Podcast Ep 197: Guaranteed Irish CEO Brid O’Connell reflects on 50 years of the national symbol of trust and on its mission for the future.
For many of us, the earliest memories of the ‘Guaranteed Irish’ symbol was how it adorned text and copy books as well as locally made rules, pens and pencils. Indeed there were many locally manufactured products that carried the symbol that rested in cupboards at home and today, some 50 years since the symbol was conceived, many still do.
Launched in the bleak economy of 1974, the symbol has become a hallmark for quality Irish goods and today Guaranteed Irish member businesses support more than 120,000 jobs throughout the country.
“Guaranteed Irish has been that flagship as a national symbol of trust in business. It has earned its stripes. It’s been there for businesses for the last 50 years and it supports businesses who in turn support jobs – sustainable, good quality jobs – and who give back to their communities and keep those communities alive and thriving”
The iconic Guaranteed Irish symbol is the national symbol for trust and provenance. The licenced mark is awarded to businesses that support jobs, local communities, and are committed to Irish provenance. Guaranteed Irish supports a network of 2,000+ member businesses generating an annual combined Irish turnover of over €14.5bn.
An Post recently launched a commemoration stamp to celebrating the ‘marque’ of trustworthy Irish goods.
The recent 2024 Guaranteed Irish Business Awards celebrated numerous businesses with awards that recognised a commitment to excellence. Winners included: Glenisk (family-run businesses), Pestle & Mortar (beauty); John Hanly & Co (fashion); Trident Controls (construction and engineering) and Wavin Ireland (construction manufacturing or supply); Kilsaran (housing); Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel (sustainability); Ultrapure Laboratories (home and lifestyle); Irish Socksciety (gifts); Select (e-commerce); Glenisk (food); Kinsale Mead Co (beverages); Consilient Health (pharma); Soothing Solutions (healthcare); Community Credit Union (professional services); Codex (business support); Global Home Improvements (retail); and Clonakilty Blackpudding Visitor Centre (tourism).
Picking up the Guaranteed Irish Business of the Year award was Glenisk, who employ over 80 people across Ireland and contribute so generously to their community. Guaranteed Irish Special Recognition Award for 2024 was Dr Maire Geoghegan-Quinn who chaired an independent panel of experts in a national review addressing systemic gender inequality in higher education resulting in a published report in 2016.
Sustaining businesses, supply chains and communities
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For Guaranteed Irish CEO Brid O’Connell, sustainability may be a word that is used everywhere these days but the very ethos of the not-for-profit since the start in 1974 has been sustainability of not only businesses but their entire supply chains and the communities they support.
This mission has been fundamental through various financial crises, recessions and more recently the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I always liken Guaranteed Irish t0 being an ally, a lifeboat that hopefully you never have to use but is really important that it is there when you need it. Guaranteed Irish has been that flagship as a national symbol of trust in business. It has earned its stripes. It’s been there for businesses for the last 50 years and it supports businesses who in turn support jobs – sustainable, good quality jobs – and who give back to their communities and keep those communities alive and thriving. And, most importantly showcase provenance for pride, make Ireland look good, pay their taxes and contribute to Revenue.
“And as a result of that they very often use ancillary services throughout Ireland, giving the smaller guy a lift up behind them. So it is really about driving that circular ecosystem of businesses based here in Ireland.”
O’Connell said that it is important to recognise that Guaranteed Irish supports all businesses across Ireland, not just indigenous but also international corporations too. “That’s because they’re the guys who between them keep us all in jobs and keep our economy moving. So it’s important that we address Ireland as the most diverse and inclusive version of our own Irishness, and that is that everybody has a voice at the table.”
An example of how Guaranteed Irish proved its mettle was during the pandemic when it created the Guaranteed Irish Gifts e-commerce portal that would function as a shop window to Irish businesses.
“The site directed them to help SMEs either sell through Facebook or Instagram but now many have their own websites now and we don’t charge them any commission. We just tried to get the business flow through one simple Irish gift site and help the candlemaker, beauty products, craft maker, artisan food producer, to all support locally. This was happening all over the world but we moved very fast here.”
A key facet to this was the desire to add more sustainability into the Irish supply chain. “The construction sector was one of the first sectors to re-open. We’re now looking at how we can make our supply chains more reliable and trustworthy and closer to home and so Guaranteed Irish House was born out of that. It is a listing of all of the products, materials or services that you need to build a house, an extension, apartment or even an office block. And the idea there was to get to the architects and the quantity surveyors and engineers and say ‘listen guys, we’re going to build and reach you through the local supply chain; therefore reduce your carbon footprint, the logistical distance your supplies are coming from and be able to deliver it all in a timely fashion. But also safeguard those jobs based in Ireland while you’re doing it. So real win-win stuff that came out strong during Covid.”
O’Connell wants to keep this ethos of sustainability and joined-up thinking fresh in the minds of businesses within the Guaranteed Irish community of more than 2,000 businesses.
This is all the more urgent in a globalised economy that sees 70% of all online purchases in Ireland going overseas and at a time when our nearest and largest trading neighbour has wandered blindly down the road of Brexit.
“As the national symbol of trust, Guaranteed Irish just has to keep hammering that message home, that by supporting local and looking global is important, not to be an insular island. We are very proud Irish people, but we are also very proud Europeans. So there’s room for everybody.
“We need to make sure it is a national symbol of trust for businesses that are licenced ‘Guaranteed Irish’ and are bringing that little bit extra in the true meaning of sustainability.”
“A company that is licensed by Guaranteed Irish means that they are giving back to other businesses and other communities. That they’re sustaining not just their own business but others too by bringing them into their supply chain,” O’Connell said emphatically.
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