Network Magazine - Issue 19

Wa t erfor d ch am ber

Issue 19 • Q2 2022

GOING GREEN: Cash for Kilowatts Sustainable fashion Urban Forest Tree mapping SUMMER OF FUN Complete guide to Waterford’s festivals

Under The

microscope

Professor Veronica Campbell, SETU's first President

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Issue 19 • Q2 2022

CONTENTS Message from Gerald Hurley, Waterford Chamber ‘A lot done, more to do’…we use it often but it has never been more apt in recent times. Can we dare to dream that the Waterford we all envisage is coming to fruition?

Among the following pages, you will gain a sense of the positivity that surrounds the coming on stream of the South East Technological University, while also hearing from the lady at the helm, Prof Veronica Campbell, who will also join us as our guest speaker at the President’s Lunch in the Majestic Hotel on June 24th.

Waterford is now a University city and we must embrace the opportunities that presents. Inside you will see how we are working with EY to do just that – by carrying out a feasibility study into maximising the existing assets to create a vibrant city centre.

Following the university officially opening its doors on May 1st, came the news that take off may be within our grasp at Waterford Airport, that a new developer has potentially been earmarked for the North Quays and while we still wait for the Waterford Development Plan, we now have a Transportation Plan open for consultation. These are all very positive developments and a step in the right direction.

Along with the University, we are also focusing on the Waterford Green Deal in this issue. We have just finished a hugely successful Green Month here in Chamber, which saw a series of excellent events and business promotion. We are looking at what businesses are doing to support sustainability, including the creation of an urban forest, tree mapping and how being fashionable is becoming – well slightly less fashionable!

Summer is here and of course we want everyone out and about enjoying what Waterford has to offer, so we have a complete guide to all the summer festivals and lots more besides. We have our own Annual Golf Classic coming up in July at Faithlegg Golf Club and our ever-popular Corporate Race Night at the August Racing Festival in Tramore, and we do hope to see you there.

Wishing you all a wonderful summer and as always be sure to get in touch if we can offer any support.

Gerald Hurley CEO, Waterford Chamber

“We will have a global ambition that will serve the needs of the region.”

– Professor Veronica Campbell, President SETU

08 COVER STORY

06 “The challenge is now to put employees at the centre of the workplace experience.”

– John McSweeney NETWORK • Q2 2022

12 “The Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 is aligned as closely as possible to the new TU.” – Patsy Carney, Ireland South East

16 “The TU marks the dawn of ‘joined up thinking’ for R&D in the region.”

– Dr Mark White, SETU

03

Issue 19 • Q2 2022

CONTENTS 26

32

“Afforestation is critical to the continuation of life on our planet.”

– Niall Griffin, Metalman Engineering

34

“Most textiles end up in landfill or are incinerated.”

– Nuala Browne Tracey, CLÂN

“Cash For Kilowatts can help your business to become more sustainable.”

– Patrick Buckley, EPS

42 FEATURE

PUBLISHED BY: Waterford Chamber of Commerce 2 George’s Street, Waterford Tel: 051 872639

“A Summer of Fun.“ – Lots to see and do for all the family over the holidays

Email: info@waterfordchamber.ie Web: www.waterfordchamber.ie Editor: Lynda Lawton Design: Michael Lynagh Advertising: Avril Bowe DISTRIBUTION:

14 New dawn at work

Digital copy emailed to 2,000+ contacts, uploaded to Chamber

12 SETU — a regional gamechanger

website and social media (15,000+ followers). 500 print copies.

Print copies sent to Government

20 Spring review with Waterford Council

Ministers, officials, agencies and

22 Simple banking solutions for small businesses

stakeholders, international IDA and Enterprise Ireland Offices and

24 OfficeMaster takes on Promotive’s customer base

Embassies around the world.

27 Waterford businesses committed to green agenda

© WATERFORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2022

38 Bite-Size News

No part of this publication may be

40 Businesswomen of the Year 2022

system or transmitted in any form

reproduced, stored in a retrieval or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

46 New local team appointed for Winterval

Opinion and comments expressed

47 Waterford’s Blue Plaque Trail

Waterford Chamber of Commerce.

herein are not necessarily those of

50 Membership Directory

IMAGE CREDITS: Images on pgs. 06, 26, 44-45 by Pexels.com. Image on pg. 14 by Pixabay. Images on pgs. 32-33 by Freepik.com. Photos on pg. 40 by Patrick Browne. Photo on pgs. 50-51

by Fáilte Ireland.

 Visit www.waterfordchamber.ie for the online edition 04

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05

Working from Home and the Hybrid Challenge  By JOHN MCSWEENEY, President, Waterford Chamber

P

re-Covid, for many employees the demands of the workplace meant that there was sometimes never enough time to get the job done in the “normal” working day or week. In fact, one could question if there has ever been a “normal” week in many working people’s lives.

Files, paperwork, forms, returns required attention in the midst of existing duties at home, whilst people also volunteered at sports, arts or completed other social or family activities.

Workers endeavoured to stay ahead of the workload, to have a clear desk the next day, empty the basket or feel as though they had, at least some time to breathe.

These actions are now being undertaken from home, with less time being spent back in the office for many workers. Being able to keep home/work actions separate is now sometimes harder, with many doing the extra hour or two when the time allows – an element on being always signed on with the home office structure now firmly in situ, both physically and mentally.

The reality now for working

06

from home is different for so many in the workforce. Whilst the once traditionally structured and shaped dwellings afforded little consideration to a home office, this is likely to be a primary purchasing point for households of the future, an adult’s office which will now compete with a child’s playroom.

The challenge is now to put employees at the centre of the workplace experience, to re-ignite the team ethic, which some may feel has been lost in the disruption to the normal office life and activities as well as our daily face-to-face engagements which traditionally helped business develop and support a strong culture within teams.

Hybrid is now part of our new HR vocabulary. “How many days can you commit to being in the office? We would love to see you in more often, it is important for the team.” There is a challenge to integrate what in ways have become two or more teams from the same workforce.

Where teams easily interacted and shared ideas in the past, the new communication challenge requires an

Omni-channel approach – Email, Teams, Mobile and Intranet. They must receive or have access to information in the best way that suits their needs and will maximise the impact of the content. Historically they may have had limited if any exposure to all or any of the aforementioned approaches in terms of communications and this Omni-channel approach will take time to bed in for all employees.

The traditional office continues to be occupied by strong sales & support teams to drive business activities and how businesses configure these spaces in conjunction with both individuals and teams who return in different ways will also be key to creating an agile workforce capable of responding to customers’ needs when required.

It will be interesting to see and hear how businesses continue to deal with the Hybrid Challenge in the coming years, but no doubt whilst we hopefully have heard the end of Covid, it is likely that this work approach will continue to evolve.

NETWORK • Q2 2022

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Together, Supporting Local

COVER STORY

UNDER THE

MICROSCOPE

When little Veronica Campbell got her first microscope at a mere 10 years old and created her very own lab in her bedroom in a rural village in Scotland, her love of research and academia flourished. Now the story comes full circle as the Professor of Pharmacology gets her very own university. Here she speaks to Lynda Lawton about her love of learning, her strategic vision for South East Technological University and her passion for delivering access to education for all.

P

rofessor Veronica Campbell will take up office as the first President of South East Technological University on 18th July but she has already hit the ground running. On a rainy Friday morning, post-Waterford Chamber’s Going Green for Business event on campus, she moves her way around the college with ease, greeting people with a friendly smile and an eagerness to soak up as much information as she can.

You can see from her demeanour that she is excited, but there is a

08

steely determination there that must also be admired. We sit for a while and our conversation begins with a definitive statement – “I wouldn’t be here if this was just a name change.” This is certainly music to our ears, as there has been a festering feeling that perhaps this is exactly what will occur.

“Waterford is now a university city and the student population will grow. The vision is to be leading an organisation which will have a positive impact on the region and will provide access to education for all across that region. We will have

a global ambition that will serve the needs of the region.”

One of the first responsibilities of the incoming President will be to lead the development of a strategic plan for the next five years. According to Prof. Campbell the plan must focus on retaining talent in the region, attracting talent and researchers from abroad, and the development of a university that will act as a talent magnet to provide industry across the region access to the relevant skills needed, as well as enhancing the research and innovation agenda. Under the

NETWORK • Q2 2022

current legislation, 30% of courses must be designed with regional skills needs in mind.

“I want SETU to be much more engaged with external partners, to be globally connected. I want engagement with industry and SMEs and to boost the South East as an entrepreneurial region.

“There are many opportunities around expansion and the strategic plan will look at that. We will also develop a research plan, look at PhD training and publishing, develop international links and respond to the local and national needs in terms of courses offered.

“There will be individual strengths across all campuses and Waterford can be proud in saying it is a university city. We will have capital infrastructure projects and we will need bigger investment as there is a vision for multiple projects on the Waterford campus.

I’m confident this will result in greater access to talent, and with a university on your doorstep and access to world-class research, this will drive innovation in the city and the wider region.”

Prof. Campbell has held several senior leadership roles in Trinity College Dublin, including Dean of Graduate Studies, Bursar and Director of Strategic Innovation.

SETU Waterford Campus In this latter role from 2015 to 2021, Prof. Campbell oversaw the commencement of a €300m capital project portfolio in the university.

In addition, she has extensive teaching experience and a productive research record in cell biology, pharmacology and tissue engineering.

She currently serves on the board of the Atlantic Institute, based in Oxford University, and was the inaugural chair of the Global Brain Health Institute of Trinity College and UCSF. She is a former president of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland (biomedical sciences section).

It’s an impressive resume from the little girl with the microscope.

“Nobody in my family had gone to university. We grew up in a council

house and my parents didn’t know how to advise me to further my education. I got a Government grant to go to Edinburgh University to study Pharmacology. I was always interested in the science of how drugs work on us and from there I kept learning and getting exposure to different breathes of academia and industry.

“I have been in Ireland now for the past 27 years and met my husband James. Our kids are grown up now but we got a new dog during lockdown so that’s kept us busy. We have holidayed a lot over the years in the South East and we are going to take the summer to be regional tourists before finding a new home here. I think it is important for the President to be present on all campuses and already the enthusiasm that has come from the staff and students is very rewarding.”

It seems that Prof. Campbell has already found her feet in a role that has yet to commence and if her enthusiasm thus far is anything to go by, the new South East Technological University is in safe hands.  Prof Campbell will address the business community at the annual Waterford Chamber President’s Lunch on Friday, 24th June in the Majestic Hotel.

SETU Carlow Campus

NETWORK • Q2 2022

09

SETU

New dawn at work Opportunities are the life blood of GROWTHhub, and what better opportunity can students have, than studying at SETU. Together we can explore possibilities to develop creative and innovative graduates who exhibit entrepreneurial talent. A new addition to the SETU Waterford campus, GROWTHhub demonstrates our commitment to foster students’ entrepreneurial thinking and behaviour while studying at our university.

Students are at the heart of the new university. The Student Support Services are proud of the diverse profile of students and are cognisant of enhancing services across all aspects of the student experience.

Recognising the needs of a diverse student cohort, promoting inclusivity and equity of provision for all learners within a multicampus university are core goals of SETU. We aim to dispel the myth of the traditional student and adopt the philosophy that “A student is a student”. Student Support Services aim to support our students to thrive and realise their ambitions.

Entrepreneurial graduates are essential for driving development in our region by creating employment, stimulating innovation, spearheading cultural engagement and enabling change in our local communities. Working closely with alumni, entrepreneurs, academics, advisors and our research centres, GROWTHhub supports students on their entrepreneurial journey.

– Dr. Margaret Tynan, HCI GROWTHhub Project Leader and Senior Lecturer in Enterprise and Management, SETU Waterford

– Dr Laura Keane, Head of Student Life & Learning, SETU Waterford

The establishment of SETU is a landmark occasion for Waterford and the region. We have the opportunity now to further position the organisation’s research and innovation activities on a global stage.

