Sweet success for Clover Hill
THE latest winner of the Ulster Bank Invoice Finance/ Irish Independent Business Achievers Award is Clover Hill Food Ingredients, a distributor of food ingredients to the bakery, dairy and meat industries.
Based in Millstreet, Co Cork, Clover Hill Foods supplies a range of food ingredients from basic products, like salt, sugar and spices, to more technical products like dry and liquid blends, flavours and starter cultures.
Established in 2003, Clover Hill has become the supplier of choice for many food manufacturers. Managing director Dan Buckley learned the business working for multinationals like Griffith Laboratories, Dalgety Food Ingredients and Kerry Ingredients.
"In those days I saw how difficult it was for suppliers to deal with small or medium-sized manufacturers and start-up companies. Minimum orders were usually too high and lead times too long.
"Another disappointing aspect was you would sometimes work for months, or even years, on getting some business with a customer only to be badly let down by some courier or delivery service," said Mr Buckley.
Clover Hill is now moving into a new warehousing facility and plans to double turnover in the next five years.
"The next few years will see a serious investment in warehousing, transport and personnel. Our aim is to double the size of the business over the next five years."
He describes the ethos of Clover Hill as being based around customer service plus a broad range of products, competitively priced and delivered by the Clover Hill transport fleet. "Running your own trucks is costly, but gives you complete control of your own business," said Clover Hill sales manager Seán O'Shea.
The Ulster Bank Invoice Finance Business Achievers Awards recognises and acknowledge the achievements of Irish entrepreneurs.
Companies are judged on their sales performance; market share; growth; company milestones; innovative new products or services; export orders; successful achievements by key personnel and major contracts achieved.
The judges nominate a shortlist of not more than ten Business Achievers.
- Pat Boyle
