This article is from page 8 of the 2013-04-09 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
A KILRUSH business and almost 50 per cent of the jobs have been saved in an 11th hour plan.
John O’Dwyers Builders Providers and DIY Store in Kilrush will remain open despite an announcement that it was to close its doors at the end of the month with the loss of seven jobs.
Owner, John O’Dwyer said that thanks to the support of staff and loyal customers the shop will now remain open in a smaller retail unit.
The shop size will be reduced from 7, 500 square feet to 3,000 square feet, and staffing numbers will be reduced to three.
The yard and store will remain the same.
The Kilrush shop will stay open six days a week from 8am to 6pm, closing Sunday.
“We are hoping to stay until things improve and then open the shop back in the main building,” Mr O’Dwyer told The Clare People .
“We reduced the cost of keeping the store here to sustain the business here. We had to get our overheads down,” he said.
Mr O’Dwyer paid tribute to the staff who agreed to “keep the shoulder to the wheel” to keep the shop open.
He said that the four staff who had to be let go were also happy to see the shop remain open, as it gave them hope that the business would improve and expand giving them their jobs back in the future.
“I would also like to thank all the customers for their supportive over the last three weeks [when the closure was announced] and for their good wishes,” said the business owner.
“It is not going to be easy but we are going to give it a go.”
Seven months ago the Ennis store closed due to the down turn in the economy but the Miltown Malbay and now the Kilrush store continue to operate.