US flag - exporting to the US

Top 10 Tips for Exporting to The USA

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Ireland enjoys a unique advantage in trading with the US because of our deep historical links. Relations between the two governments are exceptional; and cooperation at an institutional level is excellent including in areas such as research, innovation and education.

There is, without doubt, huge opportunity in the US. Around 700 Enterprise Ireland client companies are exporting there and companies like Aerogen, Fenergo, Cylon Controls, Candidate Manager and Rubicoin have set up offices and accelerated exports in the past 24 months. To date, over 20 clients have won contracts worth over €500,000.

1. Preparation

Before entering the US market, extensive research at home is strongly advised. Make contact with State agencies, relevant support organisations and companies who currently export to the US, if possible. Targeting the US usually requires additional financial and human resources, so to keep costs and operations manageable in such as geographically big country, first-time entrants are advised to segment the market and target a particular region or state. Give careful consideration to the resources needed to serve the selected market, for instance, will the operation use a direct or indirect sales channel. Some companies hire locally and others (often in the early stages) put a C-level member of the team in the market for a short period to get things off the ground.

2. Legal

Corporate – Confirm your corporate structure. Typically setting up a US subsidiary makes sense both for tax and liability reasons. Your US subsidiary also will need to appoint a registered agent, and “qualify to do business” in every state in which you have an office or similar presence.

Intellectual Property – Address US trademark issues defensively (confirming that no one else has prior registered or unregistered rights in respect of name and key brands); and offensively (by filing a US trademark application). Patent issues may need addressed depending on the business.

Contractual Terms and Conditions – These must be converted to the laws of a US state, for legal and commercial reasons.

Employment – Get professional employment advice locally. Most US employees do not have employment contracts but employers are bound by offer-letter terms, employee manuals and other undertakings. Also, ensure confidentiality and IP assignment agreements with all employees are established.

3. Tax Structuring and Compliance

Establish appropriate arm’s-length arrangements between the Irish parent and US subsidiary to separate taxable income. This is particularly important because US corporate tax rates (federal and state), totalling about 40% are typically three times the level in Ireland. Have appropriate compliance procedures in place to address federal and state corporate income tax, as well as other potentially relevant tax regimes (sales tax, personal property tax, etc.), particularly at the state and local level.

4. Trends

US import trends indicate high potential for Irish exporters. Meat imports were valued at €9.4bn which was the second fastest-growing import; while dairy went up over 40% to €2.8 billion. The US also imports pharmaceuticals worth $86.1 billion; medical and technical equipment worth $78.3 billion and organic chemicals worth $52.1 billion. These are all among the top 10 Irish exports by category. It is also a big importer in sectors such as aviation and aerospace, mechanical and electronic equipment, insurance and ICT services – all of which are growing in Ireland.

5. Banking

It can be difficult for a non-US company to set up banking for its US subsidiary. Some banks are particularly focused on banking high-growth companies on a trans-Atlantic basis, which can help ease the process.

6. Immigration

Most Irish companies exporting to the US find it critical to establish a presence in the market. This is particularly true in software and high-tech. An estimated 65% of Irish exporters to the US have a full-time presence, ranging from a single-person sales office to manufacturing operations with thousands of employees. Route-to-market decisions are crucial and the role of agents and distributors cannot be ignored. Buyers rarely purchase directly from manufacturers, particularly those from overseas. So fulfilment centres have become increasingly important in the supply-chain, especially since the growth of e-business. This approach is better suited to non-perishable items and consumer products.

7. Insurance

The US is a high-risk environment. Get an insurance broker with trans-Atlantic experience to advise on types of cover, terms and limits.

8. Recruitment

The most difficult aspect of setting up in the US is finding the right people. Obtaining recommendations from trusted people including investors and advisors is often the best way. Otherwise get professional support (especially with sales people). Consider outsourcing for book-keeping, employee tax withholding, HR and mandatory employee insurance and benefits, and similar matters. Also note that visas permitting Irish personnel deployed in the US to work are needed. Allow three to four months to sort this out.

9. Offices

Get professional advice on office space and other properties such as co-working spaces (like WeWork), accommodation offices (like Regus) or renting an individual premises.