It is our intention to build the research profile of this new entity through deeper collaboration across our many campuses, and we look forward to seeing what the future will bring.

– Kevin Doolin, Executive Director of the Walton Institute

10

NETWORK • Q2 2022

SETU builds on the ambitions of many, who have long sought equality of access and opportunities that a university provides to an individual, family, community, city and region.

SETU will be central to driving opportunities for advancement and social mobility, and retaining talent within the south east through increased programme provision, growth in student numbers, and diversity of learners’ profiles.

Our region’s attractiveness from a global perspective is determined by many factors including our human capital or talent, our innovation and entrepreneurial capacity, our connectedness and our infrastructure.

Scaling SETU’s current research capabilities, investment and infrastructure will be key to driving innovation in our enterprise base, stimulating new venture creation and attracting inward investment to the south east.

Embedding our connections with regional stakeholders from industry, local government, public sector and community stakeholders will make for a more resilient and sustainable regional economy. As a university city and region, SETU’s reputation and collaborations at a European and international level will be vital in connecting our students, university community and region to global networks for learning, knowledge, investment and partners.

– Kathryn Kiely, VP for External Affairs, SETU

South East Technological University provides exciting opportunities for the people and industry in Waterford and the wider region.

The university will be different in scale, scope and function to the two former institutes of technology and this shift creates the platform for the fundamental transformation of the region.

Our aspiration for SETU will see it double in size, attracting new talent into the city and region while retaining our existing talent base. We will develop a considerably greater research impact, building on the trackrecord of strong research in diverse areas.

Most of all, SETU will seek to function and deliver in a new way from the institutes. Universities are social institutions that challenge populism and critique prevailing orthodoxy. They sponsor in-depth inquiry and indulge sometimes unfashionable, often eccentric investigations into all aspects of our social, cultural, economic, and physical lives and the functioning of the universe around us. Universities aim to cultivate critical, even disruptive thinking. In these ways, the university is an ideas “engine” and, as such, fuels a knowledge-based economy with innovative thinking and novel approaches to problems across multiple areas.

It will be the development of this ideas engine that will have the most profound and lasting effect on the south east.

– Dr Richard Hayes, Vice President Strategy, SETU Waterford

NETWORK • Q2 2022

11

SETU

SETU

— a regional gamechanger

“Now for the first time a university stands in the South East. This new university can build on the enormous strengths of both institutes and really put a mark on the quality of higher education, employment, enterprise and skills creation, expanded research, socio-economic and regional development in the vibrant South East.”

– Minister Simon Harris

“The South East Technological University is great for Waterford and the wider region. It now provides the opportunity for our students from across the South East to attend university rather than go elsewhere.”

– Cllr. Joe Kelly, Mayor of Waterford City & County

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“Education, skills, research and innovation are all central to regional economic development and the establishment of the South East Technological University is a hugely significant step forward for our region.

The current Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024 is aligned as closely as possible to the new Technological University and has been written with significant input from its stakeholders. It is now imperative that SETU receives the level of funding and state support required to ensure it can be genuinely transformative for industry in the region.”

– Patsy Carney, Chair of the South East Regional Enterprise Plan

NETWORK • Q2 2022

“I now have the honour of being a past pupil, lecturer, rent-paying tenant and Co-Founder of a spinout of SETU! I have also worked with many IT Carlow staff who embraced Crystal Valley Tech and saw its potential. Well done to all these amazing staff and students.

Now that we have moved into a different gear, Institute to University, let SETU continue to trailblaze and make the impossible possible just like WIT and Carlow have done for many years.”

– Elaine Fennelly, CEO, Crystal Valley Tech

“The 1st of May 2022 was a landmark day for Waterford and the entire South East Region.

Our city is now a university city and the new SETU is one of the largest higher-level institutions in the country.

I would like to put on record my thanks to outgoing President Willie Donnelly and all the management, staff and students for their tireless work over many years to arrive at this exciting point.

I believe our new university will develop and respond to the ever changing needs of industry and foster deeper relationships with the community it serves. The acquisition of additional land to expand the footprint of the Waterford campus has been a top priority of mine since being elected to Seanad Eireann and Minister Harris has confirmed that ringfenced funding is in place to ensure this is realised. I very much look forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure the new SETU is a significant catalyst for growth within our city and region.”

– Senator John Cummins

NETWORK • Q2 2022

“Government has placed significant emphasis on the ability of the new South East Technological University to radically improve our third level offering in the South East region. The amalgamation process was never the preferred option for WIT but Government and the Higher Education Authority strongly communicated that amalgamation was the only game in town.

The process is now practically completed and we will have to wait to see how this new partnership works. It may not be easy at the outset but what is abundantly clear is if Government do not provide the requisite pro rata funding to deliver significant capital expansion to the South East Technological University, this whole exercise will be nothing but a branding change and will take years to either undo or revert-energise.”

– Matt Shanahan TD

“The establishment of SETU will be significant in reversing the brain drain trend we witnessed previously. I firmly believe that the educational future for young generations to come has now been secured as Waterford is now officially a University City.

SETU will bring with it more investment in Waterford and the South East. Further backing will be necessary for the expansion of the campus here to ensure that we build on this progress and provide more courses for more students.

I will also push for more funding for investing in research here in Waterford. There is huge potential and opportunity to develop the relationship between the new university and our business community.”

– Mary Butler TD

“The future is bright for Waterford and the South East with the ratification of SETU, not only for our students and young people, but as it further cements Waterford as a great place to live, it is a win for all.

This technological university will open doors for so many here in Waterford and will attract further investment to our city. I would like to congratulate everyone that has worked so hard in getting it to this point. I would also like to welcome Professor Veronica Campbell as President and look forward to seeing the university grow from strength to strength under her leadership, we truly are in exciting times.”

– Margaret Julian, President of Network Ireland Waterford and Director of GDPR & Compliance Audits 13

Career u-turn for brave Tracey Tracey Simpson is a mature student and has been working with Waterford Chamber over the past year. Here she tells her story of returning to full-time education at South East Technological University.

M

y name is Tracey, 40+ a single parent, and in 2019 I became a full-time mature student at WIT by taking on a Bachelor’s Degree in Honours Business. In year one, a fellow student asked me, “If you already have a career as a chef, why bother go back to college and at your age?”

Well, have you ever woken up in your 40s and felt like you are stuck in a negative loop with your worklife balance and complaining about it doesn’t alter the miserable affect it is having? Well I have. Slowly I came to the realisation that the only person who could break that loop was me, so I guess I took the bull by the horns and smashed the hell out of that loop by choosing a career change and ventured back to college. This was no easy feat for me – I was terrified and completely out of my comfort zone.

Year one was a big adjustment and just as I got into a routine, Covid hit, I found myself doing college from my sitting room while homeschooling my child,

14

yet I successfully adapted. At the end of year two, I decided to specialise in Marketing. This best suited the skills I acquired through many years as a chef – creativity, adaptability, research, great organisational and communication skills, plus being very comfortable in a fast-paced environment.

Before I knew it, I was in year 3 and work placement was on the horizon. I became worried about different issues like my age, child minding etc. I voiced my concerns with Joe Daly, the Director of Placement and lecturer for Business & Management Organisation at SETU. He explained every student has a unique situation and not to worry. Joe rang me a few weeks later confident he had found the perfect work placement. A week later I had an interview with Gerald Hurley, CEO of Waterford Chamber of Commerce, and I started shortly after.

On starting my placement, I began questioning my lack of experience in an office environment and

how I was entering a busy organisation armed only with what I had learned in college and my transferrable skills. Fast forward to today and what an honour it was to work with the phenomenal powerhouse of a team that is the Waterford Chamber. They made me feel like part of the team, no question was stupid, they shared their years of experience with me, motivated and challenged me daily, and now I know for certain that marketing is for me.

I am now nearing the completion of year 3 and with it the end of my work placement. I have made some lifelong friends and there will be tears shed as I leave and head back to complete my final year. I never thought back in 2019 that I would be going to back to college and coming out with a university degree.

NETWORK • Q2 2022

SETU leads €1.95m Portalis project

T

he Portalis team is busy sharing its story and exciting project details at a number of events across the South East. Portalis maps the story of the first journey between Ireland and Wales, dating back to the Mesolithic period, 10,000 years ago, in the context of contemporary resilience and climate adaptation, for local coastal communities and their visitors.

Portalis is a design-led transdisciplinary pilot project, supported by the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Cooperation Programme. The €1.95 million project aims to raise awareness, protect shared cultural and natural heritage and support sustainable engagement, establishing two new experiential tourism and cultural cross-border networks.

The project is led by South East

Technological University (SETU) and is supported by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Ceredigion County Council and Waterford Chamber.

The Ireland Wales 2014-2020 European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) programme is a maritime programme connecting businesses and communities on the West coast of Wales with the South-East coast of Ireland. The programme focuses on seeking solutions to shared challenges including adaption of the Irish Sea and coastal communities to climate change, and cultural and natural resources and heritage.

Speaking about the project, Donal Nolan from Waterford Chamber of Commerce said: “Our remit as part of this project is to establish a network that will facilitate future co-operation between the regions and enhance the

experience for the local communities as tourists flow between the Welsh and Irish sites. Throughout this project, we want to work with local communities to help them develop their cultural resources to make their area a better place to visit and live in.”

For more information visit www. portalisproject.eu

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Simon Harris, TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science demoing a virtual reality experience created by Walton Institute.

SETU will establish the south east as the place of choice for talent and investment The development of research activity by SETU will enhance the existing environment for enterprise activity and company growth, building resilience into the local economy.

S

outh East Technological University brings together over 550 research active staff, nine research centres, one research institute and four Technology Gateways across Waterford and Carlow, expanding the range and quality of research to meet the needs of the south east.

Engineering and manufacturing, medical technologies, pharma and bio-pharma, ICT, financial services and food production have all been identified as key areas of focus for industrial and enterprise

16

development in the region. The growth of research activity in disciplines such as software engineering, applied materials, pharmaceutical and molecular biology, agri-technology as well as business administration, finance, sport, and health is essential to support future progress as a new university and the region as a whole.

The development of such research activity by SETU will enhance the existing environment for enterprise activity, research & development (R&D), and company

growth; build resilience into the regional economy; establish the south east as the place of choice for entrepreneurship, talent and investment; making the south east a ‘learning region’ with education, knowledge generation and exchange, and innovation as central activities that allow all to play a role in its economic, social and cultural development.

“Establishing the technological university in the south east is a game-changer for the region when it comes to high-end R&D jobs,

NETWORK • Q2 2022

talent and retention. Finally, we can look forward to competing with other regions nationally and internationally. The TU marks the dawn of ‘joined up thinking’ for R&D in the region,” said Dr Mark White, Vice President of Research, Innovation and Graduate Studies, SETU Waterford.

Dr Mark White, Vice President of Research, Innovation and Graduate Studies, SETU Waterford The success and accomplishments of SETU researchers are well established. In the five years from 2016 to 2020 alone, researchers from SETU attracted over €95m in research funding from a variety of European and national funding agencies, state bodies and industrial partners. Such funding has supported ground-breaking and societally relevant projects in areas such as cancer care, renewable energy, climate change, cybersecurity and more.

The technological university will continue to focus on research quality and enhancing the performance of its research centres, through a targeted increase in research income, with a view to enhancing the international reputation of research at the university, and with consequent implications for student recruitment. Attracting international research talent will further enhance knowledge exchange and contribution to the international community, placing SETU in the global research landscape.

NETWORK • Q2 2022

SETU will employ a number of initiatives to support growing the research student population, including an extensive universityfunded and industry co-funded scholarship programme; developing strong international partnerships through joint PhD programmes and the European University Alliance, EU-Conexus; and targeting the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Fellowships, SFI centre memberships, and IRC Fellowships for additional PhD and Postdoctoral positions.

