Martin Naughton and the humble start-up days

Sir, – The recent passing of Martin Naughton brought back a fond memory of hearing him speak to a hall crammed full of BComm students at the University of Galway many years ago. He was an inspiring speaker as he told us about the life of an entrepreneur manufacturing electric heaters primarily but it was his tale of the humble challenges of a start-up that stayed with me. He described the exhausting, around-the-clock labour of getting Glen Electrics off the ground in the early years. After one particularly gruelling stint, he took some time off to visit his parents. Delighted to see him, they excitedly marched him into the livingroom to show off their new heater. To his utter bewilderment, it was a Dimplex – his main competitor. As the lecture hall erupted into laughter, he told us it was at that exact moment he realised a fundamental rule of business: if his own parents wouldn’t buy his product, he’d just have to buy the competition. Which, of course, he famously did, creating Glen Dimplex. The warmth, humility, and character of the man were beautifully evident that day. – Yours, etc, MAIREAD FORDE O’SULLIVAN, Bunratty village, Co Clare.