10. Incentives and Supports

US supports should not be overlooked. Federal, state and local development agencies and international chambers of commerce can provide very useful support. State and local incentives for investment and job creation also may be available.

 

BFree Foods Pioneers Gluten Free Innovation to Drive Export Growth

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“We started with two products and we now have 15. We are constantly working on our products to improve them. We are also working on ways to extend the shelf life of our products without sacrificing flavour – this is very important in markets such as Scandinavia.”
Alex Murphy, BFree Foods

Key Takeouts:

  • Enterprise Ireland’s food innovation supports helped BFree research an alternative to gluten in bread.
  • Research revealed a growing lifestyle market for gluten- and wheat-free bread products.
  • Their gluten-free wraps won several awards, and have a 10% share of the Australian wrap market.

Case Study: BFree Foods

Established in 2011 by Cuisine de France founder Ronan McNamee, BFree Foods has grown to take a significant slice of the domestic market in the “free-from” bread category, and has increased export sales rapidly in the US, the UK, Scandinavia and Australia.

The business has been built around research and innovation from the very start with the aim to be the best. “UCC has an incubator for the brewing and baking industries. We worked with PhD students there on our first product, a loaf of bread. The problem is that gluten does so much for bread – it is the scaffolding that gives it structure, taste and the crisp golden crust. Without it, the bread just falls apart and doesn’t taste very good. We had to solve that, and deliver something that gave us the edge versus the competition. We did a lot of market research at the same time.”

That research revealed a growing lifestyle market for gluten- and wheat-free bread products. “When we launched our first products it was very much with a healthy lifestyle message”, Murphy adds. “We assured consumers that we’ve done the research for them and have created a product that tastes great and is nutritionally good for you.”

Solving the gluten problem proved interesting. “We use various ingredients such as apples, potatoes, peas, sweet potato, even bamboo, to add flavour and replicate the gluten”, she says.

The company launched its first two products on the market in 2012 to a very positive response. “We were producing fresh, tasty and nutritious bread, not long-life products, which can often be full of preservatives.”

Listings in all the major multiples followed and then it was time to look further afield. “We always intended it to be an export product and our next move was into the UK”, Murphy explains. “Innovation is a big selling point there. There are so many people playing in the gluten-free market you have to be able to offer something different. We did some very, very basic consumer research among people with coeliac disease and wheat intolerance, and what they told us was they missed out on family meals; family members ate one thing and they had to eat something else.”

That led the company to develop gluten-free wraps, which tasted just as good and folded as well as the standard product. “Our wraps won several awards for quality and there was no other offer like this in that category and that got recognised among the UK multiples.”

So successful have the company’s wraps been that BFree now commands a 10% share of the total Australian wrap market – both standard and free-from.

Success in the US quickly followed, with Walmart, Costco and KROGER among BFree’s key customers. “We supply 5,500 outlets in the US and it is now our largest market.”

Innovation has been key to the company’s growth and success. “We started with two products and we now have 15”, Murphy points out. “We are constantly working on our products to improve them. We no longer use eggs as an ingredient and this has made our products suitable for vegans. We are also working on ways to extend the shelf life of our products without sacrificing flavour – this is very important in markets such as Scandinavia.”

This activity has been supported by Enterprise Ireland over the years.

“As a start-up, we worked with the universities and then we engaged with the fabulous team in Enterprise Ireland, who helped us with research, development and innovation as well as with expanding internationally. BFree now employs 40 people in Dublin and Enterprise Ireland also helped us establish an innovation hub here in Dublin, where we have four researchers working on new product development and innovation. We are now looking at extending into different categories as well and that will be very exciting.”

 

 

Learn how Enterprise Ireland invest in R&I with its innovation supports.

Movidius

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“These connections are worth far more than any amount of money they can give you.”

David Maloney – CTO & Founder

Who

Movidius are a leading developer of high performance computer vision platforms with applications in drones, VR headsets and robotics.

How

Enterprise Ireland’s connections with universities enabled Movidius to access technologies that they needed, enabling their ability to expand to international markets.

Result

Movidius’s success in international markets led to the company being acquired by Intel in September 2016.

