Social enterprise co-operative with 30 employees in County Kildare announces name change

The Group CEO of FRS Co-Op said that it is ‘an exciting time’ for the group

A social enterprise co-operative with 30 employees in County Kildare has officially changed its name. 

FRS has today announced that it has rebranded as FRS Co-Op.

The group includes several businesses working across employment, fencing, government and training.

Speaking about the rebrand, Colin Donnery, Group CEO of FRS Co-Op, said: "We want all customers, clients, colleagues, friends and stakeholders in Kildare to know about our new name and what it represents.

"Since it was formed in 1980, co-operation with our colleagues and neighbours has been central to everything we do in FRS.

"We’ve always had deep roots in our local communities, in Kildare and anywhere else that we are active... we know that we grow better together, a belief that is ingrained in everything we do, and that is why we wanted the co-op aspect of our business to be more prominent in our new branding."

Mr Donnery continued: "As we look to the future of the business, those ideals will continue to be our key strength.

"Our mix of local and national experts, combined with an eye on innovation, allow us to work effectively with communities we live in and the businesses we work with, both in Kildare and further afield.

"Whether it is through recruitment and employment support, through training, through innovative agri technologies or services, we believe FRS Co-Op is a business which exists to make a difference... a positive difference to the lives of those who work for us, who work with us and to the communities in which we all live.

"As we move forward under our new FRS Co-Op brand, we expect to see those contributions shine through even brighter in the years ahead."

He further said: "We also will continue to provide all the services we have up to now. FRS Farm Services will continue to help more than 2,000 farms around the country, including many in Kildare, every day. 

"FRS Fencing, Ireland’s leading fencing provider delivered 2.5 million metres of fencing for their customers last year and will continue to support farms, homes and businesses across the county and around the country.

"Turas Nua will continue working to help the unemployed in Kildare to find jobs, and we will continue to build the expertise and support offered through FRS Training, FRS Recruitment, FRS Contract Services, WrkWrk, Herdwatch and more.

"This is an exciting time for FRS Co-Op in Kildare and beyond as we look to build on the considerable achievements we’ve made over the last 40-plus years, knowing that our strength has always been the relationships and connections we’ve made in Kildare and beyond.

He concluded: "We know we can get more done by working together and growing together with our colleagues, our customers and our communities in Kildare and across Ireland... It’s what we’ve always done; it’s the FRS Co-Op way."

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FURTHER INFORMATION

Originally founded in 1980 as National Co-op Farm Relief Services (NCFRS), it has since grown its operations both in Kildare and around the country.

FRS’s Turas Nua operation runs offices in Athy, Naas and Maynooth, while FRS Farm Services has a number of team members working throughout the county. 

Other FRS businesses active in Kildare include: FRS Recruitment, FRS Training, FRS Fencing, FRS Contract Services, Herdwatch, the leading farm management app and WrkWrk, the temporary employment service

FRS Co-Op employs 2,000 people across the group nationwide.

According to the group, it has a turnover of circa €100 million.