Julie to lead Chamber in fight against recession

For the next two years well-known local business woman Julie Magan is to head up Mullingar's Chamber of Commerce which is, by the way, the second largest chamber of commerce in Ireland outside of Dublin.And with her "whatever you do, just do it well attitude" the forthcoming 24 months will surely see some results from the force of sheer hard work coupled with an innate creative flair. This flair can be seen in her Ilia brand which has become synonymous with quality and little luxuries, like gourmet breads, cakes and coffee which have all had rave reviews from both local and national press.Despite the effects of the recession, Ilia Tapas, Gourmet and Coffee are managing to stay afloat. In the last few years Julie also became the happy wife of business man Joe Shields. The couple used the newly opened Ilia Tapas restaurant for a big celebratory party.Julie admittedly opened the sleek eatery just at the wrong time, "just when someone pulled the plug and let out the bath water" as she puts it. But, in between all the doom and gloom the restaurant has been voted as best casual dining restaurant in Westmeath and Wesley Cassidy picked up a plaudit as best chef in Westmeath, so things certainly aren't all bad. And last week when the Examiner caught up with her, Ilia Coffee shop seemed busy enough for a mid-summer Wednesday afternoon."Yes, but three years ago there would have been a queue out the door," noted Julie. "The radio show that I was listening to this morning summed things up perfectly I think; business is flat. Actually at the moment business is deathly quiet and it's difficult to say the least but I would also say that we have a lot going for us in Mullingar and that if we can ride out the next say nine months, there will be light at the end of the tunnel."The thing is that our business people have great pride in what they do and we are all working to keep going for the staff. Most of my staff (a total of 20) have been with me for years and like most business people we are working for them."Even if any of us did get to the point where we thought, 'ah we have had enough of this', we just wouldn't up and leave because we have people and their families to think about. Plus, the bills certainly aren't going anywhere and so all those things would have to be sorted out before you could just shut up shop - but no one wants to do that anyway."Because while Julie admits that circumstances are difficult, she is more than positive about Mullingar and about her new role as Mullingar chamber president. Things may be "flat" now but as the head of Mullingar's business community she is going to make sure that every thing possible is done to push trade forward.Moving forward is characteristic of how Julie has approached her career in business so far. When asked why she went into hospitality and catering she joked: "because I am an idiot" and it would seem that her three successful businesses happened quiet by accident. This of course is not the case and it has been a long road from Cathal Brugha catering college to where she is now. By her own admission she can appear to be brusque but her staff think differently and while they know who the boss is most of them have stayed with her for as long as she has been in business."I went because I thought that I would be allowed to stay in the same class as my sister but when we got there, they said that we had to split up and I was a bit devastated because we had always done everything together and then we had to separate. She is a corporate HR manager in Longford now and I do this. I suppose when I did catering I thought about it because my mother was a great cook, she did fantastic meals and I thought 'well I can do that' but I had to learn that there was a lot more to it."Longford born Julie owned and ran an upscale country retreat at Crookedwood before coming to Mullingar eight years ago when she helped put the town on the culinary map.Before that she worked in hospitality and catering "always". Now in her new role she will take charge of one of the largest and most influential chambers in Ireland alongside running her own businesses.The chamber has proven to be a vital hub for Mullingar's economy and the committee's personal stake in the town has been proven by the chamber's latest hiring, marketing executive Karagh Fox, who has been brought on board to help offer a fresh perspective on what traders can do, not just to survive, but to grow."These two years will be about the local business community because that is essentially what the chamber does, it provides services for business people and allows them to network and share ideas.Karagh has already proven that she has some great ideas and I'm looking forward to working with her."There is no doubt that business is suffering in the town, as it is everywhere. Luxuries have been hit hardest, services like hairdressing or high end fashion shops and of course people are eating out less. "We opened Ilia Tapas just as things went wrong, really just at the very wrong time but we have kept going and I think that the people who will survive will be those who keep their heads down and keep going."The people I feel sorry for are the ones who are coming behind, the next generation who have had everything handed to them on a sliver platter. Everything came a bit too easily and there was loads of pocket money, new clothes and eating out. It will be hard to adjust to the fact that we can't have all of that any more."Why was I asked to do the job? I think that it's because I'm a well known face in the town.The thing I know I will bring to the role is hard work and the attitude which will allow everybody's ideas to be taken on board. Everyone has a skill and every one has something to offer."Added to that I feel that it's vitally important to do whatever it is you do well, we have a good strong chamber. There is light at the end of the tunnel and it's not too far away."