Dr Geraldine Canny, Head of Research, SETU Waterford stated, “Increasing our postgraduate and postdoctoral researcher numbers is a key objective to augment SETU’s research and innovation capacity and footprint. These researchers will conduct innovative, relevant, and impactful research, in collaboration with industry and other entities such as the healthcare service, charities, NGOs, and government departments. The training programmes offered at SETU will ensure they are highly employable.”

Building on long-standing relationships, SETU will continue to lead research collaboration with industry, society, and other stakeholders, providing support and innovative engagement

Dr Geraldine Canny, Head of Research, SETU Waterford opportunities, enhancing the existing innovation ecosystem for society and industry at regional and national levels. At the same time, to broaden its European reach, SETU will prioritise participation in European and global industry and enterprise networks.

The complex challenges facing Europe and the world require us to look beyond STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Maths) research and draw on non-scientific domains. The ability of SETU to embrace the range of activity and draw on the expertise from across the university’s many disciplines will be a critical component in broadening the innovation base in the south east for the future.

17

Job opportunities for Ukrainian workers

L

ike businesses all over the country, a number of Waterford businesses are experiencing extreme staff shortages, particularly as we head into the summer season.

On the other hand, Waterford has welcomed approximately 1,000 Ukrainian refugees in recent months, many of whom are eager to work.

Waterford Chamber is now working with Coordinators of the City Rest Centres to identify potential opportunities for all concerned.

Gerald Hurley, CEO Waterford Chamber explains: “Since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 33,000 Ukrainian refugees have relocated to Ireland.

We have been working with Waterford City & County Council

in welcoming Ukrainian families to Waterford with approximately 1,000 refugees now living across the city and county, many of whom are still in centres.

“We know they want to go home and will when it is safe to do so, but whilst here, they are eager to work. We are liaising with the Rest Centre Coordinators to identify job opportunities for those in a position to take on employment. Many are qualified professionals, while others may be open to seasonal work.

“We want to work with all parties to ensure the best outcome for all.

Businesses are welcome to get in touch with us directly at Waterford Chamber with their requirements.”

Figures from the Central

Statistics Office (CSO) show women aged 20 and over account for 48 per cent of arrivals to date, and individuals aged 0 to 19 made up 38 per cent.

The highest proportion of those arriving, just over 14,700, were categorised as "one parent with children".

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Spring review with Waterford Council

A

pril 2022 brought a brandnew festival to Waterford City. For the April Fools Day weekend, Waterford City and County Council’s Arts office introduced the subversive and slightly scandalous ‘Foolhardy Festival of Comedy and Commedia’ to Ireland’s oldest city. Based around Waterford’s Cultural Quarter, the festival featured open-mic sessions, live quizzes, family workshops and even a session for kids with the grand title of ‘Picasso, Cubism and a Pig!’ BIRD HIDE Waterford’s newest bird hide was officially opened in Tramore by the Mayor of Waterford City and County Cllr Joe Kelly. The location of the bird hide is of particular significance as Tramore’s back strand is an important habitat for a variety of birds, in particular little egrets, oystercatchers, herons, snipes and sanderlings.

BEST PLACE TO LIVE In recognition of Waterford winning the title of Ireland’s Best Place

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to Live in association with The Irish Times, a ‘Best Place to Live’ symposium was held in Waterford’s Theatre Royal. The event was facilitated by economist and author David McWilliams, Kevin O’ Sullivan IT Environment Editor, Jennifer O’Connell IT columnist and IT Managing Editor Conor Goodman. There was fascinating insight from contributors to Waterford’s education, enterprise, environment and arts and culture sectors, highlighting the factors that make Waterford Ireland’s Best Place to Live.

The following day, a Family Fun Day was held in Waterford City centre. The free event, which included live music, magicians, acrobats, as well as the Big Dig and Calmast (STEM) events, was a wonderful celebration of the warm welcome we offer here in Waterford.

MAY DAY The celebrations concluded on Sunday, May 1st, as Waterford City and County Council and Waterford Chamber teamed up to bring an

afternoon of community fun to the new plaza in Tramore, where live music and street entertainment entertained the large gathering present, to mark the official opening of a new urban renewal space.

May 1st was also a landmark day for Waterford, as the doors of the South East Technological University (SETU) were opened.

SETU is the first university presence in the region and marks a truly historic moment in higher education for staff, students, regional stakeholders, and local communities in the South East.

CHARLES BAČIK PLAZA Deputy Ivana Bacik was present at the House of Waterford Crystal, where her grandfather Charles Bacik, Waterford Crystal co-founder and Czech glass entrepreneur, was honoured with the naming of the plaza in his memory. A plaque commemorating the event was then unveiled by Mayor Kelly, with the area henceforth to be known bilingually as “Plás Charles Bačik / Charles Bačik Plaza.”

NETWORK • Q2 2022

BIKE WEEK Bike Week commenced on May 14 for eight fun-filled days of activity, including a Lunchtime Cycle, Family Evening Cycles, a Dawn Cycle and more.

SOUTH PLAZA Works commenced on the South Plaza enabling works contract, the first phase for the construction of the New Sustainable Transport Bridge that will link Meagher’s Quays on the South Quays to the North Quays Strategic Development Zone.

The South Plaza will extend east and west of the Clock Tower with public realm enhancement and a focal point for local and visiting pedestrians and cyclists. The plaza will be landscaped with street furniture, incorporating seating, trees, planters, lighting, grassed and paved areas and bicycle facilities.

UKRAINE The community of Modeligo came together in solidarity with Ukraine.

The west Waterford community welcomed Ukrainian families to the locality, after they renovated the old parochial house in the area. The works have been driven by the newly formed Modeligo

NETWORK • Q2 2022

Community Development group, which is busy welcoming the new families, where the children have started in the local schools.

CREATIVE WATERFORD The Waterford Designers and Makers Exhibition was launched at the Waterford Gallery of Art on O’Connell Street. Hosting the work of Waterford based design and crafts community, the exhibition reflects on the theme of Waterford and what it means to this community. The event was created by Waterford City and County Council’s Creative Ireland Programme in association with Waterford Local Enterprise Office.

PRIDE MONTH June 1st marked the first day of Pride Month as Waterford City and County Council celebrated LGBTQ+ people, culture, and communities. Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Joe Kelly, along with councillors and members of the Dungarvan Pride committee raised the Pride flag outside the Dungarvan Civic Offices to officially launch the start of Pride month.

Whilst in Waterford city, the Pride of the Déise committee

organised a jam-packed weekend celebration of LGBTQ+ people and communities, which included a Pride March from Cathedral Square to the Cultural Quarter, PRIDE Ride Greenway Cycle and Rural Pride celebration. Waterford City and County Council is proud to support Pride Dungarvan and Pride of the Déise, in association with Creative Waterford.

BLUE FLAGS & GREEN COASTS Waterford City and County Council was delighted to receive five Blue Flag and seven Green Coast designations from An Taisce at a ceremony in Wexford, where Kilfarrassey was the latest Waterford beach to achieve Green Coast status.

HOUSING A new social housing development in the county welcomed its first residents in June. The development, Port na Machan, is funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and consists of 16 new social housing units in the picturesque village of Kilmacthomas.

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Simple banking solutions designed for small businesses permanent tsb has a 200-year history of supporting communities across Ireland including throughout Waterford. We are a leading provider in the financial services market, offering our customers a range of both personal and business banking products and services to suit your needs.

There are three branches located in County Waterford in Ardkeen, Hypercentre and Dungarvan which operate as one territory under the stewardship of Martin Ryan, Territory Sales Manager. Excellent customer experience is the key priority for Martin and his team who have extensive experience in personal and commercial lending and would be delighted to meet you in a branch, or where it suits you, to offer guidance in any of these areas.

The Bank engages with the community through building community partnerships, providing financial support to local charities through the work of the Staff Charities Fund and Community Fund, and through engaging employees in volunteering initiatives. In the Waterford region, we’ve partnered with Cycle Against Suicide and Down Syndrome Centre Cork. Various activities are planned for throughout the year, with funds donated to these worthy organisations.

MEET THE TEAM CAROLINE BARRON

MARTIN RYAN Territory Sales Manager, Waterford Martin has been with permanent tsb for over 15 years. His role lets him get involved with the local Waterford community and help with the financial needs for existing and new customers at a time and location that suits them. He has a wealth of experience in Mortgages and SME lending. Martin is a qualified Financial Advisor and also has a Professional Banking Diploma.

Martin can be contacted on Martin.Ryan@ permanenttsb.ie

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Senior Field Based Consultant, Waterford Caroline is a Qualified Financial Advisor and recently completed her Professional Banking Degree.

She has 20+ years banking experience, working in our 3 branches in the county – Ardkeen & Hypercentre branches in Waterford City and Dungarvan branch. When it comes to Mortgages and Business Banking, she has a breath of banking experience.

Caroline is available to meet you in any of the three branches or at a location that suits you to assist on your business journey whether you’re buying your first business premises, need SME lending to grow your business or would like to discuss a personal Mortgage.

Contact Caroline on Caroline.Barron@ permanenttsb.ie

NETWORK • Q2 2022

TINA HENNESSY Branch Lead, Dungarvan Branch Tina is a Qualified Financial Advisor. She is based in Dungarvan Branch and has over 30 years’ banking experience having worked in permanent tsb for all of her banking career.

Tina’s many years in Mortgages, Consumer Finance and Business Banking finance options means Tina is always willing to find the right solutions for both our personal and Business Banking customers.

Contact Tina on Tina.Hennessy@ permanenttsb.ie

ELAINE BRETT Branch Lead, Ardkeen Elaine is a Professional Banker, qualified Financial Advisor, and holds a Bachelor of Business Studies and Human Resource management qualification from Waterford Regional College. She is based in our Ardkeen Branch and has in excess of 23 years’ financial experience covering all aspects of business and personal banking.

During her time in permanent tsb, Elaine has worked in various locations throughout the county of Waterford and beyond, allowing her to gain an understanding of various customer needs.

Elaine has a particular passion for Mortgages and enjoys guiding and sharing in the journey with her customers.

Elaine can be contacted on Elaine.Brett@ permanenttsb.ie

ROBBIE LEONARD Business Banking Manager Robbie manages the business lending for permanent tsb across the South East Region, including Waterford City and County.

Robbie has extensive experience in lending to a variety of sectors developed over his 18+ years in banking.

Robbie works with businesses to identify lending solutions to suit their needs, and to build longstanding relationships into the future.

Contact Robbie on Robert.Leonard@ permanenttsb.ie

TRUDA MERRIMAN Branch Lead, Hypercentre Truda graduated from Waterford Institute of Technology and joined the Irish Permanent Building Society 33 years ago. Her first posting was in the city centre in Barronstrand Street which saw her connect with the dynamic that is the heartbeat of Waterford’s business centre. Truda later went on to serve in the very busy Ardkeen and Hypercentre branches where she and her team continue to provide a range of key services to customers in this ever changing sector.

Truda grew up in Waterford and has a deep connection with and knowledge of her community that drives her and her team in the Hypercentre in their ongoing pursuit of excellence in meeting customers’ needs.

Truda is a Qualified Financial Advisor and can be contacted on Truda.Merriman@ permanenttsb.ie

Contact us today on the contacts listed above or by calling our dedicated Business Banking Team on 0818 200 100 or +353 1 215 1363. permanent tsb p.l.c. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

NETWORK • Q2 2022

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L to R: Jacqui Kielthy, David Cooke, OfficeMaster; Louise Ironside, Greg Tuohy, Cantec Group; Dervela Linehan, Mike Conway, OfficeMaster;

OfficeMaster takes on Promotive’s customer base

P

romotive, a Cantec Group company, ceased trading on March 31st 2022 and is working with OfficeMaster to ensure a smooth transition for their customers.

