The Sunday Times has published an article “How I Made It” outlining the rise to success of Faye Healy, Director at Spectac International. It describes how Faye transitioned from a career as a professional psychologist working in addiction through to developing and managing the successful growth strategy of Spectac International, the innovative stainless steel fabrication company.
Faye describes how her father Tony Healy initially set up the business, based in Dundalk, where there was a strong brewing tradition and the demand for brewing tanks and brewing vessels was clear. While the business struggled through the recession, it suffered job losses and margins were extremely tight. Faye was familiar with the business, having worked there for a number of summers while growing up and when she was looking for a fresh challenge, in 2012 things were picking up and Tony suggested she join him in the business.
An important step in this transition was a course Faye took in international selling which helped her upskill in terms of the commercial world and strategic and tactical ways to drive exports.
The Sunday Times article goes on to outline the different initiatives Faye implemented in the business – starting with a re-branding including the development of a new logo and website www.spectac.ie and the use of social media to promote the company. However Faye was keen to harness the technical expertise of her father and the inhouse team, to develop new product and ultimately the business decided to put on strategic focus on developing the skills and capacity inhouse to deliver complete automated manufacturing systems. Faye describes how Tony could see the move towards complete brewing systems in Germany and there was no reason why Spectac International couldn’t deliver the same service. This required some investment though and the business brought in a design team so that they could offer this service. They also moved facilities to have more capacity in a site with over 44,000 sq. ft. and recently made a significant investment in a plasma welding machine to boost efficiency and cut costs for customers. Another cost-cutting exercise has been to move to buy stainless steel directly from the mills – this is more cost-efficient and it helps the business offer highly competitive pricing.
Ultimately the move towards delivering turnkey solutions for breweries and distilleries has had a significant impact on the growth of the business, with this service amounting to 50% of turnover and likely to grow. Turnover itself is also at an all-time high, reaching €4 million last year and set to increase significantly over the coming years.
Spectac International has changed considerably since Faye Healy joined the business and no doubt her drive and business acumen will steer the business successfully into the future.
If you are interested in discussing your stainless steel fabrication requirements or in developing a complete automated manufacturing facility, get in touch with Spectac International – we offer competitive quotes, extensive experience and in-depth expertise in manufacturing products and compete systems for a variety of sectors.