Success for GAIN and customers at this year’s RDS Dublin Horse Show

The RDS Dublin Horse Show is one of Ireland’s most prestigious equine events, which attracts top-class national and international combinations looking to compete at this five-star show.

It was a very successful week for GAIN customers with over 50 horses and ponies achieving placings throughout the week. Over the course of the week, the GAIN brand had engagement with the general equestrian exhibitors through its activity on the Horse Sport Ireland stand.

The opening day of the show saw some remarkable results for GAIN customers and also gave Tirlán the opportunity to congratulate the GAIN Equine Nutrition youth teams who recently secured medals at their European Championships at a reception which was held in the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel.

The GAIN Equine Nutrition youth teams were recognised at a reception which held in the Intercontinental Hotel.

Olympian and #TeamGAIN rider Cian O’Connor offered a prize of an exclusive tour and lunch at the state-of-the-art Karlswood Stables where he keeps his horses and trains international athletes. The competition captured the enthusiasm of the people who visited the stand and saw a large number of entries.

Team GAIN rider Cian O’Connor in action at the Dublin Horse Show

On the busiest day of the show, GAIN arranged a ‘meet & greet’ with one of Ireland’s well known show jumpers, Denis Lynch. Denis was on stand to sign autographs and talk to young riders on what it takes to become a professional show jumper.

The GAIN team welcomed and hosted customers through hospitality over the course of the week, which proved a highly successful initiative for 2023.

Inclusively, it was a fantastic week for the GAIN Equine Nutrition brand, with high levels of engagement with both potential and existing customers along with some incredible #TeamGAIN results.
#GAINTheAdvantage

With Tour de Tirlán and the Tirlán Two Peaks Challenge around the corner, everyone can lend their support and help raise money for charity

Tour de Tirlán

Friday, September 8^th

Our annual cycle challenge has been reborn as ‘Tour de Tirlán’ and has evolved into a one-day event with the addition of a 40km distance to encourage as many colleagues as possible to get on their bikes for good causes.

The backbone of this event for many years, formerly Glanbia 300, has been the long-distance cyclists who have raised nearly €335,000 for various causes since the charity cycle started in 2014. This year’s longer distances will be comprised of 130km and 200km routes starting from Abbey Quarter along with the 40km participants.

Tirlán’s three charity partners for Tour de Tirlán 2023 are…

• Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation – A nationwide charity providing in-home nursing care and respite support for children up to the age of 6 with severe to profound cognitive delay.
• Father McGrath Centre Kilkenny – A support and training facility to help children, young people and parents facing social problems in Kilkenny.
• Amber Women’s Refuge – A long-established organisation in Kilkenny working to empower women and children of all cultures and backgrounds to live abuse-free lives.

Colleagues from across our organisation are encouraged to take up the Tour de Tirlán challenge and raise much needed funds for these worthy charities. If you’re interested in getting on board this year and would like to learn more about what the challenge entails, you can watch the information sessions below which were held recently.

Please click here for more information on how you can register.

Tirlán Two Peaks Challenge Thursday 6th and Friday 7th October
 

Following a break of two years, Tirlán’s Two Peaks Challenge is back in 2023!

Our charity hike will take place in the Kingdom of Kerry over two days in October and the two peaks climbed will be:

• Carrauntoohil – 1038mts (3,407 ft) – Ireland’s highest peak
• Mangerton – 838mts (2,749 ft) – the 19th highest peak in Ireland

Along with being lots of fun and a test of fitness, the Two Peaks Challenge will raise also funds for our charity partner, Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation.

Two Peaks Challenge details:

• Participants will be expected to raise a minimum of €300
• Must have a good level of fitness
• Climbs – Day 1 Carrauntoohil, Day 2 Mangerton
• Base – Castlerosse Hotel, Killarney (hotel costs subsidised)
• Gala Dinner included on Saturday night
• Transportation to and from mountains included
• T-shirts for all participants
• Limited number of participants

If you’re interested in getting on board this year and would like to learn more about what the challenge entails, you can watch the Two Peaks information session below which was held recently.

