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Four men’s roller-coaster journey
from engineers to entrepreneurs
How the founders of specialist engineering firm Horizon created a win-win business model
NE of my sets and hands-on operational best suits their needs, and
favourite quotes experience, they might be able finally project manage its
to offer that service to the firm. installation and integration.
comes from
And that’s what they did. In
“Our third and most recent
French writer
Andre Gide, a real win-win situation, the division focuses on research
who said “you four engineers came together, and on the development of
specialised software,” explains
will never discover new oceans set up a new company and successfully
tendered for the work. Aiden excitedly. “Up to now,
unless you have the courage to
Winning their first contract when a pharma or food type
lose sight of the shore”.
This quote serves as a powerfulwasn’t easy because they were firm was preparing a detailed
reminder that achievementup against stiff competition, specification for a piece of
in our lives comes only but their experience in, and manufacturing equipment it
after our decision to try, to knowledge of, the company’s was planning to buy, it had to
compile a lengthy and time
take risks and to go beyond operations won out.
Since then the engineersturned-entrepreneurs
consuming list of requirements
our comfort zone.
have
across all functional
Starting a business in good
gone on to tender and win areas of the business including
times can be challenging.
operations, engineering, quality,
Setting one up in the midst many other contracts. Because
of
the
sensitive
and
validation, HR, marketing
of a major recession takes
competitive nature of their and finance. This usually took
even greater courage. But
work, Aiden isn’t permitted between two to three weeks
that’s exactly what this week’s
to publicly disclose the firm’s and involved a significant
entrepreneurs did.
clients. However, as he shows amount of input from staff, all
Colleagues Aiden Corcoran,
me some of their names, it’s of which costs money. Today,
Mark McLean, Seamus
a who’s who in the world of we have developed bespoke
Reidy and Hubert Halligan
pharma and biotechnology.
software which completes this
spent many years working
Initially, their customers same process and integrates
together as engineers before
were all Irish-based but today,this wide range of complex
spotting an opportunity to set
one third of their €3.5m and collaborative inputs in
up their own business. Founded
turnover comes from the UK, as little as 72 hours,” he adds.
in Westport in 2010, their
Germany, Belgium, Switzerland This software, which is in
company, Horizon, provides
and the Netherlands.
beta test mode, is soon to be
specialised consulting and engineering
So what exactly does Horizon
rolled out to firms in Ireland
services to manufacturing
do, I ask. “Our services
firms primarily in the can be divided into three key and the US and the company
is excited about its potential
life science (pharmaceutical,
divisions,” explains Aiden. given the significant cost savings
biotech and medical devices) “These are (1) resourcing, (2)
it offers clients.
and food sectors.
engineering and design and
The four men had been
The last five years have
(3) software development. As
working for a multinational
part of our resourcing service, been a real roller coaster for
biotech company in Mayo we recruit and place suitably the four men. Aiden Corcoran,
when they became aware of qualified and experienced from Tuam in Co Galway,studied
a policy change in how the engineers in companies, on either mechanical engineering
firm contracted consulting
in Bolton Street, Dublin beforejoining
a short-term or long-term
engineers to help complete
Hewlett Packard
basis,
where
the
company
has
specific projects.
where he spent a number of
“The company decided that a need for additional manpower.
years working in their process
While the engineers development team in the US.
rather than deal with a multiplicity
are
placed
within
our
clients’
of individual contractors
After returning to Ireland, he
as they had done up to organisations, they actually worked with Boston Scientific
that point, they would, instead, work for Horizon,” he adds.
before joining the large
The company’s engineering biopharma manufacturing
outsource this requirement to
and design division involves company in Co Mayo.
a single firm that could effectively
act as a one-stop shop for providing consulting support
The company’s chief operations
all their engineering needs,” to firms looking to source specialist
officer, Mark McLean,
plant and machinery. hails from Hollywood in Co
explains managing director
Here, Horizon’s engineers
Aiden Corcoran.
Down. He has a master’s degree
start by mapping out the client’s in mechanical engineering
That gave the four engineers
the idea that, by combining production process, then
from the University of
their individual skill procure the equipment that Ulster at Jordanstown and
o
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Sunday Independent-Business supplement*
Sunday, 7 December 2014
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pack, carton or bottle of drugs
also worked with Hewlett
Packard in the US. It was there with a unique global serial
number or code,” explains
that he and Aiden first met.
Seamus Reidy and Hubert Aiden, adding that it will help
counter the recent increase in
Halligan are also directors.
Qualified engineers, they too counterfeit drugs.
The firm also plans to open
worked with the same company
in Mayo. Seamus who is a an office in Rhode Island
native of Waterford has over in the US, with 10 staff, to
20 years of experience in the harness the potential of that
sector and is now a subject market and launch their new
software product into the US.
matter expert in building
and facilities. Hubert Halligan Furthermore, they have plans
hales from Athlone, Co to partner with a US-based billion
dollar construction firm.
Westmeath and is a subject
“One of our key attributes
matter expert in packaging
continues to be the quality
and automation.
Even with their combined and commitment of our staff,”
expertise, the process of growing explains Aiden. ‘We really are
a like specialist manufacturing
their business held numerous
team without a factory
challenges. “Horizon
was born in the middle of the floor. Our unique selling point
is that we bring that expertise
downturn and so raising finance
for the business was not instead to the factory floor of
easy. We had to find the money our clients,” he adds.
Andrew Gide was correct
ourselves and shoe string the
business until we got it up and when he said that all success
comes from having the courage
running,” admits Aiden.
Even though founded in to begin. And while Aiden Corcoran
and his fellow founders
the teeth of the recession, one
upside was that many potential remain passionate about what
clients were also grappling they do and see opportunities
with cost issues. As a result everywhere in their industry,
they increasingly began to none of this success would
look for an outsourcing model. have been possible had they
On the back of this, businessnot had the courage to move
began to grow and, in from the relative security of
2013,the firm opened an office being employees into the challenging
world of becoming
in Dublin which now employs
10 staff. These staff act as a entrepreneurs. Theirs is an
support to its Galway-based inspiring story of an inspiring
R & D centre of excellence company which looks set to
become one of Ireland’s great
which in turn collaborates
with the Galway-Mayo institute success stories of the future.
of Technology and NUIG.
Earlier this year too, the company
opened another office,
this time in Bristol, England,
which serves as its Global
Business Development Centre.
“It’s been a hectic few years
Overview
for us as our business is constantly
evolving,” explains
Company Name: Horizon
Aiden, who projects a further
Business: Providers of
50pc growth in turnover next
specialised engineering
year. “We are now very focused
services to the food and life
on developing niche markets
science sectors
where we can excel such as in
Set up: 2010
the areas of packaging and serialisation
Founders: Aiden Corcoran,
which is currently
Mark McLean, Seamus Reidy
becoming a hot topic in the
and Hubert Halligan
pharma sector” he adds.
Turnover: C3.5m
What is serialisation, I ask.
No. of employees: 46
“This refers to legislation
Location: Headquartered
which is soon due to be introducedin Westport, Co Mayo, with
which will require all
offices in Ballsbridge, Dublin,
manufacturers of pharmaceuticals Sligo and Bristol in the UK
to mark each individual
44
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We really are a like specialist
manufacturing team but
without a factory floor. Our
unique selling point is that we
bring that expertise instead to
the factory floor of our clients
Sean
Gallagher
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Sunday, 7 December 2014
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Wotfom
SETTING SAIL DURING THE STORM: Aiden Corcoran,
I
managing
director
-
of Horizon, with
Sean Gallagher
in the lab at NIBRT Belfield,
Dublin. Photo: Tony Gavin