Cleary Electrical pride themselves in going the extra mile for their loyal customers and Jimmy and his brother Gerry Cleary are very appreciative of the support through the years.
1. When was the business established and were there any previous generations involved? The business was established around 16 years ago, by brothers Jimmy and Gerry Cleary. There was no previous members of the Cleary family involved in the business before that; Jimmy’s father Patrick had a garage in Mullingar down where Buckley’s is now and his grandfather Patsy, was one of the key workers who helped build the cathedral in Mullingar.
2. Had the family lived in Mullingar for many years or where did they come from? Jimmy and Gerry and their parents and grandparents are all of Mullingar stock.
3. Who are the family members working in the business now?
The business is run by Gerry Cleary, who mainly handles front of house and new products, Gerry’s wife Annette, who takes care of things in the office and Jimmy himself, who generally manages the repairs, parts, and re-conditioning. They are also fortunate to have very loyal, local based staff with them for many years.
4. What does the business do?
Cleary Electrical sell new appliances, including all the major brands of cookers and kitchen electrical equipment, dishwashers, ovens, fridges, computers, TV and audio systems, washing machines and much more. Jimmy sums it up by saying “it’s a one stop shop for any type of home appliance you may require.” In addition, Cleary Electric offer a second to none spare parts service as well as reconditioning of appliances and computer repairs service. They are probably the biggest independent electrical shop in Mullingar and in the Midlands.
5. How has it changed over the years?
Cleary Electrical, located in Zone C of Mullingar Business Park has seen a growth in demand not just for products and appliances, but for the unique, personalised service the company offer. Jimmy tells us that they do “push the boat out” to make sure every customer gets what they want and because they are local and independent, they don’t have a head office in Dublin or abroad, so requests and queries get dealt with right away as opposed to other bigger companies who have to run everything through another level. “Here in Cleary’s, we are happy to go that extra mile for customers because we value the custom and that’s why we offer the best after-sales service around” Jimmy proudly explains.
6. Plans for the future?
Jimmy tells us there are no major plans for now but is comfortable for business to continue to tick over as it is now.
7. Any memorable moments through the years? (any faux pas)
There’s nothing that Jimmy can think of, apart from letting us know that dealing with the current Covid-19 situation has been a challenge, but within the first few weeks last year, they all worked hard to become fully compliant with all HSE practices and as they have been classed as an essential service, they are lucky not to have closed throughout.
8. In what way do you think you family business adds something special to Mullingar?
Jimmy hits the nail on the head when he states that “family businesses are long term players and often are the life and soul of the town,” adding that “family businesses will be there when all the bigger multi-nationals have moved on”.
Jimmy is confident that the extra service they offer to everyone who walks through their doors, whether they bought a product from them or not, is local, personalised service that other bigger companies can’t tune in to or offer.
9. Pros and Cons of working with family in a business?
Jimmy laughs and tells us they are not unlike any other family with their ups and downs but there are definitely more ups and over all, they get on very well together.
10. The last word … Jimmy let us know that he speaks for all of the family in extending thanks to all their customers who have supported them through the years. He explains that this loyal support has given himself and the Cleary family a good life through the years and has enabled them to rear their families and try to put a little bit back into the community.