See How We Helped Movidius

Irish animation Great White North

Irish animation conquers the Great White North

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Philip Callan, market executive for the animation sector based in Enterprise Ireland’s Toronto office, describes how Irish animation companies are making waves in the North American market.

With over nine million children living in Canada, and with a business climate and culture similar to Ireland, the ‘Great White North’ is a market filled with opportunities for Irish animation studios and service providers.

The Irish animation industry’s success in developing content for audiences at home and abroad has driven an increase in domestic employment. While only around 100 people were employed in the sector in the mid-2000s, it is estimated that more than 1,700 work in animation in Ireland today. The sector is worth almost €100 million to the economy, the majority of which is export generated.

The ways in which children consume entertainment internationally is evolving in ways that are suited to the strengths of Irish providers. While watching TV itself remains the most popular way for children to spend leisure time, content is increasingly consumed on newer devices, like phones and tablets, and through digital platforms, namely YouTube, Amazon and Netflix. A Viacom Insights Kids of the World study found that, of children surveyed aged 6-11, 41% owned their own tablet and 37% owned a smartphone.

Canadian broadcasters, such as CBC Kids and TVO, are required to follow government-mandated guidelines when purchasing content from international partners, including rules about representing Canadian values, such as equality, diversity and non-violence. There is a growing trend for productions that incorporate educational content that teaches children about their world and issues such as terrorism, personal safety and internet security.

Irish animation excels internationally

The widespread international recognition garnered by Irish studio Cartoon Saloon’s The Breadwinner, an Ireland/Canada co-production with Toronto-based Aircraft Pictures, is a great example of that global trend. The feature film addresses issues such as gender inequality, political oppression and warfare, and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at both the Golden Globes and Academy Awards.

Nora Keely at Guru Studio in Toronto has highlighted Canada’s co-production treaty with Ireland as a driver of projects between Irish and Canadian partners. At this year’s Kidscreen Summit in Miami, an important event for the global children’s entertainment industry, a panel of Canada’s leading figures encouraged peers to take advantage of co-production pacts and to source international partners for projects.

One challenge smaller Irish companies must overcome is scaling and getting their name known internationally, notes Ronan McCabe of Treehouse Republic and Animation Ireland. Pitching at international markets such as Kidscreen, Cartoon Forum and MIPCOM is important. Even if a pitch doesn’t succeed on the first occasion, those pitched to may remember the project later when they need to purchase content.

Pre-school shows can be easier for Irish companies to pitch to international buyers, as the older the age bracket, the greater the divergence of children’s pastimes and hobbies. Dublin and Belfast-based JAM Media secured a deal with CBC for its new pre-school show Becca’s Bunch, which combines live action, puppetry, 2D and CG animation to create a multi-textured world. Cartoon Saloon’s Puffin Rock is also aimed at the 2-5 year-old bracket and was acquired by Netflix to air in Canada, the USA, and around the world. Both shows focus on nature, wildlife, friendship and exploration, universal themes for the age range, and a great fit for the attitudes of modern children, which Viacom research describes as independent, confident and curious.

In addition to the established markets of North America and Europe, opportunities in developing markets in Asia, particularly China, are being targeted more closely by Irish studios. While significant barriers to entry remain, including a requirement for government approval of imported animation programs, they offer a growing middle-class population with significant demand for children’s content. Cartoon Saloon recently signed a multi-licence deal for Puffin Rock with the China Nebula Group (CNB) in a market with a population of 1.3 billion, of which 27% are under 20 years old.

Enterprise Ireland’s overseas office network is available to assist Small and Medium Enterprises in the animation sector with assessing in-market opportunities, identifying potential customers, and supporting international buyers to source from Ireland. For more information on doing business in Canada visit our Markets pages or download our Going Global guide.

This article was originally published in the Sunday Independent.

 

Arralis

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“The fact that Enterprise Ireland delivered the European Space agency was incredible. That was instrumental. That is where it all started.”

Barry Lunn – CEO & Founder

Who

Arralis is a rapidly scaling technology company providing world leading expertise in RF, micro and millimetre-wave technology.

