manufacturing

Seismic change on global auto production could offer opportunities for Irish suppliers  

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Continental AG addresses fresh challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic

The company was forced to shut down all of its global tyre manufacturing operations within a short space of time as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and has recently begun a return to production. “During that period, we had to wind down operations efficiently as well as implement cost mitigation measures such as short-term work initiatives from national governments, having workers take holidays, as well as unpaid leave along with salary reductions at management level,” says David O’Donnell, Global Head of Passenger and Light Truck Tyres at Continental AG.

The company is now seeing a welcome but slow return to activity among key automaker customers globally. 

“We are observing more build-to-order in response to a concrete need for the vehicles in contrast to before, where they were built for an assumed level of demand.” said David O’Donnell

O’Donnell believes it will be several years before production levels recover. “We will be looking at 2022 or 2023 best case before we get to anything like 2019 volumes. Everybody will have to react to the seismic shift in volumes. We are looking at 70 million vehicles this year versus more than 80 million last year. If you can get used to the current level somehow, then you likely have two years of growth. The question is do you hold your capacity to be able to access more opportunities, or do you reduce your cost exposure in order to go into a new growth mode in a different way? That will put pressure on cost management and will also make them look at systems efficiencies and internal company structures.”

 

Focus on Agility

One impact of the global pandemic has been an enforced increased level of agility on the part of manufacturers. “How quickly can you ramp something down? Can you run with a portion of the plant and do that cost-effectively? How do you align it better system-wise to orders?” O’Donnell asks.

“They might have full orders for a certain vehicle and then change it completely from week to week or month to month. It will take time for people to get over their nervousness to rely on orders and feel comfortable with the new processes,” he adds. “Those who can adapt to that uncertainty will be winners in this situation.”

He believes this may present opportunities for Irish firms, which have a reputation for agility and flexibility. According to O’Donnell, anything a company can offer in terms of productivity, improving potential efficiency or agility such as adjusting payment terms for a period, holding more stock, or quickening pace of production would be beneficial.

 

Supply Chain

Opportunities may also exist in the dual procurement structure and more localised supply chain which could result from the crisis. “When China went into lockdown there were war room discussions in our organisation concerning who’s going to stop the slide first. It was a pivotal moment because you had electronic equipment coming from the huge manufacturing hub of China and that affected the batches in Serbia, for example. The aftershock will see OEMs discussing a change in tactics with their purchasing groups, as well as sourcing from multiple and more local suppliers going forward.”

Noting that the Trump administration’s policies have already led to a discussion about what operations can companies relocate to the US, O’Donnell says more nationalisation in Europe may bring more opportunities than in the past.

“A friend and colleague of mine is doing relatively small batch production of printed circuit boards and prototypes. He’s based in Germany and he has had a lot of requests because he is both local and agile as well as an alternative supplier to China. He might be more expensive but he’s offering the flexibility these companies need.”

But customers won’t be willing to pay higher prices forever. “Once the OEMs are back at full capacity with high volumes again, they will come very aggressively with price discussions as they try to regain profitability.”

He advises suppliers to be proactive in going after these opportunities. “It’s a question of arguing yourself into that space as a potential partner and bringing the advantages forward. Become ready for agility and be customer-centric by assessing challenges they have, look at the macro picture and present yourself as a local and flexible supplier. If you can do something there, you may have an advantage in winning long-term business.”

 

Financial planning to accelerate your recovery

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The global economic crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic is unlike any seen before in history in terms of the rapidity of its onset and its scale. It has been variously referred to as a black swan event or as a perfect storm, and for individual businesses worldwide its effects have included state- mandated shutdowns, a near total collapse in demand and, for the lucky, an enforced shift to new ways of working and business models.

As Ireland begins its first tentative steps towards a return to something approaching normality, businesses too must start planning their pathway to recovery and beyond. According to Business Transition Consultant Brendan Binchy, the first step for business owners is to analyse the company’s current position and develop a vision for the future.

