BY EMMA CONNOLLY

THERE’S a changing of the guard at Clóna Dairy in Clonakilty: after 46 years and 37 of them at the helm, CEO Tony O’Driscoll is handing the baton to Rena O’Donovan.

It’s a full circle moment for Rena. She’s coming to the role from Cully & Sully where she worked for 18 years finishing up as commercial director, but the business studies, marketing and tourism graduate started her career working with the late Eddie Twomey in Clonakilty Foods in 1999.

‘I worked there for just over six years in a commercial marketing role,’ said Rena. ‘It was a great place to learn, and to learn that success is all about the team. No matter what your role was, if the demand was there, we’d all be called in to help boxing puddings. Everyone was involved in getting the product out, which gave us all an appreciation of what the business was about and that’s crucial.’

Rena is from a dairy farm in Coachford, and her family run the successful business, O’Donovan Engineering.

‘We were involved in the business and the farm from when we were young, so growing up I’d have seen the importance of hard work and just getting on with things,’ said Rena.

Her move from Cully & Sully wasn’t a planned one but the chance to join Clóna Dairy was too exciting an opportunity to pass up on.

‘I’m living in Schull with my family, so the location is ideal. Also I’m really excited to work in the dairy sector. I appreciate what producers do but despite great efforts being made, I can still see a disconnect with the public and I’d love to help tell that story and keep promoting the great work being done by our suppliers,’ she said.

Tony, originally from Garrettstown and now living in Innishannon joined Clóna fresh from college working in quality control and he was responsible for setting up a new testing regime in the dairy which was instrumental in Clóna’s success story.

His first boss was the late Joe Walsh, former Minister for Agriculture, who was replaced by his brother Finbarr when Joe became a junior minister, with Tony appointed in 1997.

Since Tony joined Clóna, production has increased 10-fold. ‘The business is in the top three liquid milk producers in the country,’ Tony proudly revealed. With 34 suppliers from throughout West Cork and also near Cork city, Clóna primarily works with winter milk suppliers.

Founded by the Hurley family in 1919, in 1955 it became the first Munster dairy to pasteurise milk and in 1985 changed from Strand Dairy to Clóna Dairy, before being purchased by Bandon Co-op, Barryroe Co-op and Lisavaird Co-op in 1989.

ClÓna West Cork Foods was later set up to deliver milk to stores and now includes a wide range of food products such as Ballymaloe Relish, Coolmore Cakes, Dubliner Cheese, Clonakilty Blackpudding.

‘Clóna Dairies acquisition of Dawn Dairies Ballinahina in Cork city was another instrumental move. It saw us starting to supply Musgraves and got us into the big supermarkets and also produce own labels for Dunnes and Tesco,’ said Tony.

Among its suite of products is kefir drinks, flavoured milk, sour cream, crème fraiche and impressively its pre-whipped cream is one of only two on supermarket shelves.

Innovation is alive and well at Clóna and Tony has the distinction of creating Clóna’s renowned barista milk.

‘I remember we had coffee shop owners phone us saying that our milk wasn’t foaming properly – that would have been down to the cow’s diet at a particular time of the year,’ he recalled. ‘We worked really hard with our R&D and created a product  that had higher protein and fat profile than standard milk which we’re really proud of that we supply to the hospitality sector and which is  available on the shelves.’

Like all milk processors, Clóna, which employs a team of 120 people, faces challenges including the dwindling numbers of winter milk suppliers, and succession issues.

Rena said: ‘I’ve already met with a lot of our suppliers and I can see and appreciate their hard work producing milk every day, including Christmas day. We need to keep growing the Clóna business so we can keep supporting our farmer suppliers.’

Among the many changes Tony seen over his four decades working in Clóna are the abolition of milk quotas and the end of door-to-door delivery.

His legacy? ‘I’d like to be associated with developing a top class milk, a household name that’s associated with constant improvement,’ he said.

Married to Anne, the dad-of-four is looking forward to more time on the golf course.

Rena, who took over in the hot seat earlier this week, says she’s mindful of ‘building on his legacy and being respectful of the past, rather than trying to rush in make huge changes’.

‘I’ve had a great hand over from Tony and I’m really respectful of the strong team working with me,’ said Rena. ‘I’m looking forward to continuing to grow the business and the brand and keep innovating.’