Drogheda businessman Breanndan Casey talks enterprise

Breanndan Casey discusses his life and the business initiatives being made in Drogheda.

In Drogheda, three enterprises have come together to develop a new commuter strategy to retain the 15,000 skilled workers in the immediate district.

It is also to encourage more startups and multinationals to base themselves in the wider Drogheda region.

I spoke with Breanndan Casey about his business experience, and why Drogheda could be an extremely profitable business area.

Breanndan spoke about his history in the world of enterprise which has varied across many areas.

“I’ve been working across enterprise development for the past 15 years, including small business support, foreign direct investment, and cross border trade,” he said. “Prior to that, I worked in sales and marketing, publishing, and the film industry. I was a self-employed business consultant specialising in micro-enterprises for five years before joining The Mill Enterprise hub when it opened in Drogheda in 2014”.

Despite his vast array of work experiences, Breanndan believes that the roles he has played in the workplace have equipped him for his current role at the Mill Enterprise hub.

“Sales is probably the biggest issue for any start-up and having a few years of practical experience has stood to me when I work with Mill-ers and other SMEs. The film industry is the most collaborative work environment and relies on creativity, teamwork, adaptability, and strong technical and business skills. I’ve brought that understanding throughout my career”.

Breanndan elaborated upon the last 12 months, and how it has been a big year for the Mill Enterprise hub, as they appointed their first programme manager for www.paymentscorridor.com a project being worked on for the last four years.

“The aim is to develop an International Fintech Cluster from Dublin to Belfast, based on respective expertise across Dublin, Belfast, and the www.M1corridor.ie region which includes Dublin and Dundalk. We have a strong steering group of industry, public sector, and academia and will be re-launching our new programme in September”.

That has not been the only success, however. Breanndan also discussed the completion of a feasibility study into developing Aviation and TravelTech sectors in Louth, Meath, and across the M1 region.

And most recently of all, Louth County Council made the decision to partner with Drogheda Digital Innovation.  Breanndan went into detail about how this will support the area of Drogheda immensely.

“It will specifically support a number of key initiatives including programme support for scaling companies across the North-East, and a CommuTECH project to encourage skilled tech commuters to start and grow a business in the region”.

In terms of business regrets, Breanndan spoke of wishing he had more of an interest in technology in an earlier stage of his career. “I strongly believe in upskilling,” he said. “I recently completed a professional diploma in Creativity, Innovation and Leadership at the UCD Innovation Academy”.

Obviously the COVID 19 pandemic has affected all forms of business life. Brendan revealed how the Drogheda enterprise centres have been dealing with the virus.

“We have been availing from weekly advice from the National Association of Enterprise Centres (NAEC). We’re confident that we’re exceeding our safety requirements by installing thermal cameras at reception, updating our floor plan and introducing a solid induction policy that has a COVID training policy”

Breanndan mentioned further measures to prevent the spread of COVID 19, such as the “Drogheda Embrace the Change” project. “This aims to support commuters and companies as they navigate the post COVID economy. Analysis of the 2016 Census says that there are 15,000 skilled commuters leaving Drogheda each day”.

Breanndan expressed how this number is too high and wants to ensure that more institutions decide to relocate and set up in Drogheda.

“That is unsustainable from environmental, employee well-being, productivity, and community perspective. We want companies to contact us at https://themilldrogheda.ie/embracethechange/ and we’ll organise a tour of Drogheda commercial property, introduce companies to local business support organisations, and ensure that they receive a warm welcome to the region”.

As our conversation came to a close, we spoke of his willingness to help future entrepreneurs, due to the enthusiasm and work ethic they bring. “It was a natural progression for me,” he said. “ I always enjoyed making the extra effort to try and add value to customers. I love the passion they bring to the business and enjoy being able to support local start-ups”.

Lastly, Breannden revealed his inspirations, which begins with the joy of watching his father working. “My father was a local entrepreneur who established a Printing company that employed circa 50 people. I worked with him as a student, and saw the excitement and fluctuating attractions of being self-employed”.

If you would like to get in contact with Breannden, his Linkedin account is https://www.linkedin.com/in/breanndancasey/

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