Provenance, community, jobs: what makes a firm Guaranteed Irish

Now 50 years of age, Guaranteed Irish is a national organisation that supports businesses based in Ireland that sustain jobs and communities and value Irish provenance. Its logo – the familiar G symbol – must be applied for by companies who have to go through a rigorous application process before they can use it.

The appraisal process is the same whether the company is large or small and is conducted by an independent board made up of volunteers, chaired by accountants Grant Thornton, to ensure unbiased scrutiny.

The three main criteria companies need to meet relate to provenance, community and jobs.

Provenance refers to a requirement that businesses make a contribution to Ireland, which could mean an Irish operation, physical presence and employees. It includes international companies who have a base here but also demands a commitment to Ireland in the form of a long-term strategy to sustain and grow its operations in Ireland.

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Another consideration is that a business has an identifiable and measurable positive economic impact on Ireland, and that any products or services should originate in Ireland or have at least 50 per cent added value within Ireland.

Community looks at how member businesses engage with their location in Ireland. Examples of community engagement include local investment, donation and/or support of local clubs and charities, sponsorship of local groups, fundraising and active participation in business groupings.

And finally, jobs – from self-employment to companies employing thousands of people. There are currently more than 2,000 Guaranteed Irish members, employing more than 120,000 people across the country.

“It is important for Guaranteed Irish to support all businesses in Ireland, whether home-grown or international. We celebrate businesses that create local jobs and give back to the community in a sustainable manner,” says Guaranteed Irish CEO Brid O’Connell.

“We like to support indigenous companies and international operations – both of which create jobs on the ground and get involved in their local communities.”

Also vital to the membership is sustainability. Any company based in Ireland can apply for membership. All prospective members must go through the same application process, whether they are a one-person band or a large international.

“Everyone is treated equally and fairly. All applications go to a dedicated appraisal board made up of volunteers and chaired by Grant Thornton,” says O’Connell.

“But it’s not a shoo-in. While some 85 per cent of businesses are approved, we do turn down about 15 per cent. These tend to be operations that just want the logo without any of the commitment or are just not ready and they are refused until they are ready.”

There is a sliding scale of membership fees for the successful candidates, depending on employee numbers.

Jason Kidd, CEO and founder of Outcast Irish Gin, understands his marketing. While he lived for many years in the UK, he returned to Ireland with a strong pedigree in the drinks business, having worked for big names such as Diageo, Heineken and Fosters.

His move to become an entrepreneur began with a craft brewery in London eight years ago, the success of which led him to found Outcast Brands in 2022 to offer premium Irish spirits.

Outcast currently has two brands in production. The first is Blood Monkey Gin, a triple-distilled, Irish malted barley-based gin made in west Cork. The second is Two Shores Rum, an eight-year-old Panamanian rum aged in Ireland in Irish whiskey barrels. Both brands have won numerous awards, including Best Contemporary Gin, two gold medals at the recent World Gin Awards and six awards at the World Rum Awards.

Kidd, as a returned Irishman, understands the great name Irish food and drink enjoys internationally. So, while he did not opt to go for Gaelic names, he very much wanted to position the spirits as Irish.

“We believe the Guaranteed Irish brand is a quality stamp, especially when we are speaking to international customers,” says Kidd. “We attended multiple trade fairs last year and we are keen to speak about the Irish reputation. Having the Guaranteed Irish stamp tells customers that they are dealing with a quality producer.”

The process of applying was helpful for Kidd to solidify the Irish basis for the products.

“We went through not only our own processes but also those of our suppliers to make sure we came up to standards in terms of provenance. The entire liquid is made in west Cork and some 95 per cent of the botanicals are also Irish – with one exception, Szechuan pepper, which is sourced in Asia.”

In terms of community support, Outcast Brands invests in local communities, sporting clubs and projects. The firm also organises an annual clean-the-beaches day in Malahide, as well as supporting the Tidy Towns local chapter.

“Given our botanicals are 95 per cent Irish, we like to keep the bees safe so we’ve joined up with the All-Ireland Pollinator project,” says Kidd.

Having the Guaranteed Irish accolade gives us trust and credibility with our customers, which is vital to us

—  Grace Tooher, Rural WiFi

Grace Tooher, chief operating officer at Rural WiFi, a family-run Irish company founded in 2015 with a mission to connect rural Ireland, stresses that customer service is the most important aspect of the business. It applied for the Guaranteed Irish seal of approval in October 2022, securing membership that December.

Tooher says she found the application process straightforward.

“We are very engaged with our community, sponsoring the local GAA club in Ratoath and further afield. Last year we also sponsored a local MMA fighter from the town, Taylor Quinn. He did very well in his overseas competition,” she says.

“Having the Guaranteed Irish accolade gives us trust and credibility with our customers, which is vital to us.”

Emerald Park, formerly Tayto Park, has captured the imaginations of Irish children. Another family-run business, it has big plans for 2024, with a €22 million investment delivering new rides, including rollercoasters, and a whole new land, Tír na nÓg.

Employing 120 people full time, rising to 600 with seasonal staff, the company has worked with a number of key charities including The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation and Mental Health Ireland.

“In addition to supporting these very deserving charities, we also are active in conservation projects and we are committed to the wellbeing of our native local biodiversity and take steps to ensure that we are contributing to a healthy ecosystem,” says marketing manager Niamh Reynolds.

One charity Emerald Park helps fund is the Golden Eagle Trust, to which it has donated more than €30,000.

GI members contribute to their communities through jobs and support, as well wearing the green jersey at home and abroad.

Spotlight on … Global home improvements

Barry Shevlin joined Global Home Improvements, which his father established 44 years ago, in 1999. He began at the bottom but today he is managing director, having worked his way up through the ranks.

As a company, Global Home Improvements deals exclusively with homeowners; therefore, it prides itself on providing the best customer service possible. To that end, in October 2023 it launched a 20-year guarantee on all windows installed – a first, Shevlin believes, for an Irish company.

“We know that customer service is our number-one priority and that is the cornerstone of our business. Offering this guarantee is testament to our belief in our product,” he says.

It is also why Global Home Improvements has signed up to the Guaranteed Irish programme.

“We see it as an extension of our trust. Guaranteed Irish is 50 years old this year and we are almost the same age – it’s a good synergy.”

Shevlin is happy to offer the guarantee as he controls all aspects of the business, from the production of the windows in Global’s plant in Glasnevin, to the installers working across the country.

“Literally we monitor everything, from the nails used in the windows to the installation and customer support afterwards,” says Shevlin.

There is even a 24-hour helpline in case families get locked out of the house by mistake.

Today Global Home Improvements employs 50 people across sales, support, operations, installation and technical staff. There is a wide diversity of employees, with many countries represented on the payroll. Shevlin encourages community support, with his company sponsoring many local sporting clubs. It also supports Focus Ireland.

This year he is partnering with a tree-planting operation based at the Dunsany estate in Co Meath. For every order received at Global Home Improvements, a tree is planted there. Shevlin has planned a company visit this year, when employees can plant trees directly.

“We see the brand recognition of Guaranteed Irish very much aligned with our values,” he says. “We want to give the very best in support and this helps us with our reputation.”