If you want to go up two hills for Jack and Jill, registration is now open by clicking here.

Each month, we put the spotlight on a Tirlán employee and for our August newsletter, we spoke to Lindsay Kavanagh

For newly appointed Belview Site Manager, Lindsay Kavanagh, 2023 has been an epic year so far. They say things come in three’s and so far this year, she’s gotten married to fellow Tirlán employee, Jim Mullins, they are expecting their second child and now the Kilkenny city native has landed her dream job, back where she first began working with Tirlán in 2014.

“I started out as a Team Leader in Belview and moved into various production roles. In 2019, I moved to Ballyragget and into a Process Team Manager role. I was in Ballyragget until May of this year and moved back to Belview for what I thought was a short stint.

“I loved working in Belview. I always did. When I started out here, we were commissioning the plant so I really got to see it grow over the years and enjoyed working with the people here. When I walked back in here in May, it was like I had just been on holidays. I hadn’t been on the site for almost four years, but I settled right back in.
“Because of the time in my life, I wasn’t sure if I’d apply for the Site Manager role or not. But I’d previously slotted right back after my first maternity leave so decided to put my name forward. I talked it through with different people around the business and it wasn’t an issue. Tirlán is the type of working environment that sees you for who you are – not what you are. It values what you can contribute and not what stage in life you are at.

“The company has really grown since I started out. When I started, our focus was on processing milk, now we really put the emphasis on our customers and demand but even with that change, it’s still like one big family.”

Lindsay came to Tirlán directly from Kerry Group where she started out in Coleraine on their Graduate Programme.

“I always wanted to come back home to Kilkenny. Having Tirlán on my doorstep gave me a world of opportunities.

“This new job is my seventh role with Tirlán. Each and every one of them have been absolutely brilliant and I’m very thankful for all of the opportunities I’ve been given. There are very clear progression pathways for employees and plenty of help and support to get there.

“The variety is the best part of my new role, but it will also be the most challenging part, given that much of my experience has been in operations. But I’m eager to learn.”
And while having a two and a half year old keeps her hands full, Lindsay says: “I like to be busy. But to relax, I love spending time with friends and family.

“We have quite a large extended family, with plenty of nephews and nieces to spend time with. We also have dogs and horses so the majority of our time outside of work is spent in the great outdoors. We’re very happy in life and in work and it’s been an incredible year so far. We couldn’t ask for more.”

Designed to provide career development around leadership, participants of the 2023 Emerging Leader Programme attended their first two-day module in Barberstown Castle, Co Kildare

Emerging Leader Programme participants at Barberstown Castle were Paul James, Eamonn Mooney, Gordon Grey, Katie Dwane, Joanne Somers, Nicola Cooney, Steve Clarke, Ian Dunne, Kevin Dunne, Nikki Wallace, Lindsey Kavanagh, Mike O’Neill, Cian Moloney, Stuart Scott, Emma Shepard, Orla Slye, Eoghan Brophy and Rebecca Barron

The first module focused on understanding coaching as a leadership style and there was plenty of opportunity for attendees to practice their coaching skills while networking with fellow emerging leaders. Business Excellence Specialist Eoghan Brophy explained that “the two-day event encouraged us to use our coaching skills in a psychologically safe environment while getting to know colleagues from across the business. We looked into how courageous conversations, active listening and impactful communication can motivate everyone around you.”

Building networks across our organisation is an important part of the programme and participants worked closely together during the sustainability themed (and fairly competitive) team building event on day two. Teams were given material which they had to “purchase” to create a working windmill. The winning team were the ones able to construct it for the lowest net cost.

The winners of the team building event proudly display their medals and functioning windmill!

Katie Dwane also participated in the two-day event. She told Overherd: “The first module of the Emerging Leader Programme was a great success. It allowed us to network with others within the business and finally get to meet those we had contact with but had never formally met. The two days gave us a huge opportunity to gain valuable skills in coaching and the chance to practice them within a safe space. During this time, we were asked to self-reflect to help enlighten us both personally and professionally, while also providing us with the tools to achieve our goals in the future, all in an enjoyable way of course! “

If you’d like to experience the joys of barbecuing on this brand-new grill, all you have to do is sign-up to the Tirlán CountryLife weekly ezine by clicking this link Overherd Tirlán CountryLife (mailchi.mp)

Don’t forget your staff discount!

