New businesses

yop · 19-09-2015 11:30pm

nuac wrote: »

I don't have any detail about any of the firms mentioned. However firms start up in all sorts of ways. Some fail, some grow to be very big.

I recall when Allergan started in Westport about 40 years ago. Started with 25 jobs, making what Allergan called "aquas eye solutions". When it was realised that that meant eye-drops many thought that it would never be a big employer.

Over the years, through good innovative local management and staff, it has won the manufacture of many lines from the parent company. Now about 900 workers there supply Botox for everywhere outside the Americas, along with other products

Then there are all those stories about companies such as Apple starting in a garage.

So, be patient guys. One of the projects mentioned for Castlebar may in time be the next Allergan or Apple

Appreciate your positivity but Northgate aren't a start up and its 3 years since this annoucement of 250 jobs. From what I understand there are 5 jobs created.

The others won't create many jobs if any.

I agree we should be positive but to be honest this won't go far.

finisklin · 20-09-2015 1:21pm

nuac wrote: »

Then there are all those stories about companies such as Apple starting in a garage.

So, be patient guys. One of the projects mentioned for Castlebar may in time be the next Allergan or Apple

Sorry to burst your bubble Nuac, not every start up turns out to be a Apple or Allergan. They are the exception and not the rule.

Jobs are difficult to create and require businesses to add value to their customers. Some do this quite well, some struggle and the time frames to achieve are varied.

The majority of businesses in Ireland are SMEs that employ 1-50 people. These are also key providers of jobs and recession has hit them hard.

Problem is that patience is wearing very thin and Northgate is all smoke and mirrors with nothing forthcoming.

People have a right to feel let down by politicians.

nuac · 20-09-2015 2:01pm

finisklin wrote: »

Sorry to burst your bubble Nuac, not every start up turns out to be a Apple or Allergan. They are the exception and not the rule.

Jobs are difficult to create and require businesses to add value to their customers. Some do this quite well, some struggle and the time frames to achieve are varied.

The majority of businesses in Ireland are SMEs that employ 1-50 people. These are also key providers of jobs and recession has hit them hard.

Problem is that patience is wearing very thin and Northgate is all smoke and mirrors with nothing forthcoming.

People have a right to feel let down by politicians.

I am not in a bubble, afaik. Have worked in private sector all my life. I know how hard business it. Just believe in the half-full glass, otherwise would make every day a duvet day.

I just hope some of the projects being discussed bring jobs.

Shelflife · 20-09-2015 7:20pm

A few years ago the community council in my town sat down and looked at ways to improve the town, they spoke about bringing a sme in that would bring in 30-50 jobs.

I asked them how many people were employed by the two local shops/filling stations. None were close and all were amazed at the time as to how many were on the payroll.

My point is that govts are preoccupied with hitting the jobs mother load and forget about the small job creators. They seem to make the small businesses life very hard with extra employers prsi costs ( they doubled last year from 4.25 to 8.5% ) and allowing Aldis and lidls to pop up everywhere. While they may pay well they employ very few people or man hours. You shouldn't be surprised of a fall in jobs if you allow small employers to set up to the detriment of large employers. ( at one stage my small shop employed as many as Aldi in Claremorris yet they turned over 20/30 times what I did ).

10+10+10 +10 = 40. If they gave those 4 businesses half the help that they give the large enterprises that "promise" to employ 75 people we would be in a much better place.

nuac · 20-09-2015 10:34pm

I agree with Shelflife points.

The small employer is overburdened with regulations and other statutory requirements. There is a raft of legislation to be complied with. The large employer can have specialists to deal with this, but the small employer does not have this luxury

There are Tescos now in practically all Mayo towns of any size. Their arrival is usually announced with a great fanfare of 50 or 100 new jobs. It is never mentioned that many of those will be zero hour contracts. Meanwhile other small businesses cannot compete, and have to let people go.

About 30 years ago there was a ministerial guideline as then allowed in the Planning Code that no new out of town retailers exceeding 25% of the existing town retail space be permitted. That was dropped later, possibly on competition law grounds - but the provision had some merit.

