Taking Care Of Business with Ronan Berry

Ronan Berry discusses the EU pay transparency directive, closing the gender pay gap, the kickstart programme that's helping skilled tradespeople and micro-business owners transition and thrive - and for Seachtain na Gaeilge - he takes a look at some of the most over-used "corporate speak" phrases!

Mullingar’s viral chocolate sensation! Denise Buckley of Sugar Plum Sweetery shares how their Dubai Chocolate Bar skyrocketed to nationwide fame. Celebrating local enterprise success! Eoin Tully of Aserve and Robert Collentine of Hybrid Engineering on scaling their businesses and competing in the LEO Westmeath County Enterprise Awards. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is paramount to competitive advantage - in advance of International Women’s Day 2025 Jasmine Elkershi of AllPro Recruitment will discuss supporting working women and the ROI of diversity.

Revolutionising plastic recycling - Novelplast CEO Neil Skeffington on how his company is tackling packaging waste and leading the charge in sustainable manufacturing. To date Novelplast has prevented over 25,000 tonnes of plastic entering landfill. Portlaoise Plaza wins big! Colm Mulrooney shares how Supermac’s at Junction 17 took home the Outlet of the Year award. Are Ireland’s agri-food suppliers being treated fairly? Melanie Hall from the Agri-Food Regulator wants to hear from agri-food suppliers about their trading experiences with retail and wholesale buyers of their products via a confidential survey.

From startup to the silver screen! Leah Fletcher of deDANÚ shares how her Irish wellness brand landed a starring role in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Midlands food and drink goes national! Bernie Everard previews the Midlands Food and Drink Networks debut at CATEX 2025 and profiles the local producers making waves in Ireland’s food scene. Cost of living hits Irish SMEs hardest—how can fintech help? Niall Mac an tSionnaigh, SumUp’s CEO for Ireland, unpacks key survey insights and digital solutions for small businesses. And, why is Chris Ball of RBK finding himself in very cold water in February?

Athlone Chamber welcomes formation of a new government—what’s next for the Midlands? CEO Tommy Hogan shares priorities for housing, infrastructure, and business growth. Honor Deevy of Local Enterprise Office Laois gives an overview of National Enterprise Week and breaks down key supports for businesses. It has been a record year nationally with 7,100 new jobs created in 2024 by LEO clients. Sustainability is serious business! Caroline Hofman of The CUBE on how SMEs can future-proof operations and access green grants at the upcoming Business Sustainability Roadshow. Huge celebrations as a Laois restaurant is awarded a first Michellin Star. Is it time to take tourism seriously in the Mullingar region?

Bord na Móna’s latest Gender Pay Gap Report reveals a leadership shift—Sharon Doyle, Head of HR & Corporate Affairs, discusses their commitment to diversity, female leadership, and workplace inclusion. With cycling to work more popular than ever, Eoin Coughlan of Outdoorsy.ie explains how the Cycle to Work scheme is making commuting greener, healthier, and more affordable. How will Waterways Ireland’s new Craft Centre of Excellence in Tullamore preserve heritage craftsmanship and boost regional development? Patrick Harkin joins us to discuss this major investment. Tariffs, trade wars and immediate effects on markets and currencies - should Irish SMEs fear Trump's tariffs? John Finn of The Treasury Hub offers an expert view!

What’s next for Ireland’s start-ups? Scale Ireland CEO Martina Fitzgerald joins us to discuss their Athlone summit and the State of Start-ups Survey 2025. How can drug and alcohol testing improve workplace safety? Ciarán O’Mahony shares insights on proactive safety measures and lessons from recent storms. Mullingar’s Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment, talks about his priorities after reappointment. Plus, Local Enterprise Offices are now supporting a record number of jobs—what does this mean for businesses?

What does TikTok’s ban mean for small businesses, influencers, and Europe’s content creators? How are employers' attitudes toward flexible work and emerging trends like "soft quitting" reshaping Ireland's workplace culture? Explore the 2025 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ programme, celebrating Ireland’s most innovative business leaders and their global impact. Discover how Nostra became a leader in cloud innovation and one of Ireland’s fastest-scaling tech companies, with Rosenallis’ Kevin O’Loughlin sharing insights on scaling success through acquisitions.

Discover how Paul O’Kelly’s Masterclass is equipping CEOs to drive growth and success in 2025. Mullingar’s Ken Delaney shares insights on Northern Ireland tourism and how new regulations may impact the industry. Tom Lawless reflects on 116 years of family tradition and evolving trends in the funeral industry. Neil McDonnell discusses Ireland’s new Employment Law Review Group and its impact on SMEs.

Taking Care of Business with Sinead Hubble

Reviewing 2024 and looking ahead to 2025 with Helen Gee of G's Gourmet Foods, Chris Ball Corporate Finance Partner at RBK and Margaret Considine President Chambers Ireland.

Liam Holton, CEO of Future Ticketing, shares how this Offaly-based company is revolutionising the ticketing industry with API-first software and ambitious plans for international expansion in 2025. Caitríona Mordan Manager of atim cluster introduces the DreamBig initiative and discusses how advanced manufacturing companies in the Midlands are inspiring students and developing talent to future-proof the industry. With Mikey Ryan Kirby Group, Sarah Adams Abbott Diagnostics, Gary Kelly Grant Engineering and TY student JP Carney. Eamon Callaghan, founder of Vision85, reveals his plans to reimagine business hubs in Portlaoise, including the soon-to-open Hub R32, designed to energize collaboration and innovation.