How

Enterprise Ireland helped Arralis break into the American, Chinese and Russian markets and, most importantly, introduced them to the European Space Agency.

Result

Arralis are now a world leader in their field working with six of the top ten aerospace companies. In 2016 they opened new offices in China and the USA.

See How We Helped Arralis

How eXpd8 followed the Thread to win new markets

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“We built the solution in 12 months and then wanted to validate our chosen market. That’s where market research support from Enterprise Ireland came in”

– Liam Mullaney, CEO

Key Takeouts:

  • Software specialists breaking into new markets with a new R&D led cloud-based offering.
  • Faced with challenges to future growth prospects, their Enterprise Ireland adviser helped them secure an R&D grant.
  • Today, enquiries are coming in from South Africa, Singapore, Germany and further afield.

Case Study: eXpd8

Enterprise Ireland market research support enabled Irish legal software specialist eXpd8 Limited to break into the US market with its new cloud-based offering – Thread. Since its launch in September 2017, the Thread legal case management solution has successfully been trialled by a number of law firms in California and North and South Carolina, with sales now following in the US and a number of other markets.

eXpd8 traces its origins to a first start as an office supplies company, founded in 1985 by Declan Branagan. In 2000, Declan recognised an opportunity to develop dedicated software for legal practices and the first eXpd8 software product was launched the following year. The solution has been hugely successful in the Irish market and has attracted interest from the US, Australia and South Africa.

Liam Mullaney, CEO, joined the company in 2015 and takes up the story from there, “As there are about 1,700 legal practices in Ireland, we had limited prospects for further growth. I spoke to Declan and we agreed that there was a huge opportunity to supply legal firms worldwide if we created a cloud-based product. That’s what led to the development of the Thread legal case management solution. That’s the product we are taking to the global market.”

It also led the company to its first contact with Enterprise Ireland. Mullaney continues, “We met with our Enterprise Ireland adviser, Eileen Bell, and she has been a great help. We received a feasibility study grant initially. After that, an R&D grant to help with the development of the product. Having the backing of Enterprise Ireland has been incredibly beneficial all the way along.

“We built the solution in 12 months and then wanted to validate our chosen market. That’s where market research support from Enterprise Ireland came in. We decided that the US was the place to be and we picked North and South Carolina as the two states to focus on initially. There are 7,000 legal firms in the two states, so that represented a good market for us.”

Under the market research grant, Head of Product Development Anne Marie Callaghan visited Charlotte, North Carolina in June 2017 to gather initial market intelligence. “It came through very clearly that using ‘the Irish card’ would work well for us”, she says. “People don’t realise how strong the support is for Ireland and Irish businesses internationally.”

The Thread solution was formally launched on September 18, 2017 in the Microsoft Campus in Charlotte. “The product is built on Microsoft Office 365”, explains Liam Mullaney. “This is very important, as it opens up a very big market for us and allows the product to be sold through the world-wide network of Microsoft resellers. Our close relationship with Microsoft has been invaluable throughout.”

Enterprise Ireland assistance has also been critically important, he adds.

“It is more than just financial support. Enterprise Ireland has a great network of contacts. They help you identify who you should talk to. Their encouragement and assistance also gives you confidence that you are doing the right thing. Enterprise Ireland has this web of connectivity and, when you get into it, doors open to all sorts of people who really want to help.”

Having enlisted their first customers in the US, the product is now going global. “Digital marketing begins to take over at this point. People hear about the product online and see the website. We now have interested law firms approaching us and already have users in South Africa and the UK. We’ve had enquiries from Singapore, Germany and further afield. I would definitely advise companies with export ambitions to talk to Enterprise Ireland about the supports they can offer.”

How research helped Ventac to identify opportunities that drive innovation

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“For our customers innovation is crucial. They win contracts based on performance and fuel efficiency, but noise is also a key criteria. That is where we come in.”

– Darren Fortune, Managing Director, Ventac

Key Takeouts:

  • Constant innovation in-line with legislation drove export success.
  • Enterprise Ireland’s RD&I funding enabled new product development.
  • Specialist test laboratory and manufacturing facility a major draw for European clients.

