Breakfast Business

The Boatyard Distillery have announced their first distribution partner in the United States to accelerate multi-state expansion. To chat more about their expansion Tom was joined on the show by Managing Director, Declan McGurk.

Thursday's business news headlines along with Joe Lynam.

Think about all the millions of plastic gloves and aprons that are thrown away every day by restaurants, hospitals, clean rooms and other users of Personal Protective Equipment. HaPPE Earth is an Irish start-up which sells fully compostable PPE as well as offering a service to anaerobically digest food waste on site.  Mary O'Riordan,Co-founder and CEO of HaPPE Earth has been shortlisted for a Sustainability award with the RDS Foundation.

We may be in the middle of a major trade war and probably in the foothills of a worldwide recession. Ireland will almost certainly be impacted. And indeed the consultants Morgan McKinley says that some employers are quietly letting some staff go.  Despite that, job opportunities for so-called white-collar workers were up 2% over the past year and even 7% over the past quarter. Interestingly, the number of people looking for opportunities was also up by even more – 16%.  But companies are adjusting but not scrapping their diversity programmes. All to discuss with Trayc Keevans, Global FDI Director at Morgan McKinley. 

Sebastian Mallaby wrote a book about hedge funds called ‘More Money than God’ and in that book he writes about a ‘hedgie’ called Scott Bessent who played a huge role in betting against Sterling in 1992.  Sebastian Mallaby is the Paul Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economics with the Council on Foreign Relations joined Joe this morning.

Wednesday's business news headlines along with Joe Lynam.

Danish company Novo Nordisk came up with a revolutionary weight loss drug called Wegovy and Ozempic.  Its rival Eli Lilly has Mounjaro and Pfizer is looking at developing one too.  Now another Scandinavian pharmaceutical group Pila Pharma thinks it may have found another weight loss pill too.   Speaking to Joe this morning was Gustav Gram, the Chief Executive of Pila Pharma. 

Tuesday's business news review along with Newstalk's Business Editor Joe Lynam.

After another ridiculous day on the markets, companies all around the world are left scratching their heads. What do they do? And when do they do it? There is an argument that investment will stop entirely globally until there is more clarity. While it does expect economies to suffer.Supply chains will also need to be reevaluate. Allie Renison Associate Director with the consultants SEC Newgate is a real expert on Global trade issues who knows her way around Britain, Ireland, and the US. Allie joined Joe on the show this morning.

The Trump induced tariff war has already affected markets and international investment, but it could soon affect house prices. That’s the worry of the latest MyHome.ie house price survey. But at the moment they are predicting house prices to rose by yet another unsustainable 8% nationwide in the first quarter.  Speaking to Joe this morning was Conall MacCoille compiler of the MyHome.ie survey.

ESG or environment, social and governance issues have been under attack since electorates on both sides of the Atlantic moved to the right.  Trump has ordered an end to all Diversity programmes.  But what about here in Ireland?  Should we stick with ESG matters and do our bit to protect the environment and minority groups? Chief Executive of Repak Zoe Kavanagh certainly thinks so and that’s why her company is sponsoring the ESG award as part of the Newstalk Changemaker awards. 

Paul Kavanagh from Patronus partners along with Joe Lynam takes a run through of Monday's international business stories.

The number of buildings which started construction is up 65% compared with 2022 but the number of homes actually completed fell last year to 30,000. With a housing crisis almost hitting middle age, how can these anomalies be allowed to continue? Danny O’Shea from BuildingInfo.com which collates all the country’s construction data, joined Joe this morning to discuss further.

Customer service matters or at least it should matter.  Close Brothers Motor Finance, finances thousands of car purchases in Britain and Ireland and they are sponsors of the Customer Service award for the forthcoming Changemakers on Newstalk. Joining Joe in studio this morning was Peter Pedlow, Director of Sales Close Brothers Motor Finance.

Ian Hyland is the chief executive of Ireland Inc and new owner of Windmill Lane Studios. He also played host to the ECB president in a major ceremony on Wednesday and he’s also the boss of Ireland Inc with deep connections in the United States. So what does he make of the global tariff war initiated on Wednesday night? Ian joined Joe this morning on the show.

We take a run through of  Friday's business news headlines along with Aidan Donnelly from Davy.

So now we know.  A minimum tariff of 10% on all goods entering the United States, and an across the board tariff of 20% on all goods from the European Union and tariffs of over 50% now on Chinese exports to the United States.There was no mention of a tariff on pharmaceutical products which is so vital to our economy, yet.To take a insight into these tariffs and what it means for Ireland. Joe spoke to Michael Lohan is the chief executive of the IDA which has been the most effective agency in luring foreign and especially American investment into this country. Also with Joe was Ambrose Conroy is the chief executive of the manufacturing consultancy Seraph which has a business both in Ireland but mostly in the US.  

Thursday business news review along with Joe Lynam.

Some have warned that the tariffs to be announced this afternoon in the Rose Garden in Washington could be a bigger financial calamity than the great financial crisis of 2008.  Others have called for cool heads and for the EU to respond very carefully to whatever tariffs are announced. Either way change is on its way to world trade patterns and investment and Ireland could be disproportionately impacted. Joe discusses this and more with Mike O’Sullivan the Director of Unio Wealth Managers and the author of 'The Levelling and How Globalisation Is Coming To An End'. 

This week it emerged that the EU commission had responded to a question from an MEP using AI. And last month McDonalds said it would use AI in all of its American drive thru outlets.  So adoption is happening - whether we like it or not.  So how do ordinary companies use AI in an ethical or cost saving way and how do we ease people out of the business who refuse to retrain or change work functions? All to discuss with Rohan Gupta who is Deloitte’s Global Leader for Enterprise AI.