17 minute read
DIGITAL MARKETING CONSULTANCY HAI showcases a digital marketing consultancy service to HAI members looking for help with ecommerce, social media and more
Get your eCommerce up to Speed in 2021
Under the shadow of Covid-19 the importance of eCommerce and Digital Marketing has become all apparent in our sector, with businesses being forced to rapidly adjust their operations to keep their customers supplied with essential products and to keep connected with their community.
Now with a second lockdown and further restrictions possible in the future, now’s a good time to get your ecommerce and online communications up to date.
HAI has collaborated with social media consultant Greg Fry and his colleagues to launch a one-on-one digital marketing consultancy virtual call service for the hardware industry.
The Consultants:
By availing of this service, you will get a one-hour slot to pick the brains of some of the Digital arena’s top experts, and get immediate help and advice in challenges such as:
Setting up/improving your eCommerce channel on your website
Improving social media communications
Improving website and SEO performance
Email Marketing
Video Marketing
Cost per one-hour session is ¤80 for HAI Members (¤120 for non Members). Your chosen consultant will have your details and questons in advance of the call to give you the optimum benefit of the allotted time.
Greg Fry
Greg is one of Ireland’s top thought leaders in the Social Media space in Ireland and an experienced digital marketer, consultant, and trainer with a real passion for Social Media. He has 12+ years’ experience delivering bespoke Digital Marketing & Social Media training and consultancy to government organisations, multinationals, and SMEs. He has delivered several training programmes for HAI in recent years and spoke at the HAI conference in Citywest in February to great acclaim.
Greg can help you with: • Advertising • Social and Digital Strategy • Digital Video • Digital Marketing Tools • Instant Messaging
Elish Bul
Elish Bul has been helping businesses, brands and organisations grow through Content Strategy & Creation, Copywriting, Social Media & Community Management, and general B2B & Brand Marketing across offline and online media.
Elish can help you with: • Graphics and Branding • Email Marketing • Instagram • Facebook
Niall Devitt
Niall Devitt has worked as a Digital and Social Media consultant, manager and trainer and delivered training and workshops for the National College of Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices, the Sales Institute, SureSkills and others.
Niall can help you with: • Website optimisation • eCommerce • Remote Working • LinkedIn
Eileen McCabe
Eileen McCabe is an experienced digital consultant and marketer with specific experience building and developing social media communities. She also has extensive social media management, online advertising, and digital strategy consultation expertise.
Eileen can help you with: • Twitter • Facebook • Community Management • Digital Marketing Tools
If you are in need of some emergency Digital Marketing support and would like a book a call with one of our experts then email Aoife@hardwareassociation.ie for more information.
HAI Corporate Partners
CASH IN TRANSIT
Brink’s Cash Services
Denise McCarthy 1890 474 000 denise.mccarthy@brinks.com www.brinks.com
CREDIT MANAGEMENT, LEGAL AND FINANCIAL
Credit Risk Brokers
James Riordan 01 491 6007 james.riordan@creditriskbrokers.com www.creditriskbrokers.com
JPA Brenson Lawlor
Ian Lawlor 01 668 9760 ian@brensonlawlor.ie www.brensonlawlor.ie
LCMS Ltd Paddy Nolan 045 431 143 sales@lcms.ie www.lcms.ie
The Credit Coach
Declan Flood 087 244 7052 declan@icmt.ie www.icmt.ie
ECOMMERCE AND MARKETING SERVICES
Monsoon
Ed Wyeth 01 475 0066 ed.wyeth@monsoonconsulting.com www.monsoonconsulting.com
sales-i
John Downes +44 121 489 1070 jdownes@sales-i.com www.sales-i.com
.IE
Alan Finneran 01 236 5400 afinneran@weare.ie www.weare.ie
Pointy
Matt Dockrell 01 513 3323 matt@pointy.com www.pointy.com
HR SUPPORT
TSA Consultants
Tommy Smyth 021 463 4154 tommy@tsaconsultants.ie www.tsaconsultants.ie
SHOPFITTERS
Johnston Shopfitters
Shane Brennan 01 419 0419 sales@johnston-shopfitters.com www.johnston-shopfitters.com
INSURANCE
Dolmen Insurance Brokers Ltd
HSF Health Plan
Mia Shephard 1890 451 451 mia.shepherd@hsf.ie www.hsf.ie
IT SUPPORT AND SERVICES
CORE Technology
Herbst Software
Sean Fitzgerald 01 450 9329 sean.fitzgerald@herbst.ie www.herbstsoftware.com
Intact Software
Mark McArdle 042 933 1742 mark.mcardle@intactsoftware.com www.intactsoftware.com
Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS)
Carla Bremner 01 545 7100 carla.bremner@kerridgecs.com www.kerridgecs.ie
Profile Technology Ltd
Peter McCullagh 071 916 2122 PeterMcCullagh@Profteck.ie www.profteck.ie
LOGISTICS SERVICES
Woodland Group
Lee McMullen 01 811 1500 lee.mcmullen@woodlandgroup.com www.woodlandgroup.com
The Logistics Consultants
Ronan McDonnell 00 353 86 8385278 ronan@thelogisticsconsultants.com www.thelogisticsconsultants.com
PAYMENT SERVICES
AIB Merchant Services
Jonathan Mahon 01 218 2116 jonathan.mahon@aibms.com www.aibms.com
Prommt
Adam Ball 01 539 2309 adam.ball@prommt.com www.prommt.com
Service Partner Business Partner Corporate Partner
Contact us today to become a HAI Corporate Partner info@hardwareassociation.ie or phone 01 2980969
HPC Group open their new concept store
The HPC Group have recently opened their new-concept TJ O’Mahony store in Naas, providing a one-stop Plumbing, Heating, Timber and Building Centre. The Hardware Journal takes this opportunity to talk to HPC Sales Managing Director Dennis O`Connor about this and other developments within the group.
