Directory:Quinn Group

QUINN group
Slogan	Strength through Diversity
Type	Private
Founded	1973
Headquarters	Derrylin, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
Key people	Sean Quinn, Chairperson
Industry	Financial Services, Manufacturing, Hotel & Property Management
Products	General Insurance, Healthcare, Container Glass, Domestic and Specification Radiators, Cement, Tarmac, Thermal Blocks, Rooftiles, Prestressed Concrete, Polyurethane & Polystyrene Insulation, Landfill, Power, Hotels and Property
Employees	7,000 - 2007
Contact	Quinn Group Quinn Group Head office, Derrylin, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, BT92 9AU Phone: 00442867748866 Fax: 00442867748800 [http://www.quinn-group.com Quinn Group][mailto:info@quinn-group.com Mail]
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The QUINN group is a business group headquartered in Derrylin, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The privately owned group is one of Ireland's most successful companies, it has ventured into cement and concrete products, container glass, general insurance, radiators, plastics, hotels and real estate. It was formed by its Chairman Sean Quinn in 1973, developing from a small quarrying operation in Derrylin into the large organization, employing over 7,000 people in various locations throughout Europe.

Since 2004 the Group has seen great expansion throughout Europe. With radiator and plastic manufacturing plants in the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, France, Spain and Slovakia. The QUINN group property portfolio also includes hotel and business centres in Poland, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Turkey and Russia. Quinn-direct Insurance has commenced trading in Belgium and the Netherlands and work is currently underway on a new chemical facility in Leuna, Germany. Its first venture into the cement industry was in 1989. Its general insurance arm, QUINN-direct in was launched in 1996. The commissioning of its first container glass plant was in 1998 and the acquisition of the health insurer BUPA Ireland took place in 2007.

QUINN Manufacturing

The manufacturing division's main activities are the manufacture and supply of cement and concrete products including, rooftiles, prestress flooring, Quinn-lite blocks, polystyrene insulation products, tarmac and general quarry products. QUINN Quarries are involved in the extraction and processing of sand and gravel since the 1970's, the Quarries Division of the Group still produces these products today. Quarry stone, washed sand, gravel, ready mixed concrete and concrete blocks are all produced at Quinn plants. The second quarry in Williamstown, Co. Galway was founded in 1977 to supply Galway and the surrounding counties with quarry and concrete products.

QUINN Rooftiles commenced production in 1982 with a purpose built factory at Gortmullen, Derrylin. This first plant was commissioned in 1982. However due to market demand a new factory built on the existing site commenced production in 2001 and was expanded again in 2005. Quinn Rooftiles maybe considered as a major supplier to the construction sector throughout Ireland. QUINN Prestress began producing prestressed concrete products in 1984. All of these products are used in a range of domestic and industrial building applications. QUINN Lite produces lightweight thermal blocks. The blocks are for use in the construction internal and external walls above and inner and outer leaves of cavity walls. QUINN Lite Pac, Granard, Co. Longford was founded in 1975 to produce and distribute expanded polystyrene thermal insulation products for the construction industry. The product is an expanded polystyrene board for insulating floors. A large proportion of this product is used in the insulation of commercial,industrial and domestic buildings.

QUINN Therm, at Scotchtown, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan was commissioned in October 2004 to produce and distribute rigid polyurethane thermal insulation products for the Irish and UK market. Quinn Therm produces rigid foam board for cavity wall insulation. QUINN Tarmac was established in 1994 to produce a range of blacktop products. QUINN Cement has been in production since 1989 at its Derrylin site using local raw material from the quarry facilities. Given the increasing demand generated from the construction sector over the years, a second plant was commissioned in 2000 in the northern part of the Irish Republic, outside the small town of Ballyconnell and close to the Northern Ireland border.

