Tirlán, formerly Glanbia Ireland, has commenced an €11m investment programme to upgrade its local branch network, with work at its Athboy, Castlelyons and Bunclody stores now underway.
The farmer-owned co-op said the investments in its 52 branches is part of a range of measures to future-proof its agri, retail and garden centre services in 11 counties.
The plan will include significant upgrades to IT infrastructure with technology to improve customer experience, and the group said the branch improvements would support local jobs.
“As a farmer-owned co-operative, Tirlán is committed to developing a modern network of stores that service the evolving needs of farmers and the communities we serve,” he said," said John Murphy, chairman of Tirlán.
“We will be developing and upgrading our branches over the next 4-5 years and adding new Tirlán CountryLife garden centres at our existing branches in both Athboy Co Meath and Bennettsbridge in Co Kilkenny.
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“We will improve the customer experience across all our branches in order to better service the evolving needs of our customers in communities.
"Many of these communities have lost their local post office, shops and other services in recent years and we aim to play our part in ensuring they remain vibrant and self-sufficient."
Phase one of the investment programme sees stores in Ashford, Monasterevin, Castlelyons, Athboy and Bennettsbridge undergo significant renovations. Followed by phase two branches in Dungarvan, Kilmeaden and Tullamore. The first new concept store revamp in Bunclody will be completed in early 2023.
“Our 52-strong branch network is the face of Tirlán in our communities. They are more than just an agri store. Today, our branch network provides critical services in a setting that many of our shareholders, suppliers and customers have a strong affiliation with locally," said Senan Foley, head of retail at Tirlán.
“Over a year ago, we partnered with An Post subsidiary PostPoint to bring a range of convenient services to rural communities. Today’s announcement is part of a wider investment programme that will not only further enhance our offering to customers, but also expand our role in the community.
“As our investment plan begins, we’re open to more local partnership ideas with third parties to help make our rural communities even more sustainable into the future.”
New branding will be rolled out across the network, with agri stores being renamed Tirlán FarmLife and garden centres at Tirlán CountryLife.
There will also be investment in staff training, along with development of Farm Hardware Centres of Excellence, and improvement's to Tirlán's e-commerce offering, with the opening of a dedicated distribution warehouse in Portlaoise.
Photo: (l-r) Tirlán CEO Jim Bergin; chairman John Murphy; retail marketing manager Grace O’Dwyer, and head of retail Senan Foley. (Pic: Dylan Vaughan)
