5 MINUTES WITH - FRANKIE VELDMAN

Frankie Veldman is originally from Letterkenny and has spent the last 14 years offshore working on Oilrigs. He started at the bottom as a labourer and moved up to the pipe deck before trying a hand at the drill floor. Frankie then studied Health and Safety in his time off and completed a Health and Safety Course in Aberdeen University. After stints working as a Safety Coach and advisor for a drilling company Frankie was offered a contract offshore on a fleet of Offshore Flotels (accommodation Barges), where he was responsible for the health and safety of 580 staff. Frankie has worked out of Ireland, UK, Holland, Denmark, and Norway and was onboard the Sedco 711 when they first discovered gas in the Corrib field back in 1999. In June last year Frankie came home full-time and set up a training centre to cater for personnel wishing to seek employment in the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry. With all the doom and gloom in the country at the moment Frankie feels that the best way forward is training and has opened up the Feidhm Mara Teoranta Training Centre. The future plans for the centre will be to run more and more offshore courses so personnel will not have to leave the country to do these. Frankie feels, that this will benefit the county as a whole and put Donegal firmly on the map up there along with Aberdeen, Huston, and Dubai.

What music are you listening to at the moment?
I am not listening to anything as the phones are constantly ringing….I like most kinds of music and I suppose in my younger days I liked AC/DC a lot. I would loved to have gotten tickets for the concert this year in Ireland but unfortunately they sold out very quickly.

What book are you reading?
I don’t really have much time on my hands these days to read books. I can tell you the last book I read was Roy Keane’s. I read it 3 times, I enjoyed it that much. It’s the first thing I pack in my suitcase before I go on holiday.

What was your favourite childhood game?
If you are talking about board games then it would have to be Escape from Colditz. I remember my mum bought it at the market in Strabane many years ago for a pound. Ours disappeared and I remember looking for it in many game shops over the years and could never find it. Then one day offshore in the games room and snooker hall I spotted a familiar box….You now know what I was playing for the rest of my offshore hitch.

Have you been to the cinema recently?
Yes. The last film I saw was James Bond Quantum of Solace. I suppose it was fine. I would like to have seen more of the Aston Martin DB9 though.

What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
It has got to be the sports pages first.

What would you never throw away?
The telephone numbers of good-looking girls. (Laughing).

Most embarrassing moment.
Getting off on the wrong oil-rig. I had to listen to that for years from the crews I work with.

Favourite TV programme?
I like comedy on TV and my favourite is Father Ted. I have the DVD box collection and my favourite two favourite episodes are a Song for Europe where they sing about My Lovely Horse. (I am humming it to myself just now LOL) and the book signing episode where Mrs Doyle swears a lot at Father Ted. Brilliant

What job did I want to do when I was a child?
Well my father spent 25 years of his life Offshore and I always wanted to be a sailor, just like my Dad. I got my childhood wish 15 years ago but on an oil rig and not a supply boat. So in a way I have followed my father’s footsteps.

What was my best holiday and what made it special?
My best holiday was in 2002 where I went to the World Cup in Japan and Korea. I travelled with my younger brother Dennis and Brendan Dunnion from Letterkenny. Things that made it special for me was sitting next to Packie Bonner all night in the team’s hotel. I was starving, as I am a very fussy eater and said this to Packie. He popped up to his room and landed back with a box of Tayto Cheese and Onion crisps. No doubt Dennis, Brendan, and I ate most of them. Later in the night he gave me his Irish training jersey.

What famous people would you invite around for dinner and why?
Firstly I would have invite Jamie Oliver. He would do the cooking. If Pope John Paul were still alive he would be top of the guest list as he could say the grace and have good stories to tell. I think there might be a seat for JR Ewing (Larry Hagman, Dallas) just for a few pointers. Shaun Gallagher would also be there I think he is doing a brilliant job rallying all over the world and putting Donegal on the Map. It would be good to have chat with him. Elvis would be there for a few tunes and I suppose one of the Pussycat Dolls for dessert….. I would have an Irish polititan to do the cleaning up but I’m not certain who would be the best person for the job….

