M&P O’Sullivan announces strategic new hires as part of ambitious growth plans
M&P grew its turnover in 2021 by over 22% to €37.9 million and forecasts similar growth targets for 2022 and beyond
Print22 March 2022
Cork-based food wholesale company M&P O’Sullivan Ltd. (M&P) has appointed a new head of finance and a supply chain manager to the 117-year-old business to strategically drive its long-term sustainable growth.
The fourth-generation family-run company, which recently added Brennan’s Caterworld to its portfolio, has experienced substantial growth over the past five years. M&P grew its turnover in 2021 by over 22% to €37.9 million and the company has similar growth targets for 2022 and beyond.
To help achieve these ambitious plans, M&P has made two strategic new hires, naming Richard Horgan (ACA) from Bandon, Co. Cork, as its new financial controller and Cathal Harris from Fair Hill, Cork City, to the position of supply chain manager. The group also plans to expand its workforce by 40% in the coming five years.
Richard Horgan
Richard Horgan joins M&P after holding directorship positions with several highly regarded Munster-based firms where he specialised in food retail accounting and auditing. He also previously worked with GECAS, a world leading aviation leasing company, and trained with BDO, one of the world’s big five public accounting firms. Richard is a graduate of Waterford Institute of Technology where he completed a BA Hons in Accounting and a Master of Business in Accounting.
A qualified rugby referee associated with the Munster Association of Referee’s (MAR) and the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU); Richard also officiates at the highest level of domestic rugby within the country.
Cathal Harris
Appointed to the position of supply chain manager, Cathal Harris hopes to further drive efficiencies while maintaining the excellent supplier and customer relationships for which the company has a stellar reputation. His background is in purchasing, planning, scheduling, data analytics and inventory management arenas with experience across all sectors of Supply Chain Management. Cathal, who is a graduate of Business Studies at MTU, Marketing at DCU and Marketing at I.T Carlow, has worked across multiple industrial sectors, such as Cosmetics, Technology, Pharmaceutical and Bio/Pharm.
M&P co-director Eoin O’Sullivan, who is also the president of the Cork Business Association, said these two high level appointments are the first step in a series of key strategic hires the company plans to secure over the coming yearm noting: “We are delighted to welcome Richard and Cathal, two highly experienced and talented Cork men, to the M&P family as we continue to develop and grow the company.”
Five-year strategy
As part of this forward planning, the company recently launched a five-year strategy in which it announced the aim to double business turnover. Director of purchasing at M&P O’ Sullivan, Patrick O’ Sullivan said: “Over the past five years, M&P has experienced substantial growth, increasing by more than 22% in 2021 alone. We intend to harness the skills, experience, and business acumen that Richard and Cathal bring to the table as we implement our strategy for long term sustainable growth.”
Indeed, the partnership by forward-thinking directors and cousins Eoin O’Sullivan and Patrick O’Sullivan has seen the business flourish in recent years. The company launched a frozen and chill business in 2017 which has been hugely successful to the point that it doubled warehousing capacity in this category last year. The team now has plans to expand the retail space of the Sarsfield Road warehouse in Cork by approximately 3,000 square foot to accommodate the new Brennan Caterworld’s product range.
The business has also invested considerably in its Gala franchise with an additional four new franchise stores on track to be opened this year.
The historically food wholesale company, which plays an integral part in the Irish food industry, also operates the Gala retail and Your Stop franchises, and includes Homestead, White Hat and Red Abbey in its portfolio. It now has a product range of over 15,000 lines.
For further information, see www.mpos.ie.
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