time became a system production manager, and then it moved on from there, then at the acquisition with Johnson's. But in 2017 I became operations manager.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

Okay. Yeah. When you say Kelda Glenn was meant to be just a stop gap, did you have an idea of what you wanted to do?

SPEAKER_06 3:20

I really enjoyed sales because I liked being out and about and talking, meeting new people and that kind of thing. So I was something that I would like to have got back into, but just my son was very young at the time, so it didn't suit my personal life. But I actually got to do more of that really with within what I'm doing now. So with the role that I'm in now, I get out and about, I get to basically travel the world as well, you know, going to different sites, going to different shows, uh, benchmarking machinery and that kind of thing. So I'm probably meeting more than I ever would have had I just went to sales.

SPEAKER_02 3:54

Oh, okay. Yeah. Want to hear more about that in a minute now. Um Helen, let's talk about your journey.

SPEAKER_05 3:59

A lot more circuitous. So I'm originally from West Clare and studied languages in college in Galway. Moved abroad for a few years, so I lived in Italy. I worked in photography over there and eventually became a partner in the studio there. But the pull of home and the pull of family, I came back in 2006 back to Dublin. The Celtic Tiger was roaring, worked in telecoms for a few years, and I was the jinx, brought back the the crash because uh 2011 2011 I took redundancy and uh went back to college, did uh business and innovation post grad in DCU. And as part of that, um I suppose it was about positioning yourself and and a lot of people pivoting before pivoting was the word. So there were an awful lot of people on that course who were you know from a financial services background or telecoms background, like myself, who their jobs were gone and were having to reskill and look around and see what other opportunities were there. In tandem, there in my then in my personal life, I had met a man from Wexford who happened to be a farmer, so he wasn't going to move into the capital, so or Claire. Or Claire. Um, but definitely like I knew nothing about Wexford, I didn't know a single soul until I met James really, and um it was all about okay, if this is to progress, I'm going to have to move to Wexford. So, how do I find a job in a recession and in a new career? Because obviously telecoms wasn't a possibility anymore. So it was great. I, as part of my DCU course, I did a careers guidance workshop, I guess, helping to identify strengths and values and what really appealed to me. And in tandem, I was starting to learn about the county, and what really struck me was the quality of the produce, the food, the products that were here. And I had to do a work placement as part of the course. Okay. And I approached Cologne Yogurts because I was addicted. And basically, how is this brand not known nationally?

SPEAKER_02 6:07

Is that how you end up in Cologne?

SPEAKER_05 6:09

Yeah. Stop. And as basic as I walked up to Pauline Dunn of Cologne in um it was the Minister for Agriculture at the time was Simon Coveney, and a small business advisory firm in Ferns had arranged Simon Coveney to come and have a talk in Ferns, and they had organized a little food fair as part of it to showcase all the local producers. Um I walked up to Pauline at that event and set out my stall. What I was trying to do, and at the time was just looking for a work placement in marketing, and uh met subsequently met Nicholas and they agreed to allow us to undertake this project. So I ended up um as part of that it was um the development of local flavours. So we paired the Wexford strawberry, the Wexford blackcurrant. We're like, it's a no-brainer, the fruit needs to work. You know, this reputation Wexford has for the fabulous food, soft fruit produce and the yogurt were a great mix, so that kind of grew out from that placement. I got a part-time role there afterwards, so worked with the the team in Cologne. At the time it was so small, I think there were you know maybe 10 or 15 people working there. Um, we shared one office with one computer, and things were so basic. And to see how the business has progressed and gone from strength to strength has been so inspiring. But it just shows like what's here in this county and what can come out of this county. I think it's only scratching the surface at the moment.

SPEAKER_02 7:46

What a transformation, what a story, Helen. Like photography in Italy, beautiful. Telecommunications in Dublin, yeah, move to Wexford and having to find your own opportunity in Cologne. Um I know, but it's a great journey, isn't it?

SPEAKER_05 8:05

Yeah, I think I think what I've always done is um done what I've enjoyed, and I suppose I'm really the the poster girl for if you enjoy what you're doing, you believe in the product, and you I suppose live your values. So it doesn't matter what industry you're in. Rayners now is obviously an aluminium, it's a window and door company. The products are the top uh of their industry, but I do a very similar role in total with a totally different product. So um it's about the knowing your skill set and being what you can transfer into a different industry or a different role.

SPEAKER_02 8:45

Okay. Right, let's get into what your organizations do. Claire, maybe tell us a bit about Johnson's Celtic Linen.

SPEAKER_06 8:51

Okay, so we supply hospitality and healthcare linen nationally around Ireland. So we've two plants here in Wexford, we've one in Nace and one in Belfast. So Wexford is the main hub for the healthcare. Nace is purely hospitality that focuses on mostly five-star customers, and then Belfast covers uh Northern Ireland. They do a small bit of healthcare as well, but we're producing about two million pieces of linen a week. Wow. Yeah. So literally comes back to the plant. We turn it around, especially with the healthcare, it's turned around in a day and sent back out to the customers again.

SPEAKER_02 9:27

Same product. Same product. Yeah, so what comes in from Bowmount Hospital goes back out to Bowman Hospital.

SPEAKER_06 9:33

Yeah. So we we we operate with a a pool item. There is some dedicated customers. The Nails plant would focus more on dedicated products because obviously five-star places would own most of their linen or it's a higher grade linen. But yeah, it is essentially it comes in the door, we turn it around and back out.

SPEAKER_02 9:51

Incredible. And shipping lines today?

SPEAKER_06 9:54

Yes, so we service the Stena line. Amazing. Yeah, so through Rosslayer, uh Dublin and Belfast.

SPEAKER_02 9:59

Quite an operation. Yeah. I've been on site and it is such an operation. What kind of what's your turnaround?