He advises people not to panic. “It’s not a question of asking if the crisis will impact on the business and worrying about that,” he says. “It is self-evident that it will impact. You have to be proactive, not reactive. You might know how it will affect the business this year, but what about next year? Where do you want to be then? You need a to have vision for that. And from there you can work out what to do and what not to do and what you need to change.”

There are also actions which need to be taken immediately to stabilise the business. In Binchy’s view, these actions require businesses to examine and reset their business models, develop and implement very tight cash management strategies, and adapt and modify their operations to meet the new conditions in which they find themselves.

“You have to look at where you are financially, ask where your customers are coming from and why they buy from you, and if it is possible to recalibrate the business, to come up with a new model which will see it through the current period,” he advises.

That might be termed the firefighting or survival phase. The next stage is to plan for recovery and beyond. While planning in such times of massive uncertainty may seem an impossible or even futile task, Binchy believes it is worthwhile and an absolute necessity.

But the plan must be flexible and adaptive in order to deal with sudden changes in a highly dynamic environment. “We have to accept that what we think will happen may not come about. But if you don’t have a flight plan, you have no way of getting to your destination. When you’re up in the air you need to know where you’re going. You may get knocked off course from time to time and you will need to adjust the plan in response.”

Even the process of putting the plan together can be helpful, he notes. “It is cathartic and helps clarify things.”

This clarity comes from the examination of the business and its environment. Questions Binchy puts include:

  • Is your industry shut down or is it still working?
  • Are there opportunities there?
  • What has been the impact of the crisis on customers?
  • Do they still have money?
  • Do they still need your products or services?
  • Are there customers you no longer need?
  • What has been the impact on competitors?

Fortunately, there is help out there both to develop plans and implement them.

He points to the Enterprise Ireland Covid-19 Business Financial Planning Grant as a very important support. The grant, worth up to €5,000, can be used by companies to pay up to 100% of the cost of engaging an approved financial consultant. The consultant will work with the company to prepare a robust financial and business plan that identifies the funding needs and the potential sources of this funding.  

Another valuable support Binchy advises businesses to take note of is the Lean Business Continuity Voucher, which offers eligible companies up to €2,500 in vouchers for training or advisory services to help them identify and implement the measures needed to ensure they can continue to operate safely during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Support for the implementation of the plan is there in the form of the Enterprise Ireland Sustaining Enterprise Fund, which offers funding of up to €800,000. Very importantly, no repayments are required for the first three years of the five-year term of the advance and there is an annual administration fee of just 4%, making it a very attractive source of finance.

Smaller businesses can also apply for advances of up to €50,000 depending on their size under the Sustaining Enterprise Fund – Small Enterprise scheme.

“Businesses can also look to shareholders to put in new capital or go to the banks,”, Binchy concludes. “The important thing is to develop a plan and have the finance in place to implement it.”

 

Watch our webinar addressing the critical challenges facing Covid-19 impacted businesses – Accessing liquidity and managing cashflow.

Get advice from financial expert, Brendan Binchy on how best to navigate these issues and hear from Enterprise Ireland’s finance team on the financial supports available from Enterprise Ireland.

Industry Bulletin – Automotive – Impact of Covid-19 on automotive technologies

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Jens Altmann, Market Advisor, Automotive Industry, Enterprise Ireland Germany interviewed Robert Metzger CEO and publisher at eMove360°, a trade fair and community platform for Mobility 4.0 – electric – connected – autonomous in Munich.

eMove360° Europe is already now world’s biggest B2B trade fair for electric mobility and connected & autonomous driving.

The video interview discusses the effects of the current Covid-19 situation on new technologies, forecasts on the industry and alternative ways of connecting with stakeholder in the market.

  • Effects of Covid-19 on technological development in the automotive industry
  • Influence on regulations and Electromobility  and its related supply chain
  • How to counteract current contact restrictions e.g. alternatives for physical trade shows

 

Offshore Wind Webinar – Global Market update and Covid-19 Assessment

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In the second of its Offshore Wind Webinar series, Enterprise Ireland’s Offshore Wind Cluster are joined by the Renewables Consulting Group which provides an update on the global offshore wind market outlook and assess the implications of Covid-19 on the industry.