Paula O’Gorman, Chief Marketing Officer at Cantec Group said, “We have teamed up with OfficeMaster’s Graphic Design, Print and Marketing team as an alternative supplier for our design and print customers.

Our teams have worked closely together on previous projects so we know that our customers will be in excellent hands.”

FROM LITTLE ACORNS… Following Cantec’s acquisition of SmartOffice in 2020 and the subsequent rebranding, we formed three divisions within the company. Docutec is the brand name of the managed print service while SmartOffice designs, develops and implements software automation solutions for backend business processes.

We launched Promotive as a full-service digital marketing agency providing the highest quality graphic design and marketing solutions. In addition, Promotive supported the marketing needs of the Cantec Group divisions of Docutec and SmartOffice.

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Paula O’Gorman, Chief Marketing Officer at Cantec Group

These internal divisions have grown, requiring greater input from the marketing team to devise and deliver the marketing strategy. We took the decision to fully divert the resources of the marketing team to support Docutec and SmartOffice exclusively.

NETWORK • Q2 2022

L to R: Mike Conway, David Cooke, OfficeMaster; Greg Tuohy, Louise Ironside, Cantec Group; Megan Walsh, Dervela Linehan, OfficeMaster;

OFFICEMASTER – THE OBVIOUS CHOICE Stemming from Cantec’s 30-year relationship with OfficeMaster, we turned to them to manage the design, print and marketing needs of our customers. A similar ethos and customer-centric approach ensured that our customers would be well looked after.

Speaking at the announcement, Paula O’Gorman stated, “The design and print department and my customers have been an integral part of my life for almost 20 years. I’ve had the pleasure of forming some wonderful friendships.”

Paula has worked with Dervela Linehan, Marina Murphy and Mike Conway of OfficeMaster to facilitate a smooth transition that will ensure all customers continue to receive the same great service that Promotive has always provided. The OfficeMaster team, led by Jacqui Kielthy and David Cooke, have embraced this opportunity and are looking forward to welcoming new customers.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT Cantec Group was founded in 1994 as a photocopier dealership and has grown organically and through strategic acquisition. From three employees initially, we now have a team of 50 based between our offices in Cork, Limerick, Dublin and Mullingar in addition to our Waterford headquarters. Plans are well underway to meet our target NETWORK • Q2 2022

of 100 employees by 2025 and to achieve international expansion with the assistance of Enterprise Ireland.

OfficeMaster, like Cantec, continues to evolve. Previously known as Fieldmaster, in 2019 the company undertook a complete rebrand to become ‘OfficeMaster, Work Happy’.

This was to embrace the company’s ethos and facilitated the merging of its Waterford and Cork operations.

OFFICEMASTER – DIFFERENT SUPPLIER BUT SAME EXCELLENT SERVICE OfficeMaster, located on the Quay in Waterford, have provided highquality graphic design and printing since the early 1990s. They will celebrate the significant milestone of 50 years in business in 2023.

As a provider of office supplies and furniture, they have diversified to become a leading office fit-out specialist offering advice on space planning, ergonomics as well as a comprehensive graphic design service. With two full-time graphic designers available, they are excited to embrace the potential growth of their already established design & print business afforded by the closure of Promotive.

Dervela, Marina and Mike have worked closely with Paula and her team to learn about the needs and wants of the various customers and will continue the high standard of work required. They offer the full range of graphic design and printing

while the support team provide many other ‘while you wait’ services such as photocopying, scanning, laminating, and binding.

Dervela Linehan, Retail Manager, is excited about the opportunity of welcoming new customers into the OfficeMaster store.

Dervela Linehan, Retail Manager at OfficeMaster

"While our services can be provided remotely, via email communication and our delivery service, we do enjoy welcoming and meeting our customers on-site to provide a truly personal and professional service."

 You can contact the OfficeMaster team on (051) 876 995 or email to sales@officemaster.ie 25

URBAN FOREST at Airport Business Park

 By LYNDA LAWTON, Waterford Chamber

I

t’s no secret that Earth is rapidly losing its forests. In fact, between 1990 and 2015 the world lost 129 million hectares and deforestation is responsible for an estimated 5 billion tons, or 17 percent, of annual global carbon emissions, not to mention soil erosion and biodiversity loss.

This is of grave concern for Waterford man Niall Griffin, who owns Waterford Airport Business Park with this brother Padraig O’Griofa. Together the brothers have begun planting forests on site using the Miyawaki Method of forestry, popularised by a 2014 TED Talk, which promises to grow mature native forests 10 times faster and 100 times more biodiverse than conventional plantations.

According to Niall: “Growing forests has numerous benefits,

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as they remove vast amounts of carbon from the air and store it in leaves, branches, trunks, roots, and dirt. They cool the air and generate oxygen, plus they clean our waters and regulate precipitation and wind. They also house 80 percent of our terrestrial biodiversity, reduce soil erosion, halt desertification, and lessen the impacts of floods.

“Newly planted forests improve land degraded by mining, growing crops, and over-grazing livestock.

It can also help reduce fertiliser runoff into rivers that causes algae blooms and create wildlife corridors between one isolated verdant bit and another. That’s why afforestation is critical to the continuation of life on our planet, which is rapidly heating while losing its ecological biodiversity.”

The Miyawaki Method is named after its creator, Akira Miyawaki, a Blue Planet Award-winning botanist from Japan who is celebrated for his very particular approach to afforestation — a soil, air, water and climate-remediating process by which trees are planted where no trees existed before.

Niall explains: “The core pillars of the method are density and diversity. Density creates undersoil co-operation and above soil competition. By planting native trees very close together the underground root network, “the wood wide web” establishes quickly. This undersoil root network provides many benefits to the trees including the ability to pass nutrients and water to the trees that need them most. Above ground, the trees stretch up faster as they are

NETWORK • Q2 2022

competing with each other for light in unusually close quarters. The diverse selection of native trees means the soil is enriched by a ‘diverse diet’ enhancing the health of the root network and spurring the growth of the trees.”

Miyawaki forests have been successfully planted on more than 3,000 sites globally, but what are the benefits?

• Trees in a Miyawaki forest grow up to ten times faster at around a metre per year, reaching a stable multi-layered forest community in 20 to 30 years instead of hundreds of years.

• The growing trees absorb more carbon in a Miyawaki forest than in a plantation or in standard afforestation projects because they grow more

quickly and there are thirty times as many.

• The Miyawaki method has been successful where other planting projects have failed, such as in arid Mediterranean habitats, due to high survival rates.

• Native trees thrive in the conditions to which they are adapted and are more resilient to environmental changes.

• Miyawaki forests have been found to have far higher biodiversity than neighbouring woodland, on average 18 times higher.

not only enthused by Waterford’s bid to become the first decarbonised city in Ireland but believes it is something we all need to take responsibility for.

“We all have a civic responsibility to make the world a better place for our future generations and one small step can make a huge difference. We are hugely committed to decarbonisation here at the Airport Business Park and, along with the forestation, we have also installed EV chargers and operate our businesses in line with the green agenda. We would encourage all businesses and householders to do the same.”

Niall, an active member of the Waterford Green Deal initiative, is

The Miyawaki Method

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Waterford businesses committed to green agenda

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aterford Chamber is deeply committed to the promotion of the Green agenda for Waterford and throughout the month of May, held a series of events and initiatives in partnership with Energia.

It all kicked off with a city-wide Lunch Time Clean-up as part of Earth Day, with Chamber registering Waterford for The Great Global Clean-up, a worldwide campaign to remove billions of pieces of trash from neighbourhoods, beaches, rivers, lakes, trails, and parks — reducing waste and plastic pollution, improving habitats, and preventing harm to wildlife and humans.

In addition, there was an ongoing social media campaign showcasing the wonderful work Waterford Chamber members are doing to support a better environment and it was really heartening to see so many businesses committed to doing their bit for the green agenda.

Michael Walsh, Chief Executive, Waterford City & County Council, headed the line-up of speakers at our ‘Going Green for Business’ event in SETU, while we also heard from Energia, Enerpower and

3CEA on funding support for business and from SETU on building a sustainable campus.

The month concluded with a fantastic networking breakfast at GROW HQ with GIY and Enerpower, who spoke about their ongoing partnership and the highlight for all was a guided tour of the gardens.

Waterford Chamber continues its work in terms of driving the green

agenda and it will be a dominant theme of Toys4Engineers week, which runs from October 3rd to 7th, with a Live Expo and Conference taking place on October 6th in SETU Arena.

Well done to all the businesses who are making strides to improve their energy efficiency and sustainability and please be sure to share your story with us!

Preparing to welcome hydrogen on to Ireland’s gas network Gas Networks Ireland will open its new research and development facility in Citywest later this year.

The recently announced Climate Action Plan anticipates a key role for green hydrogen in the future of Ireland’s energy system and Gas Networks Ireland is working to make this a reality.

Ireland’s gas network is one of the safest and most modern renewable-ready gas networks in the world, and Gas Networks Ireland is working with a range of stakeholders and research partners, including University College Dublin’s Energy Institute (UCDEI), to ensure that Ireland is well positioned to join the hydrogen revolution.

With the UK moving quickly to introduce blends of hydrogen into its gas network later this decade, Gas Networks Ireland is working to ensure that Ireland’s network is capable of safely transporting and storing this vital carbon free gas in advance of 2030.

CALL US ON: (051) 373 333 Six Cross Roads Business Park, Waterford

Access / Hoist Hire | Plant & Machine Hire Marquee & Event Hire | Training

www.clemhire.com

A TRUE WATERFORD COMPANY

Monkey Cups Irish glass reusable coffee cups www.monkeycups.ie

EDQ

At Konnekt-able Technologies we follow high standards to sustainably develop our working and business practices. We are committed to improving the quality of life for all generations by maximising social, economic and environmental value.

We respect people, environments and generations so we are constantly seeking for innovative methods to minimize any negative environmental impacts from our activities. We legally and ethically carry out our operations showing concern for the people involved in the process and respect for the time invested in doing that.

We are certainly doing our part in making sustainability a core mission within our company while encouraging our partners, clients and suppliers to do the same. https://konnektable.com/sustainability-policy

Tree mapping award for Waterford Council

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aterford City and County Council claimed Stand-out Success in 3D GIS (Geographic Information Systems) at Esri Ireland’s 2021 Customer Success Awards.

The award recognises the Council’s work in utilising Bluesky National Tree Map Data, which provides a unique, comprehensive database of location, height and canopy/crown extents for every single tree in Waterford City and County.

Jon Hawkins, IS Project Leader Responsible for GIS Projects, Waterford City and County Council explains the rationale behind National Tree Map. “Trees play such a significant role in our lives. Not only do they combat air pollution, they improve our health, particularly psychologically when we are near them.”

“We originally devised this project with the Forward Planning Section and the Heritage Officer to use the data to review Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and Trees of Special Amenity Value datasets. This information helps us to ensure that proper provision is made for their protection and management, so that we can continue to enjoy the benefits of trees in Waterford city and county for generations to come.”

Jon Hawkins is also working closely with Eoin Dullea, Horticulturist at Waterford City and County Council, and commented, “To achieve our ambitions to be one of the lead cities in Europe in terms of carbon neutrality we must understand our starting point in terms of tree coverage, and this is where the Bluesky National Tree Map data also plays a pivotal role.”

Using the Bluesky National Tree Map data, Waterford City and

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County Council now has a thorough understanding of current tree cover across the 42 sqkm city area.

Using the Council’s GIS licensed software, the data was interrogated to calculate percentage tree cover for each of the 38 Electoral divisions in the City area. Initial results showed current cover ranges from 2-21 percent with an average of 12 percent.