SPEAKER_06 10:05

Yeah, so mm-n normal linen is we can turn it around in 24 hours. Wow. Yeah. Like it's very much a process floor. Um, like it comes in one door, soiled, it's sorted, then it goes through the production floor where it's processed, and then into dispatch, it's packed, and out the other door. So it's literally a straight line through the plant and out the door again.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

Excellent. Yeah. Helen, what does Rayners aluminium do?

SPEAKER_05 10:29

Rayners is uh family-owned business originally from Belgium. It's aluminium window and door and facade systems. So if I I think the easiest example to give would be the classic glass box on room to improve the patio out of the sliding door, dermain has done us great favours. But also your local Tesco hotel facades, all of the those glass structures that are held up by our aluminium profiles. That's what Rayners does. Um, here in Ireland, Rayners had a presence since 1987. So 40 years next year we'll be celebrating. And it's quite unusual in a Scouthy. Our team here, we not only supply and distribute the systems across our Ireland, we operate all over the island of Ireland, but we also manufacture window and door frames for installers, which group wide is highly unusual. But it was because of the size of the Irish market, and a lot of the installers would be smaller and they wouldn't have the equipment. This is an additional service that we provide. And then also we have a third division who manufacture components that go into the window and door systems, and there's over 600 different parts made in an escorty that are then shipped back to Belgium every week and distributed globally. So 65 people all together, and it's uh a busy place too.

SPEAKER_02 11:54

Excellent. I've also been on site with you, Helen, and it's such a beautiful building that you I'm going to say live in. You don't live in it. You work at it. Sometimes next door to Monarch Destination Spa, so a beautiful area. Um bit of a heritage, a bit of a story, which it's lovely. Because you're you're from a family business to a heritage building. Let's talk about that.

SPEAKER_05 12:17

Well, it's it's really interesting because the building we occupy, um, our offices are a former Jemison Distillery. And with the whole 1798 story, it actually goes back originally. Our townland where we're based is called Forgelands, and there was a forge there making swords for the English army, so it was actually attacked during the 1798 rebellion. And then subsequently, yes, the distillery came in the 1800s. Brother of John Jemison Andrew came to NSCorthy, he married a local lady, and their son, um no, actually, their daughter Annie ran off to Italy with her singing teacher, and together they had a son called Guglielmo Marconi. You might know the name Marconi from the wireless um transmissions and all of that. But that was again his bringing the first transatlantic cables for communications across into Clifton. That was all part of his story and his Irish connections because his uncles would have funded what he was doing. So a massively interesting link to Anna Scarthy there. And then the building where we were where we are kind of fell into disuse kind of after the famine. Um, it became a wool store for a while, and then um a fabrication area as well. So it's had many lives, but uh there's over 500 years of manufacturing on site, which I think is a phenomenal story.

SPEAKER_02 13:38

Yeah. And then how you sort of managed to blend the heritage of the old building of distillery into the modern architecture of Rayners Animalium product. Um, so you're you're really a shockfront for your own business, really, isn't it?

SPEAKER_05 13:51

Yeah, it's really impressive. And it's the real it's a real strength of being a family-owned business. Like Rayners is is the family. So the the founder Jan Rayners started in 1965, and unfortunately, eight years into the business, he was killed in a car crash, and his wife and five kids and the management kept the business going. Um, but the right up until a couple years ago, the CEO was Martine Rayners, the founder's daughter, and she had come to Inescarthy in the 80s when this acquisition was happening. Okay. Um spent a couple of years in Anasgarthy, worked in the business, knew it inside out, and I'd say had a fierce grow for Ennisgarthy. Um they would have always come back and forward regularly throughout the years, and it was important to them to preserve that site. They could have just gone and got a you know a greenfield site and built a spark a sparkling new building, but no, they they they went and spent the money and preserved it. And Neville Conroy here in town was the architect on the project as well. They were very adamant they wanted a local architect to work on the job as well. Neville's own people are out actually originally from Bonart, so it meant a lot to him to work on that project as well. Amazing. So very proud of it, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:06

Yeah. Claire, um, your stopgap role while raising your young son has turned into you being an operations manager. Yeah. Um, you amongst many of your colleagues, I know you mentioned Joanne, Joanne Summers, who's the MD of Johnson's Celtic Linen here. Um, you have had long careers. Did you imagine that when you when you started there?

SPEAKER_06 15:25

No, no. Like I said, it was just to be a stopgap for me, but uh it's 21 years since I started. Uh yeah, and Joanne is there longer. I think she's 25, 26 years. There is a core of us there that you know it's between 20, 30 years still, that are still there. Yeah. We had a lady, Tina, she was a general app, and she retired, I think it's two years ago now, and she was only about a month shy of 50 years working for Celtic Lennon. Um, and we have like there is families there and have been there for years, and their kids have come along and they've worked there. So it is just a great family connection within so more than one person from a family in this thing there.

SPEAKER_02 16:11

Oh lovely.

SPEAKER_06 16:12

Like we have wives that work on the day shift and then the husbands work on the evening shift. Okay. Yeah, so they'd be swapping their kids in the carriage park. That's great, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:22

Yeah, yeah. Um, and as you said, many of you in there have been on that kind of growth journey in terms of opportunity, yeah, which has transformed into something else.

SPEAKER_03 16:31

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:33

Helen, you obviously created your opportunity with Cologne. You went on to work with Irish Country Meat. I did, and now you've landed in Rainars around seven years, is it?

SPEAKER_05 16:42

Um 2017, so nine years this year.

SPEAKER_02 16:46

Nine years this year, yeah. Um, I know many of your colleagues, including Pat Bevan, um, and you just have a great kind of family feel to what you do, your role has evolved. Tell us a bit about the evolvement of that role and why you're you're staying in Rainards, why is it so important?

