Planning for the future

Flancare, the Clonmel based warehousing and distribution company recently commenced construction of a 150,000 square feet facility in Longford Town. The development of this facility, which is part of Flancare’s five year strategic plan will have a significant effect on the commercial life of the town.

Flancare Distribution Ltd., was established in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary in 1993 with ten employees and a 7,000 square feet warehouse. It was clear from a very early stage that the innovative logistics company were were keen to expand.
Managing Director J.J. Killian revealed: “We attained ISO 9002 after only one year in business. We decided very early on that we were going to be a certain type of company. We were going to be different from the ‘run of the mill’ and better than the ‘pack’. We have proved over the last seven years that we are better. We believe we are the best in the sector and our portfolio of clients would reflect that. We have companies on our books like Johnson & Johnson, Allegro, Murphy’s, Collet International, Loreal, C & D Foods to name a few.”

The Clonmel distribution centre has grown over the years to 250,000 square feet and the company can now service 90% of the population within two hours from Clonmel. The development of the Longford facility will enhance the company’s ability to cover the country efficiently. J.J. explained:. “Strategically we needed to cover the country in a more efficient manner. Looking at the map, Longford is an important location in terms of our developing strategy. We now have Clonmel, Longford and Dublin. The three locations will allow us to cover the country very effectively. We can also service Northern Ireland out of Longford.”

Chairman Michael Woodlock added: “We are bringing product from all over the 26 counties into Clonmel. We will now bring product from the border areas and North Leinster to Longford. That will use up about 50,000 square feet in Longford straight away. We are a long way down the road with two or three clients who want the additional space in the warehouse.”
Michael added that employment levels for the Longford distribution centre are expected to top 100 and that further expansion is in the pipeline. He enthused: “we are very pleased with the response. We have a number of new clients going into Longford as well as our existing business there. The size of the warehouse could grow as big as 300,000 square feet. There is a very strong outside interest in Longford from our clients.”

J.J. also believes the Longford development has a bright future. “We started out with 7,000 square feet in Clonmel. Now we have over 250,000 square feet. We are a very ambitious company and if we grow in accordance with our previous performance, Longford will expand and get bigger. We are not a company to stand still.”

Strategically placed between the N4 and the N5 in the heart of the midlands Longford proved to be the ideal location for the progressive distribution company. “If you look at any other town the size of Longford, very few have a road network as good. The roads are improving all the time. The location and the road network is very important to us,” Michael explained.
The Flancare development in Longford has met with warm approval. Longford Co. Council chairman Victor Kiernan enthused: “Everybody in Longford Co. Council is delighted. It is the biggest deal to come to Longford for years. The employment alone will mean a lot. It should also encourage more industry to come to Longford. The company has exciting development plans for the future and we are thrilled to have them.”

Longford’s Director of Community and Enterprise Frank Sheridan was also delighted with the development. “Flancare’s arrival in Longford is very welcomed. Longford is strategically placed between the N4 and N5. It is ideally suited for distribution. We are very pleased to see Flancare recognise that value and come to Longford.”

Flancare is one of the many new enterprises who have recognised the benefits of locating in Longford and we look forward to working with them in the development of their project.

The company has developed an enviable reputation for quality of service over the years.
This dedication to delivering a quality service is the cornerstone on which Flancare has built its success story. “We are a service company. We don’t make anything. The only “product” that we produce is the service we offer to our customers and the quality of our service is integral to our business,” J.J. revealed.

The company runs a fleet of more than 55 trucks and trailers making 4,000 deliveries per week. Annually the company delivers in excess of 16 million cases. By owning and operating its own fleet the company are able to maintain high levels of service throughout the country. “We need to achieve a similar level of service throughout the country. We need the same service going into Dunnes Stores in Sligo, as in Dunnes Stores in Tralee. If we were using a number of different sub-contractors that wouldn’t happen. It is important for us to control every link in the chain,” J.J. explained.

The logistics market in Ireland is ever changing and companies like Flancare need to be pro-active in developing future strategies. Flancare will not be found wanting in this respect as J.J. explained. “The whole service area is the area that is growing worldwide. That is what we are good at - providing a quality service consistently. We can rightly make the claim that we are a national logistics company providing a “one stop” total solution to our clients.

“We intend to be here for the long haul. We are a strong company and are going to be a major player in distribution in Ireland and we will be good for Longford Town and the county,” J.J. concluded.