To increase this value to a target tree cover of 20 percent an understanding of areas within the city that were suitable and available for planting was needed. Again, using the Bluesky data this time alongside land use zonings from the Council’s Development Plan and land type classifications from Ordnance Survey, the Council is identifying parcels of land that may be suitable, such as recreational land, open spaces and road verges. Further analysis will also be undertaken to allow for minimum planting areas and growth of existing trees.

“The Bluesky National Tree Map has enabled and assisted conversations about current and future tree cover,” added Eoin Dullea, Horticulturist at Waterford City and County Council. “It allows us to visualise the urban environment

to include the urban forest from the desktop and make data driven decisions that will inform future policies and budgets. It will also allow us to measure and report on progress over the next few years.”

On 22nd April 2020, an aerial survey recorded 7,743,563 trees, with a maximum height greater than three metres, within Waterford City and County Councils administrative boundary.

That data was effectively transformed into smart 3D models and visualisations to help analyse and provide future solutions.

A lot of fascinating data was captured, such as the fact that the largest tree canopy in the City and County was recorded in Killhaly East, Cappoquin, near the Blackwater River, with an area totalling 900 square metres or that the tallest tree in the City and County was recorded on the Curraghmore Estate, Portlaw. Its mean height is 42.84 metres.  You can view the locations of Waterford city and county’s trees by visiting Waterford City and County National Tree Map (arcgis.com)

NETWORK • Q2 2022

Agriculture can power a cleaner energy future Biomethane is a renewable gas that can be made from agricultural waste and seamlessly replace natural gas.

It is a proven solution for reducing on-farm emissions and delivering cleaner air and waterways.

It can also support additional income streams and jobs in rural communities.

Learn more at www.gasnetworks.ie/biomethane

“There is only one planet Earth, yet by 2050, the world will be consuming as if there were three.”

– European Commission (A new Circular Economy Action Plan 2020)

Fast fashion is no longer fashionable Nuala Browne-Treacy of Meraki Marketing has worked in fashion retail for decades and is an advocate for good quality clothing, Irish brands and the circular economy of clothing. Here she talks to Lynda Lawton about her new social enterprise CLÂN and how she wants to make a difference to the green agenda.

Q: Nuala, you are passionate about circular economic business models in the clothing sector. Tell us a little more ‘The Circular Economy for Fashion and Clothing’.

The current clothing and textile industry is based on a traditional linear economic model and simply isn’t sustainable. It depends on exploits and destroys the ecological resources and social assets we humans and the economy depend on.

Most clothing and textiles are not currently made to be recycled, reused, repurposed or biodegradable, hence most textiles end up in landfill or are incinerated. According to EMF, “Globally one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or

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incinerated every second!”

Circular economy replaces this traditional linear economy system of ‘Take, Make and Waste” with an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design and provides benefits for business society and the environment.

Q: You have recently launched CLÂN – a social enterprise.

What is the aim and objective of the initiative?

Consumer behaviour around clothing and sustainability is only partly understood. Many of the pressures created by the consumption of clothing, and textiles can be traced back to fast fashion, low-cost, lowquality apparel produced at great speed, often under poor labour

conditions, outside the EU. CLÂN (Circular Lifestyle Awareness Network), as its name suggests, aims to educate and inform on the adoption of the new textile economy to reframe value in fashion and deliver substantially better economic, societal and environmental outcomes.

The objective is to prevent clothing waste and pollution, to support our own communities, businesses and local authorities as they transition from the current linear economic model of ‘Take Make and Waste’ in favour of circular business model ‘Reuse, Repairing, Remaking and Recycling’.

CLÂN aims to achieve the following goals through education and informational workshops and research:

NETWORK • Q2 2022

• Eliminate waste and pollution, keep clothing and textile products in use and regenerate natural systems, to envision a better approach to manufacturing, material, and waste.

• Highlight the value of circularity of place using Irish grown products e.g. wool and linen, which reduce the dependency on virgin raw materials, and the finite resources on our planet.

• Optimise collection repair, repurpose and recycling and stimulate demand for effective collection.

• Assist businesses to understand the benefits of offering restorative and regenerative solutions to consumers and the benefits of transparency in the digital age using eco-labels and circularity.

• Just as we demand information and transparency in the food we consume, we should expect the same from the clothing and textiles we wear. Find out more about the brands we buy, understand the care and composition and ask, ‘who made my clothes?’

• Learn how to care for clothing and textiles, so they last longer.

• Review our wardrobe before buying new.

• Shop second-hand where possible.

• Resell clothing and textiles.

By extending the life of clothing by an extra nine months alone, would reduce carbon, water, and waste footprints by around 20–30%.

Q: The EU recently launched

with CLÂN?

their strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. How significant is this?

WASTE LESS! Put simply, understand and value our textile and clothing choices. Keep clothing and textiles in use for longer.

Between 2000 and 2014, the average consumer started buying 60% more garments and using their garments for half as long.

This linear fashion system leaves economic opportunities untapped, puts pressure on finite resources, pollutes and degrades ecosystems, and creates significant societal impacts.

How people can get involved is to practice small changes and think more consciously as consumers. A few suggestions: • Buy less and buy better.

• As consumers we should expect clothing and textile brands to be transparent about their products, offering customers options to facilitate the collection of post-consumer clothing.

• Try to live by the four Rs of Fashion: Reuse, Re-share, Repair, Repurpose.

Textile and clothing are a fundamental part of everyday life and an important sector in the global economy.

The strategy presents a new approach by looking at the entire lifecycle of textile products and it proposes actions to shift models from linear to circular and change how we produce and consume textiles.

The EU strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles aims to create a greener, more competitive clothing and textile sector that is resistant to global shocks.

The strategy lays out a forwardlooking set of actions. Here are some significant ones: • The commission plans to outlaw ‘Greenwashing and planned obsolescence.’

• Companies and brands will need to demonstrate claims they use on products as “environmentally friendly or “eco.”

• Also of note is the obligation on companies to be more

Q: How can people get involved

NETWORK • Q2 2022

responsible for their products along the value chain with sufficient capabilities for recycling and disclosure of unsold goods products at end of lifecycle.

Q: How important is the Circular Economy for Fashion and Clothing to the overall green agenda and EU Sustainable Development Goals?

According to the EU, textiles are the fourth highest pressure category for the use of primary raw materials and water, after food, housing and transport. It is estimated that less than 1% of all textiles worldwide are recycled into new textiles.

The EU Green Deal launched a concerted strategy for a climateneutral, resource-efficient, and competitive economy by 2050.

The premise of the EU strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles is to look at the entire lifecycle of textile products and promise actions to change how we produce and consume textiles.

According to The Guardian, the EU Environment Commissioner, Virginijusn Sinkevičius, has been quoted to say the commission wants fast fashion “to get out of fashion” and “by 2030 textiles placed on the EU market should be long-lived and recyclable, made to a large extent of recycled fibers.”

It’s early days with CLÂN as a Social Enterprise, starting in Waterford, Ireland. We are anticipating over the next few months to create a pilot pop-up that helps explore the Circular Economy for Fashion, by providing solutions, preventing waste and pollution of our clothing and textiles. Any queries or offers of support in this endeavor are all welcome!  Visit the CLÂN Showcase page on LinkedIn at https://bit.ly/3Gwxwb4

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Energia's

Cash

for Kilowatts

Founded upon 53 years of operating experience, EPS Group has grown from a relatively small electrical and pumping services business in Kanturk, Co. Cork to an international exporting group, now focused upon the water and wastewater and clean technology sectors. The company offers water and wastewater pumping and treatment services to markets in Ireland and the UK, while also exports globally for one-off or strategic projects. EPS approached Energia about an energy efficiency upgrade.

Patrick Buckley, Managing Director of EPS, tells us more…

Q: Why did you approach Energia?

EPS has been employing energy efficiency and energy reduction schemes for over 20 years, but we have begun a process of reassessment to reset our journey. Energia was already providing EPS with 100% renewable electricity across our branches and sites, it was the next logical step to explore what other measures we could make to continue towards our goal of being a Net Zero business.

Q: What type of upgrade did EPS have with Cash for Kilowatts?

Energy – water and wastewater pump replacement schemes; modifications, enhancement of pumping systems and the use of optimised VSD (variable speed drive) technologies and network control.

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Aeration upgrades with enhanced blower aeration technology.

Q: How was the paperwork and grant application?

The whole process was very straightforward. Our account managers at Energia did the heavy lifting on that front.

Q: How did you find the end-toend process and timeline?

The process with Energia was seamless. We have an excellent relationship with our Energia account managers and project managers, who we worked with every step of the way to ensure the whole process ran smoothly. Our Energy Manager, Jerome O’Sullivan, did an excellent job managing the project on behalf of EPS.

Q: Has EPS business noticed a

difference in your energy costs and carbon impact since the upgrade?

Absolutely – our participation in the Cash for Kilowatts scheme has already saved 5.1megawatt hours – the equivalent of turning off 500,000 lightbulbs!

Q: Has the work completed been part of a larger energy efficiency/energy consumption reduction strategy?

EPS has a long history of employing energy efficiency and energy reduction schemes for over 20 years and in 2021, we published our first annual Sustainability Report. In 2015, we won the SEAI Leadership Award for helping voluntary groups secure €1.93 million for energy projects.

In a project titled ‘Community Energy Performance Solutions’

NETWORK • Q2 2022

Going Green for Business Waterford Chamber and Energia hosted a ‘Going Green for Business’ event on 20th May at South East Technological University.

Michael Walsh, CEO, Waterford City & Council Council spoke about Waterford’s decarbonisation ambition while Grainne Kennedy of 3CEA on what funding is available. We also heard from Owen Power of Enerpower on the latest energy offerings and from Derek Scully of Energia on practical implementation without disruption to business.

(CEPS), EPS has assisted community groups and businesses in Cork, Kerry and Limerick to secure funding towards various projects aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of these organisations.

This resulted in the installation of many energy efficient projects such as lighting, boilers and insulation We also introduced some schemes to benefit our employees, such as the Better Energy Home Salary Incentive Scheme (BEHSIS) as an incentive to encourage employees to improve the energy performance of their homes. On average, each employee who participated received approximately €6,000 worth of energy upgrades, of which 50 per cent was funded through subsidies.

Q: What advice would you give

You have nothing to lose, everything to gain and you can play your part in making your business more sustainable. Approach Energia to see if Cash for Kilowatts can be as successful for you as it has been for us.

Q: Would you be happy to recommend Cash for Kilowatts?

Absolutely – no matter the nature of your business, by working collectively we can make a difference and Cash for Kilowatts is a scheme that can be adopted by businesses of any shape or size.

Cash For Kilowatts can help your business to become more sustainable by optimising your energy efficiency and reducing your energy consumption.

to a business considering an energy efficiency upgrade?

NETWORK • Q2 2022

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Local Enterprise Office launch ‘Your Waterford’

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ocal Enterprise Office, Waterford recently launched its latest programme for assisting businesses in Waterford. ‘Your Waterford’ showcases some of the best quality products and services designed or produced in Waterford. It provides the platform which many businesses do not currently have access to.

The Local Enterprise Office often describes itself as a ‘First Stop Shop’ for business, now it has created a ‘First Stop Shop’ website for local business to display its wares and customers to find the right product or service.

Aimed at shoppers and business customers, ‘Your Waterford’ is a meeting place to identify and develop relationships with suppliers, foster local contacts and display the vast array of products and services available in our county.

Richie Walsh, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Waterford explained the importance of this platform, “The team at the Local Enterprise Office endeavours to work on the ground with local business. That’s why we know for those in the

business to business community, finding local suppliers can be difficult. Our local companies produce some of the highest quality, creative and innovative products available in the country, but not everyone is aware of what is going on in our local community. “‘Your Waterford’ gives shoppers the opportunity to explore a range of diverse and unique products, which they can buy online directly through the specific companies’ websites.