In this episode of Taking Care of Business on Midlands 103: Trevor Enright, Managing Director of Enplast Extrusions, reveals how his Granard-based company became Ireland’s first to recycle election posters into construction materials, showcasing the circular economy in action. Jasmine Elkershi from AllPro Recruitment shares expert tips for planning a Christmas workplace party that’s both inclusive and professional, ensuring festive fun without the HR headaches. Des Travers, CEO of DPD Ireland, celebrates their milestone of delivering 10 million parcels by electric vehicles, proving sustainability and logistics can go hand in hand. Anthony Gorman, founder of Anthony’s Wooden Crafts, tells his incredible story of transforming a school project into a thriving business, now supplying handcrafted festive products to Dunnes Stores and Lidl nationwide.

Fergal Moran, Director of Business Development at CJ Sheeran, Ireland’s largest supplier of timber packaging and pallets, shares how their innovative, sustainable practices are setting new industry standards. Ray Byrne of The Wineport Lodge and Kieran Conroy from Tullamore Phoenix discuss the challenges impacting the hospitality sector that a new government must solve to keep the trade alive. Mick O’Dowd, Head of Agri-Business at Kepak Group, reveals insights into their €8 million investment in Kilbeggan, enhancing market access, sustainability, and the local economy. James Bourke, President of Mullingar Chamber, talks about Winterfest Mullingar and how initiatives like these boost regional retail and tourism.

Celebrate the incredible success of Joe Gorman and Dolores Gorman, whose organic exotic mushrooms earned them the ‘New & Innovative Award’ at the National Organic Awards 2024. David Broderick from the Small Firms Association unpacks their election manifesto "For a Nation of Small Businesses." What does Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial healthcare role under a Trump administration mean for Ireland’s thriving pharmaceutical industry? We explore the potential challenges and opportunities with industry expert John Whelan. CEO Athlone Chamber of Commerce Tommy Hogan outlines their demands and expectations as election canvassing continues apace.

How an Offaly-based family business is transforming Irish wool into eco-friendly bedding products, supporting local farmers and leading the shift from synthetic to sustainable with Kevin Dooley of Dooley’s Wool. Expresso English is providing practical, fast-tracked language courses to open doors for meaningful employment and social integration for migrant and refugee communities and they have partnered with a not-for-profit in Westmeath on a trial project. Can transforming our approach to housing and the work permits and visa system ensure we can attract enough top talent to join the workforce to meet the needs of a growing economy already at full employment? With Colin Donnery CEO FRS Co-op and Gary O’Keefe of Crewit Resourcing

From Corporate Success to Filmmaking: Noel McIntyre, founder of Motion Picture Media, outlines his remarkable journey from managing a multimillion-euro business to winning awards in Hollywood. Spotlight on Gender Equality in Leadership: Ronan will delve into the current landscape for female CEOs in Ireland’s top companies, discussing the barriers to female representation in leadership and the ongoing journey to close the gender pay gap with Margaret Considine - President Chambers Ireland and CEO EQuita Consulting Ltd. Empowering Leaders with CIPD: Audrey Doyle, Senior Manager in EY People Consulting and CIPD Committee Member, joined Ronan ahead a CIPD Midlands event, “Empowering Leaders to Create a High-Performance Culture.” Featuring Kevin Brady, founder of Performance Unlocked Kevin Brady, the event will explore what it takes to cultivate strong, engaged teams and boost employee retention. The closing date for the €4,000 Power Up grant is just days away - John Clendennen President Vintners' Federation of Ireland (VFI) will rally eligible businesses to apply for the funding.

Thomas Fox's business, SoloFox uses his unique technology and expertise to optimise solar panel efficiency systems for maximum performance. Paul Molloy’s Boora Bainne goes from strength to strength, becoming a beacon of sustainability and the circular economy. DETE calls all businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors to register NOW for the €4,000 Power Up grant. John McCann looks at the key points and eligibility criteria

Interested in exploring the space economy? Padraig Doolan, Enterprise Ireland’s National Delegate to the European Space Agency - ESA, will highlight how Irish businesses can engage with ESA initiatives and funding opportunities. Is your business struggling to secure funding from traditional banks? Gary Grimes from Simpli Finance discusses alternative, flexible finance options for Irish SMEs. From peer-to-peer lending to merchant cash advances, Gary will share insights on how businesses can access diverse finance solutions tailored to their needs and avoid the limitations of conventional banking. Employers can learn about the financial and other supports available to recruit and retain newly arrived individuals from Ukrainian and other communities. This special event on 24th October is presented by the Department of Social Protection and Laois Community Integration Forum. Why has a midlands farmer completed the longest Malin to Mizen cycle?

Mullingar’s Robotics & Drives has been acquired by Automated Industrial Robotics. RDS is one of the largest robotics solutions providers in Ireland today with customers across various sectors, including CPG, food and beverage, medical devices, personal care, pharmaceutical, and industrial cloud solutions and Managing Director Ken McNevin dropped in to talk about their exciting future plans. John Clendennen, President of the Vintners Federation of Ireland, discusses why the representative group was involved in a national protest on rising costs and to demand urgent government support for the sector. Is your business ready for NIS2? New EU cybersecurity rules bring significant challenges for Irish companies - Mark Grenham from Avova Technologies discusses key points. Why have over 2,500 secondary school students passed through the Tullamore Court Hotel over the last two days?