10 International arrives in Ireland

10 International has launched a sister company in Ireland. The company’s managing director is Jim O’Sullivan, former sales director for Irish Distillers, part of Pernod Ricard. 10 International Ireland will follow its parent company’s business model of working with respected wine producers to develop brands for its target market.

O’Sullivan is joined by Colin Sullivan, previously wine development director for Irish Distillers, while Barry Connolly, responsible for Irish sales of Red Bull, has bought a stake in the company. Completing the team are 10 International’s UK directors, Bill Rolfe and Toby Hancock.

Discussing the company’s initial steps, O’Sullivan announced that 10 International Ireland received its first order on Monday. “Our concept is to try and get the pricing of wine in Ireland down”, he explained, adding “There’s been an incredibly positive reaction from the trade here”, with interest already expressed from Tesco and Supervalu, part of the Musgrave Group, which owns Budgens in the UK.

O’Sullivan believes that the current climate offers a strong opportunity for 10 International’s business model to succeed in Ireland, where high prices contribute to the fact that wine consumption is significantly lower than in the UK. He comments, “This is a time when people are looking for value and we’re doing our best to keep overheads to a minimum. Our tight margins make us more resilient in these difficult times”.  

Gabriel Savage, 11.03.09