Waterford Ireland’s Best Place To Live

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ENGINEERS

3rd to 7th October 2022 www.toys4engineers.ie

.

Live Expo & Conference @ WIT Arena on 6th Oct 2022

EXPO · CONFERENCE · MEET THE BUYER · RECRUITMENT A MUST-ATTEND EVENT FOR ANYONE IN ENGINEERING, TECH, PHARMA AND RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRIES.

CRYSTAL VALLEY P r o u d ly C r a f t i n g T e c h n o l o g y

BITE SIZE

NEWS

WATERFORD CHAMBER MEETS IVANA BACIK Waterford Chamber recently held a positive and engaging meeting with Ivana Bacik TD, Leader of the Labour Party, where we discussed the challenges and opportunities for Waterford.

ORCHARDS IN THE COMMUNITY The Men’s Support Group in the Solas Cancer Support Centre were delighted to be contacted by the team in Suir

Engineering with the kind offer of fruits trees. The trees are part of a nationwide Host in Ireland project that aims to help protect bees and increase pollination and plans to plant in excess of 1,000 mixed fruit orchards all over Ireland.

David Phelan, Business Development Director at Suir Engineering explains more – ‘We are proud to be a part of the #DCsForBees 1000 'Orchards In The Community' Initiative. The orchard that we have planted in the Solas Cancer Support Centre is one of more than 1200 orchards across the country that will bring huge life support to our bees and other pollinators as they emerge searching for food each Spring’.

NEW DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AT WALTON INSTITUTE Congratulations to Dr Deirdre Kilbane, who has been appointed Director of Research at the Walton Institute. Dr Kilbane will provide leadership and vision in shaping Walton’s strategic multidisciplinary research direction and agenda. Dr Kilbane will build on the success of the Walton Institute as a world class research centre and continue to promote, strengthen, and enhance a diverse multidisciplinary research culture, expanding its research activities through fostering enthusiasm, excitement, and motivation for research.

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REPORTALL WHISTLEBLOWING PLATFORM Every enterprise has its own unique risk, reputation, and compliance challenges.

Every ethical business enterprise recognizes the benefits of uncovering and properly addressing their employees’ and managers’ unethical or illegal activities regardless of personal cost. And every ethical business endeavours strive to maintain a pleasant and productive work environment. As a solution to this serious issue, a Waterford based company, Konnektable Technologies Ltd., has created a state-of-the-art whistleblowing platform known as ReportAll. Blowing the whistle through anonymous, confidential or full disclosure reporting, ReportAll is an online, easy-to-use tool for both compliance officers and whistleblowers that fosters integrity, empowers people’s trust and makes the workplace safer and ethically active. Configured to meet all legal requirements, the system complies with all applicable legal frameworks, covering a big range of the market needs. Hence, it can be adopted by any company operating in every industry, law firms, HR agencies as well as educational and research organisations.

Learn more about ReportAll at www. reportall.eu and book a demo to identify how this powerful whistleblowing system can address your needs.

..

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS • • • • • • • •

Busy Barn Mini Farm Initiate Hunt Office Technology Liquidline SAOR Adventures Source BioScience Waterford Disability Network Wellbeing Warrior NETWORK • Q2 2022

NEW WATERFORD GREENWAY MOBILE APP Walton Institute, in conjunction with Mulligans Pharmacy, is proud to announce the launch of their latest innovation, the Waterford Greenway app. The Waterford Greenway Augmented Reality (AR) app is a location based mobile application, which will help users to explore the 46 kilometers of car-free pathway stretching from historic Waterford City to the beautiful sea-side town of Dungarvan in west Co Waterford. The free app will provide users with a unique AR experience of the rich history and cultural heritage of the greenway including four main sites: Woodstown Viking site; The Fairy Forest; Kilmeadan Castle; and Waterford and Suir Valley Heritage Railway. The Waterford Greenway app is available now to download for free from the App Store on all Apple devices.

WELCOME PACKS FOR UKRAINIAN CHILDREN As large numbers of people fleeing the war in Ukraine continue to arrive in Waterford, a team of volunteers from Sanofi, the global healthcare company that employs 800 people in the city, has assembled and packed more than €12,000 worth of direct aid to be distributed locally.

Funded through Sanofi’s CSR programme and boosted by donations from the site team, hundreds of personal care packs; schoolbags filled with classroom essentials for various age groups and a range of new clothing is being shared out among those staying temporarily in local hotels, sports centres and other emergency accommodation. The coordinating

team has worked with Waterford City & County Council and Waterford Area Partnership to ensure they help meet real need locally. Their counterparts from neighbours Cartamundi also joined the effort - donating more than 200 board games to help entertain and occupy some of the younger new arrivals.

COLLABORATION IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING IN WATERFORD Energia Group, Waterford Chamber and char.gy have today unveiled the first char. gy lamppost and bollard attached electric vehicle (EV) charging points. Installed by Metalman Engineering and local electrician John Kavanagh Electrical Ltd, the char.gy bollard and lamppost attached charge points are now operational at Waterford Airport Business Park.

As Waterford Chamber’s sustainable energy partner, Energia Group is supporting the ‘Waterford Green Deal’ initiative which aims to make Waterford carbon neutral by 2040. Access to EV charging

NETWORK • Q2 2022

is a key enabler of sustainable transport solutions and Energia Group is proud to be involved in this partnership.

Integrating the charging points into existing street infrastructure such as lampposts is an efficient way of increasing the coverage of EV charging points in our towns and cities.

This installation marks a first for Energia Group, Waterford Chamber and char.gy and the collaboration will see further EV charging points to provide greater access and encourage EV uptake in Waterford.

€12M INVESTMENT

BY EIRGEN PHARMA EirGen Pharma has acquired a new building in the IDA Industrial Estate in Waterford which will facilitate an expansion of its Oral Solid Dose manufacturing and packaging capabilities. The new facility will provide an additional 3,500m2 of state-of-the-art manufacturing and packaging capabilities for its global customer base.

An Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Leo Varadkar welcomed the news, saying: “Congratulations to Eirgen on this significant expansion which will amount to a €12m investment in Waterford. This decision really reinforces the company’s commitment to Waterford and is a testament to the local team and talent pool we have in the South East.”

CEO Damien Burke stated “The acquisition of this building and adjoining 1.2-hectare site strategically positions the business for sustained growth over the next ten years.

It also represents a significant vote of confidence by the OPKO board in the capability of our employees, our leadership team in EirGen and Waterford as a locality to expand our business. This expansion will see up to €12 million invested locally throughout the construction phase in 2022/2023.”

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Network Waterford President Margaret Julian; Karen Murphy, Murphy Larkin Timber Products; Louisa Meehan.

Network Waterford President Margaret Julian; Natalie Garland-Cooke, ncco; Jacqui Gaule, Local Enterprise Office

Network Ireland Waterford President Margaret Julian; Suzanne Parker, Parker Law; Lorraine Greene, AIB.

Network Waterford President Margaret Julian; Baya Salmon-Hawke, Body Magic; Louisa Meehan.

Network Ireland Waterford President Margaret Julian; Ann Marie Shannon, Veritas Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors; Jacqui Gaule, Local Enterprise Office.

Network Ireland Waterford announce

Businesswomen of the Year 2022 T he sun was shining on Network Ireland Waterford Branch as they gathered in Waterford Castle for the announcement of the winners of their Businesswoman of the Year Awards on Friday, 27th May 2022.

The biggest event in the Network Ireland Waterford Branch calendar, this year’s awards were long awaited as Covid restrictions had pushed the previous two years online. Attendees enjoyed their lunch while addresses came from a host of guests including former National President of Network Ireland Louisa Meehan, and the keynote delivered by Gabrielle Cummins, CEO of Beat 102–103. Gabrielle commended the finalists for their passion and innovation and spoke of the women of Waterford who have inspired and supported her both personally and in her career.

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The Network Ireland Waterford Businesswomen of the Year 2022 are Natalie Garland-Cooke, ncco NC Consulting & Co in the Solo Businesswoman category; Ann Marie Shannon, Veritas Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors in the Emerging Businesswoman category; Baya Salmon-Hawke, Body Magic in the Creative Professional category; Suzanne Parker, Parker Law in the Established Businesswoman category; Karen Murphy, Murphy Larkin Timber Products in the Employee – Shining Star category and Suzanne Parker, Parker Law in the Power Within category.

Margaret Julian, President of Network Ireland Waterford praised the judges for their work: “We have an amazing community of businesswomen in Waterford and every year we see them step up

to acknowledge the talent and professional skills they possess and inspire us with their achievements and successes. We are so grateful to our judges, David Walsh from Waterford LEO, Jenny Beresford, CEO of Dungarvan Chamber & Kate Delahunty from AIB – they had such an unenviable task to select the winners from such a calibre of finalists.”

The winners will go on to represent Waterford at the Network Ireland National Awards on October 7th in Galway.

Network Ireland Waterford is supported by the Local Enterprise Office in Waterford and their official partner is AIB. Both organisations were represented at the awards with addresses from Jacqui Gaule from LEO and Lorraine Greene from AIB.

NETWORK • Q2 2022

DEVELOPING BRAVE BUSINESS LEADERS 9x 1:1 MENTORING SESSIONS · 9x EVENTS · 9x MONTHS INSPIRING SPEAKERS · PANEL DISCUSSIONS NETWORKING · HYBRID PROGRAMME LEARNING FROM REAL LEADERS “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”

— John Maxwell

For more information on the 2022/23 Programme, email lynda.lawton@waterfordchamber.ie

in partnership with

School’s out and the party has started!

S

chools out, summer camps are booked and all that’s left to do is fill the other 60 odd days! Thankfully, Waterford is a hub of activity this summer, with new festivals nearly every week and great places to explore.

Your weekends are also covered, be it with or without the kids. Summer in the City is back with a bang and there is a fantastic line-up of live music.

The Reg and the Munster Bar are collaborating once again for The Churchyard Sessions, with some fantastic acts, while Tully's Bar Waterford, Thomas Maher and the Phoenix Yard will bring you the Saturday Night Block Party.

Come rain or shine, the party will be happening from 6pm on O’Connell Street with DJs and bands rocking it out.

Summer in the City and Active Cities Waterford have teamed up to shake up our three months of summer.

Join in for Roller Skating, Flashmobs, Hill Running, Yoga, Tugo'War, Lifesize Jenga, family days and much more.

They will also collaborate with John Walsh of Waterford Muay Thai to offer free classes every Sunday morning for the month of July down at the Millennium Plaza, so be sure to check it out.

There’s also live music during the weekend at various points throughout the city centre, including John Roberts Square, Jenkins Lane, the Apple Market and more.

Keep an eye on social media for the weekly lineups, all events are free and above all else, enjoy! https://www.facebook.com/WaterfordSITC

Officially Opening November 22nd 2019

Pick Up A “Night Cap” Voucher at One Of Our Many Fine Neighbouring Restaurants

Time to book your company outing?

At The Reg we cater for all group sizes. Choose from a number of options which include: • Private reserved seating area (during Churchyard Sessions we will reserve an area outside also) • À la carte menu, set dinner menu or finger food, welcome drinks, gin trees and cocktails • Wristbands or vouchers for drinks at the bar • Quiz night, Karaoke, Awards Ceremonies, DJ, bands and much more...

