Showcasing Excellence at Tirlán
Showcasing Excellence at Tirlán
With 140 entries, the GPS Excellence Showcase has caught the imagination of teams across Tirlán
Celebrating the efforts of individuals and teams involved in Continuous Improvement (CI) projects, this year’s inaugural showcase competition brings to life the great continuous improvement/operational excellence work being done across our organisation.
From the 140 entries, the shortlisting panel had the difficult task of selecting three projects under each of the award categories – COVI, RCA/Problem Solving, Continuous Improvement/Process Improvement (Lean Tools), Sustainability, Customer Impact, Data Driven Decision or Innovation (MES) and Quick Win.
Will O’Carroll, Business Excellence Manager
Business Excellence Manager Will O’Carroll told Overherd that he and the shortlisting panel were delighted with the “amazing reaction” from colleagues across Tirlán. “We’ve been hugely impressed with the strength of the projects submitted – they demonstrate clarity of purpose, strong methodology, great teamwork and amazing impacts. All of these projects will be celebrated at our Excellence Showcase event but we had to make our shortlist, which I’m sure you can imagine was a difficult task. After much deliberation, we decided on our 21 finalists who will present their projects at the Showcase Event in Abbey Quarter on 1st December to be in with a chance of winning one of three €1500 vouchers for their team. Congratulations to all of you.”
Chewing the cud with… Eoin Maher
Chewing the cud with… Eoin Maher
Each month, we put the spotlight on a Tirlán employee and for our November newsletter, we’re talking to Eoin Maher
Senior Finance Business Partner, Eoin Maher, returned to work in Kilkenny recently, having completed 114km of the Camino with six others to raise funds for the Cois Nore cancer support charity in Kilkenny.
The Tipperary native, who moved to Kilkenny from abroad in 1999 to take up a financial role with our company, said the charity provided invaluable support to him and his three children when his late wife, Sinead, got her diagnosis and passed away soon after three years ago.
“I’m very glad to have done the Camino. I always wanted to do it. I saw that the Irish Hospice Foundation was doing it and signed up. Shortly after, I saw Cois Nore doing the same and decided to do it with and for a local cause.
“Cois Nore were there for us and they are there for so many families at a time when your entire world is turned upside down. I’m in particular awe of the work they do to support children touched by cancer.
“The walk was a great opportunity to support the local cause and to give something back, while also raising awareness of their work. We covered 114km over five days. I play a lot of tennis so that stood to me. The one thing I was worried about was blisters and thankfully I avoided them due to the use of plenty of Vaseline and wearing the right socks!
“Funds have been pouring in from work colleagues and the wider community and the fundraising page will stay live until November 14th if anyone still wants to contribute. I am very close to achieving my €10,000 target and I am so thankful to everyone for their generosity and support.”
Eoin’s new base is Abbey Quarter, a short distance from his home on the Freshford Road. His current role primarily involves providing financial appraisal and strategic investment support to the company. Key projects he’s worked on include Abbey Quarter, the JV in Belview with Royal A-ware and the original Belview project. He has also recently volunteered to be an ambassador for the launch of the new myCareer and myLearning phase of the new Success Factors HR system.
“It has been a busy role in recent years, particularly with the milk pool expansion and the investment required to support that. Much of the work involves providing financial support to commercial teams in the construction of business cases for potential new investments.”
He’s enjoying the return to hybrid working, particularly the new Abbey Quarter base. Previous to that, he worked in Ballyragget for 20 years before moving to Danville for a short period of time.
“There is very much a sense of excitement and new beginnings in the company. This has been accelerated by the opening of Abbey Quarter, our new structure and identity, new name, new purpose, vision and values. It all augurs very well for the future,” he said.
To donate, visit https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/CoisNore-EoinMaher-
Success in Bangladesh
Success in Bangladesh!
Affordable nutrition has a sweet tooth in Bangladesh!
