Co-founder of Athlone software firm addresses packed 'Founders Friday' event
John Mee, the co-founder of an Athlone-based software development company, was one of the keynote speakers at a packed 'Founders Friday' business networking event in Mullingar on April 17.
Mr Mee co-founded the Monksland-based company Sidero, which was acquired by GlobalLogic three years ago. Along with Denise Buckley, founder of the popular Mullingar confectionery company Sugar Plum Sweetery, he was one of the featured speakers at the 'Founders Friday' event in Casey's Bar.
On the night, Mr Mee described his career as a "pinball machine" in which progress often came through unexpected changes in direction. He spoke candidly about early setbacks, including a key investor pulling out at the last minute, which led to a decisive pivot into services.
That pivot ultimately led to the growth of Sidero, which scaled from a small team to 240 employees and was acquired by GlobalLogic, part of the Hitachi Group, in 2023.
A key lesson from Mr Mee’s journey was the importance of hiring the right people, with the company becoming known for its ability to recruit quickly and build strong teams, including internationally.
A strong theme throughout the evening was the shared background of both speakers, who grew up on farms, where hard work and resilience were part of everyday life and later shaped their approach to business.
Denise Buckley shared the story behind Sugar Plum Sweetery, a brand built around customer experience and the idea of "making memories sweet". Drawing on more than 16 years in luxury retail,
Ms Buckley explained that understanding why customers buy, and how they feel in a space, became central to the business. Despite initial scepticism, she launched the business in 2022 and focused on creating a unique, experience-led store inspired by a sense of wonder.
Constant product testing and a strong focus on innovation led to rapid growth, with demand increasing by over 500 percent at peak periods and the business scaling from producing just a handful of products per hour to thousands per day.
At one point, demand created a six-week waiting list, forcing the business to expand quickly, invest in machinery, and increase staffing levels to meet customer demand.
Both speakers highlighted the challenges of scaling, particularly around recruitment, costs, and maintaining quality during periods of rapid growth. Denise Buckley pointed to rising input costs, such as chocolate and sugar, while also emphasising the importance of understanding margins and financial performance at all stages of the business.
The importance of the Midlands as a place to build a business was also a strong theme, with both speakers addressing the region’s growing talent base, strong community networks, and the role of institutions such as TUS and major employers in supporting business growth.
The evening was hosted by Ronan Berry, with opening remarks from sponsors, Tom Griffith of MidlandJobs.ie, Catriona Duffy of Local Enterprise Office Westmeath, and David Gleeson of AllPro Recruitment.
Organisers said the event reflects the growing momentum of business activity across the region. "There is a huge amount of talent and ambition across the Midlands, and events like this are about making that visible and giving people access to real founder experiences," they said.