Dr. Lee Clarke and Sebastian Rae present detailed analysis from RCG’s recently published Global Offshore Wind Annual Report and focus on the following:

  • Provide an overview of the industry’s evolution
  • Outline key development hotspots
  • Highlight several markets of interest to Irish companies in the space
  • Assess the implications of Covid-19 on the offshore wind industry and supply chain

 

UK BPO & IT

Market Watch Industry Bulletin – BPO & IT

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UK BPO & IT_Market Watch

See the webinar here.

Customer engagement is critical during the Covid-19 pandemic, as organisations across every industry look to connect, engage, reassure, and supply their customer base.

In this time of uncertainty and disruption, Irish BPO and IT companies have demonstrated impressive flexibility in providing their outsourced services to ensure international companies can overcome these engagement challenges from a remote setting and provide a positive customer experience.

Following Enterprise Ireland’s recent Industry Bulletin which looked at developments across the world affecting Irish BPO and IT Services companies, this edition of our Market Watch series focuses on the UK region and a key end-market for many Irish companies; the UK energy sector.

This webinar reflects on the

  • Immediate impact of Covid-19 on the UK Energy sector
  • Challenges for energy retailers and their customers
  • Future opportunities in the sector for outsourced service providers to develop new and stronger partnerships with energy retailers in the UK.

 

See the webinar here.

Panellists:

David Corcoran, Senior Market Advisor, Enterprise Ireland UK

Peter Haigh, former Managing Director of Bristol Energy, CEO of ELEXON, and Director of Business Retail at E.ON.

 

Enterprise Ireland’s top tips for entering the Luxembourgish and Belgian markets

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The Benelux markets comprise the countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Although small in area, the region’s combined population of almost 30 million people presents three prosperous markets in their own right, and a huge opportunity to develop exports further into mainland Europe.

The Enterprise Ireland Belgium and Luxembourg team are here to help you prepare, launch and succeed in your export activities. We are eager to share the expertise and network gained from studying, working and living in the market. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of dedicated Market Advisors to help you with your export strategy.

 Belgium market tips 

Belgium truly is the heart of Europe and has proven itself to be a hub of international business and networking, a large market in its own right, and also a great test market for companies with the ambition to grow and scale in the wider European region.

  • Navigating the languages. As a result of its history, Belgium is broken into 3 different regions: Flanders, Wallonia the Brussels-Capital. In turn, it has three official languages: Dutch, French and German, but most speak English. It is important to understand these differences, as the business culture is different per region.
  • In terms of business culture, it’s best to play it safe, so arrive on time and dressed your best. Business culture in Flanders mirrors that of the German or Dutch working culture as Belgian-French business culture is similar to that of France. In general, the culture is kept formal and meetings are structured to maximise productivity.
  • Belgium is a European leader in logistics and distributions; driven by its strategic location and strong cluster of ports, with the port of Antwerp being very noteworthy. With 95 % of Europe’s consumer market reachable within 24 hours.
  • Decide on a route to market: Networks are important, and it is advantageous to sell to a distributor that will resell directly into Belgium, as you can explore new potential leads and clients.
  • Get involved locally: Belgian companies are open to meeting with international sellers, and although not obligatory, a local representative is advised to facilitate a smoother entry strategy. We can recommend trusted pathfinders or sales consultants to help you along your way.
  • Trust the Process: Belgium is a great test market for businesses looking to dive into the Eurozone. Most often than not, a successful launch in Belgium leads to success in other EU markets. Make sure to leverage the multi-cultural and skilled workforce, these new perspectives are sure to benefit your product or service.
  • Understand that the tax system in Belgium is quite attractive SMEs, and they have seen a decrease in their corporate tax rate to 20% during 2018 for the first 100,000 of taxable income Better yet, these reforms helped reduce labour costs too.
  • Be prepared and know your competition: This is a highly competitive and diverse landscape, with many international and national players. Make sure to fine-tune your USP so your product or service can really stand out from the rest.
  • Be Innovative: Belgium is ranked 8th in the world on the 2018 European Innovation Scoreboard, making it more open to change and willing to embrace new technologies something Ireland happens to be very good at producing.
  • Finally, do your research. Explore the different resources available from Enterprise Ireland to delve deep into the market and really understand the opportunities and challenges that will occur. Our world-class Market Research Centre provides countless market reports, and MA’s are happy to help with market-related requests.

