Ireland’s youngest entrepreneurs succeeded in securing funding thanks to the support of Expert Hardware.

After failing to secure state grant funding or bank loans to expand their successful start-up business due to their young age, Expert Hardware offered to fund the development of a new workshop and equipment upgrade.

Donegal brothers Ronan aged 14 and Conor aged 11 set up Donegal Pens in September 2010. Since then they have successfully etched out a market for their hand crafted wooden pens, their pens are individually turned, polished and waxed in their workshop at Loch an Iúir. With plenty of sales they set about expanding their business, but unfortunately were too young for any state grant support or bank loans to enable them upgrade their equipment and build a new workshop to continue growing and expanding their business.

But as luck would have it, on hearing the young entrepreneurs funding difficulty on Morning Irelands radio show, Alan Grant of Expert Hardware contacted Eoin McCarvey, the young brothers father to offer financial support to allow them build their new workshop and upgrade their equipment. The team at Expert Hardware have not only offered their funding outright, they have also offered to provide marketing and mentoring support to the young brothers and entrepreneurs.

You can buy the pens in your local Expert Hardware Store. For store locations click here.