Shush, 5 & 6 The Mall, Waterford 051-583000 www.shushwaterford.ie

Call us on 051-583000 or email bookings@thereg.ie

hurchyard Sessions is back for 2022 Sat 4/6 FRIDAY NIGHTS

CTrad Fusion with

Paddy Casey FRIDAY NIGHTS Trad Fusion with Sat 11/6 The Strobes THE MULLIGANS Sat 18/6 Brass & Co Live Jazz with WATERFORD JAZZ COLLECTIVE Sat 25/6 Old School STACY MITCHHART Sat 2/7 Fri 22/7 Mad Ferritt LOCAL LIVE ACTS Sat 9/7 Rhythm Section Sat 16/7 Thank Funk SATURDAYS Sat 23/7 Stacy Mitchhart June 04 Paddy Casey June 11 SPRAOI The Strobes Sat 30/7 June 18 Brass & Co June 25 Old School ACT Sat 6/8 SURPRISE July 02 Mad Ferritt July 09 Unusual RhythmSuspects Section Sat 13/8 July 16 Thank Funk July 23 Stacy Mitchhart Sat 20/8 Mundy July 30 August 06 Surprise Act Sat 27/8 Special August Duke 13 Unusual Suspects

and is bigger than ever before. Free very Friday and Saturday evening from 7pm until late starting on June 4th running until August 27th, the best regional and national Live Music Artists will perform at this free outdoor event.

The Churchyard Sessions, building on the success of previous years is held in this unique setting in the shadow of the 15th century French Church on Baileys New Street in the heart of Waterford Cities Viking Triangle.

National acts such as Paddy Casey, Mundy and Nashvilles Stacey Mitchart plus many more will play in our stunning location again in 2022. This year we welcome local performers of Jazz and Traditional Music to the big stage every Friday night.

There is spacious seating with tables and lots of standing room in this stunning location, we will have outdoor street food and a bar on site to ensure you have a memorable evening.

The event is a joint initiative between The Reg and The Munster Bar in association with Rockshore Irish beers, Waterford City & County Council and Irelands Ancient East and is part of Waterford City & County Councils Summer in the City program.

Keep up to date on our Social Media channels Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

THE MULLIGANS Live Jazz with WATERFORD JAZZ COLLECTIVE Fri 22/7 Stacy Mitchhart LOCAL LIVE ACTS

August 20 August 27

Mundy Duke Special

r e m m u S of Festivals JUNE Summer in the City JUNE TO AUGUST Summer in the City will see Waterford come alive with music, family entertainment, workshops, street performers and much, much more from June to August. Whether you are local, out with family, friends or a tourist there is something for everyone and it’s free. facebook.com/WaterfordSITC

Immrama 17‒19 JUNE The Immrama Festival has been held in Lismore, every June since 2003. This festival is dedicated to the art of writing, music, and entertainment and is considered a high quality literary festival that draws national and international authors and visitors annually. www.lismore-immrama.com

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TuneFest Dungarvan 24‒26 June Dungarvan is proud to announce the return of TuneFest, a trad music session spaced over 3 days that will be chockfull with workshops and concerts from some of Waterford’s finest bands. www.facebook.com/ tunefestdungarvan

Dunmore East Festival of Food, Fish & Fun 28‒29 JUNE Dunmore East’s annual Festival of Food at the harbour is guaranteed to be a jam packed weekend of entertainment with music, markets, crafts and much more. www.discoverdunmore.com

NETWORK • Q2 2022

AUGUST

JULY TF Meagher Tricolour Celebration 01‒03 JULY This celebration is a cultural and historical event commemorating the first flying of the Irish National flag by Waterfordian Thomas Francis Meagher, at the Wolf Tone Confederate Club at 33 the Mall, Waterford on March 7th, 1848. www.meagherstricolour.com

Comeraghs Wild Festival 08‒10 JULY The annual Comeraghs Wild Festival is an event steeped in culture and heritage, held at one of the most picturesque venues in Ireland. There will be something for everyone from walks, music, storytelling, poetry and food, let the adventure begin. www.comeraghswild.com

All Together Now 29‒31 JULY The August bank holiday weekend sees the return of All Together Now on the picturesque Curraghmore Estate. This is a must experience festival of food, music and all things theatrical with something for everyone. www.alltogethernow.ie

NETWORK • Q2 2022

Spraoi International Street Arts Festival 29‒31 JULY Ireland’s premiere street arts party transforms Waterford into a giant stage on August Bank Holiday Weekend. The 30th Spraoi Festival returns featuring artists from around the world. www.spraoi.com

Waterford Walls 12‒21 AUGUST Now in its 8th year, national and international street artists congregate on Waterford City, revitalising it with some striking works of art. This festival caters for all ages and is guaranteed to be a fun filed 10 days with live music, workshops and guided trails. www.waterfordwalls.ie

August Horse Racing Festival 11‒14 AUGUST The Tramore Race Festival spans over 4 days with all top names in the sport attending. Together with the thrill of the race, great food, excellent company and spectacular views it’s no wonder, so many state it’s the only place to be this summer. www.tramore-racecourse.com

Dunmore East Festival of Bluegrass 26‒28 AUGUST This popular, high energy, fast tempo and unique instrumentation festival has been running since 1995, throughout the scenic seaside village of Dunmore East. 27 years on and it is still the event for all die hard bluegrass fans with the cream of crop of bands lining up to play. https://visitwaterford.com/event/ dunmore-east-bluegrass-festival/ 45

New local team appointed for Winterval

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ummer has just begun and yet plans are already well underway for Winterval 2022.

In great news, two local men have been appointed festival directors and both have long histories in the creative and community space in Waterford.

John Grubb of EveryEvent and Trevor Darmody from Waterford Academy of Music and Arts (WAMA) will lead the Winterval team in what will be a new and exciting year for the festival. They will be joined by another passionate Waterford professional, Teresanne O’Reilly of The Forest, who takes on the role of Sponsorship & Commercial Manager.

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According to John, “We are delighted to have been appointed and relish the opportunity to see our ideas come to light over the next few months. We are all from Waterford and passionate about delivering for our community.

“We want Winterval to be inclusive and we want to hear from anybody who wants to trade, has new ideas or wants to get involved in any way. Please reach out and contact us at winterval2022@gmail. com.”

While John is not giving away any secrets just yet, he has hinted that a lot of the old favourites will return but that there will be new events too.

“We’re going back to basics,

with lots of free family events, live music and animation. The light show will be back, as will the market and we have some new ideas too. We promise to deliver for the Waterford and visiting public. Covid is behind us and we’re looking forward with positivity. It’s going to be great.”

Both John and Trevor have worked together for many years and EveryEvent has been involved with Winterval since its inception.

With their creative experience and deep commitment to Waterford and showcasing the best of local, this may just be the best Winterval yet.

NETWORK • Q2 2022

Waterford’s

Blue Plaque Trail

A Civic Trust Blue Plaque is a permanent sign installed on a building in a public place to commemorate a link between notable figures of the past and the buildings in which they lived or had some connection to. It is a unique way to highlight these special achievements and celebrate those who have helped to shape our heritage and history.

 Researched by MARCUS COPLEY, Waterford Civic Trust

B

uilt in 1910, Convent Street, Tallow, the Carnegie Library is one of a group of five in County Waterford and one of over 2,500 worldwide, donated

by Scottish philanthropist and business man Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919), at the turn of the twentieth century.

Born in Scotland, Carnegie emigrated with his family to the US in search of a better life. At twelve, he began working in the cotton industry and through his natural ability and application became one of the world’s richest men.

Between 1897 and 1913, Carnegie promised over €179,000 to pay for the building of some 80 libraries in Ireland, 60 of which survive today.

Scotland-born industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie amassed an early 20th century steel industry fortune estimated at $309 billion in today’s money, more than double the $136 billion of Bill Gates software wealth. More importantly, Carnegie was the “father of modern philanthropy”, including the funding of 2,509 public libraries in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

In Ireland, 80 Carnegie library branches were opened between 1897 and 1913, a decade before the island’s political partition and civil war. Carnegie died 11 August 1919, at age 83.

On the centenary of Andrew Carnegie’s death, An Post issued some new stamps to commemorate four of the libraries in the Republic of Ireland. At the unveiling of these stamps on the 14th of August 2019, Felix M Larkin, Chairman of An Post’s Philatelic Advisory Committee, and founding member of the Newspaper and Periodical History Forum of Ireland said in his speech: “A characteristic of the Carnegie libraries is that, apart from their contribution to scholarship and learning, they were invariably housed in beautiful buildings – architectural ornaments in the towns and cities in which they were located…

“Libraries are the foundation of all scholarship, where books, newspapers, photographs, prints and drawings – and now digital material too – are lovingly preserved for posterity. And they are

preserved not only for use by the elite scholar laboring away in a university, in an ivory tower (so to speak), but for everyone with the curiosity to want to learn more about history, literature and a host of other things – or indeed just to enjoy the pleasure of reading and be enriched by it. Libraries are fundamentally democratic centers of learning, open to everyone – and free. “…Carnegie funded libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions in the region that directly contributed to my ability to learn about history, literature and a host of other things.”  Waterford Civic Trust is a registered charity and is a company limited by guarantee. We have erected Heritage Blue Plaques in many locations in Waterford City and County.

Contact us at Brick Lane, Greyfriars, Waterford. www.waterfordcivictrust.ie

gallery

BUSINESS

EXPO

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NETWORK • Q2 2022

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS @ BEST TILE

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS @ NOLKE OPTICIANS & HEARING CARE

MAY DAY AT MAIN STREET

NETWORK • Q2 2022

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MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY Accountant Aidan McAvinue & Co APBS Clinton Higgins Comerford Foley Connors & Co. Chartered Accountants David M. Breen & Co Drohan & Knox EY FDC Group Fitzgerald Power Hall Lifford Hall James F. Wallace & Company James Ivory & Co Jephson & Co Mark Kennedy & Co. MK Brazil O'Connell Meskill & Company O'Dwyer Power O'Sullivan Scanlon Brazil PwC Ray Wall & Co Veritas

Architect C.J. Falconer & Associates DHB Architects Fewer Harrington & Partners Merrigan Doyle Phelan and Partners

Arts & Leisure The Art Hand Artform School of Art Busy Barn Mini Farm Christ Church Cathedral Coastguard Cultural Centre Copper Coast Mini Farm Freedom Surf School Garter Lane Arts Centre Imagine Arts Festival Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium King Castles Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens Lake Tour Stables Mount Congreve Estate Newtown Golf Practice Range Peter Flanagan Hurleys & Sports Pirate's Adventure Pure Adventure SAOR Adventures Splashworld St Anne's Waterford Tennis Club Symphony Club of Waterford Theatre Royal Tramore Amusement & Leisure Park Tramore Golf Club Tramore Mini Golf Tramore Pro Shop Tramore Surf School Waterford & Suir Valley Railway Waterford & Tramore Racecourse Waterford Golf Club Waterford Healing Arts Trust

Audio/Visual DigiCol Photography & Media Productions Double.L Media Frontline Audio Visual RoundHouse Video

Banking & Financial Adelphi Financial Brokers AIB Bank Anita Cambie Financial Bank of Ireland Cantwell Financial Advisors Close Brothers Commercial Finance FDC Group Finance For Business First Citizen Finance Fitzgerald Life & Pensions Parolla Permanent TSB St. Dominic Credit Union

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Sure Valley Ventures Ulster Bank Waterford Credit Union

Business Development ArcLabs Enterprise Ireland IBEC IDA Ireland Irish Exporters Association New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme South East Business & Innovation Centre Waterford City Enterprise Centre Waterford Micro Business Network

Cleaning Services CCS Facilities MHL Facilities Tramore Dry Cleaners

Community Aiséirí Ballybeg Greens Copper Coast Geopark GIY Ireland Matt Shanahan TD Renew Enterprises Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Solas Cancer Support Centre Waterford Area Partnership Waterford Disability Network Waterford In Your Pocket Waterford Integration Services Waterford PPN

Construction Bolster Construction Encon Fergal Tynan Construction Glenveagh Hi-Tec Construction Hus Living MacMinn O'Reilly Mahon

