Speech by the Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, T.D., during a visit to Tippo International Ltd.,Kilkeary, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary on Friday, 16 November, 2007 at 2.00pm
I am delighted to have been invited to visit Tippo International's premises and to open your new showroom. Thanks very much to Paddy and Mary Martin for the invitation.
Tippo International is in the business of manufacturing high quality pvc foil doors, wardrobe doors and bathroom furniture and has a thriving distribution wing. In the 14 years since you opened for business, you have developed into a serious player in this specialised industry sector, with a significant share of the market.
Tippo International has grown a lot since it began trading in 1993. You started with 4 employees based in a 5000 sq. ft. workshop. Today, you employ 48 full time staff and your premises now occupies 72,000 sq. ft. That is quite an achievement. And just as in the past, I have no doubt you have plans for the future and I wish you well with those.
I was interested to learn that where a customer requires a product that is not displayed in your brochures, you will work to accommodate their particular requirements. This kind of quality customer service is something our indigenous Companies do really well.
I was also interested to see that, as a Company, you work continuously on developing new product lines, so that you can offer the customer the latest and best in design. The Government strongly believes that innovation, together with Research & Development, is critical to the success of Irish-owned companies. Earlier this year, Micheál Martin, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, unveiled a new Innovation and Research Initiative, providing €10 million to help small Irish firms become more innovative. Innovation vouchers worth €5000 are being made available under this scheme to give small companies access to the vast fund of knowledge available in Irish Institutes of Technology, Universities and other public research bodies. I trust that the business sector here in North Tipperary is making use of this scheme.
Tippo International is one of a number of Enterprise Ireland client companies in North Tipperary. On a national level, Enterprise Ireland client companies, mainly indigenous small and medium enterprises in the Manufacturing and Internationally Traded Services sectors, employ over 140,000 people. This is a greater number than the combined employment from Foreign Direct Investment in Ireland. And as we also know, indigenous companies, in general, invest significantly in payroll, raw materials and services, boosting their local economies in the process. The SMEs in this area are part of a very big picture nationwide.
I was, of course, sorry to hear of the job losses in Clonmel and Dublin announced yesterday by C&C. I would like to assure all concerned that the State development agencies will provide every assistance that they can. The role of FÁS will be especially important in this context.
Tippo is a very important feature of the business landscape here in North Tipperary. It is the biggest owner-managed Company and employer in the area. It provides training and development opportunities for local unskilled employees. Its doors are also open to workers from abroad, with almost 40% of its staff being made up of Latvians and Poles. It is obviously a good Company to work for, as a significant number of staff have been with it from the beginning. On top of this, Tippo is the main sponsor of Toomevara GAA Club and I know Paddy Martin has been actively involved in promoting and developing the club over the past number of years.
The Government has been playing its part in developing the sporting infrastructure in Tipperary, with a recent grant of €750,000 to Semple Stadium Thurles, as part of a €4.1 million allocation to Tipperary clubs and facilities. We have also invested significant resources over the years in health, education, childcare and water and waste services in this County. And we are committed to the development of the North Tipperary and the Mid West region generally by securing new investment, by developing existing Companies and by developing an infrastructural and business environment attractive to overseas companies, as part of an integrated Mid West region.
I could not let the occasion pass without remarking on the beautiful scenery you have here in North Tipperary. With the Slieve Bloom Mountains and a landscape of open vistas, wooded glens and mountain streams, it is not suprising that, last year, overseas visitors increased by almost 39 % to 68,000. North Tipperary is a great place to be, for all sorts of reasons. And with people like Paddy and Mary Martin and companies like Tippo, I have every confidence in its future.
In closing, I would just like to congratulate Paddy and Mary and the staff on their achievements to date and to wish them and all their many customers the very best for the future.
Thank you very much for your attention.
ENDS.