SPEAKER_05 17:01

Well, I as I said earlier, I think the alignment with my own values, it's a very um forward-thinking, long-term thinking kind of a business. Um, one of the things that I really appreciated, like back in 2019, so I'd only joined a couple years, they decided they were going on a a sustainability journey, but from the ground up. So, not just everybody knows aluminium is recyclable, but one of the challenges is because there's so much of it being used in lots of different industries, whether it be aircraft, whether it be down to aluminium cans, most of it that's in 80% of the aluminium that can be recycled is in circulation. There isn't a finite, you can't just keep producing new buildings with that recycled aluminium. So Rainers have gone back and they've started from the ground up, started with all their suppliers to see what can be done to make the process itself greener and more sustainable. So using green fuels, using products within the systems that are recyclable, not just the aluminium but also the plastics and redesigning it from scratch. So since 2019, they've been working on that. We've now um been nominated as uh by the United Nations as a sustainable pioneer. And the journey is only really starting to the story to get out there because it's taken this long to benchmark, measure, see where progress is. But I think it's something to be really proud of. Um, and again, family business have been able to take that decision, they weren't relying on shareholders, you know, looking for their dividends, they were able to invest in that and build it, build it from the bottom up. So it's been it's been a great journey to be part of, and yeah, there's there's great opportunities within the business as well. We have a presence in over 70 countries, offices in 40. So, you know, there's at the moment they're recruiting for states, uh roles in the states and Canada. So if if I should choose to emigrate, there's opportunities across the group as well. But no, it's it's it's a very global business, but with a very comfortable and very solid presence here in Wexford as well. So it's the best of both worlds.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

Yeah, it does, isn't it? You mentioned the number of offices there, and Claire, at the start, you mentioned the traveling for trade shows. Is there a travel aspect to your world and does that help you in terms of your role, in terms of seeing how other countries or other offices do something differently to you?

SPEAKER_05 19:29

In our business, it definitely would. We we would have a lot of interactions with Belgium, obviously being the headquarters. There's a small town and it's called Duffel, so it's quite similar size, Tennis Garthi, which is so interesting. But um, I'd regularly go over with clients and architects and um show them the headquarters, the test centre, all the facilities over there. We have a virtual reality cave where we can show buildings as they're being designed, inside and out, and discuss all the aspects in virtual reality but in a group setting. So instead of the headsets that you might be familiar with, we've got a a communal facility which is phenomenal to have. But we'd learn a lot then from other markets about what works, what doesn't work, what's coming up, what are the trends. So we'd we'd have an awful lot of information that you wouldn't have, you know, as a standalone business just here in town. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 20:24

Yeah. We'd be the same. Yeah, like I do an awful lot of benchmarking. So would Germany, Belgium, are you know the top places really that we wouldn't? Yeah, for you too, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we potentially deal with uh two companies, uh Jensen and Canageer, and they're based in Germany. Um this is for the technology you're using. This is for yeah, the machinery, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um so our plant is in Wexford here, is mainly Canagizer, so and then the other two are are Jensen's, just that you don't have all your eggs in one basket. Absolutely. Um so yeah, and it it's going to other laundries as well that are not within our group to just to see what they're doing and how they're using the technology or wash processes or like it it's trying to get more automated and that kind of thing, and it's looking into how they're dealing with that or what impacts it does have. Yeah. Um, because automation is not just about you know reducing down your staff levels, it's trying to make the job easier for the people that you do have. So the trade show that I was at last year was very much around automation and robots that'll start linen for you and detect foreign bodies coming back in the linen and stuff like that. So it is all really important and it's moving really, really quickly compared to 10 years ago.

SPEAKER_02 21:41

Do you know? We need those robots doing our earning. Yeah, send one to my house, please. That's exactly what we need. Um, so there's lots of sharing of best practices with other sites and even the trade shows you go to. Um so and I think innovation is great for keeping our minds open and challenged and all that. But you both have taken it upon yourselves to work on your personal development as well. I know you've done evening studies with CIT well was CIT and now is S E T U. Yes. Helen, um you're currently Claire, you're currently studying a last year or four-year degree.

SPEAKER_06 22:15

I'm in my yeah, at two o'clock this morning my dissertation went to Congratulations. Yeah, so mine's finished uh I think it's the end of April, mid-May.

SPEAKER_02 22:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 22:27

Done. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:27

And that's hard, isn't it? It's hard when you have a busy, busy career, and obviously you have been developing your career over the years, but you're investing time. Helen, you're also a board director accounting extra chamber here, so I'm quite familiar with your work and all that. How hard is it to invest the time on a personal development as well in terms of education, community, giving back and all that?

SPEAKER_06 22:48

Yeah, well, it's it's definitely a journey that you need to be prepared. You know, you need to put thought into it. It does take up an awful lot of time, but I am really, really lucky with the supports that I do have around me. My work has been fantastic. I wouldn't have been able to do without my family. Um same with the travelling, just for work. It's having the family there to pick up the pieces, you know. Because during my four years in college, my son was also training for the the army, so it was I could be flying off somewhere, he'd have to be going to Cork. Um, so it's just been crazy the last four years. So I actually don't know what I'm gonna do with myself first. You know, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:30

Isn't that it when you stop studying you're like, what did I do before?

SPEAKER_06 23:32

Yeah, yeah. But it is you can't do it without people around you. Yeah, it's just not possible. Not when you've kids and a busy work lifestyle.

SPEAKER_02 23:42

So where's your son now?

SPEAKER_06 23:44

He's he's actually he lives in Wexford here, but he's transferred, so he's only back, he came back from the Lebanon in November. Yeah, so he's done six months out there. Um, and then he is transferred to the Cora. So he's actually going back to do electrical engineering. Is he? Yeah. Uh so he's doing that in SETU in Carlo. So he's starting in September.

SPEAKER_02 24:08

Excellent. Yeah, yeah. Less worry for you when he's doing electrical engineering.

SPEAKER_06 24:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:13

Slightly more worrying when he's in Lebanon.

SPEAKER_06 24:15

Yeah, yeah. So he well, he he did enjoy it. Uh obviously it wasn't the best time to be out there, but um he's learned so much and he's changed completely as a person since he joined the army.

SPEAKER_02 24:27

Good discipline, isn't it?