Consultancy Almega Business Consulting ATPO Belview Management Consultants Benedek Frank Brendan M Cummins CaffCo Business Planning Carron + Walsh Darlington Consulting EAP Institute Finance For Business FP Consulting GDPR Audits Kelron Health & Safety Keystone Procurement ncco Nolan Construction Consultants Project Life Cycle Partners Ltd Ria White HR & Training Synantra

Education Irish Management Institute Junior Achievement Ireland Language Xchange Ireland South East Technological University Waterford & Wexford ETB Waterford College of Further Education Waterford English Language Centres Waterford Youthreach

Engineering Ace Metric Engineering Advantage Engineering Ellickson Doors Ellickson Engineering Institute of Industrial Engineers

& Safety Management Systems Kearney Engineering M.W. Murphy & Son Metalman Engineering STS Group Total Precision Engineering Solutions Weltec Engineering

Engineering Consultants Douglas Carroll Consulting Engineers Frank Fox & Associates Garland Leyden Consulting Engineers - LCE Malone O'Regan Consulting Engineers

Environment, Energy & Waste 3 Counties Energy Agency (3cea) Byrne & McGuire Oil ELLICRO Environment Care Energia Group Enerpower ESB Networks FLI Group Gas Networks Ireland Granny Recycling Kollect Supporting Nature Naturally Co. Visor Construction Solutions

Florist Casia Flowers

Food & Drink Anchor Spirits Ireland Blackwater Distillery Coffee House Lane Dawn Meats Group DessertFirst E. Flahavan & Sons Fintan Stanley Ltd Glorious Sushi Grantstown Nurseries The Iverk Show Jack Molloy & Son Legacy Irish Craft Cider Liquidline Mary Grimes Food Hall Molloys Butchers Ardkeen Paula's Delicatessen Phoenix Yard Market Pipin Pear The Lismore Food Company Trá Coffee Roasters Viking Irish Drinks Walsh's Bakehouse

Funeral Directors James Falconer Undertakers Robert Thompson Funeral Directors

Graphic Design B2B Communications Cantec Group Double.L Media Emagine The Forest HelloWorld Marketing, Web & Graphic Design Jones Business Systems OfficeMaster Passion For Creative Swift Print Tagline Print & Design TOTEM Vitamin Creative

Health & Beauty The Arch Barber Colm Morrissey Hair Salon Dr. Hemp Me Eye & Face Clinic Eyecatchers Opticians

Eyeworks Opticians The Natural Health Store Nolke Opticians & Hearing Care Rosy B Blends Smovey Health Spirit Beauty Spa Urban Hype

Healthcare Ani-Pets Veterinary Clinic Celltrion Healthcare Ireland Clannad Care Dermot Crowley & Associates Dr Joseph O'Beirne Family Practice Medical Centre FormaHoof Genesis Laser & Aesthetic Clinic Home Instead Senior Care The Keogh Practice RelateCare University Hospital Waterford UPMC Whitfield Waterford Hospice

Hotels The Addresse on the Beach Arlington Lodge Suites Dooley's Hotel Faithlegg Hotel & Golf Club Fitzwilton Hotel Granville Hotel Greenway Manor Hotel The Haven Hotel Majestic Hotel One the Waterfront O'Shea's Hotel The Sands Hotel The Strand Inn Tower Hotel & Leisure Centre Travelodge Waterford Treacy's Hotel, Spa & Leisure Centre Viking Hotel Waterford Waterford Castle Hotel & Golf Resort Waterford Marina Hotel

Household & Interior Design Affordable Luxury Furniture Best Tile Colourtrend Paint and Wallpaper Dlight Evoke German Kitchens Glen Parquet Flooring Laurence Farrell Mattress Mick Waterford Mattress Shop Ireland Co Ltd Murphy Larkin Timber Products Sienna Home Furnishings Tara Blinds Woodpecker Floors & Tiles

Housing Association Focus Ireland Respond

HR & Recruitment AA Euro Recruitment Group Aphex Group Hartley People Recruitment & Training Matrix Recruitment Morgan McKinley Osborne Recruitment Rigney Dolphin Taylor & Associates Turas Nua

HR Services Adare Human Resource Management Darlington Consulting Peninsula Business Services Ireland Ria White HR & Training SimplifyHR Turas Nua

NETWORK • Q2 2022

Insurance Arachas Corporate Brokers BMCI Insurance & Investments McDonald Dwyer Reddy & Byrne Insurances O'Leary Insurances (Waterford) Oliver Murphy Insurance Brokers Vhi Healthcare

IT Services Agora Publishing Services Ireland Double.L Media Fyrefli netgen Radius Technologies

Manufacturing Apparel Supply APS Materials, Inc. ARTeSYN BioSolutions Ireland Ball Beverage Packaging Ireland Bausch & Lomb Cartamundi Ireland Carten Controls CMC Hygea Eco-Burner EirGen Pharma ELC Laser Group Garrett Motion Ireland Glanbia Management Services Ltd Glazik Jabil Healthcare MEDITE SMARTPLY Monkey Cups PPI Adhesive Products Sanofi Waterford Schivo Medical Signode Packaging Ireland South Eastern Chemicals Swedencare Ireland teamKIT Supply Ltd Teva Pharmaceuticals Ireland West Pharma

Marketing & PR Agora Integrated Marketing B2B Communications Double.L Media The Forest Initiate Meraki Marketing Passion For Creative Preferred Marketing & PR Thimba Media Wide Eye Media

Media Beat 102-103 Hi-Lite Television Productions International Living The Munster Express Nemeton TV Waterford News & Star Waterford Today WLR FM

Office Supplies Hunt Office Technology Jones Business Systems OfficeMaster

Photographer Brownes Photography David Murphy Studio DigiCol Photography & Media Productions Double.L Media Garrett FitzGerald Photography John Power Photography Leo Murphy Photography Noel Browne Photographer Paddy Tubbritt Photography RoundHouse Video

Print & Signage Cantec Group Focus Visual Communication Graphic Image Jones Business Systems National Business Machines OfficeMaster One Stop Printing

NETWORK • Q2 2022

Swift Print Tagline Print & Design Tramore Print Universal Graphics

Property Causeway Group DNG Reid & Coppinger Ennis Gough Property Glenveagh GMC Auctioneers Griffin Auctioneers Lawrence & McDonald Liberty Blue Estate Agents LOR Property Solutions M&M O'Shea O'Shea O'Toole & Partners Palmer Auctioneers Property Partners Barry Herterich Property Partners Phelan Herterich Purcell Properties RE/MAX Team Fogarty Smart Move Properties Uptown Property Developments

Pubs & Clubs Croke's Pub The Holy Cross Bar & Restaurant Jack Meades The Old Forge O'Neill's Bar The Reg Robinson's Bar The Shanty & Terrace Bar T&H Doolan's Tully's Bar The Victoria House

Research & Development Konnektable Technologies RIKON SEAM Research Centre Walton Institute

Restaurants & Cafés Apache Pizza Azzurro Restaurant Bishops Palace Café Blackfriars Coffee The Book Centre Cafe Cnoc Carter's Chocolate Café Coach House Coffee Dooly's Everett's Restaurant The Haven Hotel The Holiday Shops The Holy Cross Bar & Restaurant Loko Restaurant Moe's Café Mol's One the Waterfront Pier Café Piper's Café & Churro Bar Ramen The Reg The Riverside Cottage Sandcastle Café The Spinnaker Bar & Restaurant The Stable Yard Food Hall T&H Doolan's

Retail 3Store Affordable Luxury Furniture Alfie Hale Sports Altitude Ardkeen Quality Food Store Audi Waterford Best Tile Brennan's Pharmacy Cahill's Newsagents Carry Out Caulfield's SuperValu City Square Shopping Centre Colourtrend Paint and Wallpaper Croía Ireland Delany's Pharmacy Evolution Fitz U Fitzgerald Menswear Full of Beans George Corbett Motors George's Court Shopping Centre

Hallmark Jewellers The Hanger Boutique Heroes The Holiday Shops House of Waterford Crystal Kelly & Dollard Kellys of Waterford Mattress Mick Waterford Maxi Zoo McCormack's Hardware Morris's Builders Providers & DIY Mulligan's Pharmacy The Natural Health Store One Stop Clothing Phelan's Pharmacy Power's Pharmacy Quish's SuperValu Redlane Boutique Satina Boutique Seagull Bakery Sheridan Motor Group The Shoe Centre Sienna Home Furnishings Tom Murphy Car Sales Tramore Service Station Worldwide Wines

Security CCS Facilities CTS Group Germar Electrical & Security Horizon Safety Systems S Security

Services Agora Publishing Ireland Ann Cullen Arc Mediation Belview Management Consultants Boxworks Cantec Group Clem Jacob Hire Codico Distributors Emerald Contact Centre Euro Car Parks (Ireland) Ltd EveryEvent Frescold Services Germar Electrical & Security Inn the Doghouse K Sport & Kustom Workwear Kelly Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Nigel M. Daly Electrical Ltd Prolines Naval Architects & Marine Surveyors Q1 Scientific Quirico Sluamor Source BioScience workLAB

Solicitors Bowe O'Brien Solicitors CC Solicitors Dobbyn & McCoy Solicitors Mullins & Treacy Solicitors MW Keller & Son Solicitors Newell Gillen & Cunningham Nolan Farrell & Goff Parker Law Solicitors Peter O'Connor & Son Solicitors

Technology & Software Aphex Group Bluefin Payment Systems Ireland Cantec Group CGM Dataworks Emagine Energia Group Errigal Euro Tachograph Solutions Fyrefli HandHeld.ie HelloWorld Marketing, Web & Graphic Design Immersive VR Education Konnektable Technologies NearForm Passion For Creative Pimbrook Software Red Hat SE2 Sedicii Innovations Sun Life Financial Thimba Media Threefold Systems

TQS Integration

Telecommunications HiSpeed Wireless Broadband Three

Tourism & Hospitality Atlantic View Caravan Park Beach Haven House & Hostel Fáilte Ireland - South East Fern Hill Fitzmaurice's Caravan Park Glenart House B&B Harvey Travel Newtown Cove Caravan & Camping Park Seacourt B&B Strand Travel Worldchoice Tramore Holiday Homes Tramore Tourist Office

Training Access I.T. ATPO Belview Management Consultants Benedek Frank CCS Facilities Direct Training Ireland FTC - Fitzwilliam Training & Consulting Inkel.health Inspiring Excellence Irish Management Institute Kelron Health & Safety Manufacturing Excellence Maureen Sullivan Training MCX Training & Development Mediforce National Learning Network NearForm New Links Training Solutions NLC Training Roadskill Training Centre Sinéad O'Neill Life Coach Southsafe Training & Consultancy Waterford Chamber Skillnet Wellbeing & Motivation Wellbeing Warrior WJP Coaching Partners

Transport & Logistics Bell Transport & Logistics Belview Management Consultants Bus Éireann DFDS Logistics Contracts Euro Tachograph Solutions Irish Rail J.J. Kavanagh Coaches James Falconer Chauffeur Hire MAC Trans Freight Marine Point Partnership Passage East Ferry Port of Waterford Rapid Cabs / Rapid Exec Southeast Port Services Storage City Store-All Logistics Suirway Bus & Coach Services Thomas Carey T&T Coaches Trans-Stock Warehousing & Cold Storage Waterford Airport

Website Services Aphex Group B2B Communications Benedek Frank Cquent.ie Double.L Media Emagine The Forest Fyrefli HelloWorld Marketing, Web & Graphic Design Hosting Ireland Initiate netgen Passion For Creative Success Online TOTEM Vitamin Creative

Wholesale Curran Foods & Express Cuisine Musgrave MarketPlace

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UPMC Kildare Hospital - Clane UPMC Aut Even Hospital - Kilkenny UPMC Whitfield Hospital - Waterford UPMC Hillman Cancer Centre - Waterford, Cork UPMC Sports Medicine Clinic - Waterford UPMC Outreach Centre - Carlow