Amazing what can be achieved with some decisive thinking and a strong team pulling out all the stops. In just eight weeks the team at HPC Group took an idea from the drawing board to reality, creating a new-concept store at Tougher’s Park in Naas, opening its doors on September 30th. The Group’s 17th store brings together two of their top brands to offer the very best to the builder, plumber and serious DIYer. As Managing Director Dennis O’Connor explains, “TJ O’Mahony would be well known as both a Timber and Builders Merchant, and PH Ross (O’Mahonys sister brand), is well recognised in the Plumbing and Heating sector. Combined, they offer our customers a complete solution under one roof.” Although branded as TJ O’Mahony, the spacious 20,000sq ft premises incorporates a dedicated Plumb centre branded as PH Ross. The location could not be more convenient, just a few minutes off Junction 10 on the busy N7.
Speed merchants
For all tradespeople or serious ‘Diyers’, time spent on site is key. “When designing our store in Naas we looked at numerous ways we could introduce a faster, smarter service in terms of store layout and operations. The key word is ease; the ease with which customers are able to get in and out of the store, find what they need and get to work on the project. Or as Dennis quipped: “our mantra sounds like a country and western song, we like to get them in, get them sorted and get them moving”. So, every design element was scrutinised, and the question always asked, will this detail make the experience better? How much better? Having what the customer wants when they want it is critical to efficient service, so priority was given to intelligent stocking and display.
New branding demonstrating the PH Ross Plumb Centre.
The HPC team drew upon their extensive experience with stock optimisation tools. Specialist product buyers worked closely with suppliers, to ensure the right ranges and the right sizes and quantities of goods within each range, would always be in stock.
Leading the change
TJ O’Mahony Naas is managed by Mark Doyle, who has been in the industry for over 25 years, joining HPC in 2006. Mark brings a wealth of industry expertise from a product and systems perspective and was instrumental in the design and build for the new store. A summer job in Merchant Meade’s was Mark’s introduction to this sector. Even back then he was learning valuable lessons about how to optimise space and guarantee the products customers wanted were always available. This knowledge helped inform the planning process. Mark started on the new store project in early summer 2020, basing himself in the Group’s sister store, TJ O’Mahony in Prosperous, Kildare. The Naas store will continue to work closely with the Prosperous branch, sharing supplies in the event of a run on a product. If there is a supply shortage in Naas, back up stock can be fast-tracked from Prosperous.
Trained-up team
Mark is ably assisted by highly skilled specialists who deliver expertise in both the Builders and Plumbers Merchant areas. Derek Dowdall is one of those skilled specialists. Derek is well known in the industry for his in-depth knowledge of the newer generation heating technologies. Most posts were filled internally; a sign that the investment the Group made in creating its own HPC Learning Academy is paying dividends. The Academy was set up two years ago, to provide a dedicated in-house centre of learning and development. “Our aim was to use our own learnings and experiences as a valuable knowledge bank to share with new members when they join the company. This would also foster a culture of mentoring and passing on information throughout the organisation,” states Dennis. When planning the Academy, “it was very important that we gave the Academy a physical presence, a fixed home”.The premises is based in Ballymount, in the upstairs of the Timber & Panel products facility.
Warehouse area, all you need to get the job done.
