WHAT DOES MCCAULEY HEAD OFFICE MOVE SAY ABOUT WEXFORD?
TWO recruitment companies in Wexford have joined forces to offer Sam McCauley Chemists Ltd, free-of-charge, a €20,000 recruitment package to help it fill positions locally and keep its business headquarters in the Model County.
Karl Fitzpatrick, from Chevron Recruitment, outlined to this newspaper the reasons why he, along with Siobhan Kinsella from Noel Recruitment, are offering their services to the company.
‘In last week’s Wexford People it was confirmed by the managing director of Sam McCauley Chemists Ltd, Tony McEntee, that the decision to relocate their head office from Wexford to Dublin was due to the company’s inability to source staff in Wexford,’ said Mr Fitzpatrick.
‘We know that Wexford has an abundance of highly qualified and experienced individuals who can meet the growing needs of Sam McCauley’s and it is this confidence that has triggered our offer of free recruitment services to the company,’ he added.
He also said that to-date neither he nor Ms Kinsella had received a response from the company to the offer.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Sam McCauley Chemists Ltd, Tony McEntee, issued a further statement to this newspaper in which he confirmed that the company headquarters is moving to Citywest and emphasised that the decision to relocate is one that makes business sense.
‘The heritage of the business and its close association with Wexford remains very important to the group and its commitment to continue significantly investing in the town and county is very strong and is unquestioned,’ said Mr McEntee.
‘I refer again to our impending opening in Enniscorthy, relocating and doubling the size of our offering in New Ross, and a further store planned for Wexford town early in 2019,’ he added.
He then reiterated his initial comment to this newspaper that finding people with the required skills locally is proving difficult.
‘To grow McCauley to become a nationwide business we need to be based in a location that is more easily accessible, North, South, East and West, and where the necessary specialist skills are more readily available,’ he said.
‘The Citywest location that we are moving to meets these criteria,’ he added.
Mr McEntee said the situation is not unique to his company and that others are in similar situations.
‘Unfortunately, this requirement is neither unique to McCauley’s or Wexford, and indeed is the case for any other nationally focused retail business,’ he said.
‘This necessary decision has been made and it is an important element of the group’s stated ambitious growth strategy that will see the business double in size within the next five years and see employment grow from 600 employees to over 1,000,’ he added.
•For more, including reaction from Deputy Brendan Howlin, Wexford Chamber and the CEO of the County Council, see pages 26 and 27