SPEAKER_06 24:28

Yeah, yeah. Um, but changed himself what he wanted. Okay, yeah, he's in terms of his direction. Yeah, exactly. Um when he done his leave and started in the CBS here in Wexford, and he was very confused as to where he wanted to go, what he wanted to do. Um the army since the age of four was always on his mind, but he loved history and done really well in history and classical studies. So then he was looking at teaching, and I think it just all kind of came to a head and it was just too much for him. So he I said, Take a break, give yourself time to think about it. So he actually came out to Celtic as well and done a couple of years there. And then one day I came out of the boardroom and he was standing outside the door and asked, Did I have his passport? And I said, No, not on me. I said, Why? And he said, Uh I've joined the army and I need to go to Cork tomorrow. What? Yeah, that was it. So yeah, that evening I was home. Find the passport and get him to Cork. So he done his fitness and medical, and within two months, then he was living in Cork. So uh he done his training and that in Cork, and then he stayed on in Cork uh until he went to the Lebanon and then he transferred.

SPEAKER_02 25:41

Proud moment for Mummy.

SPEAKER_06 25:42

Yes, very proud.

SPEAKER_02 25:43

Yeah, yeah. Helen, your studies, what kind of encouraged that and what encouraged you to become a director of Kentucky for Chamber?

SPEAKER_05 25:51

Well, studies um I come from a long line of educators, and I definitely wasn't going to go into teaching, but the love of learning was definitely imparted from an early age. But uh I've yeah, undertaken courses all the way through. Like I mentioned, the DCU business innovation one was excellent, but um yeah, um architecture heritage through SETU. Um currently doing AI um training through Green Tech HQ and S Garthi, which is excellent as well. So our company are great as well for supporting learning and development. So, you know, again giving you the time, similar with the story with the chamber. Um, I suppose we would have been more involved through the old NS Garthi Chamber originally, but when the opportunity came to participate with the the county chamber at the time, I was nominated by the MD Pat to take part and yeah, um never look back in the sense for me like that. The coming to Exford knowing nobody, um the chamber has always been a huge resource and a huge way of getting to meet people through events, through networking. And um the possibility then to become a director, be involved with the integration to the full county chamber and to give back my time has been phenomenal. And I've enjoyed every moment because you're in the room of people who are at uh you know an advanced stage in their careers generally or who are you know making a difference and it's it's a fantastic team to be part of.

SPEAKER_02 27:21

Both of your company that you work for are actually corporate partners of the chamber. So Rayners and Johnson Scott Linning are corporate partners and your sponsors of our business awards. So not only do you have that kind of mindset of giving back, your organizations you work for have that mindset of giving back as well. It's really important, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 27:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:37

Um a lot of our members in the chamber are sole traders or SMEs, and while you work for large international organizations, a lot of them don't have that support and network. So what you're doing by supporting the chamber is supporting those businesses as well.

SPEAKER_03 27:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:53

Is that important in terms of your lar overall culture of your organizations?

SPEAKER_06 27:58

I think so. Um we've always kind of tried to give back in some way. We have a neighbourly programme there now in work where our well, anybody really, it doesn't have to be general ops, it can be anybody across the board where they go out and volunteer for different charities and stuff like that. So we've done relay for life, darkness into light, um, litter picking, clean costs. And I think it's really important for the staff to be able to do that, that it's not just at the higher level that it's you know, everybody feels a sense of achievement when they're given something back. Yeah. Yeah. So I think it's really important.

SPEAKER_05 28:34

In terms of business, I I suppose having worked in Cologne and seeing the small business and where the chamber played a role in in helping that business grow, I think it really informs you know, now in a bigger bigger business to be able to support what you say, to support the smaller companies, like realistically, you know, our profile, we're a business-to-business entity. We aren't very well known in in Wexford really for what we do. It's also an opportunity for us to to talk about what we do and you know, showcase the fantastic business that's there, but probably under the radar in in the context of County Wexford, because we're operating all over the country, and you know, our customers are operating internationally. So the reputation will be there at a global level but not local. So it's an opportunity for us to talk about what Rainers do in Wexford as well.

SPEAKER_02 29:27

Well, it's showcasing your business, but then it's also showing the younger generation that you exist here. So both of your companies were at our Jobs Fest, and we had 450 students, second-level students there, who are only deciding now, I suppose, what their career will be, and they'll probably change over time. But one of those reasons the Job Fest is there is to show them that there's jobs going and that the job seekers all attend the event as well. But the other one is that to show you exist here. So when they go off to university, wherever they may go, that they know to come back here and they know there's a career and a whole opportunity. And that's what this episode's about is that you don't have to leave Kentuck to have a career. Claire, you're a perfect example, someone from Wexford who started on the production floor and worked up to management and will go further, I'm sure. And and Helen, you've built a career across a number of different well-known businesses in Kentuck Wexford, and that's what we want to showcase, right?

SPEAKER_05 30:20

I found it so impressive. It was our first time taking part, and actually at that moment in time we only had one open role. Yeah, but it was so interesting to see the the court, the young secondary school kids coming in that stage in life, like Claire's son really not knowing where they want to go, what they want to do, and I think it was a great idea to just put it there to give people an idea. And um, like that, I don't think the job for life exists anymore. And you know, people understanding that there are opportunities, there's apprenticeships, there's so many different ways and pathways for people now. It's so important to have somewhere to showcase it, like the Jobs West, which I thought was a great initiative.

