Barry Smith to receive Lifetime Achievement Award
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Barry Smith is “humbled” when he hears he has been selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement accolade at this year’s Cavan Business & Tourism Awards.
The Managing Director of Abcon Industrial Products Ltd founded the company back in 2005 along with Paul Gilsenan and Sean Daly. At the time, Barry and Paul were working for a larger group, which had a small abrasives company, which they acquired.
“We could see the potential in it,” he explains, describing how they set up their own industrial abrasives company.
“Think of a bit of sand paper that you might use in your home for sanding a door,” Barry describes.
“We make the industrial version of that,” he explains, which is used in a wide variety of industrial applications including Aerospace, Automotive, Stainless Steel fabrication and industrial Joinery.
They began with a small premises in Belturbet with seven employees, before outgrowing that space and moving to the former ‘rubber factory’ in Cootehill in 2007.
At that time the business was focussed on industrial abrasives for the domestic market. However, on moving into the rubber factory in Cootehill, Barry and the team quickly realised there was potential to re start industrial hose manufacturing, which had export potential.
Therefore in May 2007, Abcon restarted manufacturing rubber hoses. Then came recession.
“We got to ride the tail end of Celtic Tiger before the crash,” the Mullagh man says, explaining how the “difficult period” meant delays in starting their rubber business in any meaningful way until the end of 2009.
Since then, they’ve grown the business “significantly” and today employ 190 people across their three premises in Cootehill, and a small facility in Gloucester UK. They export to 42 countries, with 65% of Abcon sales coming from export markets. Today Abcon has plenty of “forward momentum” with “lots of opportunities” for the future.
IMMENSELY PROUD
“The business has grown steadily over a long number of years. When you are involved every day its easy to take for granted the progress being made..
“I feel immensely proud of the people who work in the business along with my co founders and last but not least my wife Elizabeth and my family. Abcon is not a one-man band, it couldn’t be with 190 people. We have a core of very committed people and they deliver what is a very successful business every day.
“I’m humbled by it... now I’m appreciating it a little bit more that it is a successful business.”
Thinking back to the beginning, Barry “certainly” did not think the business would have grown to what it is today.
He feels “shocked” and “chuffed” to be receiving the Lifetime Achievement award.
CONTACT US
Abcon Industrial Products Ltd is based on the Cavan Road, Cootehill, Co Cavan [H16 HY64]. Call 049-5552340 or Email:
sales@abconireland.com