Members of Tirlán’s Affordable Nutrition team travelled to a very important market in Bangladesh recently to visit both existing and prospective customers in Chittagong and Dhaka and to experience first-hand how our Fat Filled Milk Powders products are being consumed.
Senior Product Manager Powders, Anil Babu Yarlagadda from Ireland, Nitin Agarwal (Regional Sales Manager, ME & Indian SC) and Vipin Kumar (Sales Manager ME & Indian SC) from Tirlán’s Dubai Office travelled to Bangladesh, spending one week in the region to explore opportunities in this rapidly growing Fat Filled Milk Powders market.
Overherd at Tirlán caught up with Anil on his return to find out more about the team’s very interesting trip and how Tirlán is providing nutritional products to suit local tastes!
Anil and Nitin on their way to meet a customer in Dhaka using sustainable local transport
“We had a very interesting and worthwhile trip, especially meeting customers and also interacting with consumers in Bangladesh,” Anil told us. “The market size is about 20,000 tonnes growing at 5-6% annually. Arla product (Dano Pushti) dominates the market, with approximately 15,000 tonnes.”
Anil said: “We sell our Millac Premium products to importers in the market. The milk powder arrives in 25kg bags and they then re-pack the product into small or medium retail sachet packs which are distributed across the country and consumed mainly in tea, although some people do add the powder to water to make drinking milk.”
“During our time in Bangladesh, we visited hugely popular tea stands in local markets to get an insight into how end-consumers are using our products and it’s quite clear that Bangladeshis like their tea sweet, with most adding sugar to a product we’ve already sweetened to suit local tastes! Previous market research had told us that consumers do not like milk powder flecks visible when the powder is added to tea. We acted on this feedback, improving the product with the help of a €350,000 investment in Belview which will make our product perfect for their application!”
Tirlán colleagues meet with customers at their factory outside Dhaka
“As you can see from the photos we had an enjoyable trip but it was also successful from a business perspective, with a new consignment on the way to our importer along with new trial samples that are being produced currently. We also met a new prospective customer in Chittagong and trial samples will be shipped to them very soon.”
Speaking about the importance of the Bangladeshi market to Tirlán’s Affordable Nutrition business, Anil told Overherd that “this is one of the key markets for us from a growth and strategy perspective. The population is huge (166 million) and the market for Fat Filled Milk Powder is growing significantly year on year. Our products are still evolving and I’m confident that when we’ve perfected them, the volumes will follow!”
Full Cream Milk Powder brand advert at Dhaka Airport
Trick or Treat!
Trick or Treat!
Find out who the winners are in our spooky Halloween competition… if you dare!
Over Halloween, Tirlán colleagues were given the chance to win one of three Smyths Toys vouchers worth €50 each. The response to the competition was phenomenal, with a scary amount of creativity on show in each of our three categories…
It was incredibly tough to pick just three winners from all the entries and big thanks goes to everyone who got in the Halloween spirit and shared their pictures. Congratulations to our winning entries…
The best costume award goes to R&D team member Andie Garcia Perez, her husband Kai and son Mikko.
Here’s a selection of all the costume pictures sent through.
The best pumpkin carving award goes to Jackie Laffan from our Ingredients team in Citywest for her Tirlán inspired entry.
Here’s a selection of all the pumpkin pictures sent through.
The best kid’s artwork award goes to Freya Whelan, aged 7, whose dad Colum works at Tirlán’s Portlaoise Depot.
Here’s a selection of all the scary artwork sent through.
Think Pink!
Think Pink!
This year’s Great Pink Run raised over €575,000
Over 8000 people took part in the 2022 Great Pink Run recently in Dublin, Kilkenny and virtually across the world, with 220 Glanbia and Tirlán colleagues taking on the 5- or 10-kilometre walking / running challenge and contributing to the over €575,000 raised for breast cancer research.
Since the run’s inception in 2011, over 78,000 people from 36 countries have participated, helping in the fight against breast cancer by funding pioneering research into metastatic breast cancer and raising awareness of the disease through important educational programmes.