Organised to educate and inspire on the topic of sustainability, Tirlán’s First ESG Summit was a huge success

Tirlán’s first ESG Summit took place in the Lyrath Hotel Kilkenny last month, bringing together ESG experts and advocates to discuss and debate our organisation’s sustainability journey so far and to accelerate awareness and understanding of the changes and opportunities that lie ahead.

Hosted by Chief ESG Officer Lisa Koep, the event aimed to educate and inspire on the topic of sustainability, to stress the urgency of our collective action and to build on the momentum already in place through our Living Proof strategy.

Speaking with Overherd after the summit, Lisa told us: “It was an honour for me to host Tirlán’s first ESG Summit. When planning the event over the last number of months our objectives were clear; to accelerate the understandings and discussions around sustainability across Tirlán, to ensure everyone understands why now is the time for action and to be clear that each individual can make an incredible difference to our organisation and our world.”

Tirlán’s Chief ESG Officer Lisa Koep

Tirlán has been making great strides in its sustainability efforts over recent years and the ESG Summit marked an important point in our journey as we begin to move the conversation beyond the ESG team and Sustainability Hub to the wider organisation. Our Purpose to Nourish Lives in Balance with Nature is a powerful statement upon which to base these conversations and the actions required to accelerate transformation.

Lisa went on to explain how “Climate change is already making it harder to feed a growing planet and at the same time, unsustainable food systems are worsening the problem, creating a vicious cycle. It’s clear we must move to a better way of nourishing our growing planet, equitably, affordably and sustainably. That puts the food and agricultural industry on the front line, with a unique and important role to play.”

The good news is that Tirlán, a global provider of dairy and plant nutrition solutions, with a value chain that spans over 100 countries and encompasses 6000 farm families, is stepping up to the challenge by working with farmers to help them protect and restore our nature and climate as well as growing food in the most sustainable way we can.

At our first ESG Summit, the audience heard from Tirlán’s resident experts on sustainability, those colleagues that work day in day out as agents of change across stakeholder groups. To complement this, we were also joined by industry experts from retail, banking and policy sectors who gave great insights on their expectations of Tirlán and their own journey in this sphere.

Internal Subject Matter Experts from L-R John Finlay, Michelle Collins, Thomas Ryan, Louise Hogan and Sarah Purcell discussed the pillars of Tirlán’s Living Proof Strategy with Audrey O’Shea (far left)

Across all of the discussions on the day, it was clear that we have challenges ahead. What was equally clear were the opportunities that will present themselves if we innovate and seize them.

The summit’s keynote speaker, Marie Donnelly, talked about Ireland’s track record in emerging with unrivalled energy when met with challenges and indeed Tirlán and its people have time and time again been shown to embrace opportunities and make gains through similar agility and innovation.

Marie Donnelly, Chairperson of the Climate Change Advisory Council

Tirlán’s ESG Summit brought together 200 employees who are directly involved in or responsible for sustainability in our organisation. We have tasked them to come on board and act as ambassadors for our messages, our activities, impacts and our plans for the future. They will work with the ESG team to bring all 2300 employees on this incredibly important journey together. Collectively, we can and will make a difference.

Celebrating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at Tirlán throughout Pride month

Throughout June, we celebrated the LGBTQ+ community at Tirlán. As part of our commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace, a series of activities and events highlighted the significance of Pride Month. This year, we were honoured to host an enlightening conversation between Professor John Amaechi and our very own Business Excellence Manager, Will O’Carroll.

Professor John Amaechi and Business Excellence Manager, Will O’Carroll

As we conclude this year’s Pride Month celebrations, there are things we have learned throughout the month that we can incorporate into our everyday interactions with the people around us.

Professor John Amaechi and Will O’Carroll have reminded us that an inclusive workplace fosters innovation, improves performance and enhances overall employee sense of belonging and well-being. Let us continue to create an environment where every individual, regardless of their unique traits, feels valued and comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.