QUINN Plastics is a supplier of transparent plastic sheet products (formerly known as Barlo Plastics). Barlo Plastics was created in 1998 by the merger of 4 plastic sheet producers and further expanded by another four sheet extrusion companies in 1999 and 2000. In 2004 Barlo Plastics was acquired by Quinn Group and renamed as Quinn Plastics. With their headquarters based in Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh the company has operating facilities in Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Slovakia, the UK and the Czech Republic. Quinn Plastics produces 90,000 tonnes annually and employs over 700 people. In 2005, the company purchased a start up business, known as Polyex in the UK which is now the base for their Alfreton production site. Quinn Plastics provide products for many different applications including building and construction, interior design and safety. In May 2004, the Quinn Group acquired the Barlo Group PLC. This led to the announcement of the formation of Quinn Plastics on January 1st 2005. The company’s main business lies in the production of domestic and industrial products. In 2005, the company purchased a start up business, known as Polyex in the U.K. which is now the base for their Alfreton production site.

QUINN Chemicals is currently constructing a plant to manufacture methylmethacrylate (MMA) in Leuna in eastern Germany. The MMA plant is scheduled to start production in 2009. At full capacity, the new plant will produce approximately 100,000 tonnes of MMA a year for the world market. The plant will produce many different products including glazing, sanitary products, lightning, display, and household goods.

QUINN Packaging (trading as Barlo Packaging until 2004) has been servicing the food industry with rigid packaging since the 1980’s from its plant in Newbridge, when the dairy spreads / yellow fats markets initially emerged.. Quinn packaging also has a factory in Ballyconnell, built in 2006, that produces food trays, film and thin gauge sheet for the food packaging industry.

QUINN Power wind farm on Slieve Rushen mountain

As a large user of electricity within its manuacturing base, QUINN Power constructed a five mega-watt wind farm in 1995 on the Slieve Rushen Mountain, which nestles behind the core-manufacturing base of the Group at Derrylin. This was further complemented in 2004 by the addition of a 13.5 mega-watt wind farm at Snugborough, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan. The power generated is fed into the National Grid. The Group is in the planning stages of further developments in this area .

In 1998, the Quinn Group moved into the container glass market, with the establishment of QUINN Glass, which manufactures glass containers for the food and beverage industries with operations in Ireland and the UK. The first plant went into production at the end of 1998 producing a full range of flint, green and amber containers. The plant is based in Derrylin and employs over 370 staff with an annual production capacity of 720 million containers. This is expected to increase to 830 millions units in 2008 with the completion of a furnace rebuild at the plant. Quinn Glass are one of only a handful of plants worldwide where bottles can be manufactured and filled on a single site, it features one of the largest automated warehouses in Europe, capable of handling 282,000 pallets of filled and unfilled glass containers. In 2005, Quinn Glass expanded, and built a second plant at Elton, Cheshire creating over 550 new jobs. The glass container plant in Elton is one of the most sophisticated in the world, producing 20 percent of glass container requirements in the UK. The site provides a comprehensive glass packaging, filling and distribution service for the drinks industry. The facilities at the plant include a beverage filling hall, warehousing, two glass melting furnaces and 13 production lines. The capacity of the second plant is currently 1.2 billion units, with production capacity of both plants estimated to be 2.4 billion units in 2008. The plant has five lines capable of bottling a total of 400 bottles of wine, or 1,000 bottles of beer a minute. Having manufacturing and bottling on the same site can reduce costs and keep prices competitive. By offering bottling services, there is the potential for glass makers to win more business as an overflow plant in times of high demand, and it is as a contract packing operation that the greatest benefits from bottling lines are likely to be had.

