This week Eakin staff held a coffee morning to raise money for Action Cancer.
Hours were spent baking delicious cakes and buns; these were then sold during coffee breaks. There was also the opportunity to win a pamper hamper. £272.30 was raised. This amount was matched by the company, bringing the grand total to £544.60.
As part of Action Cancers latest breast cancer campaign – Don’t Duck the Issue, they will be using the money for a unique in-house breast screening service.
Staff at Eakin, were delighted to welcome members of the Sligo Regional Ileostomy Association Support Group to our premises in July.
When they arrived our guests enjoyed a presentation from Jeremy Eakin, received more information about the Eakin products from Mary and had a tour of our newly extended factory, during which they were hugely impressed by the quality control standards in place. The visit concluded with a lunch.
Eakin staff entered the Ards Half Marathon in June 2015.
£603 was raised by the entrants which was matched by the company to give a grand total of £1,206 for Bowel Cancer UK.
Pictured from left to right, Jack Hopley, Jennifer Carse and William Ennis.
Exciting changes have recently developed in our business model for Ireland.
We are now trading directly in the market. We have Georgina McKeown and Susan Carberry, on the ground in Ireland directly promoting EAKIN to nurses and patients. This means we can understand and respond to nurses and patients’ needs better and faster.
Due to austerity measures, there have been no new Stoma products listed in Ireland for the past 8 years, BUT this is all about to change. It could be from as early as 1st
June, subject to the HSE go ahead, that many more of our products will be immediately available in Ireland. This will make a substantial difference to the quality of life for many Ostomists in Ireland.
Eakin hit a milestone on Facebook this week reaching 2,000 likes!
Click here to like us on Facebook. We also invite you to follow us on all our social media channels for ostomy advice, product updates, competitions and company information: Facebook, Twitter,Youtube and Google+ by clicking the links on the top of the screen.
The Aer Lingus Viscount Awards in association with Ulster Business Magazine celebrate the very best in the private business sector in Northern Ireland.
The awards’ ceremony took place in the House of Commons in London this week, where there were seven awards up for grabs.
TG Eakin were awarded ‘Exporter of the Year’. However as if that was not enough, we were also awarded the most coveted award – ‘Overall Excellence’! The judges were impressed by the success of the company through excellent products, which make a real difference to patients’ lives.
Commenting on the award, Jeremy Eakin said: “It is a great honour to accept both the Exporter of the Year and the Overall Excellence award. To be recognised at this level is a real boost for our extremely dedicated staff. We have a very strong and successful company, which provides great products for nurses and patients. Significant investment in R&D, people and processes will ensure we achieve our ambitious goals for the future.”
Eakin Group has just concluded a major deal to purchase Cliffe Medical.
Cliffe Medical owns Respond Plus based in Larne, the licensed dispensing appliance contractor (DAC) for Northern Ireland employing 11 staff who dispense stoma products directly to patients as well as providing a nurse advisory service. Cliffe Medical also owns OstoMART, which provides a similar service from its three centres in England. The deal will increase Eakin’s UK workforce by an additional 55 people to 280.
The family owned Eakin Group is one of Northern Ireland’s most successful healthcare businesses with its products being sold in 40 countries around the world providing annual revenues in excess of £75m. In 2007, Eakin Group acquired Pelican Healthcare in Cardiff and earlier this year the company invested £12m extending its Comber manufacturing facility to over 100, 000 sq ft.
Eakin Group UK Managing Director Paul Eakin said: “This is a hugely important strategic acquisition for the Eakin Group. In Northern Ireland, Respond Plus provides us with a unique opportunity to extend our relationship with the stoma community. We know this community very well but we now have the opportunity to expand our level of service, including nursing care support. Eakin has a huge international following around the world yet we are relatively unknown to the public in Northern Ireland so this is the perfect opportunity for us to make that connection.”
