Established in Sligo in 1989, Lotus Automation is now an internationally recognised group of companies delivering instrumentation, automation, engineering and construction expertise to a variety of process and manufacturing industries in Europe and the USA.
The group employs 300 staff globally of which 170 are employed in Ireland. Annual payroll in Ireland is €7.5 million, with a local annual spend of €2 million on goods and services.
Products
Services and products are not industry specific. The company partners with and provides solutions to clients in the following sectors: Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices, Semi-Conductor, Food and Beverage and Waste Water.
Lotus Automation provides expertise on solutions for industrial calibration services, control system and panel manufacturing, CE marking, machine building, product sales, commissioning and maintenance services and asset management consulting.
Customers
The company's corporate business strategy has successfully developed strong business relationships with the Irish market and continues its growth in the UK, USA, Europe and the Far East. The continued expansion in its markets globally has ensured that Lotus Automation is now a substantial multinational company.
Describe your progression from start-up to your current status?
We built a solid reputation in our industry and this led to our first technical services contract for a major multinational. Through working for one of those multinationals in the US, the company quickly recognised the opportunity existing there for its services.
We established Lotus Automation USA and later acquired KM Kelly. In March this year, Lotus Automation signed an agreement to acquire two further companies on the US west coast.
What was the best piece of business advice you have ever received?
"Why not go out on a limb? That's where all the fruit is."
Name a famous international entrepreneur you most admire?
I have great admiration for Richard Branson - he is a self-made man who has relied on his own sense of entrepreneurship to achieve that success. He is successful in many diverse ways.