Case Study: Ventac

Ventac, a recipient of Enterprise Ireland’s RD&I funding, was named overall winner and Manufacturer of the Year at the National Small Business Awards 2017. The company supplies noise control solutions for commercial vehicles such as bus and coach, agricultural and industrial machinery and specialist machinery including truck-mounted refrigeration units and forklifts.

Ventac has overseas offices in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Turkey, and plans to open an office in the United States next spring. 70 percent of Ventac’s products are exported, mostly to original equipment manufacturers in Europe. Customers include Combilift, Terex (construction vehicles), Hyster-Yale (forklifts), Zetor Tractors and Alexander Dennis (bus manufacturer). “In Europe our market is driven by noise legislation,” says Fortune, “but new legislation is coming out in the US and our existing European customers see North America as a target market.”

“For our customers innovation is crucial,” he adds, “they win contracts based on performance and fuel efficiency, but noise is also a key criteria. That is where we come in. ”Ventac needs to generate new materials and products to reduce noise in vehicles, adapting the solutions for specific noise frequencies. For example, it redesigned the wheel arch insulation in tractors from a Czech manufacturer and reduced noise by 50 percent inside the vehicle. While a traditional solution might be to fit a quilt to the wheel arch, Ventac is now looking to go one step further: “We are asking why the wheel arch can’t be better acoustically. We are developing that type of product.”

Ventac sees a big future for electric vehicles, not just cars but also buses, coaches, forklifts and other commercial vehicles. Electric motors generate higher frequency noises than those of internal combustion engines and therefore require new materials. “You need different materials to treat that noise source,” Fortune explains, and Ventac has put its expertise on the case.

In 2012, the company received RD&I funding from Enterprise Ireland to develop a brush cover for road-sweeping vehicles with reduced noise, and a new floor for buses and trucks that sandwiched acoustic polymer material between thin layers of plywood. This floor was 40 percent lighter than current bus floors; for ease of manufacturing, Ventac is working to substitute the wood component.

“We are now looking to make a composite plastic that would reduce noise for passengers and reduce vehicle weight,” Fortune explains. Due to the product’s potential, Enterprise Ireland supported an Innovation Partnership between Ventac and the Irish Centre for Composites Research (iComp) at the University of Limerick.

“R&D funding has been fundamental in helping Ventac develop new products for different customers in European markets,” says Fortune. “This focus on R&D and innovation at Ventac has enhanced our reputation in our target market as an innovative solution provider.”

Ventac boasts a special acoustic laboratory where it can test mock-ups of materials and parts, and create tailored solutions. Customers can hear and measure the resulting noise reduction at their own sites or at the Blessington testing facility.

“It is a real show stopper,” says Fortune, “when we bring clients from Europe and show them our manufacturing facility and then our acoustic laboratory.” Ventac has grown from around 30 employees in 2013 to 50 today. Exports for 2017 were just under €3 million. Next spring, Ventac will open an office in South Carolina to take advantage of an automotive cluster around South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

APC

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“Enterprise Ireland has the knowledge and understanding of the various industries and markets and is very willing and supportive in passing on the information and advice.” – Sharon Davin – R&D Grants Manager

Who

APC are a pharmaceutical and biotech process research company based in Dublin.

How

Development Advisers from Enterprise Ireland were able to help APC rapidly access global pharma and biotech markets.

Result

Support from Enterprise Ireland allowed APC to create processes that are robust and portable. This allows their partners to have flexible supply chains, speeding up delivery to end users.

See How We Helped APC

 

Game-changing brewing technology boosts brand value for Marco Beverage Systems

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“People sometimes see an R&D grant as something to get a product to market, but a reputation for innovation also increases your brand value and drives sales all by itself.”

– Paul Stack, Operations Director, Marco Beverage Systems.

Key Takeouts:

  • Enterprise Ireland’s funding helped drive culture of innovation.
  • Leading-edge technology transformed brand awareness and opened new markets. R&D for one product generated platform technologies that could be used in others.

Case Study: Marco Beverage Systems

“It’s important as an SME to be able to afford to continually innovate,” says Paul Stack. “In our business, we generally get about a seven-to-ten-year product lifetime, so innovation is key to replacing and renewing products.” Stack is Operations Director at Marco Beverage Systems, a hot water delivery systems company, headquartered in Dublin.

