Ecocem Ireland, specialist producer of GGBS (ground franulated blast furnace slag) eco-friendly cement and low-carbon concrete, has announced the appointment of Conor O’Riain as the company’s head of new products and markets. This is a new role which will see O’Riain play a key role in developing the export markets for Ecocem’s product range in Europe and further afield, as well as sales and project management.
The announcement of this appointment comes on the back of Ecocem Ireland’s recently announced plan to create 61 jobs as part of a new three-year, €19m investment programme coinciding with the official opening of its new facility at Dublin Port. The new cement plant will be used to bag Ecocem’s eco-friendly cement which, among other things, reduces the carbon footprint of traditional cement by over 50pc.
Commenting on the new role, O’Riain said: “It is a very exciting time for Ecocem in terms of product development and our export business. We have embarked on a three-year investment programme in Ireland which will enable us to enhance our manufacturing capacity and expand our exports of green cement to northern Europe. I am proud to be spearheading this.”
O’Riain will be primarily responsible for all new product development at Ecocem Ireland, which includes the new 25kg consumer-sized bag of Ecocem cement, due to be officially launched into the Irish market later this month.
Among Ecocem’s current employment activities is the Ecocem Graduate Training Scheme, of which O’Riain played a key role in its development. The scheme has resulted in four college graduates who had no previous experience in the industry obtaining full time employment with Ecocem or similar companies.
O’Riain has over eight years of experience working with Ecocem Materials and also its sibling company Ecocem France working mainly on business development and learning the mechanics of this company that is run by his father, Donal O’Riain. In 2005, he was also appointed director of the emission zero programme, which is the Carbon Consultancy Wing of Ecocem Materials.
O’Riain is based in Dublin but has also lived and worked in France, England and Spain. He holds a BA Honours Degree in Professional Language Studies and is fluent in French and Spanish.