Up until the Covid -19 pandemic, its calendar was full, with training for beginners up to veteran employees seeking to upskill. “The teaching and coaching offered is a mix of internal and external training, all aimed at equipping our people with the kind of competencies they can use every day, in areas such as credit control, warehousing and customer engagement.” “Not just to enhance their own skills, but to improve the customer experience. The skills cut across and keep standards high in all areas of the business and also keep us up to date with developments in products and systems.” “Whilst its currently not practical to bring our people together in the Academy, it doesn’t mean the learning stops, the Group has continued with its mantra of being ‘serious about learning’, by utilising Zoom and Microsoft Teams to bring the learning on site to each of its seventeen sites”. The Group also actively avails of the bespoke courses offered by Hardware Association Ireland, and the response back from those that have attended has been extremely positive.
Harnessing resources
As one of the founding members of Allied Merchants Buying Association, www.alliedmerchants.ie, HPC were able to draw upon expert support, such as that of Ivan Colleran, Allied Group’s Purchasing Manager. No better source of guidance in ensuring the very best ranges and brands were available in the Plumb Centre and that levels of stock and quantities matched anticipated demand. “As the saying goes, when you’re buying, you’re selling. Having the confidence that we have the full backing of the Allied Group and can tap into their buying power to be more competitive, gives great confidence to our sales team”, says Derek Casey, HPC Group Development Manager for Plumbing and Heating.
At a click
Covid-19 has pushed HPC to accelerate innovation, to ensure continuity of first-class service even in a pandemic. The Naas store will be the first branch to roll out a Click and Collect facility. This convenient, safe way to shop will be available in the next few weeks.
The new Paint Centre at TJ O’Mahony’s.
Click and Collect marks a further expansion of the Group’s online platform www.tjomahony.ie, launched in April 2020. Click and Collect is the second of a three-phase rollout; the final stage being a trade specific platform, allowing all trade customers to administer their account, review pricing and access invoices and statements.
What does the future hold?
“Earlier in the year the Group acquired Deeside Supplies in Ardee, Co. Louth, the Ardee Branch was a strategic move to bring together our store in Navan and Kilshane Cross, the Group has a number of customers operating in the region and having Ardee will aid us in improving the service we can offer to those customers”.
The new Trade Centre at TJ O’Mahony’s.
Since acquiring the business, the store has undergone a complete makeover and the branch is re-branded and now operating as TJ O’Mahony’s Ardee. “Like so many others we are busy trying to forecast what the future or at least 2021 holds. In contrast with this time last year, we are now very familiar with how to do business in Covid times, and my own view is that the domestic spend will continue to focus on home and garden improvements. Trying to determine what the impact of a no deal Brexit will be is more difficult, but we’re a resilient industry, we have come through difficult times before and we will come through these times as well”.
Dedicated, innovative and experienced to the KORE
Noel Brady from KORE Insulation talks to Aoife Kinsella about the core values behind 23 years of growth and innovation and their strategy for success in changing times.
Covid doesn’t offer many silver linings, but for KORE Insulation, it has underscored the value of being agile and listening to customers; just two of the qualities that have propelled this Irish manufacturer to success in its 23 years serving the construction sector. As Managing Director Noel Brady confirms, “we can turn a down-time into a success”. He advises other businesses to “use the opportunities available to you and the time to upskill, create new customer communication streams, and always be on hand to assist when you can.” KORE Insulation has weathered many changes since its establishment in 1997, not least the recession in 2008 which hit the industry hard. But challenging times taught the growing company valuable lessons about resilience and adaptability.
An Irish family firm
KORE’s is a story of spotting and maximising opportunities. The business was initially founded as Airpacks Ltd by Tommy Brady, Helen Brady and Jimmy Macken, who spotted a gap in the Irish construction market for high quality, long lasting and sustainable Expanded Polystyrene Insulation (EPS). Their first site was a humble 60ft x 190ft factory in need of extensive repairs. But the business quickly took off, powered by an agreement with Amalgamated Hardware in a distribution deal that included over 200 stores. As demand and resources grew, the premises underwent numerous extensions and expansions. The now-famous KORE Insulation brand kicked off in 2007, spurring further growth. Diversification into additional product opportunities followed, giving the business the chance to reach new markets with their Irish-made insulation. Today KORE Insulation manufactures a complete range of high-quality EPS insulating solutions at its 45,000ft+ state-ofthe-art facility in Kilnaleck, Cavan.
Reaching the retrofit market
Introducing the KORE Fill range marked a key milestone, enabling the business to broaden their horizons. “KORE Fill helped to increase our presence in the retrofit market, supplying older builds with improved energy efficiency at a lower cost compared to other insulation materials and methods.” Before long, KORE’s Retrofit Division was up and running, which Noel describes as “a one-stop-shop for home, community and commercial energy upgrades, offering project management from start to finish”.