SPEAKER_06 31:01

I've I've done I didn't get to do it this year, but I've done it a couple of years, and it is it's great to meet them. And the difference between the first year that we've done it and even talking with Maraid and that from this year in people more interested in apprenticeships. Like the trades are were, you know, a dying breed, and it was really hard to try and get people into it. But I think it has definitely opened that door more. Yeah. Um, because over the years from doing it, when you're talking to I think there was one group of chaps come in from the CBS, and I think they just took it as a a day away from school. But they once we got talking about the apprenticeships and stuff, they got really, really interested in it, and they were saying the same thing, you know, I don't know what I want to do. And yeah, so we were saying, like, there's I think there was 20 something people there at that stage, uh, different businesses, and we were like, There's so much here available, and you know, you don't have to go in at this level, you can start and build it, and if you like it, you move on with it, and if you don't, you move on and find something else. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 32:07

Yeah, there's choice here when there is, there's plenty of choice. Also, there last week was WWETB, and that's the apprenticeship to you mentioned. Like, we're blessed to have WWETB um in our region. Uh, so much choice in terms of apprenticeships, and they partner with a lot of amazing organizations in the county, don't they? Yeah, um, so yeah, I think I I I didn't know what to do when I was leaving school. I think I applied for hospitality, and I eventually went down the route of business and that paid off. But it's hard, isn't it, when you're 17, 18, 16 to figure out what your career choices be. But as you're both saying, is that the choice you make then doesn't have to be the choice, no, it can change and evolve, and lifelong learning and all that supports that choice. Going back to your own journey, what's been the toughest part so far for you?

SPEAKER_06 32:51

I think it was trying to balance it all uh with my son. Um like I said, I did have great support um when he was really young. My mother reminded him, and I have a huge work, I think, and drive. So any extra hours that were gone, I done them, and you know, you put the time in. Um so I think that would have been my biggest thing because there was stuff I missed out on as well, because you're trying to drive that path for yourself. Um, so it was trying to find a balance between the two. Yeah, I think was my biggest challenge.

SPEAKER_02 33:28

But it worked, right?

SPEAKER_06 33:29

It worked.

SPEAKER_05 33:30

I think probably my biggest challenge was not knowing anybody. I know um and not even knowing the lay of the land or what businesses were there, or what you know, really that being dropped from Mars almost kind of approach to trying to build a career for myself. Um and I would say Wexford was hugely welcoming. People are so laid back, so easygoing, so helpful. Um, I had great fun along the way in getting to know this county and the businesses that are here. And um I think you know, having the courage, I suppose, to put your hand up and say, look, I'm looking for something, this is what I can do, can, you know, taking the work experience route, offering your services for a little while, just to get your, you know, get your foot in the door. I think having to be that creative kind of pathway, um, and making making my own route rather than you know, sitting in at a desk waiting for someone to to come and make it for me. So um that was tough but very, very rewarding. And like you say, um at this stage a director in the Chamber of Commerce, I would never in a million years have dreamt of having that opportunity when I arrived in Wexford, which is what 15 years ago at this stage. But doors have opened, people have been welcoming, people have, you know, who this who is this person? They just took me at as they found me and have given me the opportunities along the way. So I will always be very, very grateful to what the county has given me. A great, a great quality of life, a great career, um, really, really nice place to live, and you know, so much on your doorstep here. We've we've got the best of all worlds really in Wexford. Yeah. Wexford flies so much under the radar, and this campaign, this whole build for business is fantastic because coming from the west of Ireland, there was fewer opportunities, but people had to kind of you know work hard for them, and I think that mentality has kind of stood to me because you know, um there are opportunities everywhere, uh, and it's about just knowing valuing what you have, and definitely here there's so much. It's I think uh such a fertile ground for to do business here in Wexford.

SPEAKER_02 35:48

Yeah, um, Claire, you mentioned that you have to put a lot of work, ethic, and hands up for overtime and adaptation. And I think that the generation the three of us are from is that you did have to do that, yeah. Every bit of can someone take on this extra work, yeah, I'll do it, or unavailable for overtime, yeah, I'll do it. Yeah percent. Um we've probably let our kind of our work-life balance uh suffer a little bit, whereas the new current generations are prioritizing work-life balance, and I actually have to admire that. Yeah, what are your thoughts on that? And what do you do nowadays in terms of prioritising work-life balance?

SPEAKER_06 36:24

Um I think I'm kind of still asleep. Um just because obviously I'm I'm still not done college, and it went from being crazy in work and the transitions between uh Causeway and moving into with Johnstons and that kind of thing, and then I was on the college journey, so I haven't had much time to sit back and you know, take it all in, or but I do think um I don't think anything is ever handed to you, yeah. Well that's the way I was raised. You have to work first, yeah. And I've always been that way, and I think I always will be that way. I do see it now with younger people coming in that they they have a cutoff point, and you know, sometimes you could be thinking, My God, but they're actually right. Right. Yeah, do you know? But it is, I think, more your personality, really, as to what you're kind of gonna be with drive and that kind of thing, because nothing is ever handed to you, you know, you do have to work for it, but well-being, I think, is a lot more talked about now than it ever used to be, and I think people are taking more time to consider it and to do things about it, and it might be just don't work through lunch, go out and go for a walk. Exactly. It's simple things, you know, it doesn't have to be that you have to stop work at five o'clock. That doesn't always happen for people, but it is taking that even if it's an hour a day for yourself, yeah, and just go for a stroll, and you couldn't find anywhere nicer to go for a stroll. I know, do you know?

SPEAKER_02 37:55

Or taking those deep breaths, that mindfulness. It's so simple, isn't it? Yeah, it's so simple to look after your well-being when you think about it. Yeah, and sometimes we ignore the simple things because it seems like it's too easy or something. Yeah, um, you mentioned there about the acquisition. So obviously, you're going through the four-year, you've handed your dissertation in, um, but Johnson's Celtic Lin, well, Celtic Lynn was acquired by Johnson, so you have had quite a road map over the last number of years. Yeah. You went into examinership at one point and got acquired by Johnson. So quite a transformation.