Mr Eakin added: “As well as the important Northern Ireland aspect to this acquisition, Cliffe Medical also provides us with a platform to extend our business development in other parts of the UK and beyond. OstoMART is a highly respected business with three service centres in Nottingham, Peterborough and Dorset. These strategic additions to the Eakin Group consolidates our ongoing investment and expansion programme which started in 2007 with our purchase of Pelican Healthcare. Although the OstoMART and Respond Plus businesses will operate independently of Pelican Healthcare, all three companies will work together as part of the Eakin Group to provide the best possible level of service to all geographic regions of the UK.
Eakin Group Director, Mr Jeremy Eakin also added “Northern Ireland is rapidly acquiring a global reputation for excellence in healthcare innovation and at Eakin Group we are delighted to be playing our part in helping to forge and reinforce that reputation around the world.”
The Eakin Group was originally founded by pharmacist Tom Eakin in 1974. He owned a pharmacy in Dundonald and began encountering ostomy patients on a daily basis who were experiencing problems with disposable ostomy pouches, specifically skin irritation and leakage. He formed TG Eakin Ltd and began designing and manufacturing Cohesive Seals to address these problems and since then, with his two sons Paul and Jeremy, has rapidly expanded its product base and markets around the world.
Colostomy Association visit Eakin
Staff at Eakin, in conjunction with Adam Foy from Pelican Healthcare, were delighted to welcome members of the Colostomy Association to our premises on 10th December for a Christmas visit.
Throughout the morning our guests enjoyed a presentation from Jeremy Eakin, received more information about the Eakin and Pelican products from Adam and had a tour of our newly extended factory, during which they were hugely impressed by the quality control standards in place. The visit concluded with a Christmas lunch.
The Colostomy Association are a UK registered charity representing the interests of people with a colostomy. They provide support and advice to families and carers both before and after surgery. They strive to raise awareness of what it is like to have a stoma. We wish them continued success in their good work. Please click for more information on the Colostomy Association.
Lawrence Ikahu tells Eakin how he is progressing with his studies and how his stoma care project in Kenya is developing.
We introduced Lawrence Ikahu last year after we had agreed to help him further his education by funding his 3 year BSc in Cancer Care, which he studies via distance learning, in conjunction with the University of South Wales. We interviewed him recently to see how he is progressing with his studies and how his stoma care project in Kenya is developing.
1. How is your stoma care project in Kenya developing since we last spoke?
We now have18 fully qualified Stoma Wound and Continence Nurses (SWCNs) in Kenya and 2 from Neighboring Tanzania. This was one of two dream come true projects for me, coupled of course with the existing vibrant ostomates support groups network system in the country. It has been very important for me that the SWCNs evolve and grow their own capacity, so I am taking more time now seeing patients. As late as last month, during the national palliative care conference, one of the SWCNs gave an excellent paper on stoma and fistula care. So we are moving in the right direction, but still a lot needs to be done to see this specialty fully evolve.
2. You are now into your 2nd year of studies, how are your progressing? Have you been able to bring these new skills to help overcome the challenges you face in everyday work?
My studies have been among one of the most exciting milestones in my life. I am now in year 2 and I must say this online model favors me a lot, consequently several Kenyan nurses now are looking forward to pursue the same course! The first module really helped me understand the science behind cancer and was a great area to start from as I have a firm foundation. We are now covering the impact of cancer, I am passionate about improving the quality of life for cancer patients. This is the module that is going to educate me to be able to handle the challenges.
3. Last month you were awarded Nurse of the Year Award for Nairobi County. What does this mean to you?
When I was awarded nurse of the year in Nairobi County and second nationally, this was a most humbling moment. I am not and do not pretend to be the best. We have very good experienced nurses in Kenya who I have a lot of respect. The fact that the national nursing leadership noticed my dedication to stoma, wound and continence care in itself is a big win, not for me but for patients and the nurses who have taken interest in this field. We are now seeing a lot of change of attitude for the better and more nurses are recognizing this area.
4. You recently helped set up distribution of Eakin products in Kenya. Can you tell us some more about this?
You know how they say that there is the climax of every journey? For me this is it. I have used Eakin wound pouches and skin care products for 5 years, through donations or importing from South Africa. The results, of which I publish regularly through case studies, made me dream and wish for one thing only, that one day there will be a dedicated Eakin distribution in Kenya.
