TIM PHILIPS:TIM PHILIPS, who has died aged 71, was for many years the driving force behind Ballyfree Farms, the poultry agribusiness based in Glenealy, Co Wicklow.
He spearheaded the early development of the enterprise with his father, David Philips, and was subsequently its managing director.
He brought to the undertaking a high level of energy and innovation, which invariably left his committed workforce and his competitors gasping in his wake.
Vision, integrity and passion were his hallmarks.
Timothy David Philips was born in London in 1938.
His father was an American entrepreneur who had developed the ziplock, an innovative system for sealing plastic, still in use today. The sale of that patent enabled Philips snr to make a permanent move to Ireland and to purchase Ballyfree House in Glenealy, with some land attaching, in the early 1950s.
Tim Philips was educated at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire, England, where he was head of the school. From there he secured a place at Cambridge University. After consultation with his father, who viewed formal education with some disdain, the young Philips chose instead to pursue a career in insurance. He joined Lloyds of London after completing a short service commission in the Royal Dragoon Guards. At the age of 23 he married Susan Aikman, a partnership of love that was to last 48 years until his death.
Within two years, he had abandoned the city life and committed himself to the development of the family business.
The Philips family became the dominant supplier of fresh eggs to the Dublin market. Eggs that had previously been sold loose were for the first time offered in pre-packs. By the late 1960s there were 120,000 laying hens in the Glenealy valley.
Philips then diversified the poultry operation into the production and processing of turkeys and the manufacture of a range of convenience food products.
At its height this enterprise could boast many of the leading retailers in Britain as its customers. In the early 1980s, when Ireland was experiencing severe recession, Ballyfree had 130 people on its payroll. In 1985 the business was sold and later taken over by the Kerry Group.
Philips went on to pursue a vibrant career as an agribusiness consultant, advising companies in both Ireland and further afield.
He had many interests and skills that went beyond the world of business: he was a passionate aviator who kept his own plane, much used for his commercial activities, and the 1960s saw the staging of several international air rallies at Ballyfree, attracting huge crowds.
Activities included aerobatic demonstrations, massed parachute jumps, a demonstration by lady pilots and even a "woman on the wing".
In 1969, Philips and his co-pilot, Vyrell Mitchell, raced their Piper Twin Comanche Ballyfree Bird in the England to Australia Air Race They finished fourth out of 75 starters.
Two years later the same combination competed in the London to Victoria (Canada) Air Race. They finished second. Inspired publicity was obtained for sponsors Bord Bainne and Kerrygold, as well as for Ballyfree.
Philips had a strong sense of compassion. In 1979 the inhabitants of Cambodia and of Phnom Penh in particular were in dire need of assistance following the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge regime. Together with John O'Shea of GOAL, Philips inveigled Aer Lingus into putting a fully-crewed transport plane at their disposal. A combination of pressure and charm yielded the required provisions.
The two men were on board as the plane flew into the city at low altitude and under the cover of darkness to best avoid the attentions of hostile fire. The cargo was delivered.
A later outlet for Philips' reserves of energy was equestrian sport.
He had shown little interest in horses when his sisters, Virginia and Prunella, had competed with success in the 1960s. Where his siblings had failed to arouse an interest, his daughters succeeded in spades.
He ran the European Three-Day Eventing and Endurance Championships at Punchestown in 2003, an exercise that called on all his considerable skills of management and organisation.
This successful venture led to him establishing the annual Ballinacoola Horse Trials on his farm in Glenealy.
The discovery in mid-life of some Jewish origins led Philips on a journey of faith culminating in him placing complete trust in Jesus Christ. He developed a passion to communicate this message of hope to others, particularly young people.
For the last two years he organised a Christian youth festival (known as MAD or Make a Difference) on the lands below his house. Renowned Christian bands from abroad joined Irish performers at this event.
In the nearby village of Redcross, Philips was influential in the development of a modern vibrant church that welcomes Christians of all denominations.
During the illness that took him, Philips was buoyed up by news of the appointment of his son, Dalton, to the position of chief executive of one of the leading retailers in the United Kingdom.
His untimely death is felt keenly by his family, including an ever-increasing number of grandchildren, and his many friends.
He is survived by Susan, his daughters Fiona, Scarlett, Georgina and Melanie, his son Dalton and many friends.
Tim Philips: born, 1938; died, March 5th, 2010