SPEAKER_06 38:27

Yeah, yeah, it it was tough. When we were acquired by Causeway, uh, obviously we had an awful lot of work to do, and that core team that we're part of that, most of us are still there. Um, and I an awful lot of work and long hours went into building the company up to make us attractive, you know, to be bought. Yes. Um, and it took a little bit longer than we thought, but nobody ever lost focus on it. Do you know what everybody wanted like we're a huge employer for Wexford. So if you're not just thinking of yourself, you're thinking of the 300 people that are working there for you. So it was great when Johnson's when that came about in 2023 now. And it was it just catapulted as soon as Johnson's took over. Do you know our capital investments, all that while we had started that journey already? It made it easier, it was bigger, um, and it's made a huge impact into the the three sites obviously that we have.

SPEAKER_02 39:24

It all paid off. Next year, now after you finish your BA and things have calmed down. Like, what will I do with my time?

SPEAKER_03 39:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:34

Helen talked about well-being, talked to us about the balance. What do you do? Give us some advice, Helen.

SPEAKER_05 39:41

Well, I wouldn't I wouldn't say work-life balance is a phrase that I would be very familiar with. But uh no, in fairness, uh, what I'd say is more like the busyness of life in general, in the sense, yeah, uh, we're all multitasking here, and you all have like commitments outside of work that you have to balance. Um, but I'm very fortunate because I live on a farm and it's the most I have no problem um, you know, getting my downtime from work and switching gears and putting on my values. But you're working again though. But it it's for me that's the physical being out in the open air, we have animals, I love animals. All of that really just helps me switch off and switch gear. So that's that's a lovely way of doing it. Now, obviously, there are times when it's seriously busy and there's a lot on, but again, I think Claire and I would both, and probably yourself, Paula, we're not people that like sit down and you know, turn on the telly and spend the evenings doing nothing. Um, so it it suits me very much, and that's my refresh, that's my out in the open air, you know, take the dogs for a walk, that's how I reset. And um, it's it's not very formal, I would say. I'm not good at journaling or any of those catchphrases that you'd used to say. But I think a very important thing is if you enjoy your work, if you enjoy what you do day to day in the team that you work with, you know, you're you're far less inclined to let's say be stressed or be you know under pressure work in your work, you're doing a good job and you're getting on well there, then it's it just makes the whole lot much easier. So if what I'd say is my message would be if you don't enjoy what you're doing, or if you don't enjoy where you're working, please go and look at another option because nobody's making you the life is too short to be in a place that you don't enjoy, and there are lots of other options out there.

SPEAKER_02 41:31

Yeah. James is one lucky man, Helen, to have you. Someone who finishes work in Rain Airs and then is like, okay, my switch off time is to help me on the farm. Like, how lucky is he to have you?

SPEAKER_05 41:40

Well, I grew up on a farm, so I think it's kind of normal, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:46

And that's great. Um, podcasts. Do you listen to podcasts in terms of trying to switch off your busy minds and brains when outside of work? I do. What do you listen to, Claire?

SPEAKER_06 41:59

Uh I tend to go for lighter stuff because obviously your day has been quite heavy. So um I do like um Vogan and Joanne. I listen to the great, aren't they? I listen to their podcast a good bit. Um I it depends on my mood of what I listen to. If I'm on a long journey, I tend to kind of switch between. So I do like the Louis Thoreau uh podcasts as well. Yeah, yeah. They're quite interesting. Um, and you kind of get lost in them. And if if I'm driving to Belfast, they're a really a good one to listen to. A great car buddy on your journey. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 42:34

Okay. Do you listen to podcasts, Helen? Yeah, yeah. And similar in that, yeah, downtime, it's just and in the car, yeah, that's really good when I'm heading west. Like Tommy Hector and Lorita would be one I love. Um, really good crack, and I love the way they just take each other down a peg all the time, slagging all the time. But um, another one I actually came across, and I really it's good for me, is uh Radio Dublino, which is a guy from Sardinia who lives in Dublin, and he does a podcast with Italians living there, and it's their take on what it's like living in Ireland. So I find that really interesting. Um, and it's good, it just keeps my ear, you know, um keeps the language piece up. But yeah, there's and I love when you come across something random like that in the podcasts, and you mightn't have heard about it from anybody, but then you just get hooked on it.

SPEAKER_02 43:26

This is going back to your your background in Italy.

SPEAKER_05 43:29

Yeah, just to keep the language piece going, keep your ear tuned in. It's really good. They only do one a month, I think, but it's yeah, I always enjoy that.

SPEAKER_02 43:37

Yeah. I like the kind of more light conversational type and a bit of humor, as you said, Claire. Yeah. Entertain me guys on my drive. That's what we're looking for, isn't it? Yeah. Okay. How would you describe Wexford to somebody who's not from here?

SPEAKER_05 43:53

Understated is probably the word I'd use. Nice, good one. Yeah. Um Ripe for discovery in the sense Yeah, I didn't know anything really about it apart from maybe Curry Claw Beach and Hook Hook Lighthouse. Um there's so much here, so much here. It's a big county um from you know the likes of Johnstown Castle up where I live, Wells House nearby. There's the lovely towns, like Gory's a great shopping town live nearby there as well. And we you know the beaches everybody knows about, but you have the River Salane and then Escorthy beautiful walks down there. Um so much without going near business, but just you know, there's great sports here, there's so much for you know, you'd never be bored between like I've done kayaking on the Slaney, you've gone we are good sports and social um in working hill walking on the black stairs. There's endless, endless things you can do. So it's great, it's a great county. It's a great county.

SPEAKER_02 44:51

Claire, you're from here, obviously. Yeah, it's harder to look inward when you're from here, but what's what's how would you describe Wexford?

SPEAKER_06 44:58

Um well I love Wexford. Like I think we've there is so much on offer here, and just like you were saying, in relation to the sport, like we've great centres for the sports, like the GA grounds and stuff like that. Like they're so good. I don't know any clubs that are really small. All the GA clubs are massive, and like everybody takes part in them. Things like having the fly here the last couple of years, like that was amazing.

SPEAKER_02 45:21

Incredible, unreal.