So when a dedicated ostomate and a committed sales executive well known to me kept saying how they would wish to start a company in my field of specialty, I saw this as the opportunity I was waiting for. This was 2 ago and through my input, advice and very thoroughly looking at all logistics, finally Incostom limited was born. Incostom is made from the words incontinence and stoma. Their ethos is life without limits.
We have seen an influx of stoma bag manufacturers set up distributorship in Kenya recently. This is good. However, one area has been left out. Skin care, high output stomas and fistulae.
It is important I clarify that every distributor in Kenya sought my advice in the past and I encouraged them. The difference is that Incostom were looking to cover an area that is not covered. The ownership of Incostom is very dedicated and I have no doubt it shall flourish.
Technologically Kenya has greatly advanced and East Africa is being seen as the next IT hub in Africa. A lot of services have gone online, clothing, properties, food, etc. Seeing how healthcare is not taking advantage of this and seeing how stoma care and continence care products are intimate, Incostom is the first company to embrace online shopping. As is usual with all flagship and pioneer projects, a lot of challenges are to be expected but we believe this is the way of the future.
Finally a lot of clients visiting the East African region, may it be as expatriates, tourists or simply coming back home after treatment abroad, often feel lost as to where to get help. Similarly some avoid coming to take holidays here as they are not sure if they will get help or products. Incostom will aggressively market itself as the home company away from home, so that all may feel comfortable to come to the region, with assurance that all the care and products will be available for them. We are in the process of producing a very interactive user friendly website which will be launched very soon.
Eakin Group has just concluded a major deal to purchase Cliffe Medical.
Cliffe Medical owns Respond Plus based in Larne, the licensed dispensing appliance contractor (DAC) for Northern Ireland employing 11 staff who dispense stoma products directly to patients as well as providing a nurse advisory service. Cliffe Medical also owns OstoMART, which provides a similar service from its three centres in England. The deal will increase Eakin’s UK workforce by an additional 55 people to 280.
The family owned Eakin Group is one of Northern Ireland’s most successful healthcare businesses with its products being sold in 40 countries around the world providing annual revenues in excess of £75m. In 2007, Eakin Group acquired Pelican Healthcare in Cardiff and earlier this year the company invested £12m extending its Comber manufacturing facility to over 100, 000 sq ft.
Eakin Group UK Managing Director Paul Eakin said: “This is a hugely important strategic acquisition for the Eakin Group. In Northern Ireland, Respond Plus provides us with a unique opportunity to extend our relationship with the stoma community. We know this community very well but we now have the opportunity to expand our level of service, including nursing care support. Eakin has a huge international following around the world yet we are relatively unknown to the public in Northern Ireland so this is the perfect opportunity for us to make that connection.”
Mr Eakin added: “As well as the important Northern Ireland aspect to this acquisition, Cliffe Medical also provides us with a platform to extend our business development in other parts of the UK and beyond. OstoMART is a highly respected business with three service centres in Nottingham, Peterborough and Dorset. These strategic additions to the Eakin Group consolidates our ongoing investment and expansion programme which started in 2007 with our purchase of Pelican Healthcare. Although the OstoMART and Respond Plus businesses will operate independently of Pelican Healthcare, all three companies will work together as part of the Eakin Group to provide the best possible level of service to all geographic regions of the UK.
Eakin Group Director, Mr Jeremy Eakin also added “Northern Ireland is rapidly acquiring a global reputation for excellence in healthcare innovation and at Eakin Group we are delighted to be playing our part in helping to forge and reinforce that reputation around the world.”
The Eakin Group was originally founded by pharmacist Tom Eakin in 1974. He owned a pharmacy in Dundonald and began encountering ostomy patients on a daily basis who were experiencing problems with disposable ostomy pouches, specifically skin irritation and leakage. He formed TG Eakin Ltd and began designing and manufacturing Cohesive Seals to address these problems and since then, with his two sons Paul and Jeremy, has rapidly expanded its product base and markets around the world.
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