Launch of Siopa.com

I was delighted to be invited here today to officially launch a new Irish business – Siopa.com. This is a new export-led business that will provide a virtual shop window for Irish made crafts and goods targeted principally at the 40 million strong Irish-American audience in the US market. Siopa.com essentially provides a portal for Irish producers to sell Irish crafts, jewellery and other goods to a global, recession-weary online market.

At a time of serious economic challenges in this country, I believe that Siopa.com represents the very best of Irish innovation and entrepreneurship with the real potential to grow jobs and exports. It is companies like these: export-led and online focused, that have the potential to return to Ireland and its people a sense of pride, financial stability and hope for the future.

Supported by Enterprise Ireland, Siopa.com will offer millions of the Irish diaspora and others with a love of Irish goods, top quality products from across the island of Ireland. This new online business will market a slice of Ireland to those who are proud to be connected in some way to Ireland, or appreciate the craft and workmanship that go into so many of the goods that symbolise this country.

Some of the big brand names that will feature on the Siopa site include Newbridge, Foxford, Waterford Crystal and many more but also the smaller players, which will be of particular interest to fans of Irish gifts and jewellery. These smaller, artisan producers, before now, have remained relatively unknown on a global level but Siopa.com is opening them up to a wealth of opportunity. There is a constant thirst for Irish products and CEO, Lulu O’Sullivan, and her team are well aware of this. Add to this the fact that they have 15 or more years of experience delivering superior Irish gifts on an international platform and you have quite the recipe for success. In fact, this group were one of the first e-businesses to go live in the nineties and continue to forge their way in the increasingly competitive online sphere.

This launch, in fact, is timely in so many ways. Connecting with the Irish diaspora is particularly at the forefront of our minds right now. In fact, plans are already underway to launch a ‘certificate of Irish heritage’ for up to 70 million people of Irish descent from around the world who do not qualify for citizenship.

Today’s launch of course also comes at a time when some reassuringly positive export figures are showing an expected increase in Irish exports of approximately 8 per cent, with 2010 reaching the highest level ever at over €160 billion in exports. These are the positive stories that the media often forget and I am glad to say that Siopa.com is just one of many out there today that Enterprise Ireland is supporting.

The potential for this business is significant and could play an important role in Ireland’s financial recovery. The Irish crafts industry is estimated to be worth almost €500 million annually in economic terms. Coupled with this is a very positive image of Ireland and the people behind the brands, Lulu being one herself who, having been unable to get a job during the 1980s recession, set up another gifts delivery company, aimed primarily at customers here in Ireland and Europe.

She and her team, and their wider network of suppliers, are now well placed to capitalise on that love of all things Irish, which prevails despite the tough financial circumstances that we are all working in.

Interestingly, Lulu and her team at Siopa.com have commissioned a special piece of jewellery to mark President Obama’s visit and, again, they have got it so right in terms of their timing.

Of course, the timing of this launch is not just coincidental. It is a clever move on behalf of Lulu O’Sullivan and her team at Siopa.com as the President’s visit shines such a positive light on US-Irish relations and our on close economic ties. It is this dynamism and the ability to seize on opportunities that will lead us through the tunnel of recession and out into the light again.

Besides hope, I believe that faith, a genuine belief and a confidence in ourselves, is central to our success. Let’s make Ireland a place that we are proud to live in, and a place where dynamic businesses have something seriously attractive to offer to the overseas customer.

This will help to ensure that they will come back to visit us, in person or in the virtual world, time and time again. It is this repeat custom, and a love for Ireland, that will ensure our growth and our return to excellence.

With that, may I wish Lulu and her team every success with their business.

Thank you.

I was delighted to be invited here today to officially launch a new Irish business – Siopa.com. This is a new export-led business that will provide a virtual shop window for Irish made crafts and goods targeted principally at the 40 million strong Irish-American audience in the US market. Siopa.com essentially provides a portal for Irish producers to sell Irish crafts, jewellery and other goods to a global, recession-weary online market.

At a time of serious economic challenges in this country, I believe that Siopa.com represents the very best of Irish innovation and entrepreneurship with the real potential to grow jobs and exports. It is companies like these: export-led and online focused, that have the potential to return to Ireland and its people a sense of pride, financial stability and hope for the future.

Supported by Enterprise Ireland, Siopa.com will offer millions of the Irish diaspora and others with a love of Irish goods, top quality products from across the island of Ireland. This new online business will market a slice of Ireland to those who are proud to be connected in some way to Ireland, or appreciate the craft and workmanship that go into so many of the goods that symbolise this country.

Some of the big brand names that will feature on the Siopa site include Newbridge, Foxford, Waterford Crystal and many more but also the smaller players, which will be of particular interest to fans of Irish gifts and jewellery. These smaller, artisan producers, before now, have remained relatively unknown on a global level but Siopa.com is opening them up to a wealth of opportunity. There is a constant thirst for Irish products and CEO, Lulu O’Sullivan, and her team are well aware of this. Add to this the fact that they have 15 or more years of experience delivering superior Irish gifts on an international platform and you have quite the recipe for success. In fact, this group were one of the first e-businesses to go live in the nineties and continue to forge their way in the increasingly competitive online sphere.

This launch, in fact, is timely in so many ways. Connecting with the Irish diaspora is particularly at the forefront of our minds right now. In fact, plans are already underway to launch a ‘certificate of Irish heritage’ for up to 70 million people of Irish descent from around the world who do not qualify for citizenship.

Today’s launch of course also comes at a time when some reassuringly positive export figures are showing an expected increase in Irish exports of approximately 8 per cent, with 2010 reaching the highest level ever at over €160 billion in exports. These are the positive stories that the media often forget and I am glad to say that Siopa.com is just one of many out there today that Enterprise Ireland is supporting.

The potential for this business is significant and could play an important role in Ireland’s financial recovery. The Irish crafts industry is estimated to be worth almost €500 million annually in economic terms. Coupled with this is a very positive image of Ireland and the people behind the brands, Lulu being one herself who, having been unable to get a job during the 1980s recession, set up another gifts delivery company, aimed primarily at customers here in Ireland and Europe.

She and her team, and their wider network of suppliers, are now well placed to capitalise on that love of all things Irish, which prevails despite the tough financial circumstances that we are all working in.

Interestingly, Lulu and her team at Siopa.com have commissioned a special piece of jewellery to mark President Obama’s visit and, again, they have got it so right in terms of their timing.

Of course, the timing of this launch is not just coincidental. It is a clever move on behalf of Lulu O’Sullivan and her team at Siopa.com as the President’s visit shines such a positive light on US-Irish relations and our on close economic ties. It is this dynamism and the ability to seize on opportunities that will lead us through the tunnel of recession and out into the light again.

Besides hope, I believe that faith, a genuine belief and a confidence in ourselves, is central to our success. Let’s make Ireland a place that we are proud to live in, and a place where dynamic businesses have something seriously attractive to offer to the overseas customer.

This will help to ensure that they will come back to visit us, in person or in the virtual world, time and time again. It is this repeat custom, and a love for Ireland, that will ensure our growth and our return to excellence.

With that, may I wish Lulu and her team every success with their business.

Thank you.