What do you do for a special treat?
Well, with working offshore I have plenty of time off, so treats are always on the menu. I like going to the Indian restaurants and other activities include swimming with sharks and rally school. For a special treat I like going to the hairdressers…….

Favourite animal
Dog.

Biggest Thrill?
Being on an oil rig on a little ledge throwing in drill pipe to the travelling blocks. This means that you are standing 90 feet up in the air on a bit of metal, throwing things.

Biggest Challenge?
That would have to be getting the training centre up and running. Our backs were put to the walls more times than enough but we have come through. I have been working solidly on this project for the last 10 months. (It has not been easy)

What was the best present you ever got?
My dad is a dab hand at the carpentry work and one time he made me a 3 foot model of an oil rig. I still remember to this day pushing toys around the decks of it. I don’t think it was a present for a special occasion though.

What was the last thing you bought yourself?
I honestly can’t remember it’s been that long since I treated myself to a new pair of jeans or trainers. If it’s any item, then that would have to be a litre of milk.

What charities do you support?
I sponsor Whales and Dolphins and receive an update on my Dolphin in the Moray Firth Scotland.

The world’s most Irritating Invention/Most useful Invention?
Most irritating would have to be the mobile phone especially if you are sitting on a train and you want some chill time.
The most useful invention would have to be the Iron Roughneck. The Iron Roughneck is a robot, which is used for making up drill pipe on the rig floor. When it breaks down you know you are in for a hard shift ahead. It’s a Roughneck’s best friend and it is always the first piece of machinery you should check before your shift.

Favourite pastime?
I used to swim a lot but have not had the chance recently.

What do you have for breakfast?
That depends, mostly 2 cups of coffee. When I get up in the morning the last thing on my mind is breakfast and it is about lunchtime before I even think about food. Maybe once a month I might have a big fry.

What was your first job?
My first job was selling the Donegal Democrat on a Thursday afternoon after school. I would get 1p per paper I sold. I usually ended up selling 40 of them. I would normally pocket a pound for the evening’s work that is including tips.

Best/Worst household chore?
I do not really mind any chores about the house. I live alone and am quite a tidy person so there are not many chores to be done.

What is the best advice you have been given?
My dad told me before I went offshore for the first time that, any job I do make sure you do it to a standard you would expect if you were inspecting the job yourself. I have never had anyone over the past 14 offshore years complain about my work.

Personal Philosophy?
I suppose it would be Live Life to The Pepsi Max. That reminded me of a storm we had on a rig west of Shetland back in 1999 or 1998 Hurricane Mitch. They asked for volunteers to go down to the spider deck to unlatch the Blow-Out Preventer as the weather was seriously rough. My pal Craig from Aberdeen and I headed down. We were frightened as there were big waves hitting the underside of the rig. It was the time the Pepsi Max ads were on telly and we just kept say Pepsi Max to each other

OIL RIG TRAINING

Effective Offshore Training

With many local people looking for different work opportunities, two Letterkenny brothers might just have the answer they need. Khris and Frankie Veldman have opened a new training and recruitment centre, (Feidhm Mara Teoranta) to prepare people for work in the developing offshore oil and gas industry. To get a job offshore, workers need specific training before they can be considered and this is one of the areas where the first Irish offshore training centre can help. Feidhm Mara Teoranta based in Falcarragh provides the Basic Offshore Survival Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET) course as well as training for delegates to work on the drill floor.

There are lots of job opportunities available in the industry including work for painters, labourers, cooks, crane operators, mechanics, electricians, carpenters, welders, banksmen, plumbers and maintenance engineers but you would need to have your certificate before you would be considered for the position. The brothers also run a recruitment division to help people find offshore jobs. With their experience of what the industry needs as well as their contacts, the recruitment division will actively search for the best offshore work available.

