Michael Hoyne is the founder of Merlyn Showering, a provider of shower doors, shower enclosures and bathroom accessories.
Hoyne began his career by founding a plumbing distribution business in Kilkenny. After a number of years developing the business, he saw an opportunity in the market for an innovative range of shower trays. He launched the Waterford-based shower-tray company Somerby in 1986, and patented a shower-tray design with an upstand to reduce the possibility of leaks.
Alongside Somerby, Hoyne began a complementary business, Image Showering, in 1988, which he ran successfully until 1999 as a major shareholder.
Believing there was still an opportunity in the market for a more innovative approach to shower enclosures, he founded Merlyn Showering in 2000, launching the business in Ireland and the UK on the same day.
Over the years, Merlyn has designed ranges dedicated to different markets across the UK, Russia and the Middle East. The company has a diverse range of customers, including more than 2,500 independent bathroom retailers, three British nationwide merchants, a number of large distributors and, most recently, the UK’s largest housebuilder.
The company, which currently employs more than 75 people, has grown to be the number-one shower-enclosure company in Ireland and the UK.
What makes your business unique? We are different from a number of the other manufacturers working in our space because we offer different brands for different channels, depending on their needs.
We understand that a product with a lifetime guarantee and at a premium price is perfect for a specialist bathroom retailer but may not suit the needs of a customer at a merchant counter. So we have a number of brands we offer to our customers, depending on their needs. For example, in 2013 we launched a range of enclosures called Ionic Express, which was a fast-fit range, exclusively to our merchant customers. This is perfect for the busy installer who wants an easy and fast-fitting enclosure.
This approach means we can design a product range that we know is perfect for their consumer base and gives them relative exclusivity.
What was your back-to-the-wall moment, and how did you overcome it? We experienced some challenges in 2008 due to currency fluctuations. We were buying in euro and selling in sterling, but we reacted quickly by changing currency supplier.
To what extent does your business trade internationally, and what are your plans? We currently operate in Ireland, the UK, France and Russia. We have also recently been appointed as exclusive shower-enclosure supplier to a Dubai-based company with franchisees throughout the Middle East, which is an area we have identified as having some significant potential.
What is the most common mistake you see entrepreneurs make? I think there is a risk of believing you know it all. I learned this very early on. You have got to understand where your weaknesses are, and make sure you surround yourself with people who can bridge those gaps.
What would make you a better leader? When you have started a business and watched it grow significantly over the past 15 years, it is difficult to step back from the day-to-day and what you love doing best. I can be guilty of sometimes getting caught up in the detail rather than looking at the bigger picture.
