Bord na Móna - Source Issue 7 - (Page 10)

New approach, New busiNess Markets evolve constantly, inspiring innovative responses to changing consuMer and custoMer needs. in horticulture, Fuels and resource recovery, those responses are paying dividends that sense. and the customer wants excellent customer service – so if they want two pallets delivered today, Bord na Móna must be able to do that well and make a profit on it.” significant strides have been made in the uk market. a reduced-peat range of growise has been launched through a uk distributor, vital earth and 60 new outlets have been secured for the brand. “We’re going back to the glee tradeshow in Birmingham in september and we’re starting to build product awareness with excellent packaging,” says tommy, adding that glee is the uk’s most comprehensive trade show for the garden, landscaping and leisure industries. “We’re going to add to the product categories we supply through vital earth, so that we will supply more than peat, peat-free and peatreduced categories.” With 25 new outlets for briquettes, the company is also in discussions with players in significant fuel supply chains. in addition, FireMagic FireMaker was launched at a hearth and home trade show in early June and feedback was positive in terms of better understanding what uk consumers want from FireMagic FireMaker. another initiative Fuels/Horticulture - UK the uk is a challenging market and yet, with a population of about 60 million people, even a small slice of the market can yield significant returns. that’s what Bord na Móna is seeking to achieve with its horticulture and Fuels offerings in the garden, home fire ignition and solid fuel sectors. the uk is a tight market, in which Bord na Móna is seeking space where there is no awareness of its name and in a market dominated by the multiples – B&Q, homebase, Focus, tesco, Morrisons, sainsbury’s, asda and Waitrose. “this is also a market of three main branded suppliers and we’re the biggest nonbranded supplier,” says tommy gill, Business development Manager in the uk. “the uk market is consumer-driven, so a new product to market must be consumer-oriented, meaning we must understand the consumer’s need, spend, behaviour and pressures,” says tommy. “We also have to understand the main routes of engagement for the customer (multiples). the customer wants a superefficient supply chain. you get a delivery slot within 15 minutes and penalties are applied if you miss that, so it’s an unforgiving market in is paying off in linking up with stove suppliers. “the wood-burning stove market is predicted to grow significantly in the next few years and we want to link FireMagic FireMaker with stoves in retail outlets so that consumers can physically experience the product burning in a stove,” says tommy, adding that it’s a win-win for the stove maker and Bord na Móna. it all comes back to understanding the consumers’ needs and the requirements of Bord na Móna’s customers and putting the two together so that each party benefits. Horticulture - Mainland Europe in Mainland europe overall, horticulture’s bulk exports of peat are up 22%. “We shipped over 650,000m3 of peat to european countries (excluding the uk) this financial year just ended, an increase of almost 20% on last year. revenue increased 22% from the previous year, making it a hugely successful one for the department,” says aidan campion, Business development Manager for europe. revenues grew by 29% in France, 25% in italy and 18% in the Benelux region. revenues in some 20 further export countries increased overall by 14% on the previous year. revenues 10 | Source Summer 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Bord na Móna - Source Issue 7

Bord na Móna - Source Issue 7
Contents
A Round-Up of News from Around the Company
Willow Harvest for Farmers
New Approach, New Business
Strategic Growth and Development
Challege and Change
Anua Beginning
Raging Inferno
Mapping a Sustainable Future
Project Update
Heritage Corner
Nationwide

Bord na Móna - Source Issue 7