Many in the Revenue and other agencies seem to think that fortunes are being made in small businesses. Sadly usually not true. Many are hanging on just to keep the name over the door. Many of the owners would be better off working for a wage somewhere else.

Westernyelp · 23-09-2015 2:09pm

Finally something happening withe the military barracks it seems. Military barracks master plan

Looks like a great idea to me and would fit perfectly for the site. obviously a bit short on details still. re funding etc. but certainly smething to be welcomed in my opinion.

Xenji · 23-09-2015 3:30pm

Westernyelp wrote: »

Finally something happening withe the military barracks it seems. Military barracks master plan

Looks like a great idea to me and would fit perfectly for the site. obviously a bit short on details still. re funding etc. but certainly smething to be welcomed in my opinion.

Sounds like a great idea, hopefully it will not end up like other previous announcements we have had in the past few years, I know quite a few people who have talents tailor made for something like this in town.

Dudda · 23-09-2015 4:13pm

Xenji wrote: »

Sounds like a great idea, hopefully it will not end up like other previous announcements we have had in the past few years, I know quite a few people who have talents tailor made for something like this in town.

I'm worried as it's a Masterplan with no long term commitments. They get someone to do some research, propose what to put into it, run some rough costs and prepare a report. That takes a few months and will probably be timed to be complete just before a general election and will be used to help get someone elected. Post election it's shelved as too expensive or not viable when they go through the report in detail.

I'd love for it to happen but its a huge building and site so at best I see a scaled down version appearing a few years from now.

Xenji · 23-09-2015 4:54pm

Tho announcement has put it in my head, but any word on the Olympic size swimming pool we are meant to be getting?

Westernyelp · 23-09-2015 6:04pm

Xenji wrote: »

Tho announcement has put it in my head, but any word on the Olympic size swimming pool we are meant to be getting?

Official launch of the final plans was last week. Due to break ground in the next 2-3 weeks. not quite olympic though

Westernyelp · 23-09-2015 6:09pm

Xenji wrote: »

Sounds like a great idea, hopefully it will not end up like other previous announcements we have had in the past few years, I know quite a few people who have talents tailor made for something like this in town.

Me too. I think something like this which could support a lot of small businesses is the way to go, rather than trying to attract a big factory. more interesting to have around too, with a lot of spin off potential. hope this happens.

nuac · 23-09-2015 8:51pm

Hope the Barracks project goes well.

May need rather more than 150 K to bring it up to standard.

The British built those barracks well, built to last. However unoccupied and unheated for so long...............?

naughto · 23-09-2015 9:48pm

Where the migrants sapose to go in there? Where will they house them now.

irishgeo · 24-09-2015 8:16am

It's going to be a white elephant. How many food festivals etc are there. The heart of castlebar and that's it. I can't see it working. Who is going to walk from town to there to get their artisasan bread.

nuac · 24-09-2015 9:24am

Re Barracks

It is only a short walk from the Mall thru' the gate facing the Mall. Ample carparking

Co Council had some office space there before the new MCC offices built, but I don't know what condition that space is in now.

Dudda · 24-09-2015 9:39am

nuac wrote: »

Hope the Barracks project goes well.

May need rather more than 150 K to bring it up to standard.

The British built those barracks well, built to last. However unoccupied and unheated for so long...............?

The 150k is only to prepare a report on the building. The report is a Masterplan and doesn't include any planning or construction costs which would cost millions.

Xenji · 24-09-2015 12:41pm

The barracks was already entering a state of disrepair in the 80's, does any of it have a preservation order or would it be more viable to knock parts of it and rebuild..

Dudda · 24-09-2015 12:54pm

Xenji wrote: »

The barracks was already entering a state of disrepair in the 80's, does any of it have a preservation order or would it be more viable to knock parts of it and rebuild..

They'll have to do full conservation reports, structural analysis and stuff like that before a decision is made but generally you can't knock anything as it's a listed building and protected structure.

irishgeo · 24-09-2015 2:18pm

Dudda wrote: »

They'll have to do full conservation reports, structural analysis and stuff like that before a decision is made but generally you can't knock anything as it's a listed building and protected structure.

didnt stop the last crowd who knocked the listed building up by the barracks a few years back.

