Copyright newsletter
My career began working for an actuarial consultancy firm, relocating from Dublin to Stuttgart, Frankfurt, and eventually Philadelphia. I went back to university in Philadelphia and caught the bug for entrepreneurial ventures from classmates who had done so successfully. When my son got to school age, my wife and I decided we would relocate our family back to Northern Ireland. My sister and I took the opportunity to buy out our family business, McColgan’s in Strabane. There is such talent and opportunity in the Northern Ireland food sector, this was a challenge and an opportunity we were passionate about taking on. She and I have both worked in multinational companies and had an appreciation for how larger companies operate, as well as the culture and process disciplines required to scale. McColgan’s itself has a long and proud history. It all began back in 1940, when my grandfather, W.J. McColgan, opened McColgan’s Tearoom in Strabane — the start of a third generation family legacy that has been serving good food and good people for over 80 years. Through lean times in the 1970s and 80s, the business endured and evolved, built on the same values of quality, community, and hard work that defined its early days. Today we are one of the largest independent producers of savoury pastry-based products in Ireland, famous for our much loved quality sausage rolls (baking 5million every week), quiche and pies. We supply both retail and foodservice customers across Ireland and the UK. The first year after taking over the business was challenging. Expenses spiralled, with the Ukraine conflict and rising interest rates hitting hard – it was a very expensive education. But the highs have been unforgettable. Seeing young people grow within the company, earn awards, gain qualifications, and inspire their peers – there’s nothing like it. Changing a company culture isn’t easy; it takes daily effort, deliberate choices, and consistent reinforcement, but the results are worth every bit of work. I’m especially proud of what we’ve achieved with higher and further education partners. From creating a digital model of our production department to predictive analytics projects, to our Higher Level Apprenticeships with CAFRE, NWRC, NRC, UU, and QUB, it’s incredible to see staff members earn degrees while continuing to work. Their dedication, giving up their free time to develop themselves, is a true inspiration. In September, being recognised by the local Chamber of Commerce for our contribution to the North West economy was a moment of real pride. No two days are the same for me. I could be connecting our new MES system to the cloud one day, decommissioning old Windows machines the next, or reviewing our telephony system another. But it’s not just about technology. Over the years, we’ve put a real focus on culture, on people. As part of the leadership team, I spend a lot of time helping our staff develop, ensuring their experience at work is positive, rewarding, and motivating. We’ve embraced technology and lean manufacturing in ways that have transformed how we operate. It’s been hugely rewarding to see our efforts recognised at the Lean Business Ireland Awards for digital innovation and transformation. Recently, we’ve been working on a new robotic packing solution and a second laminator, expanding the factory to accommodate them, with support from Invest NI. We’re constantly growing, acquiring new customers, and exploring ways to improve – there’s always something exciting on the horizon. Being a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year programme has been exciting and a bit of a whirlwind! The retreat to Japan in May was mind-blowing, and being part of such a generous, accomplished community of businesspeople has been incredibly energising. 2025 has been a busy year overall. It has brought us awards, media spotlight (including the BBC’s Inside the Factory), and moments of real reflection on how far we’ve come. Recognition from EY feels like validation that we’re on the right path. What I’ve learned from the EOY community is that entrepreneurship can be isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. The people I’ve met are generous with their time and wisdom. Doing well and doing good aren’t mutually exclusive – it all starts with solving a problem in a way that others value. When we scale that and share the benefits, everyone’s quality of life improves.
