Food Chain - Issue 198 - February 2024 | Page 44

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In 2022 , William McColgan and his sister , Grainne , both grandchildren of the founder , purchased the business from the second generation with a revolutionary vision to transform its operations . William joins us to discuss how he and his sister have brought in an expert leadership team to assist them on the journey , as well as how they ’ ve secured a prosperous future for the original tea shop .
“ It ’ s been a very exciting few years since we took on the business in April 2022 ,” William opens . “ Our aim is to transform the business to a world class manufacturer while remaining true to its heritage . We have a very strong position in Ireland , having survived since before the Second World War and offering opportunity in the region which has historically experienced severe unemployment .
“ From humble beginnings , we ’ ve grown organically into a B2B company producing for other retailers , as well as our McColgan ’ s products , and we ’ ve been a constant in the community for providing reasonably priced , yet very satisfying comfort food . We want to expand on that by continually improving our processes , investing in technology , and exploring commercial partnerships to build on our history .
“ When we took over , the business had reached a limit in terms of what our systems and processes would allow us to do ,” he continues . “ We ’ ve been through a significant digital transformation , moving away from a centralized , paper-based management system to state-of-the-art management and information systems .
“ As for the original retail location , we still operate that business ,” he reveals .

SPECIALISTS IN FLAVOUR CREATION AND FOOD INDUSTRY SUPPLIES

scan to get in touch
www . food-maker . co . uk • www . scobie-junor-ni . co . uk • www . scobie-junor . co . uk
44