Westernyelp · 24-09-2015 2:43pm

The Connaught Telegraph are now quoting a figure of €350,000 to be spent initially and first events for January 2016, don't know how realistically that can be achieved.

Regarding distance from town, I don't see that as an issue, it is not far, with the option for new access routes if needed. calling it a white elephant before the proper plans are even in place properly smacks of our old trouble in Castlebar.

Xenji · 24-09-2015 3:10pm

Westernyelp wrote: »

The Connaught Telegraph are now quoting a figure of €350,000 to be spent initially and first events for January 2016, don't know how realistically that can be achieved.

Regarding distance from town, I don't see that as an issue, it is not far, with the option for new access routes if needed. calling it a white elephant before the proper plans are even in place properly smacks of our old trouble in Castlebar.

No mention of jobs in that article, the Mayo News one mentioned 36 jobs in the first year, if they are planning on opening in January ( highly doubtful ) they need to start hiring soon and hopefully this is not a job for the boys project, I know plenty of people with degrees in events, music, art and culinary arts that would be perfect for this project, some who would even return home if offered a position.

irishgeo · 24-09-2015 5:08pm

anything announced for castlebar so far been a disaster,

Dudda · 24-09-2015 6:14pm

irishgeo wrote: »

didnt stop the last crowd who knocked the listed building up by the barracks a few years back.

That wasn't technically listed as far as I remember. It was on the list to be put on the protected list and wasn't fully processed when it was knocked. It was, IMO, a terrible thing to do and sneaky way of knocking it without having permission.

Xenji · 24-09-2015 6:45pm

Dudda wrote: »

That wasn't technically listed as far as I remember. It was on the list to be put on the protected list and wasn't fully processed when it was knocked. It was, IMO, a terrible thing to do and sneaky way of knocking it without having permission.

It was not an issue about the Convents listed status, it was more to do with the demolition being unauthorised, An Taisce had wanted the building listed, but other peoples interests came first, but you can go visit the stone that was taken, it was used to build a well known house out in Windsor.

25-09-2015 10:01am

Xenji wrote: »

It was not an issue about the Convents listed status, it was more to do with the demolition being unauthorised, An Taisce had wanted the building listed, but other peoples interests came first, but you can go visit the stone that was taken, it was used to build a well known house out in Windsor.

What a surprise

, but Castlebar people did vote for that corruption over and over !! and still crawl on the floor to pick up the crumbs from those people.

Dudda · 25-09-2015 10:16am

Xenji wrote: »

It was not an issue about the Convents listed status, it was more to do with the demolition being unauthorised, An Taisce had wanted the building listed, but other peoples interests came first, but you can go visit the stone that was taken, it was used to build a well known house out in Windsor.

I know well where the stone went which annoys me further but it is an issue about it being listed as it's far more serious to demolish a listed building than a regular building. They knew that which is why they demolished it before it was listed.

Anyway that's off topic and whatever about private developers the council who own the building won't be carrying out any illegal demolition works.

Westernyelp · 02-10-2015 9:11pm

Westport house is to be put on the market by NAMA according to the Mayo News. would this ultimately be a good or a bad thing? probably not good with the 'Vulture' capitalists involved

Xenji · 07-10-2015 7:34pm

Heard a few people today mentioning that Al Muretto is closing soon.

Westernyelp · 07-10-2015 9:06pm

Xenji wrote: »

Heard a few people today mentioning that Al Muretto is closing soon.

That would be a shame, they have been in town for a long time. not to my taste to be honest; but with the dearth of places to go out for dinner in Castlebar it would be (another) blow to lose it.

Xenji · 07-10-2015 9:27pm

Westernyelp wrote: »

That would be a shame, they have been in town for a long time. not to my taste to be honest; but with the dearth of places to go out for dinner in Castlebar it would be (another) blow to lose it.

It is meant to be a tax issue from what was mentioned, but you're right about the dearth, if the Caddens end up leaving for Westport as strongly rumoured, the town will take yet another hit.

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