John Amaechi, a renowned Psychologist, former NBA Basketball player and a prominent advocate for inclusion, engaged in a thought-provoking discussion with Will O’Carroll. Together, they explored the importance of diversity and inclusion in our organisation and how it positively impacts our workforce and beyond. Their conversation emphasised the significance of creating a safe and supportive environment for everyone encouraging each of us to challenge bias and inappropriate behaviours in the workplace.

If you didn’t get the chance to participate in the discussion live, it’s available to view here.

Throughout the month, Tirlán colleagues were encouraged to participate in various Pride activities which aimed to educate us more about the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community and shift thinking and behaviours to create a more inclusive culture.

Our friends at Mix Diversity, DEI Consultants, provided a series of educational videos, some of which can viewed below:

• What is an ally? https://youtu.be/PzzwctdDynk
• What is Intersectionality? https://youtu.be/0nWAsJoXxWA
• What are pronouns? https://youtu.be/Kx60VwgSFmk
• What is the gender binary? https://youtu.be/Q1OCAcztQzU
• What is outing? https://youtu.be/IWZ3zbMrnQY 
• Meeting the needs of LGBTQ+ People in the workplace https://youtu.be/ZCfbnk5G4t0 
• Shaping a supportive conversation https://youtu.be/K48vAHtvsOE 

One of the most visible displays of support during Pride Month was the flying of pride flags across all our sites. From our Collaboration Hub at Abbey Quarter to our sites and branches, the vibrant colours of the rainbow flag filled our spaces, symbolizing our commitment to equity and inclusivity. 

As we conclude this year’s Pride Month celebrations, there are things we have learned throughout the month that we can incorporate into our everyday interactions with the people around us.

Professor John Amaechi and Will O’Carroll have reminded us that an inclusive workplace fosters innovation, improves performance and enhances overall employee sense of belonging and well-being. Let us continue to create an environment where every individual, regardless of their unique traits, feels valued and comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.

Each month, we put the spotlight on a Tirlán employee and for our July newsletter, we’re talking to newly appointed Technical Sales Manager for South East Asia Ludovic Chesnay

Ludovic Chesnay has joined Tirlán and is shortly moving to Vietnam where he will take up the newly-created role of Technical Sales Manager for South East Asia.

The French-born pastry and bakery chef has over 30 years’ experience in the industry and brings a wealth of international expertise to the new post. He’s really looking forward to putting back on his chef’s whites and demonstrating Avonmore’s products to a captive foodservice industry in the region.

“My role is to look after the South East Asian market and be the link between Tirlán, our business partners (the importer/distributor) and the end user of Avonmore products. When you work with the retail sector, your role is to get product on the shelf and you know it will be consumed at home by a family or an individual.

“When you work with the foodservice industry, you need to be across all of the channels, all of the time. I love food, have worked all over the world and will bring all of this passion to the role. I have worked across Europe (France, UK, Germany and Switzerland)  for world-renowned pastry boutiques, restaurants and four- and five-star hotels.
“As a young pastry chef, I decided to cross the Atlantic, to work and lived in the USA and Canada. In Montreal, I went to Université du Quebec à Montreal (UQAM) to study management. My career then took me to the South Pacific – Australia and New Caledonia.

“I came back to Ottawa, Canada to share my culinary experience, teaching Culinary Arts at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa and later spent time in Dubai, working as the International Culinary Advisor to a big French dairy producer.”

Ludovic will be based in Ho Chi Minh city and is revelling in the new challenge. “I had been a little bit nervous about joining Tirlán. But I’m very happy. Our team is very multi-cultural and I’ve been made feel very welcome. Tirlán has allowed me help shape this role so I can demonstrate as well as storytell and sell. Tirlán is still a relatively new player in the UHT cream market in South-East Asia and the opportunities are endless. It’s very exciting.

