BITA in the Evening Echo Ahead of Irish Launch
BITA will officially launch its Irish Chapter this Thursday at the British Embassy in Dublin. Ahead of this milestone the Evening Echo has published a delightful article all about how BITA president, Paul Whitnell came to the UK with a mission to build links between Irish and British businesses. See below for the full article:
A Corkman who lost his job during the recession hopes to transform British and Irish business links after finding work in London.
Paul Whitnell, Blackrock, is the founder of the British and Irish Trade Alliance (BITA) which will launch its Irish Board this Thursday.
The group builds links between Irish and British businesses, and helps emigrants secure work abroad.
BITA came about after Mr Whitnell was forced to emigrate. "I was made redundant from Qualceram Shires about five years ago, after 23 working there. I looked at the options in Ireland. There wasn't much out there, so I had to come to London, ahead of my family, to work here" he said.
Mr Whitnell found work immediately, in the marketing and sales sector. He now works for Premier Contract Supplies. However, he said that Irish people needed better networks in the UK, to help them find work and expand their businesses. “The Emigrant of yesteryear always had the Irish centres like Kilburn. That's all gone now."
He said that whereas before, Irish people would have had an instant network to find work quickly, those links now had to be rebuilt.
As well as helping Irish people get set up in Britain, the network has already secured contracts for Irish business, including Munster Joinery and Carey Glass. This has helped bring jobs back to Ireland, with one upcoming deal securing eight jobs for Kilkenny, with a potential 60 to follow.
BITA already has a board in London, but at the British Embassy this Thursday Ambassador Dominick Chilcott will launch its Irish board, which includes former Tánaiste and Trade Minister Mary Coughlan. "They will work in parallel to the board in London. There will be investment opportunities for Britain in Ireland, and opportunities for Ireland in Britain" Said Mr Whitnell.