Enrolment is now being taken for the three-day health and safety course in March and Khris recommends people to book early, as many of the available positions need to be filled as soon as possible. They can be contacted on (00353) 74 9135999 or check out their website

5 MINUTES WITH - SEAN MCCARRON

Sean McCarron is originally from Strabane and now lives in Lisfannon with his wife Mary. He works as a tutor at the Letterkenny VEC teaching a subject he is passionate about, the saxophone. He has been in bands since his early days starting with a group called Quarterdeck. Sean is also a session musician with a lot of well known musicians and also plays the saxophone live with five different bands throughout the Northwest and beyond. His life changed dramatically ten years ago when he had a miraculous escape from death after a motorbike accident outside of his house. He survived after being hit by three different cars on the Lisfannon road. He did sustain serious life threatening injuries and nearly every bone in his body was broken. Sean holds the rather unnerving honour of being the only man in Ireland to survive after being hit by three vehicles in succession…. Sean is still keen on motorbikes and has a classic Triumph and an Indian Chief to renovate as well as riding his modern BMW… He also loves the quirky Citroen DS cars from the 1960’s and 70’s and renovates them in his spare time.

What music are you listening to at the moment?
I’m listening to music from the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek at the moment; he played with the Jazz musician Keith Garrett for a long time. I also enjoy listening to R+B, Blues, Jazz, Funk and classical music. I find in my line of business its good to keep listening to a broad range of music.

What book are you reading?
Ted Simons book, Jupiter’s Travels. It was his first book from 1977 about his four-year journey around the world on a Triumph motorcycle. It was the inspiration for Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor’s trips. I also have the Belfast travel writer, Geoff Hills book on the go, The Road to Gobblers Knob: From Chile to Alaska on a Motorbike.

What was your favourite childhood game?
I grew up in the troubles in the North so we usually played games such as Cowboys and Indians, anything that involved guns. I didn’t like guns at all - especially when you were on the wrong side of them.

Have you been to the cinema recently, what did you see and was it any good?
I go to the cinema nearly every Sunday. I have two gigs on that day, one in the morning and one later in the evening so I have a window of opportunity. I will watch anything that doesn’t have people singing in it. I don’t care much for operettas and musicals… everything else is fine…

What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
None…. I tune into the radio. Radio 3-4 or Lyric FM. The news is more up to date. A relation of mine said that the only truth in a paper is on the top right of the front cover….(the price..)

What would you never throw away?
My health. After almost dying tree times I value every day. If anyone asks me how old I am I say either 48, when I was born..10, which is how many years after my accident or 3 which is how long it has been since my heart attack…

Favourite TV programme?
I love travel documentaries. Anything that includes motorised transport is also an added bonus. Michael Palin’s programmes are very good.

What job did you want to do when you were a child?
My dad is a farmer and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I loved one minute tending to the animals and the next being up to my elbows in oil looking after the tractor

Where was your best holiday and what made it special?
I went to Greece in 1986 for a holiday on invitation from Mary who was working over there teaching with the British Council on a TEFL scheme. I went for two weeks but stayed for two years and did loads of travelling Europe.

What famous people would you invite around for dinner and why?
Michael Parkinson would be the first guest. He has interviewed so many people so it would be like inviting a condensed version of all of his guests as he could talk about them. I would also invite the singer Billie Holliday and the tenor saxophone player Coleman Hawkins.

What do you do for a special treat?
I have just one vice…. Chocolate.

Favourite animal?
A border collie dog called Theira, who was named after the black volcanic sand on the island of Santorini, (it also translates to Gate). It is a bit of a strange name I suppose.

Biggest thrill?
It’s having the time to go where I want to go on a motorbike. I love the smells on a summer’s day when you get when travelling….

Biggest Challenge?
Surviving the accident on the 11th of November 10 years ago and the long road to getting my health back.

What was the best present you ever got?
My Indian Chief motorbike. The company made bikes from the turn of the 20th century and stopped in the 1950’s. My bike is from 1941 and is the only bike that has the throttle on the left hand side handlebars. This was because the police used them and needed to keep their speed up whilst chasing and shooting at criminals.

What was the last thing you bought just for yourself?
A radio for one of my Citroens. It’s an original Autoluz model and only 5 inches wide. I will be sending it away to get the insides brought up to date so they can get FM stations and play MP3’s. Am I being an anorak?

The world’s most irritating/most useful invention?
The television fits both categories. A dichotomy… It’s both educational and irritating

Favourite past-time?
Tinkering in my shed with the cars and bikes.

