C E L E B R A T I N G 5 0 Y E A R S 1 9 7 1 - 2 0 2 1
Fergal Costelloe, Managing Director Trade Electric Group
HISTORY
AS TRADE ELECTRIC GROUP (TEG) CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR, IRELAND’S ELECTRICAL MAGAZINE LOOKS AT HOW THE GROUP HAS EVOLVED… History of Trade Electric
T he Trade Electric Group (TEG) has come a long way since its beginnings. It now boasts nine branches across Ireland and is a member of the Irish Electrical Buying Group (IEBG). Beginnings in the Treaty County Established in 1971 by Paul Costelloe, TEG can trace its roots back to a vision that its founder had in the late 1960s. Starting out in the electrical business at Stokes & McKiernan’s, where he learned the business, the owner of this once- thriving firm spotted the potential that a young Paul Costelloe had and quickly brought him into the office to work on pricing and many administrative duties. Over several years, Paul began to make a name for himself in the industry and was eventually lured to McMahons on Bedford Row in Limerick to run their electrical department. During this stint, while managing McMahon’s electrical department, Paul began to realise that he could do this on his own. He sounded out a few of his
customers, and many of them told him that they would support him if he went out independently. So, in 1971, Paul made the leap from employee to employer and set up Trade Electric at 9 Lower Gerald Griffin Street in Limerick. A colleague of his in McMahon’s, called Dick Meade, came to work with him, and together they built up a thriving electrical business in Limerick City. In those days, drives to Dublin to collect stock were regular occurrences and stops along the way and back to loyal customers formed part of the routine. While Paul was in Dublin, Dick was back holding fort in the shop looking after all their local customers. After a couple of years, as things began to get busier, they were joined by Paul’s nephew, Pat O’Callaghan. Pat would eventually go on to manage the business in Limerick and after nearly 48 years, is still employed by TEG where he holds the position of Operations Director. 1986 saw Paul purchase the old Newsom’s premises on Lower Gerald Griffin Street in Limerick. He had many sleepless nights worrying about
this purchase, but eventually, he was convinced by his wife, Gabrielle, to go for it. To this day, the business still operates from this premises, and it is now head office of the whole operation. The Marble County 1983 was the first of Paul’s expansion endeavours, with the acquisition of Ormonde Electrical on the Kells Road in Kilkenny. He employed Sam Dunlop to run this business for him, and after a period of growth, Paul bought the site and built the premises from where they currently trade on New Street. After Sam retired, Eoin Moore was hired to take up Sam’s role as branch manager, and he continues in this role today. The Model County In 1993 Paul ventured down to the sunny southeast and opened in Wexford, with Larry Whitty running the business down there for him. Declan O’Toole eventually replaced Larry until his untimely death in 2012. John Corkish then became branch manager in Wexford and is still in that role today.
18 | IRELAND’S ELECTRICAL MAGAZINE
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