Irish Stone
Irish Stone participated in two different InterTradeIreland programmes to increase their knowledge of cross-border trading and help them gain access to new markets.
About Irish Stone
Irish Stone is a trading name of Pietre Naturali Ltd which was founded by Jonathan Booth and Mark Given in February 2015. Since 2017, the company has been managed and continually developed by Jonathan Booth.
Based in Royal Hillsborough in Northern Ireland they are a specialist in the design, supply and installation of natural stone paving and bespoke natural stone hardscape products. The company’s stone is hand-picked from quarries and stocklists all over the world. Irish Stone is renowned for its comprehensive range of sawn natural paving and landscaping stone and has a broad range of clients that include landscape contractors, garden designers, property developers, architects and homeowners. Irish Stone prides itself on attention to detail and emphasises unique designs, installations, and conservation capabilities.
A move from Northern Ireland to Dublin may only be the first step in a process that goes even further and introduces the business to new markets.
Jonathan Booth, Irish Stone, CEO
How Irish Stone worked with InterTradeIreland
Trade Export Pathway 2024
Irish Stone had been gaining market share in Ireland over a number of years, however, they knew the cross-border market held opportunities that were not being identified or being tapped into.
In March 2024 they completed a Trade Export Pathway project that helped them become fully convinced of the need for boots on the ground to identify and capitalise on the significant cross-border opportunities. They knew the InterTradeIreland Acumen project would be ideal.
Acumen 2024-2025
Although Irish Stone had been exporting into Ireland, they knew that they had the potential to increase their export capacity by forging relationships with various government and public sector bodies. Since many of the historical buildings, waterways and railway stations making up Ireland’s rich built heritage are stone, the bodies responsible for managing and maintaining them would require the specialism and expertise of Irish Stone in order to complete regeneration and restoration projects.
With the support of Acumen, Irish Stone were able to employ a focused cross-border Business Development Manager as a key cornerstone of strategy realisation and implementation of their plan.
Employing such a person could have been a risk, but with Acumen support, this risk was significantly reduced and allowed the company to pursue its cross-border aims much faster and with added confidence. Without Acumen support, the implementation would fall to founder and MD Jonathen Booth, and couldn’t receive the focus required to achieve their objectives.
Outcomes
Irish Stone say that the Acumen project improved their knowledge of the cross-border market and gave them access to new markets and increased sales. They identified new business opportunities, increased their contacts and their business prospects. Irish Stone estimate they generated £1million of additional turnover as a direct result of the one year Acumen project. They have employed their Acumen Business Development staff member full time and five other additional jobs have been created as a result of the project.
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Jonathan BoothI think the most beneficial part of working with InterTradeIreland was their can do attitude, and therefore the whole process was very quick and hassle free.
