Millstreet company going from strength to strength
CLOVER HILL INGREDIENTS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW COMPANIES CAN DIVERSIFY AMID THE COVID CRISIS
IF there was ever proof needed that every cloud has a silver lining the success of Millstreet-based Clover Hill Food Ingredients must surely be a point in case.
The company was established in 2003 by husband and wife team Dan and Eileen Buckley with just one employee after they identified a niche gap in the Irish food ingredients market.
“Initially, the business was based on purchasing the finest of bakery in ingredients both in Ireland and internationally for resale to Irish bakeries. In 2017 we invested in a production plant to manufacture our own bread and cake mixes in order to better serve the needs of our Irish bakery customers,” explained Dan.
The investment proved to be a business master-stroke, driving turnover and increasing the number of employees to 40 by the time the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March.
The ensuing lockdown restrictions meant that a significant tranche of their customers were either forced to reduce their working hours or close their doors altogether, resulting in the cancellation of weddings and birthday, communion and confirmation parties.
With the company’s sales falling by a whopping 30% overnight, Dan and Eileen were faced with a massive dilemma. They could either reduce their overheads to survive, which would entail having to lay-off up to 15 staff members, or adapt to their new circumstances.
As they had done back in 2003, Dan and Eileen spotted an opportunity with the lockdown generating a revival in traditional home baking among people confined to their homes.
“This caused a huge increase in sales of bakery ingredients in shops and supermarkets leading to shortages on the shelves of both flour and cake mixes many of which are imported,” explained Dan.
“We had the ingredients, people and production plant. With this in mind, we approached Musgraves with the idea that both our problems could be solved through a common solution. They were very receptive and within three-weeks we developed a range of four bakery mixes in retail packs that are now stocked in Super-Valu outlets nationwide,” he added.
The success of the initiative has not gone unnoticed, with Clover Hill being featured on TV3 as an example of a company that has bounced back in the face of adversity to become a market leader in its field.
Never a couple to rest on their laurels,
Dan and Eileen are now looking at ways to further expand their flourishing business.
“If sales are steady we will create further new recipes and perhaps in time even start building a new Irish brand,” said Dan.