QUINN Radiators is one of Europe's leading producers of domestic and specification radiators with production facilities in Ireland, the UK and Belgium. The production facility in Leigh in the UK produces the 'roundtop' range whilst the production facility in Grobbendonk, Belgium, produces the 'compact' range. The division's interest in the specification radiator market is represented through the Merriott brand based in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland . In May 2004, the Quinn Group acquired the Barlo Group, this led to the announcement of the formation of Quinn Radiators on January 1st 2005 . At the start of 2007, a new radiator facility went into production in Newport, South Wales. This major investment will create the most modern and efficient radiator plant in the world, with the creation of nearly 500 jobs . Not only will this Quinn plant be the largest domestic radiator plant in the world, but the site will also host the company's European HQ operation for the division. Quinn Radiators plans to reach production of four million radiators a year at its new European headquarters in South Wales by 2008 .

QUINN Financial Services

QUINN Financial Serices Head Office, Cavan

QUINN Direct Insurance Limited is an Irish based general insurance company that was established in 1996 by the Quinn Group. The company’s Head Office is based on the Dublin Road, County Cavan, and employs over 1700 staff at offices in Cavan, Enniskillen, Dublin and Manchester. Quinn Direct is the only indigenous insurance company operating on the island (many of the players in the insurance market, both in Northern Ireland and Ireland are subdivisions of larger multinationals) . The company’s main business lies in the provision of a range of general insurance products including private motor, home, liability and commercial property insurance.Quinn Direct has currently over 700,000 customers and is the second largest insurer in the Irish Insurance market. After its inception in 1996, the company expanded and opened an office on O’Connoll Street in Dublin in 1997. Also, in March 2003 the Minister with responsibility for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Ian Pearson announced the opening of the new offices in Enniskillen .

This was followed by the announcement of the purchase of an 11 storey office block in Blanchardstown in April 2003, with the subsequent official opening of the Q Centre by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in September 2004. The company since moved into the UK Commercial business, where it has been operating through its Salford Quays office in Manchester since 2003.On the 31st August 2006, the minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Micheál Martin, announced the creation of 1000 new jobs with the development of a new office facility in Navan, County Meath. Quinn Direct has currently over 700,000 customers and is the second largest insurer in the Irish Insurance market.

QUINN Life, Launched in January 2000 , its Head Office is based on the Dublin Road, County Cavan. Quinn Life offers financial services to customers in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and the company’s business includes investments, savings, pensions and retirement plans. QUINN-life offers pensions and savings under the Freeway brand. .

In February 2007, QUINN Healthcare entered the Irish health insurance market with the completion of its takeover of BUPA Ireland Limited's business. The new company will be known as Quinn Healthcare and will continue to be based in Fermoy County Cork . The newly formed QUINN-healthcare operation now employs over 300 personnel and has a membership base of 445,000 .

QUINN Hotels and Property

The Belfry Hotel, UK PGA Golf Headquarters and host to Quinn Direct British Masters

The Quinn Group currently have nine hotels located throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe. The list hotels in the Quinn Hotels portfolio includes the Slieve Russell, Buswells Hotel, one of the oldest Dublin city centre hotels, comprised of five Georgian townhouses. The hotel has operated since 1882 and is located next to the Dáil (Irish Parliament). The Belfry Hotel in the English countryside in Wishaw. The Belfry is famous worldwide for its links with The Ryder Cup. The Belfry is also the UK headquarters for the PGA and home to the Quinn Direct British Masters. The Holiday Inn Nottingham is a three star hotel with 128 bedrooms and has recently undergone a two million pound refurbishment. The Crowne Plaza is located in Cambridge, close to the colleges of Cambridge University and has 198 bedrooms. The IBIS Hotel in Prague consists of 226 bedrooms. The Hilton Hotel in Prague is a five star hotel located on the right bank of the Vltava River. The hotel consists of 788 en-suite guest rooms. The Quinn Group also operate a number of public houses including; the Cat and Cage, Messrs Maguire, Q-Bar, the Shamrock Lodge, and Barge Inn all in Dublin, as well as Quinn's, in Cambridge. The group also own the Iveagh Fitness Club, originally built as the Iveagh Trust Baths in 1905.

