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in Nenagh in Co. Tipperary, and duly opened in August of that year with Trevor Murphy as manager. Trevor had spent the previous few years with TEG in Limerick, and Fergal knew that he was the ideal candidate for the role. Seven years on and the business continues to enjoy year-on-year growth thanks to its loyal customers and hard-working staff. The Dubs Again Over the next couple of years, Fergal identified South Dublin as an area in Dublin that could do with another wholesaler. Stillorgan was the location he favoured, and he waited for the ideal premises to come up. This opportunity arrived in 2016, and in September of that year, TEG opened on the Old Dublin Road in Stillorgan, between the shopping centre and Baumann’s Hardware Store. Stephen McGrane was recruited as branch manager. Together with his young team, they have exceeded expectations within the group by quickly establishing themselves as a serious player in the wholesale electrical industry in Dublin. The Kingdom 2018 brought the devastating passing of IEBG colleague Gerry O’Sullivan who ran TradeKit in Killarney. Initially, Fergal was approached by Gerry’s family to help them with the running of the business, but they then subsequently decided to sell the business and Fergal was asked if he would be interested in purchasing it. TEG acquired TradeKit in December 2019. Tony Moloney was Gerry’s key employee in Killarney, and his continued commitment was crucial if the acquisition was going to be a success. With Tony as branch manager, TEG enjoyed a great first year in Killarney and rebranded to Trade Electric in January 2021. Without a doubt, much of the success of TEG is down to the incredible personnel working in each of the branches. The depth of their product knowledge only equals their dedication and commitment to service. And as for what the next 50 years might look like for TEG, Managing Director Fergal Costelloe is coy about any further expansion plans but says that he will carefully consider it when and if an opportunity arises. He is very proud of what his father started and the opportunity he has been given.
Centred is founder Paul Costelloe in February 2020 at a TEG Manager’s Meeting at ATC.
Eamonn Finn, General Manager/Financial Controller, with his accounts team.
Newcastle West The Millennium seemed to give Paul an injection of further expansion, and he opened up in both Newcastle West and Waterford in the year 2000. Jim O’Connor, who hailed from Kilcolman in Co. Limerick had been working for Paul in the Limerick branch for 13 years before he convinced Paul that there was an opening for a wholesaler out in West Limerick. They opened in a small unit in the Enterprise Centre with Jim as the sole employee. After a move to bigger premises after a few years, they eventually moved into their present 8,000 sq foot premises at the Desmond Business Park in 2016. Jim still runs this business for TEG and is now in his 34th year with the group. The Crystal County The Westgate Business Park was the original location for Trade Electric in Waterford until they moved out to Six- Cross Roads Industrial Estate in Kilbarry. Unit 19 at the back of the industrial estate was a small 3,500 sq foot premises, but it was here that the foundations were laid for further expansion. Tony Doyle was recruited as branch manager, and his arrival signalled the beginning of a continuous period of growth for TEG in Waterford. In 2012, the business moved to the front of the Six-Cross Roads Industrial Estate, and this 11,000 sq foot premises is now their hub in the South East of Ireland.
Changing of the Guard In 2004, Paul’s son Fergal joined the business after qualifying as a chartered accountant, having trained with Deloitte in Dublin. While he had spent many of his summers as a kid helping in the stores in Limerick, he was now coming into the business to succeed Paul if he could prove himself. He spent the next few years learning the tricks of the trade from his father and picking up valuable pieces of advice from the staff and customers along the way. Eventually succeeding his father as Managing Director of TEG, Fergal then himself set out on an expansion trail. In 2008, Fergal was joined in the business by his sister, Eimear, and today she runs the lighting showrooms in Limerick and Kilkenny and undertakes many lighting designs and projects for her clients. The Pale 2011 was a challenging year for the industry. The unfortunate collapse of T O’Reilly Electrical in Dublin allowed TEG to open its first Dublin store in its former premises in Santry, Dublin 9. Three experienced, former T O’Reilly Electrical employees were recruited, and, ten years later, Damian Gore, Aidan Murphy, and Paul Blanch are still there and thriving. The Premier County In 2014, Fergal spotted an opportunity
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IRELAND’S ELECTRICAL MAGAZINE | 19
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