Customers drive innovation
KORE serves a large and diverse customer base, including insulation contractors, architects, engineers, building developers, general building contractors and other manufacturers. The company also works directly with homeowners, community organisations and commercial businesses, alongside a variety of manufacturers, to offer retrofit services. “We have positioned ourselves to incorporate all aspects of the construction industry, from retrofit to new build”, says Noel. “We are continually building relationships with key manufacturers and suppliers and expanding our reach by working with builders merchants throughout the country to supply KORE EPS in all areas, including Northern Ireland.” For every customer challenge, the KORE team have a solution. As Noel explains: “Our customers want products that meet and exceed the building regulations and requirements. They seek products that are easy to work with and install and help solve a problem. KORE EPS meets this need.”
Noel Brady, Managing Director, Caroline Ashe, Commercial Director and Pauric Kavanagh, Operations Director.
“We are focused on lean construction and lean manufacturing. Many of our customers want solutions that come with backup and support. Our products are NSAI/BBA certified, have the required environmental product declarations, technical backup and certifications.” Customer input is integral to innovation and success. “We’re always listening to our customers, and a lot of the change we’ve implemented has been a direct result of the feedback we’ve received.” A personalised sales approach ensures KORE stands out. “Each customer enquiry is answered within one day, with support and guidance for the project at hand. We listen to our customer needs and how best we can assist. We assign one person to each customer, who will liaise with all departments to ensure you get the solution you need.”
Team strength
From a small family-run enterprise, KORE has grown into an industry-leading company nationwide, with nearly 50 full-time employees across administration, technical, sales, marketing, operations, production and senior management. “We succeed by running our business like a family,” Noel affirms. The company is headed by Noel; Caroline Ashe Brady, Commercial Director, and Pauric Kavanagh, Operations Director; supported by their dedicated staff, bringing years of experience from inside and outside the organisation. Key personnel include Andrew Butler, who has been KORE’s Technical Business Development Manager and in-house BIM expert for the past eight years. Steven Magee has been Business Development Manager for over 15 years. Regional Sales Managers Jonathan Malone, Donovan Ogle and Quality Manager Fergal Harrison, who keeps a close eye on all products that leave the factory all play key roles. The Technical team includes Technical Sales Manager Leon Creamer, Support Assistant Gerald Olwill, and newest member Paulina Mlodawska, Product Development Engineer. The office team is fronted by Office Administrators Ailish O’Reilly and Glen Gargan, who manage the office operations and sales process, Sinead Ashe, Office and HRM Manager, and Accounts and GDPR Manager Breda Briody. Noel isn’t short of praise for his employees. “We believe our people set us apart. KORE prides itself on having the most enthusiastic, skilled and driven team committed to producing and supplying high quality insulation solutions to the market. Dedicated. Innovative. Experienced.” And much more.
Reaching out
The Marketing team, led by manager Brian Flax and Executive Lisa Downey, are responsible for online and offline
MD Noel Brady and John Flynn, Delivery Manager at SEAI inspect the EPS production line.
communications, utilising multiple channels to raise awareness about KORE’s brand and products. Communications include sharing upcoming events, testimonials, case studies and in-house videos across all of the major social media platforms, and regular advertising in industry publications. With Covid, engagement has become even more important. Events also play a big part in customer connection. In normal years, KORE regularly exhibits at major industry events including The Hardware Show, the Architecture Expo, SEAI Energy Show and SelfBuild Live Events in Dublin, Cork and Belfast.
Winning ways
2018 was a tremendous year as KORE scooped Most Innovative Business of the Year and Overall Business of the Year Awards at the Cavan Business and Tourism Awards. KORE were also selected as finalists in the Small Business Category at the SEAI Energy Awards and picked up a third win for Energy Efficiency Project of the Year at the KPMG Property Industry Excellence Awards. 2020 continued the impressive sweep of accolades, including two wins at the Small Firms Association Awards; one in the manufacturing category and the top trophy, Overall Business of the Year.
Connections count
KORE values the relationships developed with organisations, including Hardware Association Ireland, Guaranteed Irish, Small Firms Association, National Insulation Associations of Ireland and the UK and Irish Green Building Council. The business also works closely with Electric Ireland, SEAI and the NSAI.
Positive outlook
Noel and his team recognise the challenges facing the sector, but are confident their positioning helps them continue to create new opportunities: “Ireland’s existing housing stock is in need of deep retrofit upgrades. This presents a huge opportunity to our retrofit division. There are many new upgrade schemes currently being announced by government in its drive to improve energy efficiency that will present us with more opportunities in this space.” Addressing skilled labour shortages in the construction industry is a priority. “We are actively working to help upskill the industry and provide more training opportunities at local level.” Top Tip? Know and make the best use of opportunities available, even in downtime, by listening and responding to buyers, spotting gaps in the market, using the time to upskill and reach out to customers, and always be ready to help.