Did you take part in the Great Pink Run this year, either on location or virtually? If so, you might find yourself featured in our video below!
Stay Healthy This Winter
Stay healthy this winter
Tirlán’s Senior Nutrition Manager, Lorraine Moran, on why healthy eating offers good protection during the chilly season
Luckily, working for Tirlán, we have a wealth of knowledge in our business which can help us all learn how to eat healthily this winter. For some top tips and advice, Overherd at Tirlán caught up with Lorraine Moran, a Registered Dietitian and Tirlán’s Senior Nutrition Manager based at our Innovation Centre in Ballyragget.
Lorraine Moran, Senior Nutrition Manager, Tirlán
“Winter is an important time of year to keep ourselves well-nourished, as the colder weather tends to bring cold and flu season. Eating a healthy diet might not prevent us from picking up these illnesses, but it can help maintain our immune system to better protect us and if we do get sick, a nutritious diet can help speed up our recovery. I’m delighted to share some top tips with colleagues on healthy eating this winter,” said Lorraine.
It’s time to swap salads for soups and stews!
Winter is the season for colds and flus, so trying to ensure we have a large range and amount of fruits and vegetables in our diet can help us get an adequate level of vitamins and minerals to help support our immune system. “While nothing can completely stop a cold in its tracks, a healthy immune system can help ward off the germs that cause colds and flu or decrease duration of illness,” says Dietitian Lorraine.
It is also important to remember that there are no single foods or specific diets that will ‘boost’ our immunity. The nutrients that keep our immune system working well include Vitamins A, B6, B12, C and D as well as copper, folate, iron, selenium and zinc. Instead, focus on getting these nutrients from a healthy, varied diet including fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, wholegrains, dairy products or fortified alternatives and meat, fish or plant proteins like pulses. Hot bowls of soups, stews and casseroles are ideal ways to include these foods during the cold winter months!
Keep up your Vitamin D
Though we can make Vitamin D from sunlight during the summer months, we do not make enough Vitamin D during the winter months. There are only a few foods that are sources of Vitamin D such as oily fish (e.g. salmon, sardines, mackerel), red meat and egg yolks. Choosing fortified foods such as Avonmore SuperMilk and fortified breakfasts are helpful to boost our Vitamin D on a daily basis. There is also the option to choose a Vitamin D supplement from a pharmacy. They are available as a tablet, including a chewable tablet and a tablet that dissolves in your mouth. There are different amounts of Vitamin D doses for different people during the winter months; e.g. children aged 1 – 4 years need 5 (μg) micrograms of Vitamin D daily and adults and children over 4 years old should take 10 (μg) micrograms of Vitamin D daily.
Be prepared
The cold weather can make getting out and about less appealing. However, there are still ways that you can look after your diet and your health. Planning weekly meals and making a grocery list can help us navigate the supermarket aisles with ease, serve as a guide to limiting impulse purchases and structures meals and eating habits. If healthy ingredients are in our homes, we are likely to use them than reach for unhealthy fast foods. It is also useful to keep a supply of non-perishable versatile foods to hand. For example, porridge oats, tins of tomatoes, dried or tinned beans and frozen vegetables are an affordable, healthy way to make meals more filling and nourishing.
Keep well hydrated
“Hydration in winter is equally as important as it is in the warmer months to help keep energy levels stable, prevent skin from drying out and support a healthy immune system. Thirst is a sign that we are already dehydrated,” Lorraine states.
The best way to stay hydrated is to drink water steadily throughout the day. Water and milk are recommended as healthy drinks, though it can be more challenging to drink cold water from the tap, especially on cold winter days. Warm herbal teas or hot water with a squeeze of lemon or orange might be more appealing. Some foods contain higher amounts of fluids than others. Increasing our intakes of fruit and vegetables such as cucumber, tomato, grapes and berries and choosing warm soups and broths also increase our fluid intake.