The company, which provides systems for coffee and tea brewing in the food and beverage industry, is a recipient of Enterprise Ireland’s RD&I funding.

Its range of products includes water boilers and coffee brewers. Marco has manufacturing plants in Dublin and China, and distribution offices in America, Europe, the Middle East and China, giving the company global reach.

80 per cent of Marco’s products are exported: an increase from 68 per cent only three years ago. It has just under 100 employees globally, with approximately 60 based in Ireland, and its products can be seen in significant coffee, tea and catering locations, including familiar names like Starbucks, Bewley’s and Costa Coffee.

The company’s success is fuelled by its emphasis on innovation. This focus, and a desire to expand it, led the company to apply for RD&I funding from Enterprise Ireland back in 2004. “The main considerations for our design team are energy efficiency, beverage excellence and design excellence, incorporating user experience and aesthetics,” says Stack.

“Energy efficiency has been a major success for us in terms of cutting-edge design. Over 50 per cent of the energy footprint associated with a cup of tea or coffee is in brewing it,” Stack points out. “Our R&D department has significantly reduced the amount of energy our products use, and one of our products is 70 per cent more energy-efficient than anything else on the market globally, which is a great selling point.”

One example of a product that has benefitted from the Marco Beverage Systems R&D program is the Uber Boiler, launched in 2009. This one-cup coffee brewing station has replaced more traditional bulk coffee systems in many cafés and restaurants. It allows baristas to have more control over a recipe and brings them closer to the front of the shop to interact with customers.

The Uber Boiler and similar systems are now a common sight in coffee shops, but when the company first developed this product it had a big effect on the industry. “The product completely changed how our brand was seen in the marketplace as it was so innovative. It opened doors for us, especially in new regions like America. People came to us because of the popularity of the technology,” says Stack.

The company has also found that R&D for one product can generate platform technologies that can be used in others. A separate research project for a different product resulted in innovations that contributed to an automatic version of the Uber Boiler, the SP9, demonstrating the types of cross-pollination that an R&D program can produce.

“People sometimes see an R&D grant as something to get a product to market, but a reputation for innovation also increases your brand value and drives sales all by itself. R&D drives a whole culture of innovation in your business, which keeps you relevant and sets you apart from competitors,” explains Stack. “I wouldn’t just suggest that other Irish SMEs conduct R&D – I consider it absolutely critical. Enterprise Ireland’s funding can really drive this forward.”

New combined antenna solution helps Alpha Wireless maximise its potential

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“The Business Innovation Initiative funding allowed us to set up an advisory group of industry experts from across the globe. We worked with them to review the market, decide what technologies were needed and develop something new.”

– Fergal Lawlor, CEO, Alpha Wireless

 

Case Study: Alpha Wireless

“The telecommunications market is changing rapidly; 5G is on the way, and new antennas are required to provide increased data capacity while meeting new stringent environmental standards and legislation” says Fergal Lawlor. “We need our R&D team to consistently come up with innovative new products so we can stay relevant.” Lawlor is CEO of Alpha Wireless, an antenna manufacturer headquartered in Portlaoise.

Alpha Wireless, a recipient of RD&I funding and Business Innovation Initiative funding from Enterprise Ireland, develops and supplies a range of antennas that allow phone masts to communicate with devices such as smartphones.

The company is export-focused; approximately 90–95 percent of its sales are in overseas markets, with North America and Israel among the biggest. A recent round of funding from Enterprise Ireland, however, saw the company develop a product specifically to suit the needs of a market a little closer to home – the UK.

Throughout towns and cities, antennas for telecommunications are now being integrated with street infrastructure, rather than mounted on large masts. This is driven by environmental aesthetics, and is rigorously policed by national planning authorities. Alpha Wireless worked closely with its customers in the UK to design a new product tailored to follow the UK’s specific regulations. Enterprise Ireland’s Business Innovation Initiative funding was key to this effort.

