A happy 25th anniversary for Tuam's own multi-national

By DAVID BURKE MORE jobs will be created this year by Tuam's own home-grown multi-national, JFC Manufacturing. Planning permission has been granted for a major extension to the plant on the Weir Road, and building work should start soon. Founder John Concannon was the man of the moment at the firm's 25th anniversary social on Friday night. Local staff, the manager of the company's Polish factory, representatives from the UK, and the Netherlands and invited guests celebrated success in hard times. Confidence[private] John Concannon told them that the past few years had been rough and tough, but the previous three days of talks, seminars and planning had given him great confidence in the future. The average age of the workforce has come down, he said, and the staff are young, willing and determined to make JFC a better company. 'We have suffered in the past couple of years, but we are not afraid of mileage or planes and we will get out there and expand our overseas markets,' he said. The company now has over 500 individual products in its catalogue. More than half of these are agricultural, and another 30 to 35 new products are introduced each year. JFC has a team of about ten in its Research and Development section, with a budget of €500,000 a year. Total employment for the group is 250 between Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, Poland and South Africa. Its tentacles reach even as far as New Zealand, where a local firm makes its multi-floats for marine use under licence. Former Minister Noel Treacy has seen the company grow from its original breakthrough on the Late Late Show when John Concannon badgered Gay Byrne into featuring his multi-bucket. On Friday night he told of his long connection with the family on the 'stock exchange'. John, and his father Joe, dealt in cattle and sheep and had many encounters with Noel during his career in the local livestock marts. The links go even deeper: Noel's mother was from Cloonaglasha, and John's mother Myra comes from the nearby townland of Cardiff. The friendship was the catalyst for Noel's interest in the new product and his championing of the company in its early years. The former minister said he was proud of JFC's success, and delighted that this was being shared with the community. He concluded by praising John Concannon's idea of active citizenship, and wished him well both in his enterprise and in his work for the suicide prevention charity, Pieta House.[/private]