ONE MORE THING: HAVING ALREADY tried his luck in the Czech Republic, Moldova and Libya, crisp entrepreneur Ray Coyle is now setting his sights on China and India as potential new markets for his Tayto brand.
“We’re doing research of the markets to see if there’s the potential to sell Tayto crisps there,” he told me yesterday over a cuppa in the Westin Hotel.
“If we do, we’d have to build a plant in either country. But it wouldn’t be until 2013.”
Coyle has had mixed luck overseas. The Czech business is in the process of being sold to Intersnack, his German partner in Largo Foods, Tayto’s parent.
Moldova is “going very well” but Libya, where it had a joint venture, was a “big mistake”.
“We’re waiting for things to settle down and then we’ll see what we do.”
On a brighter note, Coyle is planning to expand Tayto Park, the impressive visitor centre in Ashbourne, Co Meath, that opened last year and has cost €10 million to date.
Opened as a promotional vehicle for Tayto, the animal and activity park attracted more than 300,000 visitors in its first year. Coyle is now planning an additional €2.5 million investment to push it toward the 500,000 mark. “We want to put in more activities and more animals,” he said.
Coyle believes that, with the support of the local community and planning authorities, he could get visitor numbers up to one million annually within five to six years and employment to 600-plus. It currently employs about 125 people during the summer peak.
Tayto Park remains open during winter, with Santa a recent arrival.
Largo was in the headlines this week when the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland censured it for a series of Hunky Dory ads featuring women playing GAA in tight clothing and suggestive poses. It ran similar ads for rugby last year.
His response? “Nothing,” he said deadpan. “It’s done. I’m won’t be doing it again. We won’t go a third time . . . it’s old hat now.”
Instead, Hunky Dory’s marketing activity will focus on four Irishwomen targeting the London Olympics – boxer Katie Taylor, athlete Derval O’Rourke, sailor Annalise Murphy and his daughter Natalya, a pentathlete.