Key Takeouts

  • Enterprise Ireland’s Business Innovation Initiative funding allowed Alpha Wireless to respond to an emerging market need, initially for the UK market, but with the potential to expand to other international markets.
  • RD&I funding helped the company to develop a new type of combined antenna solution.
  • The new product allowed the company to increase sales, exports and number of employees.

“The Business Innovation Initiative funding allowed us to set up an advisory group of industry experts from across the globe,” says Lawlor. “We worked with them to review the market, decide what technologies were needed and develop a new concept.”

Many of the challenges were not just specific to the UK market. The combination of the industry panel and a dedicated on-site R&D department helped the company to tailor its solution and break into the market. They needed to integrate multiple antennas into a cylindrical tube that sits on top of a street pole. “UK planning permission and zoning requirements meant that we had only a 330mm-diameter tube for all the required antennas,” explains Lawlor. The challenge was to get the antenna’s multi-band functionality into that space. The Alpha Wireless researchers needed to miniaturise the technology but keep as much of its functionality as possible.

“It took us six to nine months to design the combined antenna, which was intense in terms of R&D resources. The RD&I funding came in very useful during this period and helped us increase the size of our R&D team,” recalls Lawlor.

The result was a complete suite of antennas small enough to be mounted onto a lamppost, providing coverage at street level where it is really needed. The company’s focus on learning the needs of its market, and the resulting innovative technology, has paid dividends.

Since applying for the Enterprise Ireland funding in 2015, Alpha Wireless sales in the UK are now in the millions and it has more than doubled its Irish workforce to 120 employees. It’s not resting on these laurels, though; combined antenna solutions have global potential, and Alpha Wireless has begun selling variations elsewhere, including the US, Canada and Greece.

Lawlor is enthusiastic about the funding the company received from Enterprise Ireland and explains that the application process can help companies to think strategically. “We always keep our business plan up to date, so applying for the Enterprise Ireland funding was a simple task,” he says. “However, for a company that isn’t already forward-looking then the application will help, by providing an opportunity to think strategically and plan.”

Click here to learn more about Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation supports.

Irish Dog Foods brings export market to heel

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“Initially, we set up as a standard dog food business. But we found that we were just a ‘me too’ brand, so we needed something to set us apart. As a business in a small island nation, with all the logistical and transport challenges that poses, our business had to find a niche to allow us to sell globally.”

– Liam Queally, Managing Director, Irish Dog Foods

 

Case Study: Irish Dog Foods

“We have grown at an exponential rate and Enterprise Ireland’s support has been key to that growth,” says Liam Queally.

“We’re currently in our second phase of Enterprise Ireland-supported R&D projects with a range of new products focused on export markets in North America.” Queally is managing director of Irish Dog Foods, a pet food manufacturer headquartered in Naas.

The company, a recipient of Enterprise Ireland’s RD&I funding, produces a range of dry pet foods and meat-based treats. It found that ‘humanisation’ – creating dog snacks inspired by appealing and healthy human foods – was the key to opening new markets and increasing sales.

“Initially, we set up as a standard dog food business. But we found that we were just a ‘me too’ brand, so we needed something to set us apart,” explains Queally. “As a business in a small island nation, with all the logistical and transport challenges that poses, our business had to find a niche to allow us to sell globally.”

Key Takeouts

  • Developing niche products defined brand and opened new markets such as the US.
  • Applying for Enterprise Ireland’s RD&I funding was straightforward and encouraged strategic thinking about research and development.
  • Open discussions and idea generation were a major part of the R&D process.

The company responded to this challenge by developing new product ranges, with support from Enterprise Ireland.

“New products are key to our growth in new markets. Enterprise Ireland’s RD&I grants have enabled us to get new products to market in a shorter time,” Queally explains.

In 2012, Irish Dog Foods successfully applied for Enterprise Ireland’s RD&I funding to develop a humanised pet treat range, with the aim of launching these products in North America. The range included a healthy granola-style bar and a chicken fillet-based snack with superfood ingredients such as kale, spinach, cranberries and blueberries, and ingredients to promote good joint and skin health.

