‘Succession in family business is important’
HELEN O’Sullivan is extremely proud to carry on a baking tradition started by her grandfather Tom in Killorglin back in 1952. 65 years is a long time in business and when Helen’s dad Gearoid retired he knew the business was in safe hands. Helen has memories of working in the bakery when she was nine years old and cycling to work at 4:30am to help deliver bread around the county. Today, Helen’s three daughters are equally aware of the family tradition.
“I guess a strong sense of understanding of a family business from a young age is very important. The importance of succession in any business is vital but even more so in a family one as continuity is important,” Helen explains.
O’Sullivan’s Bakery has witnessed good times and bad during its long history, but all family run businesses must embrace innovation and new ideas. As well as producing their traditional favourites – long a staple of O’Sullivan’s Bakery’s customers in Kerry – they have also adopted many health conscious approaches with spelt and low GI breads.
“You must evolve and one example of this is through the ‘Unislim Diet’ where we created a new wholewheat and wholegrain ‘Free Healthy’ carbohydrate product as we found people were opting for this product. Trends dictate and the healthy approach is one that we have responded to here in the bakery.”
Naturally, if there is no succession in family business it can’t continue which is why it was always at the forefront of Helen’s thoughts to one day return after she completed her degree in Food Business at UCC in 1998. Helen took over the bakery from her dad in 2009 and today her three daughters are as familiar with baking as their mom was at that age. “I would have grown up immersed in the family business and I have many lovely memories. Many of the staff from that period are still with us and they’ve seen our family grow up, and now my own children. This aspect is important to a family business. It’s about building a strong future on the foundations of the past.”