WHAT do  pre-whipped cream and barista-style milk all have in common? 

They’re just two of the many ground-breaking innovations newly-retired CEO of Clóna Dairy, Tony O’Driscoll introduced during his 29 years in the hot seat. 

Tony played an instrumental role in helping to make Clóna milk the trusted household product that it is today, and developing it into one of the country’s top three liquid milk dairies.

Originally from Garrettstown and now living in Innishannon, he joined Clonakilty-based Clóna, at the age of 21, coming straight from MTU where he studied Food Science and Technology. 

He joined a close-knit, hard working group which over the years has always stayed true to its core values of community and collaboration. 

When Tony joined Clóna, it was managed by former Minister for Agriculture Joe Walsh who was subsequently replaced by his brother Finbarr. 

Tony quickly emerged as a trailblazer with an instinctive sense of what suppliers and consumers wanted and needed.  

He started out working in quality control and was responsible for setting up a new testing regime in the dairy which was ground breaking at the time. 

“It was about encouraging farmers to think more positively about quality so we introduced things that seem so common place now, like plate cooling and hot water system systems in the parlours,” he said. 

Changes continued thick and fast. In 1982 they changed from glass bottles to plastic bottles which were blow moulded in-house. In 1985 cardboard cartons were introduced and with this came homogenised milk which was more acceptable to the consumer. 

He introduced the brand of Elm Vale milk – named after the estate where he lived in Wilton at the time – a brand for shops that were not affiliated to any of the groups. 

The businesswas owned by the Hurley family at the time and not long after it changed its name from Strand Dairy to Clóna Dairy Products. 

“A guy called John Denzler from Switzerland and living in Baltimore came up with that name to represent the region and it worked very well,” said Tony. 

In 1989, the business was  purchased by Bandon Co-op, Barryroe Co-op and Lisavaird Co-op and Tony was promoted to production manager, helping the business achieve the international benchmark ISO 9001 standard, which was a major advancement at the time.  

The co-ops made major investments which meant automated systems and new technologies were introduced, and a brand new building was developed.

At the age of just 37 Tony became CEO in 1997 which prompted more major changes. 

“We used to do door-to-door deliveries around West Cork but because it was very labour intensive we stopped that in the late 90s. We acquired Dawn Dairies Ballinahina in Cork city in 2000 which gave us immediate expansion, acquiring extra farm suppliers. This gave us immediate presence in all the major supermarkets. 

“Musgrave started central distribution whereby SuperValu and Centra milks packed by Clóna became available in all Centra and SuperValu outlets in the southern half of the country from Athlone south.”

His strong business acumen meant he recognised opportunities to diversify and he established the food distribution business called Clóna West Cork Foods which distributed several products to catering businesses like hotels and restaurants including mayonnaise, cooking oil, cheese, yogurts and many more. This coincided with the explosion of deli counters in shops which complimented the business. 

Clóna Milk acquired other small dairies  down through the years and established another distribution business in Waterford which meant that Clóna milk became available from Castletownbere to Wexford. 

New product development was also crucial in what was a highly competitive sector and he put a lot of emphasis on R&D. Among its suite of products was kefir drinks, flavoured milk, sour cream, crème fraiche and impressively its pre-whipped cream which is one of only two on supermarket shelves today.

Tony acknowledges the unwavering support of his wife Ann over the years, and his children Michelle, Kevin, Barry and Kate. 

Tony (67), who was also a member of the state’s National Milk Agency for 25 years, officially retired in August and is relishing the change in pace. 

“I’ve a lot of jobs to catch up on at home!” he said, “and I’m also enjoying the time with my grandchildren Grace, Niall and Ronan.”

He remains confident for the future of farming in West Cork. 

“I think things look very bright. Farmers are becoming more informed and are running their farms as a business; there is better efficiencies leading to more profitable operations. The big problem that can’t be ignored is succession but with the advancement of modern technology it is becoming a more attractive proposition for sons and daughters to take over. It has been a pleasure to work with all the Clóna milk suppliers over the years,” he said. 

Clóna employs around 120 people and has 34 suppliers. During his tenure production increased from 3m litres per year to 35m. That’s impressive! 

What would Tony like his legacy to be?

“I think I’d like people to acknowledge I got on well with the team, and brought people along with me on the journey. I’m confident that my replacement Rena O’Donovan, who brings great expertise to the role, will ensure that Clóna will continue to flourish into the future. My approach was always hands on, no airs and graces. I have to pay tribute to the existing staff and all the outstanding people I worked with, including all board members over the years. It was an honour to work there for so long and I think a lot of the success comes down to the fact that it was a fair and friendly place to work and I was conscious of promoting that. I’d also like to think I had good relationships with farmers and I worked  hard to ensure they got the best prices at all times.

“The work was hard at times, you were on call 24 hours day, it didn’t matter if it was Sunday or Monday –  if a lorry broke down, or there was an issue with production you were needed. But I really enjoyed it. It was very satisfying and it still is, to know that Clóna is such a quality household name in West Cork and beyond.”