This innovation paid off, and the new products opened doors in the US market. Between 2013 and 2015, export sales increased from €29 million to €43 million and 30 new staff members were hired in Ireland. The company is now heavily export-focused, with many well-known retailers stocking its products. These include Petco, Petsmart, Walmart and Costco in the US, and Aldi and Lidl in Europe. Irish Dog Foods also has distributors further afield in countries such as South Africa, Korea and Japan. “Our American customers operate in what is widely agreed to be the most impenetrable and competitive market worldwide. In a number of these, we are the only Irish manufacturer listed,” points out Queally.

The company carries out all its R&D in dedicated facilities on-site. Initially, it had only one employee working on new product development. Now, the team has grown to fourteen people, including food technologists and innovation experts. R&D doesn’t have to be hugely technical, much of the work involves coming up with new ideas. “A key R&D facility is our innovation suite, a stand-alone room for thinking and brainstorming,” says Queally. “This is an environment designed for open discussions and idea generation, where we use idea boards to develop new concepts.”

Queally would advise other Irish companies to follow his lead and apply for Enterprise Ireland’s RD&I funding. “Applying is fairly straightforward, and we learnt a lot about R&D throughout the whole process, even the application stage,” he explains. “It got us thinking strategically about our R&D and what it could bring to the business. Any hurdles were worthwhile and we had excellent support.”

Click here to learn more about Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation supports.

Two Irish Medtech Companies with Global Ambition partner with Northwell Healthcare

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The largest healthcare provider in New York State, Northwell Health, signed and sealed two new partnerships with Irish Medtech businesses. Northwell Health is using solutions from Irish companies to enhance customer experience and improve efficiency and productivity, thanks to a partnership signed with Enterprise Ireland.

Northwell Health has 22 hospitals and 600 outpatient facilities, and cares for more than 1.8 million people a year in the New York area, and beyond. President and Chief Executive Michael Dowling is highly focused on continuous innovation in what he views as a fast-changing and increasingly more competitive market.

Northwell Health reviewed over 50 Irish companies and agreed deals with two – Technopath Clinical Diagnostics and Salaso Health Solutions.

Technopath developed a first-of-its-kind, consolidated immunochemistry testing product. Consolidation is attractive to companies like Northwell Health because it enables clinical labs to significantly reduce handling requirements, reclaim storage and minimise waste, leading to a more efficient quality control process.

“The solutions Technopath has developed have dramatically helped us to improve the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of our laboratory quality control processes.”

Northwell Health has signed a 50-50 joint venture agreement with Technopath, with a view to promoting the Irish companies’ offering to labs all over the US. It owns one of the biggest labs run by a health system in the US – performing more than 30 million tests and analysing 200,000 surgical specimens a year.

Salaso Health Solutions is based in Kerry. The company has developed a platform which allows patients to use their smartphones or tablets to access and interact with high-definition video exercises prescribed by their clinicians.

The deal expands on the company’s existing contract with Northwell Health to provide online care management services to stroke survivors and patients with movement disorders and other neurological conditions.

Under the agreement, Northwell Health will invest in Salaso Health Solutions to enable the company to further develop the solution, expanding the scope of online rehabilitation care to patients with cancer, COPD [Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder] and other medical conditions.

“We are always interested in solutions that can improve clinical outcomes. Salaso’s app can improve what a patient does at home after they have been treated by a doctor so they don’t have to come back to the hospital and are more knowledgeable,” said Dowling.

Until two years ago, Dowling didn’t appreciate the scale of the entrepreneurial developments that have been built in Ireland. “I spent a couple of days going around to a lot of companies with Enterprise Ireland and I was completely blown away,” he says. “The capabilities and competencies that exist in Ireland, especially in areas such as Medtech, are phenomenal. In my view, this is down to the education system and the innovative spirit, personality and knowledge of the people.”

One of the areas where Irish Medtech companies are particularly strong in is digital health, according to Dowling.

“Everything is becoming more democratised because of the access consumers have to mobile phones. We do business with other countries, but there is nothing as expansive as what Irish companies are doing in the whole digital health and customer experience space. The consumer is the biggest change agent in healthcare. We have to deliver what the consumer wants. The innovations coming out of Ireland fit right in with that.”

 

Learn more about the Irish companies adding value to the North American health systems and key information on doing business in the USA.