SPEAKER_06 45:22

The weather, yeah, yeah. But even the the Tradfest that was on here, you know. Yeah, it there's so much goes on here, and you know, all the different places you can go see. One of my favourite things to do is of a Saturday morning. Um, me and my sister come in, we get a coffee in the shop and we walk the quay. No, and it's so nice, like the sun is only coming up, and it's it's just a beautiful town. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_02 45:46

You don't get that balance in city life, do you? No, yeah, no, when you leave the office, you can go to a beach actually.

SPEAKER_06 45:51

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And yeah, the beach is definitely my happy place, you know. Just get up and go with the dogs and off you go.

SPEAKER_02 45:58

Yeah. What's the opportunity here in Wexford that we're not talking about enough? Or is there an opportunity that you think we're missing that we need to maybe work a little harder at?

SPEAKER_05 46:07

I would like to see fewer people having travelled to Dublin and recognizing what's here. And I would say the, you know, we're in in a fortune position, we've probably close to full employment, but I think there's an awful lot of people that are travelling away for work, and it would be great to see them coming back. So I think that's an opportunity.

SPEAKER_02 46:26

And the businesses are here, the jobs are here, yeah. The lifestyle is certainly here, and that's what the campaign's all about. It's about showcasing that you can have the career here in Wexford and the amazing quality of life. Um, so hopefully, this is what that campaign and you telling your stories will do, Helen.

SPEAKER_05 46:41

Well, like the open role that we have at the moment is architectural technologists, and there are I I'm sure um teen architectural technologists working in practices in the capital. Yeah. And there's a role here where they could be at home and um enjoy that work-life balance. It breaks my heart to think people getting in a car, travelling to Dublin, or having to commute every day when you have opportunities here. So I suppose it would be a a call for people to look at what's here before they look elsewhere and don't just take it for granted that you have to go elsewhere.

SPEAKER_02 47:13

Yeah. It sometimes it's the connection, it's knowing someone who knows something about a job, isn't it? Um, because it can be hard, but obviously the chamber or other organizations like um events up in Green Tech HQ and Escorty is where you build those networks and build those connections and hear about the jobs. Yeah. Because you might not see those jobs in the newspaper or on the radio, but going to events and networking is your best friend, really, in terms of finding the next big job for you. You mentioned projects and change, but we haven't really talked about lean. Lean must be a big thing in your organizations, right?

SPEAKER_06 47:44

Well, we use lean principles kind of every day within our process. Um, like it's a requirement for our say shift leaders and production managers that they're all certified to greenbelt in lean management. And you bring it into your your projects that you're working on, like it has to be as lean as possible. Each production manager that I have, do you know they all have a lean project, say once a year, say they they have a project that they have to work on and to come back on. But your whole process flow is all it all has to be lean, like to know, and eliminate as much waste as you can within reason. I think we're at a stage now that when we are having our meetings and stuff like that, because they're all trained in the lean now, they're all thinking with that mindset. And you know, somebody could say something and someone else would say, Well, no, because you know you know you're gonna have to give somebody to do that. Is there a way of doing it without putting an extra pair of hands on it or double handling that kind of thing? So it's just day-to-day normal practice now. The plant itself hasn't changed machinery-wise in number of machines and that, but the process flow has changed completely. Yeah, and how you handle everything that comes through the plant has changed completely because it's all about efficiencies and sustainability now. So even like we're hoping to go plastic free now, nails will be plastic free within the next two months, I would think. Um, and then the hospitality plant, hopefully kind of mid-May, June, we'll be plastic free there. Uh, a little bit more difficult when it comes to the healthcare side just for infection control, but there is people interested in you know getting on board with it on the healthcare side as well. So, but then again, we need to tie lean into that because you're changing that flow of work uh from its normal process as well.

SPEAKER_02 49:32

So it's so important to kind of challenge the way things are done, aren't they? Is there a better way of doing it? Yeah, and sometimes it can be so easy just to say that's how we always did it.

SPEAKER_05 49:40

Yeah. Well, I found we, you know, on as part of our lean journey, visits to other sites and other yeah, it may not necessarily like, for example, we went to integer in UROS medical devices, and they were so helpful because they are like a shingle award-winning site and totally different industry, but uh learned a massive amount from them. Um, Ken Stainless here in Wexford as well, welcome to us, showed us their in-house CR pieces and people being so open and helpful. Admins sheds, of course, everyone. Admans steel sheds, yeah. They're known for a lean token. They're fantastic, but every business you learn a lot, you take away uh a lot from those visits, and I found those so valuable. Um, it's it's like you're saying them once you you get the lean mindset and you see people, the most like unusual ideas coming from the most unusual you know areas of the business. I I think I find that really fascinating. But um the downside of it is when I go home now and I'm trying to like place a pitchfork somewhere and the farmer doesn't understand why we're driving each other demented, so that's a downside, but yeah, yeah, but it's it's it's phenomenal, you know, it's phenomenal what it could do for business.

SPEAKER_02 50:59

Um but even outside of work, I think everybody needs to adopt the five whys, it's such a simple process um and a principle, but like ask why you're doing it that way, and then why did that happen? And why did that happen? You'll eventually get to the root cause, yeah. Um, and that's when you you start solutioning. Um, so it's a great principle. I want to um finish up with some quick fire questions. So the first is the person, so someone who has had a big impact on your life or a mentor that you admire, or uh for me it would be Joanne.

SPEAKER_06 51:30

Ah, Joanne's great, isn't she? Yeah, Joanne Summers. Yeah, we've we've worked together a long time and we've been through the mill and back. Um and she's just phenomenal, do you know, her her work, I think. Just the way she carries herself, her knowledge, it's just she's amazing to just sit down and listen to. Yeah. Do you know? She's part of the reason why we all have that drive as well, you know, she expects the best and she'll only accept the best from you. And I don't think I'd have got here without her behind me.

SPEAKER_02 52:03

She believed in you. Yeah, 100%. Helen, who do you admire, or who's the person in in your head that you think of?

SPEAKER_05 52:10

My P P for Pauline, Pauline Dunn. Oh yeah. Pauline.

