The Speedpak Group has two commercial businesses – Speedpak which offers contract packing and e-fulfilment services, and Shamrock Rosettes which produces rosettes to order for clients across Ireland and the EU.

It operates as a social enterprise and was set up in three decades ago when long-term unemployment in Coolock and surrounding areas in north Dublin was exceptionally high. The initiative was driven by Northside Partnership and the business community, with state agency support, to give people work experience, industry training and paid employment.

Speedpak began trading in 1995 and now trades internationally. Since it started it has taken on many hundreds of people on labour intervention schemes. Today it employs 15 core staff and up to 60 people annually on Community Employment and Tús programmes.

• Speedpak staff Paul Blake and Edward Stokes, Jim Lillis before he retired from Speedpak’s board after two decades, and John P. Murphy, CEO.

One of the company’s challenges is to get the balance right between its focus on the profitable commercial arm and its training, mentoring and educational services. Jim Lillis, chairperson until recently, explains:

“The commercial business pays a huge amount of the cost of running the operation. It has to be profitable. Side by side you have the vocational element. So you need a board that’s capable of making commercial decisions in relation to property, machinery, health and safety, marketing and so on. We’ve got to have a sales team, a production team, finance control.

“One of the commercial businesses is contract packing, but we have moved on to also become an e-fulfilment house for online shopping.“If somebody orders something online that company has to have the product in a warehouse. And it has to have a an IT system that connects the three entities – the buyer, the company that has the core business and the store which is us. So we see orders coming in and we know what the delivery requirements are. We put the orders together and call a logistics transport company to deliver them.

“The rosettes we produce are first class quality ribbons and we supply all of the major shows in the country,” Jim added. The rosettes, badges, sashes and accessories are popular across Ireland and in recent years the company began exporting to Malta, Cyprus, Italy, Switzerland and Finland.

• Michelle Stone, manager of Shamrock Rosettes, speaking to Changing Ireland.

Michelle Stone from nearby Artane manages Shamrock Rosettes, but she never imagined working for a non-profit enterprise.

“I came in to help a friend of mine for three weeks and I’m here now nearly 25 years. I didn’t intend working here, but once I was in I loved it,” said Michelle. “We do rosettes for horse shows, cattle shows, dog shows, sometimes even weddings. For the people working here it’s a Community Employment Scheme. It gets them back to work. We give them experience and train them how to make rosettes.”

• Shamrock Rosettes staff present Changing Ireland editor Allen Meagher with customised rosettes.

Michelle said some people went on to get “really good jobs” while others benefit from the training and their confidence improves.
“A lot would have been lone parents and many of them get back to work. They usually do four hours a day. It gives them a different outlook, they’re not stuck at home. A lot of them come in with low confidence and walk out full of confidence,” she said.

• Shane at work on a cutting machine.

Shane from Ashbourne is “very happy” working with Shamrock Rosettes and part-time hours suit him. He works in Coolock on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and on Thursdays he goes to Trim and onto Blanchardstown.
“I walk around Trim first and then go bowling. On Fridays, I go to Prosper Day Service on Seatown Road in Swords,” he said.
Shane is also a member of Remember Us in Balbriggan, joining them four times a week. He explained:

“It is a special needs club. We do football sessions, dancing, art and boxing. We play basketball and pool in the club. It is really good,” he said.

The Speedpak Group has two commercial businesses: a contract packing and e-fulfilment services (speedpak.ie) and a manufacturing business (shamrockrosettes.com) that produces rosettes to order across Ireland and the EU.

For more info, click here: Speedpak for contract packing and e-fulfilment services, and Shamrock Rosettes for rosettes.