New plan to highlight Shannon's reputation as a 'powerful business hub'

A NEW PLAN launched by Shannon Chamber aims to highlight the area's reputation as a "powerful business hub".

The group, which supports businesses in the Clare town and its immediate catchment, has put together six aims as part of its new three-year strategy.

The plan, prepared following extensive consultation with board members, chamber staff, members and key stakeholders, contains the objectives the Chamber has set to ensure that the region's legacy for pioneering, inspirational and entrepreneurial achievements is maintained.

There are 23 actions in the plan which will aim to help the chamber deliver on those objectives.

It will continue to lobby for business in Shannon, champion the delivery of the Shannon Town Centre masterplan - which crucially includes new living spaces - as well as promoting the proposing of 'Brand Shannon' to grow the region's economy and connectivity.

Speaking at the launch, its president Eoin Gavin said: “Shannon Chamber has been an intrinsic part of the business community in Shannon since it was set up 1995 by several pioneering executives who saw the need for an organisation that would be a voice for everything synonymous with Shannon. The Chamber has grown considerably in the intervening 28 years. It has become more than the voice of business. Representing over 330 companies with an extended reach to their 15,000 plus employees, it now offers a diverse range of services to its members and the wider business community."

He pointed out its the first time a plan has been prepared by the Chamber following collaboration with its board directors, staff members and stakeholders.

Shannon Chamber chief executive Helen Downes is ultimately responsible for the plan, which will be monitored at every board meeting.

PPlans are but words on paper if they are not implemented or measurable against attainment in a defined timeline. At the end of 2026, we want to know that, through delivering on every aspect of this plan, we will have initiated and influenced change that will have positively adjusted the conditions for business and the environment in which our members operate," she said, "We want to have increased our membership so that every business sector and companies of all sizes can benefit from the collaborative benefits that membership offers. We want to have played an active role in ensuring that the plan to enhance the living town aspects of Shannon, contained in the new Shannon Town Centre Masterplan, has been successfully delivered and that housing stock in Shannon will have been aligned to the needs of business."