Ed Harty steps down as CEO of Dairymaster

Kerry entrepreneur Ed Harty has stepped down as chief executive of his family business Dairymaster to "pursue other interests".

In a LinkedIn post, Mr Harty said he plans to "take a little time out and to avail of the opportunity to spend more time with my family".

Having succeeded his father Ned as chief executive, Mr Harty will be succeeded in the role by his brother John, who is director of operations at the business. He has worked at the company for 22 years and is its majority shareholder.

“I’m delighted to be leaving the business in such a strong position, as a leading international high-tech dairy equipment manufacturer, and I’m very proud of our innovation-led achievements over my tenure. I also look forward to hearing about the team’s continued success in the years ahead,” Mr Harty said.

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Major employer

Based just outside the village of Causeway in Co Kerry, Dairymaster makes a range of hi-tech dairy equipment and animal devices. The company is unlimited and so no financial information is available for the business.

However, it is known to have a large number of customers across the world and is a major employer in its local area. Mr Harty, who is 44, won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2012, going on to represent Ireland in the world awards in Monte Carlo the following year.

Looking to the future, Mr Harty said: “Going forward, I intend to pursue and develop other new projects and initiatives using the magical combination of innovation, technology and business.”