For more be sure to read our Belgium Going Global Guide 

Luxembourg market tips 

Luxembourg may be one of the smallest EU countries, but has become world leader in finance and administration, hosting 3,900 investment funds and fostering new opportunities for SME’s.

  • There are three national languages, which are Luxembourgish, French and German. However, English is widely used in business contexts and a translator will not always be necessary.
  • Luxembourg is number 2 in the world in terms of global logistical capabilities and is strategically located in the heart of the greater region. Take advantage of this, and make sure not to rule it out as part of a European export strategy.
  • Decide on a route to market: A sales consultant can be attractive in Luxembourg, as they assist with generating leads and gaining certifications. We can put you in touch with trusted agents who can help accelerate your business.
  • Get involved locally: As a country heavily reliant on exports itself, Luxembourg is home to businesses which are open to being approached by international companies so take a pragmatic approach.
  • Trust the Process: Luxembourg is a global destination, not just for the financial sector, but has also developed high-value industries such as logistics, biotechnology, information technology and green technology. These factors make it a good test market.
  • Understand the tax incentives Luxembourg has put in place, aimed towards stimulating innovation and support SME’s.
  • Be prepared and know your competition: Luxembourg is home to many multi-national and EU headquarters, as well as fostering a growing number of SME’s. The financial sector particularly is quite competitive, but there are plenty of opportunities in other sectors.
  • Be innovative: With a Government that makes innovation in all industries a priority, make sure to showcase your dynamic new ideas, they will be welcomed and supported.

Finally, do your research! Explore the different resources available from Enterprise Ireland to delve deep into the market and really understand the opportunities and challenges that will arise. Our world-class Market Research Centre provides countless market reports, and MA’s are happy to help with market-related requests.

For more be sure to check out our Going Global Guide Luxembourg 

If you would like to know what to prepare ahead of your first MA call, click the graphic below

Data on mobile phone

How Exertis is using blockchain to transform global tech supply chains

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The global supply chains for technology products like smartphones and laptop computers are now almost as complex as the products themselves.

A typical smartphone, for example, is made up of components and materials sourced from up to a dozen suppliers on multiple continents, which are shipped to a manufacturer for final assembly before being sent onwards to distributors, retailers and ultimately sold to consumers.

This presents two major problems for manufacturers and others involved in the chain – visibility and provenance. A new project led by Dublin-based Exertis Supply Chain Services, with funding from Ireland’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF), is aimed at solving both of them.

A subsidiary of DCC, Exertis Supply Chain Services is a leader in materials supply chain design and operation. “Our focus is on technology and we provide global supply chain capability for the Exertis group and clients across the globe,” says Brian Cassidy, Head of IT and Director responsible for data protection with the company. “We are also a centre of excellence within the group for the use of blockchain technology.”

The Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund is a €500 million fund run by Ireland’s Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, as part of the National Development Plan under Project Ireland 2040. It is administered by Enterprise Ireland, the trade and innovation agency. An example of the country’s strong focus on developing some of the world’s most innovative companies, the initiative funds collaborations between research facilities and ambitious companies to develop innovative technologies that change the world in which we live.

 

Exertis solves visibility problems in the supply chain

The objective of Exertis’s DTIF-supported project, which also involves Dublin-based technology company Sonalake and the CeADAR Technology Centre located at University College Dublin, is to develop a blockchain-based platform, which will transform the technology product supply chain.

“The two problems we are focusing on is the need for end-to-end visibility of products and components along the supply chain and the need to prove the authenticity of products once they reach the market,” says Cassidy.