SPEAKER_02 52:15

Pauline's a little lady, isn't she?

SPEAKER_05 52:16

I've already mentioned her because she gave me the opportunity, but uh having worked with her in similar the the graft, the dedication to you know, at the idea. Um, and again, Pauline is part of a family there in the family business and the how they work together, how how they keep good relationships among them all. I really admire it because it's so hard to work as a family business as well. Um, and she is absolutely for me, embodies the best wexford. If we could bottle people like Bonnie and Joanne, we'd be in a good place.

SPEAKER_02 52:55

Yeah. Um, okay, next one is place, a place and we extra that means something to you or somewhere you like to go.

SPEAKER_06 53:02

Uh for me it's the beach. I live in Mulrankin, so I'm close to um loads of beaches. So I don't have a preference. I normally go down towards Ross Doonstone because it's always nice and quiet and I can let the dogs off. And yeah. But it for me that's where I reset.

SPEAKER_02 53:18

Yeah. Whitehole in that direction. Yeah. It's a nice beach, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Harder to get to in terms of parking at it.

SPEAKER_06 53:24

Yeah, very little parking, but it is what a beach. It's lovely.

SPEAKER_02 53:28

Yeah, great one bringing horses too or dogs, as you say. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 53:31

So I normally park at the White Hole and then I walk down to Rostins. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:35

Yeah, no, they're gorgeous. That's my direction too. Yeah. Helen.

SPEAKER_05 53:38

I go with Boulevogue.

SPEAKER_02 53:40

Oh, Boulevogue.

SPEAKER_05 53:42

This is where I live, and uh didn't really know anything about 1798. You do now. I was indoctrinated. But the pride in the community, um the crack, very open, um, very, you know, it's a rural, agricultural, um, but um strong community who would fight for one another and support one another. We've been I've been as an outsider so supported by the people in Boulevard, and yeah, I think they're really proud of where they come from and with good reasons. Yeah. Yeah, my job.

SPEAKER_02 54:17

And then the song as well, of course. Oh, yeah. The tradition around us.

SPEAKER_05 54:20

We've that's sung in the pub, but we don't do the anthem, it has to be boulevard at the end of the night.

SPEAKER_02 54:27

Um, sticking on the place, is there a favorite place to eat or have a pint or have a Pinot? Is there anywhere you like to go? Wexford has great restaurants, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_06 54:36

It does. We're blessed. Yeah, yeah. I think for me, but probably just because it's close to home, I do love Mary Berries. I knew you were going to say that. It's great, isn't it? Yeah. So much choice in the menu. It's yeah, and I've never had a bad meal there.

SPEAKER_02 54:49

Yeah, Mary Barries is great, even more. What about you, Helen?

SPEAKER_05 54:53

That was actually going to be my choice as well. Well, me, and you're about to be. It's over an hour from us, so I I do we it's a treat to go, but I love seafood. I I like coming from the west, that I miss my crab and lobster and all of that, but definitely uh Mary Berries is worth the journey from our place. Yeah, and uh Susie and the gang do a great job looking after everybody there. Yeah, so yeah, they're a great business.

SPEAKER_02 55:18

Yeah, really kind of family feel there when you go in, isn't it? Yeah. Um and great for family events and all. Yeah, it's a great spot. Um, one final one I'm gonna throw in there is a plea to government. Is there anything in terms of what you would ask on a personal level to government or on a business level to government in terms of change? You know, as a chamber we're uh advocacy and lobbying organisation, and just this week I got two letters out to government on different things like um the flood relief in Enniscorty, which needs a lot more action, and then um social welfare and for reform, which I wrote to them about um to Minister Cleary about in terms of encouraging those in social welfare to be able to work part-time, is that the moment the way it's set up is that it discourages you to take on part-time employment and um it impacts sectors like the home care sector um who need part-time workers. Is there anything you can think of in terms of a plea to government?

SPEAKER_06 56:17

The social welfare was one of the ones because I know a few people that work with the care homes and stuff like that, and there's there's a body of people there that are all you know due to retirement and that kind of thing, and they're struggling to get the next band in. Um, so that's definitely something.

SPEAKER_05 56:34

Well, I think definitely, and like you alluded to about you know the challenges of rearing your family, relying on the supports, that constant juggling that I think it falls a lot on women, and I think the government if we could see a bit of innovative and creative thinking, so like this fact of the it's almost like it's people aren't aren't just aren't encouraged to come off benefits because it's you know it's not worth their while if they work part-time. That would free up so many other opportunities for the likes of working women to then if somebody can take on the caring role, they that takes pressure off women who are juggling careers and family responsibilities as well. I think that's a huge, huge challenge at the moment. And any working woman will tell you that you know that the nine to five is a it'd be lovely if only you had to do nine to five, but everybody's doing a lot more than that, and society in general isn't really it's it's ignoring it, yeah. Um, rather than saying this is but that that example of the part-time work, if that could be freed up, if it could be made easier for people to work part-time, it would free up an awful lot of other avenues for people.

SPEAKER_02 57:53

Yeah, the will is there, yeah. Um, it's just that the regulation and policy around it needs to change and support and encourage it more, yeah, for sure. Um, and a great take on it there, Helen, as you say about women in business who have the family at home as well and want to have want to be able to do both. Um, it comes from both sides, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_05 58:11

But need support. And if those if the that cohort could be freed up to to support in the caring roles, that would be huge.

SPEAKER_02 58:19

Yeah. Excellent. Helen Claire, thank you so much for your time. Thanks for joining us. Um, I think we'll have to catch up some other time as well and do another podcast episode and see where you're spending your time after your VA Claire, um, and where you're giving back more time into the chamber, Helen.

SPEAKER_05 58:35

We can always go for a bite and Mary Barry's.

SPEAKER_02 58:38

Mary Barry's sound a row from me. I'll see you there. Thanks, ladies. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 58:45

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 CountywexfordCamber.ie. The recording of this podcast is supported by Leader.