This article is from page 8 of the 2009-01-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
A CLARE businessman is leading Ireland’s biggest ever foreign trade mission to Asia – as he accompanies Taoiseach Brain Cowen for a week long mission in Japan.
Paul Neville, Managing Director of Ennistymon based company Data Display, arrived in Japan yesterday to research the Japanese concept of lean manufacturing.
The company, which employs some 130 people at it’s headquarters in En- nistymon, last week announced the opening of a new facility in Holland. The new 15,000 square foot factory in Rotterdam was opened in conjunc- tion with partners of the company, and will handle product distribution and maintenance.
In total, Data Displays now em- ploys 230 people in Ireland, Ameri- ca, France and Portugal.
Company founder and chairman, Kevin Neville, said that despite mak- ing a small operating loss in 2008 and reducing staff to a temporary four day week, that the order book is full for the year ahead.
“We are pretty well spread out which is a good thing but last year was difficult because of the weak dollar and the sterling situation. It 1s tight at the moment, there is no doubt about it but it going to be a very tough year,’ he said.
“We have always wanted to keep a broad base in places where we manu- factured and the markets that we sold
into. It was a grand plan to protect us against an economic slump. Of course all countries are suffering at the moment so it 1s very difficult to Aeros Lm
“Our aim has always been to spend more than 10 per cent of our turno- ver on research and development and that has worked as a good strategy so far.”
While much of the business from the business sector has dried up, Data Display has a number of large
contracts with national governments who will continue to invest in infra- structure during the downturn.
The company has deals with trans- port bodies worldwide, including an €8 million contract with the Nation- al Roads Authority to provide signs on all Irish motorways.
Data Display is also completing a major deal for signs in the French Metro system and has just completed work on a tram and railway system in Holland.
Although still a company director, Kevin retired as hands on manager of Data Display last year. The company is now being managed by his son Paul, while his daughter Anne Marie is head of sales.