“We are using the blockchain to provide a peer-to-peer platform for authenticating provenance and we are providing visibility across the supply chain where multiple partners and a high volume of products are involved.”

The current lack of visibility and difficulty with provenance result in a number of issues. “In terms of visibility, for any participant in the supply chain it is very difficult to know what is selling and what is not,” says Cassidy.

This lack of visibility leads to problems with availability. “Typically, the retailer might know what the distributor has in stock but won’t know what the manufacturer has. Visibility is very much limited to one point up or down in the chain. A manufacturer may not know how much product distributors or retailers have because they usually don’t share that information.”

 

Proving Authenticity

Provenance is another issue. “When the item does arrive at the retailer, proving its authenticity can be a really interesting challenge. If a fake product comes into a customer’s hands, a manufacturer wants to be able to see how it got there.”

 

Sharing information dynamically

The Exertis project is highly innovative in that it will provide an open platform for multiple users in multiple supply chains, with each participant being able to decide which other members of the chain they wish to share information with. Furthermore, it will allow them to share selected pieces of information with selected participants.

Once the data gets put on the blockchain it is immutable and cannot be deleted. “It is encrypted and decrypted at a granular level,” Cassidy adds. “A retailer might want to put a transaction on the platform but may not want competitors to know anything about it, whereas they do want the distributor and manufacturer to know. However, they may not be able to share with the manufacturer certain details such as the price they paid for it or what they sold it for. They can decrypt different parts of that dataset for different partners and their ERP system will be able to dynamically decide what information to share and who to share it with.”

Manufacturers will be able to see what is selling and how much product is in the channel in real time. This is important for planning manufacturing output, as well as for managing warranty liabilities. “Manufacturers will usually know how many units were sold, but don’t know exactly when. They need to know that for when the warranty starts. This platform will address that issue. It provides a place where all participants in the chain can contribute, but everyone controls their own data.”

Initial work on the project, began in 2018, with the DTIF-supported three-year project beginning in earnest in August 2019. “The DTIF funding has accelerated this project significantly and facilitated our collaboration with CeADAR and Sonalake. At Exertis, we have looked across our business and identified several exciting use cases, which we expect to roll out in several areas in the coming years”.

 

For more information and call dates for the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund visit the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation website.

Covid-19 impacts on the UK Water Sector

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Enterprise Ireland UK is joined by experts from the UK Water Sector to discuss the impacts of Covid-19, progress with AMP 7, and the opportunities that are emerging for supply chain companies. Listen below to the podcast from May 14th.

If using Internet Explorer click here to listen to the podcast.

Panelists: Darragh Cotter, Enterprise Ireland UK, Shaun Stevens, EPS Water, Stephen Kennedy, MWH Treatment,, David Elliott, Indepen

Cubic Telecom car image

Cubic Telecom’s swift response to Covid-19 strengthens its customer relationships

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When the novel coronavirus first emerged, Cubic Telecom acted fast to protect its staff and cement its customer relationships. Those moves are paying dividends now.

The company provides global mobility solutions for IoT, automotive and mobile device companies around the world, from Germany’s Volkswagen Group to US satellite communications company Kymeta.

The software innovator, which has received funding from Enterprise Ireland, today employs 150 people. It experienced particularly fast growth last year and was recruiting new team members right up until January, when the first inklings of the Covid-19 crisis emerged. When it did, the company acted swiftly.

“The senior team was very focused on getting as much information in as possible early in the Covid-19 life stage. There was a focus on human impact and economic impact. We did some very detailed analysis on the impact to the company and took the right amount of time to assess the steps that needed to be taken to ensure the sustainability of the company. Once this was done the teams could be reassured and day to day work could continue as before,” says Richard Springer, the company’s Director of Commercial Strategy.

“People have come first and this has been led from CEO level down. There have been cost reductions and tighter control of the financials but at the same time, we are still driving the business forward to make sure we come out of this period in a strong position.”