Tirlán gives back
Included at the cheque presentation at the new Tirlán headquarters were Eoin Murphy, Sinead O’Sullivan and Jim O’Neill of Tirlán, Diane O’Neill, Ford; Leslie Moynan, Carlow/Kilkenny Homecare; Viv Rooney, Geraldine Quigley and Anne O’Brien, Ford; Pat Jordan, Focus Ireland; Gerry Warren and Barbara Browne, Tirlán and Luke Decaux, Focus Ireland.
Tirlán donates €44,850 raised through charity cycle to three worthy causes
Tirlán has donated €44,850 to three worthy causes in the community, living up to the commitments made in its Living Proof sustainability strategy.
The funds were raised through the annual, two day Glanbia 300 fundraising cycle which saw Tirlán and Glanbia employees cycle from its plants in Ballyragget to Wexford and return the following day.
“This was a huge company-wide drive to raise funds for three very worthy causes,” cycle organiser, Jim O’Neill, said. “There was great buy-in from right across the company and from our farm family suppliers and funds poured in from co-workers, from family, friends and lots of our suppliers.
“Over the past 10 years, we have raised over €330,000 for charities. We’re already planning our 2023 cycle and will make an even greater push to bring that tally to €400,000.
“As a farmer-owned cooperative, Tirlán is firmly rooted in the community. It is only fitting therefore that we support causes like Focus Ireland, Carlow/Kilkenny Homecare Team and the Ford Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre. They are doing trojan work in this region and we’re delighted to support those efforts. We are very, very thankful to everyone who played their part.”
Leslie Moynan of Carlow/Kilkenny Homecare thanked all who contributed. “We provide end of life care to cancer and other end of life patients in their own homes. Our team of nurses will benefit directly and will be able to help more families in the community thanks to this donation.”
Viv Rooney of the Ford Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre was equally thankful to all. “We will now be able to offer more counselling to people in Wexford thanks to this donation. We were able to see 120 extra people last year thanks to the generosity of the public. This money will be put to very good use to help and support those individuals who come to us, their wider families and the community.”
Niall Gaffney of Focus Ireland said funds raised locally stay locally. “The funds from this event will be used for our aftercare service in Wexford. We have a service in Wexford for people leaving state care at 18 years of age. They are at a higher risk of homelessness because they don’t have a support structure in place. This aftercare service helps them make the transition to independent living and equips them with the tools they need to thrive in their lives.”
First impressions count!
First impressions count!
Abbey Quarter inductees give their thoughts on Tirlán’s new Collaboration Hub
Tirlán’s Collaboration Hub at Abbey Quarter, Kilkenny has been open for just over two weeks and during that time, over 350 colleagues have passed through its doors.
The first groups to experience Tirlán’s newest building were colleagues who will use Abbey Quarter as their main base, while taking a blended approach to collaborating with colleagues from all parts of our new organisation.
Overherd at Tirlán caught up with some AQ inductees following their tour of the building and all its facilities. Click on the video below to hear what they had to say…
The Collaboration hub and its facilities are open to all Tirlán employees, so the next time you’re thinking about organising a team or a customer meeting, think AQ! And while you’re there, check out the Gym, the Customer Experience Centre and all the collaboration spaces which can be used to Connect, Collaborate and Complement our new ways of working.
Below are some snaps of colleagues who recently attended induction sessions at Abbey Quarter. If you have any questions about the new building, please email tirlanfacilities@glanbia.ie
For an A-Z on everything Abbey Quarter, click here to access the Induction Portal.
Tirlán identity launched in Japan
Pictured at the event in Tokyo from left to right are Masato Nakamura, Tirlán Ingredients Regional Sales Manager Japan and APAC; Ulrik Bagge-Hansen, Senior Regional Sales Manager APAC & Americas; Tirlan Ingredients Head of Global Sales Darren Barcoe; Tirlán Ingredients Head of Marketing Ann Meaney; Lacto Japan CEO Motohisa Miura; Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConologue; Tirlán’s Director of Ingredients Aoife Murphy; and Shane McDarby, Tirlán’s Head of Category Cheese and Butter.
