RESOURCE GROUP is the largest Irish-based soft services and facilities management company and operates across all of Ireland and the UK. The company is headquartered in Ballymena and developed from a management buy-in, led by Terence Brannigan, of facilities management firm Maybin Support Services in March 2006.

Since the buy-in, Brannigan has led the company on a rapid growth trail. Three acquisitions were made in Ireland, followed by the high-profile acquisition of UK-based Pall Mall, the cleaning and security arm of Carillion Plc.

He re-structured both the company and the way it packages its services to customers, driving up service excellence and marketing sectoral expertise. At the time of the buy-in in March 2006 there were 4,200 employees.

Brannigan has now created a formidable contender in the soft services market across both Ireland and the UK, with annual revenues of £150 million and a workforce of some 15,000, making it the largest privately-owned employer in Northern Ireland.

Brannigan states the most interesting challenge for them has been to successfully balance their size and scale with their need to maintain close personal relationships with their clients in order to deliver the vision of becoming "famous for delivering great service".

The Resource Group has offices across Ireland and the UK in Belfast, Ballymena, Derry, Dublin, Limerick, London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Cardiff.

Product/Service:

Resource provides a range of soft services that include cleaning and hygiene, security, reception services, grounds maintenance and car parking management.

Customers:

Resource has more than 700 customers and services a variety of industries including shopping centres and retail parks, transport and air travel, business and industry, retail chains, higher education and healthcare sectors, across the whole of Ireland and the UK. In Northern Ireland clients include Victoria Square shopping centre, Next, George Best Belfast City Airport, BT, University of Ulster, Queens University Belfast, Michelin, Bombardier and Northern Ireland Civil Service. In the Republic of Ireland Resource services clients such as Marks and Spencer, Eircom, Ulster Bank, Liffey Valley shopping centre, Bank of Ireland, Dell, Medtronic in Galway and Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

Q&A: Terence Brannigan

Is there any interesting or unusual circumstances surrounding the inception of the company?

The first four companies that we acquired, all in Ireland, were owner-operated private companies and, as is often the case, had a very personal approach to client relationships.

Therefore, the initial challenge was to very quickly replace/replicate this across a much wider base. However, our latest acquisition was purchased from a large plc. Whilst doubling our size overnight, it also significantly extended our geographic spread, taking us into Great Britain.

What is your biggest business achievement?

Since the original buy-in, the acquisition of Pall Mall, the UK cleaning and security services arm of Carillion plc, has been the biggest business achievement. The acquisition transformed us both in scope and in scale, giving us tremendous access to market, and turning us into the largest support services company based on the island of Ireland.

We were also able to surpass our initial revenue target in half the time we had planned, whilst providing significantly enhanced career opportunities for our people. But getting the company at the right price was the key.

What is the best piece of business advice you ever received?

"Build the right relationship with your clients and staff and they'll build your business."