As a technology company, it helped that remote working and the use of tools such as MS Teams and Zoom were already well established in the company.

Once the scale of the crisis was assessed, all staff members were asked to work from home, with some international staff flying home to their native countries to work from there. The use of video and teleconferencing has ensured productivity has been maintained ever since.

“As restrictions started coming into place, very open communication with employees was maintained and, in the background, extensive modelling work done by looking at previous events, including Spanish Flu to SARS and MERS, in order to create very good future forecasting and cash management,” explains Springer.

Decision making was quick and efficient at the top, with the senior team participating in daily catch-ups every morning. What were previously weekly catch-ups were turned into reviews of what was happening in key markets worldwide, as well as planning for the recoveries in each.

The key to successfully managing the crisis for the company so far has been to focus on ensuring there was “over communication” with both staff and customers as both cohorts adjusted to remote working.

“That meant giving people more information, communicating at a more personal level about how their family is, for example, and ensuring there was more collaboration,” says Springer, who says that acknowledging the ‘human’ side of current events is vital. “It’s about making sure the team is okay and that everyone knows what is happening.”

Being empathetic and working to safeguard employees’ physical and mental health was paramount too, with new programmes in areas such as yoga and mindfulness introduced for staff.

 

Adapting to customers’ needs

Cubic Telecom has customers all over the world, which means travel has always been a staple part of its customer relationship management.  Business development strategies traditionally include a presence at major international trade shows, such as CES in Las Vegas and the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, with vital support provided by Enterprise Ireland.

With such events no longer taking place, the company quickly predicted that customer relationships would need to be maintained and developed remotely too.

“We spent the first few weeks of the lockdown focusing on customer relationships, talking to existing customers,” he says.

While nothing replaces face to face meetings, he says, by again focusing on the human side of the situation, and encouraging collaboration, these relationships are successfully being strengthened remotely.

Although a pandemic is never welcome, the fact that Cubic Telecom is by now so well recognised in its sectors internationally helps. “We are at a point where a lot of our relationships are very well established. As a business we are also still small enough to move fast, but big enough to be recognised in the industry as a player,” he explains.

 

International recognition

Enterprise Ireland’s backing from its earliest days led to Cubic Telecom unlocking a series of investments as it grew, including from major industry players such as Audi and Qualcomm, among others. More recent investment has come from long term backer ACT Venture Capital and the European Investment Bank.

The connected intelligence company is now acknowledged as a pioneer in eSIM technologies and advanced data analytics, offering mobility solutions for IoT, automotive and mobile device companies across the globe.

It has mobile operator partnerships in more than 190 countries, for example. One of the most recent, with Etisalat, a UAE telecoms company, was announced at an Enterprise Ireland trade mission to the Middle East.

While it is not business as usual for the company right now – too much outside its walls have changed – it is business as ‘best as possible’.

“Our employees are well informed about what is going on, our business is running as it was previously and supply chains are open and running,” he says.

As a supplier, it is critical to understand that “everyone is experiencing different impacts to their business,” he advises.

“It does not matter what size that business is, during this time everyone could be under pressure. That is the key when dealing with any business during this time. There needs to be a collaborative approach in how to get through the next months together and as much sharing of impacts, plans and information as possible to help each other.”

Kilkenny Group Evelyn Moynihan

Online retail helps Kilkenny Group weather the Covid-19 storm

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With 17 shops spread throughout Ireland, the initial impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on design and craft retailer Kilkenny was sudden and severe.

Most of the shops are in prime high-street locations and are reliant on heavy footfall for their trade, especially from tourists. With the global tourism industry decimated and the domestic market isolating at home, the outlook did not look good for the Kilkenny Group, its 350 employees, or the companies and craftspeople who make the homeware, wellness, jewellery and fashion products that the shops sell. Kilkenny Group Logo

Evelyn Moynihan, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Kilkenny Group, explains: “Kilkenny is all about championing Irish design and craft, about 72% of what we do is Irish made or designed. We stock just under 300 Irish designers and makers in our stores and online, and Covid-19 has had a huge impact on our business.