QUINN Property is a division of the international Quinn Group which specialise in the development and management of commercial real-estate, for lease in a number of markets across Europe. The Quinn Group is also considering investment in India, and is about to open an office in the country. It is considering several locations, but is expected to opt for Hyderabad, which is regarded as an up-and-coming location for high-tech multinationals. Current properties in the Quinn portfolio include, the Leonardo Business Centre and Univermag shopping centre in Ukraine, the Kutuzoff Tower and Caspiy Business Centre in Moscow, Kazan Logistics Park in Kazan, the Prestige Mall in Istanbul, Turkey and the Russian DIY store Stroiarsenal in Yekaterinburg.

Current and Future Developments

2007 saw the announcement of Quinn Hotels plans to re-model the famous Golf and Leisure Resort, The Belfry in a 5 year project which will increase capacity from 324 to 500 luxurious bedrooms and include a new leisure complex with swimming pool, gym, spa and treatment facilities. This year also saw the completion of a major upgrade of the 6th hole on the golf resorts world renowned Brabazon course, host to a record four Ryder Cup matches.

Quinn Caspiy Business Centre in Russia

The property division of the Group, Quinn Property has continued its international expansion and completed a number of key property transactions in Central and Eastern Europe. The most significant of these in 2007 was the company’s first project in India. The Quinn Group is funding the development of 13.75 acre mixed use site in Hi-Tech City within Hyderabad, India. The acquisition of the Prestige Mall, a very modern shopping centre incorporating a multi screen movie theatre, bowling alley and fitness centre. The most recent addition to the Quinn Group property portfolio was the purchase of the Caspiy Business Centre in Russia – a modern 6 story building in a high-tech style, incorporating office and retail facilities.

Quinn Financial Services expanded into the Irish healthcare market. It now boasts over 1 million general and health customers and has firmly established itself as the second largest insurer in the Irish market. In the six-month period to the end of June 2007, Quinn Insurance has made an 8% increase in Pre-Tax profit. The company continues to increase market share in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium and plans to enter the German market later this year.

Quinn Therm UK are to invest £70 million on a new 85000 m2 PIR insulation and metal panel facility in Newport, Wales which when fully commissioned in 2008 will support over 200 new jobs. the beginning of 2007, the Quinn Glass F Furnace underwent an investment of £19 million and was operational again in less than 2 months with increased capacity capability. This change was complimented by the introduction of new forming, inspection and packing equipment. The investment in the F Furnace in Derrylin, coming after the opening of the Glass facility in Elton Cheshire in 2006, once again reaffirms the commitment of Quinn Glass to the UK and Ireland Container Glass market. Quinn Radiators has constructed the largest and most automated domestic radiator manufacturing plant in Europe at Newport, South Wales. The plant with a floor area in excess of one million square feet represents an investment of £133 million by the Quinn Group and at full capacity can produce 4 million radiators a year. This major investment has created the most modern and efficient radiator plant in the world. The Plastics division has successfully set up its new facility in France and added a new warehouse and two new production lines to the plant in Pribram, Czech Republic. This combined with the large investment in the MMA Plant in Leuna; Eastern Germany by Quinn Chemicals demonstrates the commitment to developing the plastics and chemical industries. At full capacity, the new chemical plant will produce approximately 100,000 tonnes of MMA a year for the world market. In 2007 Quinn Energy began construction on phase two of the wind farm on Slieve Rushen. This new development consists of 18 wind turbines which can produce up to 141,912,000 kWh of electricity per year that can supple over 30,000 average households. This new installation will save over 122,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide, nearly 1,500 tonnes of Sulphur dioxide and 425 tonnes of Nitrogen oxides. Quinn Cement was the first in Ireland to manufacture Blended cement. The main reason behind this move by Quinn cement was to make a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions. Portland cement CEM 1 is being increasingly replaced by Portland - composites cements CEM 11 which contain other main constituents in addition to clinker.