“In my new role, I will be more involved with sales, with the end user. I will not just be talking about the product, I will be showcasing how it works, driving sales. I’m also really looking forward to storytelling, to reinforcing with the captive South-East Asian audience the grass-fed credentials, telling people about sustainable Irish farming, the weather, how the cows are cared for, how Irish farmers have been doing this for generations and are working with the land, will not compromise it and are caretaking for the next generation.

“There is still so much we can do in the areas of cream cheese, technical butter and more and I’m looking forward to working with the Innovation Centre and with marketing to help create a whole new range of products for the foodservice industry, which will, in turn, create more added-value opportunities for the products we make from quality milk from family farms in our area,” he said.

Asked how he likes to unwind, he said: “I love food and I love to cook. There is nothing like Wexford strawberries, Avonmore cream, sponge cake made from local produce and of course, a nice Irish gin and tonic. Local is best and I really enjoy the natural credentials behind great Irish food and produce.”

Tirlán’s Health & Safety campaign is all about protecting the people around you

Now in its second year, Tirlán’s ‘Don’t Walk By For July’ campaign is raising awareness of how colleagues can keep each other safe at work. The campaign is running across all sites, with a particular focus on operations and branches. The aim, says Tom Crosbie, Head of Health and Safety at Tirlán, is to raise risk awareness within the business and promote the ownership of safety between staff. “What we found last year was that a campaign like this improves the overall culture around health & safety. We’re taking a proactive approach to safety, as opposed to reacting when an accident happens.”

This July, employees are being asked to raise a good save card. The ‘save’ could be pointing out something on site that needs to be improved, a piece of plant and machinery that isn’t working properly or an obvious hazard that needs to be addressed. “Once it’s brought to our attention, we can get ahead of the problem. Nobody wants to see anyone get hurt so we’re reinforcing our philosophy of protecting the people around you. At the end of the day, we all want to go home safe.”

With last year’s inaugural campaign, about 200 additional good saves were raised. “We found that people’s awareness around safety was raised and that’s what we’re going for again this year. We want to heighten that awareness across all facets of the business, but particularly across all operational areas. To build on engagement the Health & Safety team, who have done tremendous work to engage our people over the last number of years, will be speaking at various forums and engaging with site managers, frontline managers and operators on the ground.”

From October last year to March 2023, zero lost time accidents were reported across all sites. “A small number of accidents have started to creep in again, so the time is right to focus on the proactive side of safety.” Tom says Tirlán is on a path to achieving world class safety performance. “Our aim is to achieve 0.42 Lost Time Accident Incidence Rate (LTIR) in 2023. By 2025, we want to achieve a world class status of 0.28. These proactive measures that we’re implementing, such as ‘Don’t Walk By for July’, are an important step towards achieving these targets.”

Over the next few months, Tom and his team intend to complete a H&S culture measure across all areas of the business. “That will give us a really good insight into the culture of safety on our sites. It will also inform what we need to concentrate on going forward. It’s like we’re firing darts at a board – we know we are firing in the right direction, but we need to up our game if we’re to hit the board every time.”

Advocacy in action on farm and in our Drogheda plant

Tirlán’s teams across our 11 processing facilities work hand in hand with our family farm milk suppliers to bring world-class, nutritious milk from grass to glass every single day. We also love to show first-hand, either on farm or at our sites, the dedication that goes into producing a top-quality product.

Three of our producers opened their farm gates to pupils from local primary schools recently and showcased to the next generation how they’re caring for their herds and proudly producing nutritious milk more sustainably than ever.

Meanwhile, a very enthusiastic group from St Brigid’s School in Dundalk also visited their local plant recently under the school’s ‘Walk Peer Programme’. The programme helps young people who have special educational needs and it supports them so they can successfully transition into the world of work.

The group really enjoyed their factory tour with Production Manager, Frank McDonnell, aided by Jamie Rogers (Env, H&S Manager) and Peter McGuinness (Quality Manager).

The tour finished with the group tasting of some of the 23 different milk blends produced each week in the Drogheda site, followed by a packed lunch in the boardroom. The class were a pleasure to have on site and they were very appreciative of the efforts made by all the Tirlán team. It was a win win for the Drogheda team, with a whole new group of consumers introduced to and delighted with their Mooju samples.