Tirlán identity launched in Japan
The Ingredients Team recently launched Tirlán at a Trade Mission in Japan
The Ingredients Commercial team recently travelled to Tokyo as part of a Bord Bia ministerial Trade Mission led by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConologue, The Irish Ambassador to Japan Damian Cole and Bord Bia interim CEO Michael Murphy.
During the three-day trade mission, the Tirlán team had the opportunity to launch our new company identity for the first time overseas at an exclusive customer event.
Speaking at the launch in Tokyo, Aoife Murphy, Director of Ingredients at Tirlán, told the dignitaries and special guests in attendance that “the world is constantly evolving and we have really seen that over the last few years. To meet the future, with all the challenges and opportunities it brings, we have had to constantly evolve too. We have harnessed all that is great about Glanbia Ireland to bring it with us into our future as Tirlán. Our heritage, our people and our ever-growing expertise provides us with everything we need to meet the challenges of tomorrow and support our many valued partners and customers into the future.”
As part of the trip, the Commercial team also conducted a series of customer meetings for both our dairy and plant-based ingredients. The trip was hugely successful and Tirlán was very well received by all customers.
Chewing the cud with… Ann-Marie Drennan
Chewing the cud with… Ann-Marie Drennan
Each month, we put the spotlight on a Tirlán employee and for our October newsletter, we’re talking to Ann-Marie Drennan
Fertiliser Transport Planner Ann-Marie Drennan absolutely thrives on hitting the ground running in any role or with any task. Her characteristics made her the ideal candidate to fill such a demanding role at such a challenging time.
“I’m only in this role since mid-August. My job is to get fertiliser from the producer to the farmers. Fertiliser is in such demand and supply has been so tight that it was definitely sink or swim for me over the past few weeks. However, coming from a farming background really helped me understand it that little bit more.
“Thankfully, we’ve kept everything afloat. I don’t really believe in any roadblocks. Diversions maybe, but not roadblocks. There is a solution to everything in life. It sometimes just takes an outsider looking in to see it.
“The past weeks have been challenging but I expect things to wind down until January, which will allow us to prepare for the challenges that 2023 will bring, while also getting an understanding for how feed transport is coordinated. The focus over this time is to understand the processes involved and implement any changes that can help along the way for the 2023 season.
“I started working in Glanbia in the HR department by supporting the Graduate Programme in recruiting. I then branched out into other contracts from Warehousing/IT/Treasury, but eventually decided that Logistics was the function I wanted to focus on.
“I applied for a role within the Exports function. This role involved exporting butter to the EU and rest of the world, along with managing the TGF shipments to the USA and taking on any projects and challenges along the way.
“From Johnstown Co Kilkenny, having Ballyragget as a base office was ideal as I only lived across the road. However, during Covid and working from home, you would miss the social interaction with work colleagues. It’s great to be back in a collaborative office, particularly in the new Abbey Quarter office based in the heart of Kilkenny city where you can work together in person. I find Logistics a very sociable place to work in.
“It’s not all work. I come from a farming background, so there is always something to be done. From feeding calves in the spring to silage in the summer, I tend to retire from the farm in winter, so it’s only part time really and at that I wouldn’t even call it work.
“The work life balance is key to anyone that works in Tirlán. For the last three years, I was working full time and studying part time. I finished my degree in May. This taught me to utilise my time efficiently, which helps me finish my work on time. I can now switch off for the evenings and be ready for what the next day will bring.”
Ann-Marie likes to travel, be it hopping on a flight for a few days in the sun or even sightseeing around Ireland. “The flexibility of being able to travel again is fantastic. Although my job is demanding, my hope for the near future is that we continue to improve our transport planning by implementing the ORTEC system. That will give us clear visibility of the fertiliser from time of purchase to the end customer.
“I am looking forward to the company changing over the next few months and excited to see what opportunities arise for Tirlán. We’re always looking ahead in transport, building up and planning for the months ahead to help Tirlán farm families have fertiliser where and when they need it next year.”