Football is in Gerry Reilly's blood. Fermanagh football. A native of Teemore and an ardent follower of the Ernemen's fortunes, he also has close allegiances to Cavan through the insulation company he founded with fellow director Brendan Cosgrove, Ballytherm Ltd. Ballyconnell firm Ballytherm was established in 2003 by Gerry Reilly and Brendan Cosgrove, the pair combining their expertise in various sectors to make a winning combination at the helm of the company. Gerry worked with the Quinn Group for more than 20 years, during which time he was involved in that firm's foundation of new businesses in areas as diverse as roof-tiles to hotel enterprises, while Brendan had gained great experience through his role at the helm of a mechanical services business. The new Building Energy Rating (BER) was key to the pair's thinking in setting up a new company intent on manufacturing insulation products to the highest possible standard. From January 1st 2009, all houses for sale or rent must have a BER certificate and major improvements in the area of insulation was always going to be a decisive factor in maximum BER results. Previously, there had been six polystyrene plants in Ireland but with that sector in decline, an alternative type of insulation, based on polyurethane, was finding its way into the ascendancy - and with industry projections suggesting that increased amounts of polyurethane products would be required in the future, Reilly and Cosgrove felt there was an opening in the market. Almost six years on from its establishment, things have gone well for Ballytherm - despite the downturn in the building sector which has had an adverse effect on all companies within the construction sector over the past 12 months. More environmentally-friendly and markedly less toxic than its polystyrene equivalent, polyurethane is also safer, with polyurethane slabs significantly more flame-retardant than other insulation products. "There is probably five times more polyurethane used now than was the case even five years ago," says Gerry, "so we started out at the right time. Obviously things have slowed down over the last few months but we're not solely reliant on new houses. We deal with people carrying out renovations and home improvements. The new BER guidelines also mean that every week more and more people are interested in getting proper insulation for their homes." Based in Ballyconnell Business Park, Ballytherm has flourished from modest beginnings to their current headquarters, a 50,000 sq. foot building, on the back of increased annual sales every year since 2003. Ballytherm's manufacturing facility may not have the same breadth as the megaliths of the industry sector, but the advantage in that is that it allows the production of more customised products than its rivals. The company's continued success and commitment to excellence was recognised at the Cavan County Enterprise Board awards in September 2008, where Ballytherm was selected as the winner of the top award and went on to represent Cavan at the national finals at Dublin Castle in November. It was a privilege they welcomed, a recognition of the hard work put in by the company's staff of 25 staff including General Manager Pauric Gilroy and office administrators Anita Pearson and Sharon Flanagan. As always, however, the main players of Ballytherm are looking to the future, not the past. "It was good to get a bit of recognition," says Gerry, "but there's no point sitting back and enjoying it. We have a few plans for the next couple of years, looking at giving the facility a bit of a makeover. Our strategy from the start has always been fairly cautious and we were careful not to overstep the mark early on, but now we want to introduce new features to the manufacturing facility. We plan to extend the line and the building as a whole, and that should take place within the next year or 18 months." Brendan Cosgrove is a proud Cavan man but while Gerry has strong connections with Ballyconnell - he travels the short trip to the town each weekend for "a drink and a bit of banter" - he is quick to point out that his primary allegiance, in GAA terms at least, lies away from Cavan. Most weekends he finds himself standing on a grassy bank following the fortunes of his native Teemore, or taking a seat in a stand somewhere in the country, from Enniskillen to Croke Park, to cheer on Fermanagh. In common with the upwardly mobile progress of Ballytherm over the past six years, Fermanagh have also been in the ascendant for much of that time. The summer of 2004 saw the Erne men reach the semi-finals of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and last year they reached the Ulster final for the first time in 26 years, losing out to Armagh in a replay. Their hunt for silverware has yet to be sated but Gerry, who donned the county jersey himself during his playing days, feels the current crop are close to a major breakthrough which would give the lie to their minnows' status. He says: "Fermanagh has a very small GAA population. There is plenty of soccer in the county as well and there are only nine senior clubs. But there are a lot of very, very good players, lads like Barry Owens, Hugh Brady, Mark Little and Marty McGrath, who would get on any team in the country. "There seems to be a great atmosphere amongst the panel too. If you don't have a proper atmosphere within the group of players, it doesn't matter how good you are - you're not going to win anything. If they just had a bit more belief in themselves, they could go the extra step and win an Ulster title." Tweet

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