Collins XL in Athea awarded Limerick's LEO Green/Sustainability runner-up award

The Local Enterprise Office Limerick extends a massive congratulations to Paul Collins of Collins XL in Athea, Co. Limerick on being presented with their Green/Sustainability award at the recent National Enterprise Awards, County final in the Engine, Cecil Street Limerick on March 8.

Collins XL participated in the Green for Business support from LEO Limerick which has helped them reduce waste and energy consumption whilst at the same time driving down costs.

The National Enterprise Awards are organised by Ireland's network of Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) to give recognition to the contribution of micro enterprises to the National Economy

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Paul is the second generation of the Collins family to run the family owned business established by his grandparents JP and Mary, in the 1950’s.

Over the past 70 odd years the business has sold almost everything including builders supplies, animal feed, petrol & diesel, paints, wallpapers, souvenirs, gifts and groceries. They also operated a pub for many enjoyable years.

In more recent times the business is firmly focused on convenience retailing. 

“You need to keep looking forward to areas of growth to stay profitable,” according to Paul Collins, owner of Collins XL in Athea, Co. Limerick.

They have completed some renovations to modernise and expand the store's offering and now operate a busy hot food and deli counter, have an excellent coffee offering and their freshly baked breads & scones are very popular.

There's a full off licence in store, great value and offers on everyday groceries and during the summer months their 99's fly out the door.

Collins XL provide some important community services such as an ATM facility, bill pay services, parcel depot and have recently added a reverse vending machine to participate in the new Deposit Return Scheme.

Athea is a vibrant community with many active sporting and local organisations.

Paul Collins added that he and the team “really appreciate the strong local customer base that have supported our business, obviously without their loyal support we would not still be here”.

One of the key attributes that customers value is the quality of their products and they make a point of buying from local suppliers as much as possible.

These include Athea puddings and sausages, Athea honey, Kearneys bakery, Tournafulla eggs, Toddy McMahon and Jimmy Shananhan meats. 

According to Paul,

“The continuous increases in the cost of doing business is a massive challenge for small retailers. The Green for Business programme through the Local Enterprise Office Limerick was very helpful.

“I received some great advice on where to gain some efficiencies and how to adopt greener and more sustainable practices. I would encourage anyone to take part in it”.

“The reason for our longevity is that we are always looking to develop and improve the business to provide the best offering possible for our customers,” said Paul.

What bigger stores can’t compete on is the tailored service offered at Collins XL and customer service is key to that.

Our staff deserve huge credit, we currently have a great team that ensures top class service every day.

Going forward, we have plans for further development and hope to be trading for many years to come.

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