Seery's Cash & Carry celebrates 40 years

Seery’s Cash and Carry, based in Cornamaddy Industrial Estate, is celebrating 40 wonderful years in business in Athlone.

Having first been opened in 1985 by local Drumraney man Oliver Seery and his wife Eileen who hails from Ferbane, the family business has gone from strength to strength.

“We have had some great memories over the last 40 years and have gotten over many hurdles with the support of our wonderful staff,” said Emily Seery, current Director of Seery's Cash & Carry. “We would also like to thank all members of the extended Seery and Egan families and my husband Karl Turley and his family for all their support in the background.”

DETAILS OF SEERY'S CUSTOMER OPEN DAY HERE

Seery’s Cash and Carry has over four decades of experience as specialist suppliers to the food service industry.

The independent wholesale and retail business boasts over five thousand products in the areas of food service, soft drinks, alcohol, take-out packaging, and hygiene products, a vast increase from the original one hundred products stocked when it first opened in 1985.

The Cash and Carry supplies over two thousand business customers in the provinces of Connaught, Leinster and Munster. These include hotels, bars, restaurants, and fast-food outlets, as well as supermarkets, bakeries, hospitals, schools, and colleges. They are always aiming to go above and beyond for their loyal customers. It is this element that has left a lasting effect on the success of the business.

“Our unique selling points are our personal service and product offering,” Emily said. “We always go the extra mile to accommodate our customers, whereas other similar, non-family-run businesses are not able to meet these needs.”

The Seery family couldn't be prouder to celebrate the milestone, which is a testament to their hard work over the years.

"It's great to be celebrating this achievement together," Emily said. "Our family have a huge sense of pride that we've reached the 40 years.

"It's brilliant, as well, that we've been able to pass it from one generation to the next, and hopefully we can pass it on to my own children when the time comes."

The Seery family legacy enters a new era

From humble beginnings in Grace Park Road 40 years ago, to new plans for online sales, the future of Seery's Cash & Carry remains bright.

Oliver first saw a gap in the market in 1985, and left his job as a sales rep to go out on his own, selling packaging and catering supplies, while civil servant Eileen left her job to take on a financial role in the business.

"It was a risky move during a time of recession, but their hard work paid off. Mam and Dad always worked steadily. Everything they earned, they invested back into the business.” said Emily. “I always remember growing up, every time we’d have a family trip, we would always have a delivery to make along the way.”

In 1992, Oliver and Eileen were able to construct a purpose-built Cash and Carry in the Cornamaddy Industrial Estate.

They continued to run the business from there with the help of their eldest son Nicki who sadly passed away in 2008. Their nephew David Seery, son of Oliver’s brother Micheál, has also played a pivotal role in the operations of the business for the past 22 years.

Emily officially joined the company 12 years ago and then took the reins from Oliver at the beginning of the pandemic, which was a very trying time. “There was no handover period as Oliver became seriously ill in March 2020 and had to stop working immediately.”

The Seery’s Cash & Carry founder received urgent treatment and underwent numerous successful surgeries over the course of three years. “Thankfully, he is fighting fit today and is enjoying his retirement to the fullest,” Emily added.

Other challenges faced by the business included the drastic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the hospitality industry, which led to a sudden 50% drop in sales and forcing the business to operate from behind closed doors.

“We would not have been able to keep it all going without the help of all our devoted staff, especially our managers at the time David Seery and Kevin Rohan, who really put their shoulders to the wheel.”

Despite the hurdles, the family business has continued to expand and plan for further development in the coming years.

“We have recently installed 84 solar panels, so we want to continue working on sustainability within the business. This year we have also become members of the Stonehouse Marketing Group, which has allowed us to join forces with over twenty independently run Cash and Carry groups in Ireland, so we can continue to buy better and remain competitive in the market.”

Seery’s Cash & Carry intend to bring the business fully online by the end of the year, allowing customers full access to their product range on www.seeryscashandcarry.ie.

Emily added: “If the next 40 years are anything like the last, we have a lot to look forward to!"