“We temporarily closed our shops and restaurants on the 16th of March. It was obviously a very difficult decision but it was the only one we could make for safety of our staff and customers.”

Customer insight

Kilkennyshop.com was now the group’s only means of generating sales revenue. Fortunately the Kilkenny team had the capacity to pivot and ramp up online sales as a result of their participation in Enterprise Ireland’s Online Retail Scheme last year. The company received funding through the scheme to improve the performance of the Kilkennyshop.com website and develop a better understanding of their online customers.

Evelyn says: “The Online Retail Scheme helped us put a proper structure and way of working in place so that we were set up for growth:

“We used the funding to complete key steps like conducting a UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) audit of the website, and to outline a clear digital marketing strategy for our business. We also used the funding to complete a strong inventory consolidation for our eCommerce business.”

Kilkenny responded to the Coivd-19 challenge by redeploying staff working from home to support their online and telesales operations. The group’s started operating split shifts for warehouse staff over six days rather than five in order to ensure that it operated efficiently and also meet strict social distancing guidelines.

“We’ve gone from eight employees working on our online team prior to Covid-19 to now having 18 employees working across our online and telesales operation,” Evelyn says. “These are long-term staff members, so they know our products and our brands and are really passionate about the Kilkenny business. It’s fabulous to see that care and attention being put into our online and our customer service phone lines.”

 

Online growth

The Kilkenny Group’s ability to adapt has been rewarded with a dramatic increase in online sales. Evelyn says: “We’ve seen huge growth online – more than 400% since the 16th of March, which has been great for our business. Telesales has been an interesting new channel where lots of people are ringing up and ordering gifts to be sent out to their loved ones. Some of the cocooners who maybe aren’t as confident shopping online, are using that channel.

“Prior to the virus, online was circa five percent of our total business. Now, when we look out for the rest of this financial year, we believe that it will finished at 15% of our business, which is great to see.” says Evelyn Moynihan, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Kilkenny Group

 

The Covid-19 Online Retail Scheme

The Covid-19 Online Retail Scheme, which has €5.5m available, is open for traditional retailers who want to invest in their online offering and grow their markets in Ireland and internationally. It is offering an 80pc grant rate – meaning companies can apply funding of up to €40,000 against a project spend of up to €50,000.

Stephen Hughes, Head of Consumer at Enterprise Ireland, says:

“The Covid-19 Online Retail Scheme is not just for large retailers – there’s no reason why smaller niche, regional or local companies can’t use it to grow their online business and end up trading internationally, if they have an ambition to do so.” 

The Kilkenny Group is now making plans to reopen shops later this summer in accordance with the Government’s phased easing of Covid-19 restrictions – but continuing to grow online sales remain a priority.

Evelyn says: “International sales are a key area of growth that we’re setting ourselves for the rest of the year towards 2021. There are so many people with strong Irish connections or roots – we know from the shops that the market’s there and we know the products that they like.

“Although no one could have predicted the impact of Covid-19, the investment that we made and the work we did with Enterprise Ireland last year was critical for us to be ready to take on the growth that we see now in our business today.”

Learn how the Covid-19 Online Retail Scheme can support your retail business online growth.

 

 

Market Watch Construction

Market Watch – Construction – Industry Bulletin no.2

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Download the bulletin here.

As a result of the Covid-19 global pandemic, Enterprise Ireland construction companies are experiencing unprecedented market disruption both domestically and across international markets.

Following  our last market bulletin at the end of March, this report for April provides a high-level sector update from the Enterprise Ireland network of overseas construction advisors on their markets. Already we are noticing the loosening of restrictions and the strategic prioritisation of the construction industry by many national Governments.

 

 

Market Watch Industry Bulletin – Aerospace & Aviation

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Enterprise Ireland’s industry bulletin for the Aerospace & Aviation industry provides insights from Market Advisors across the world, on market developments in each region, exploring market conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic , developments, opportunities and supports.

Read the full report here.