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MC Dental Laboratory
Mark Curran considers himself to be a lucky man when it comes to the location of his business.
“It literally takes me 5 minutes to get in to the office from home. I certainly don’t miss having to face a long commute”.
Mark left the long commute well and truly behind him when he set up dental laboratory business MC Dental in 2013 and became a tenant of DBC.
“As chance would have it Karen Brannigan who looks after the property side of the Business Park is a neighbour of mine. When I told Karen I was looking for premises she moved very quickly. I saw the Unit on a Wednesday, moved in on Friday and opened for business the following Monday”.
MC Dental occupies Units 10 and 15 of the Business Park and employs a team of 3. The business serves around 15 dental practices in Northern Ireland and a further 5 in the Republic of Ireland, producing dentures, implants, teeth whitening trays, sports mouth guards and shields as well as anti-snoring devices. The business collects and delivers within a 20 mile radius of the laboratory and provides a courier service to client practices further afield.
“We have found our location in Downpatrick ideal from the start. The Business Centre is a great place to be based and there is a good community feel amongst the tenants.
Of course business life has been very different against the background Covid 19 crisis. With dentists forbidden to practice from the middle of March until the end of June 2020 our business was very significantly impacted. Since then things have gradually returned to a more ‘normal’ scenario. However, with productivity levels in dental practices severely reduced as a result of the hygiene and cleaning regimes that have had to be introduced there has been a knock on effect on our sales. Like everyone, we look forward to the virus being brought under control” says Mark.
Website: https://mcdentallaboratory.co.uk/
GH Music School
Having Gillian Hanna as a tenant is literally music to the ears of everyone at Down Business Centre.
Three years ago Gillian became a client of DBC Business Adviser Joe McCoubrey through the Rural Development Programme; her project – to build on her part-time private music lessons business and establish a Music School
Although Gillian studied Art and Design at University, music has always been in her blood. An accomplished pianist and all-round musician, she gained her Music Teaching and Performance Diploma and while she worked as a Playground Designer during the day, in the evening she delivered private music lessons in her own home.
“I always had the dream of having my own Music School” says Gillian “and when I identified an opportunity to apply for a Rural Development Programme grant to do just that I couldn’t wait to get started. Joe was a tremendous support and challenged me every step of the way as I set about defining my business concept and developing a business plan.
I was successful in my RDP application and was allocated a unit at Down Business Centre. As well as the unit, I received financial support towards sound proofing, the purchase of instruments and start-up marketing costs. The doors of GH Music School opened in Autumn 2018”.
Today the Music School comprises of 4 individual training rooms and delivers a programme of day and evening courses in Piano, Guitar, Drums, Violin and Singing. Gillian works in the business full time and is supported by a team of 12 part-time tutors. Her pupils comprise of children and adults of all ages and most live within a 5 mile radius of the Centre. As well as the classes delivered from her DBC Unit, Gillian also visits 4 local primary schools where she teaches music and singing.
“I have been a business start-up client of Down Business Centre and now I am a Tenant. I can thoroughly recommend the expertise that they offer and the business accommodation and service they provide. The location of the Centre – just off the Belfast Road on the outskirts of Downpatrick – has been ideal for my Music School with free parking available during the day and evening. I hope to be in a position to expand going forward and I will certainly be looking to stay within the Centre” says Gillian.
Website: http://www.ghmusicschool.com/
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