Which period in history would you most like to have lived through?
The American 1930’s and 40’s. The music from New York was amazing. I was influenced by my uncle who was a radio ham and got programmes called Voice of America and Reel 2 Reel when I was young and stayed up until the early morning listening to Jazz

What do you have for breakfast?
In winter its porridge, tea, toast and marmalade.

What was your first paid job?
I played saxophone at a variety show in Strabane back in 1973. It was my first pay and my first gig….

What is the best/worst piece of advice you have been given?
My mam would say... “Don’t be there ‘till your back and if you fall. Don’t take time to get up, just run on”… I wouldn’t know if that was good or bad advice…

Personal philosophy?
Enjoy what you do but most of all do what you enjoy….

LINK 2 IN LETTERKENNY

Link2 in the Courtyard Shopping Centre in Letterkenny opened its doors this October and has a great selection of gift ideas this Christmas. Paul and Keith Harvey had been working in music retail in Letterkenny for seventeen years and really know and appreciate their customer base. They saw a gap in the market and decided to branch out on their own, selling gadgets and novelties as well as music and DVD’s.

Link2 has a superb selection of all the top Irish CD’s including the new albums from Ronnie Drew, Enya and Snow Patrol. Don’t forget the comedy gem Nob Nation 2 –The Recession Album and DVD’s from Conal Gallen, Tommy Tiernan and Brendan Grace. There are loads of others to choose from and include all the chart stuff as well.

Novelties
At office Christmas parties it is customary to have a Chris Cringle and it can be difficult to think of a gift for a colleague who you may see every day, but not know that well. There are all sorts of fun ideas at Link2 such as the tight-git wallet (only €7.99) or the swearing punch ball (for €9.99). Guaranteed to break the ice and get a laugh before your first glass of wine takes effect.

Gadgets Galore
What is it about boys and their toys? How does a remote control helicopter make a seemingly well-adjusted man go weak at the knees? How many fathers buy a remote control car for their son and end up only giving them a turn very reluctantly? Link2 has a wide range of gadgets including the latest remote control helicopters, which they demonstrate in the store every Saturday and Sunday.

Ideas for Kids
Of course kids love gadgets too. What about a popcorn-maker at €34.99 for a healthy and fun treat or there is a rocket lava lamp (at €19.99) to create the right atmosphere for your moody teenager. They also have all the Sesame Street Puppets as seen on the Late Late Toy Show including Bert and Ernie and Oscar for €20.

On-Line
Paul and Keith have recently launched Link2 on-line too and you can purchase items at http://www.link2.ie/. This website only shows a few of their in store items but more are being added.

So when you are in Letterkenny, why not pop into Link2 in the Courtyard Centre and grab a few innovative and different gifts.

LEE TEDSTONE - EDITORIAL

Buncrana businessman, Lee Tedstone of Nvolve Ltd is ‘over the moon’ after scooping three business awards in the Shell Livewire All Ireland Finals last Thursday. The three categories are for the Best Use of Innovation, the Entrepreneurial Spirit award and the Export Potential award. “I am absolutely delighted,” says Lee “They are the best categories too as they reflect a good product, a good business and a good market reach.” It is a testament to the work and effort Lee has put into his business, that in two years he has created, from his Letterkenny base, a successful global company with clients across all industry sectors.

Clear vision
Lee was brought up in Buncrana on the Railway Road and always had a clear vision that he was going to work for himself. As a child he would go to work with his dad and watch his father and his business partner, Bertie Cartmill run their amusement business. “These two men had a big impression on me” Lee recalls. “I was fascinated by their lifestyle and how they interacted with their customers and their suppliers. I am sure it had an influence on me. I have fond memories of Buncrana in my childhood, being around the amusement arcades, going down to the shore front to go on the bumpers, the bingo at the weekend. There was a real buzz about the place.”

Lee went to St Columba’s boy school (now Scoil Iosagain) and Scoil Mhuire. He didn’t do particularly well at school as he always felt he needed to do things his own way and could do things better himself. Lee explains, “I liked to break the mould, if I was messing around and the teacher would tell me I was going to fail, I felt determined I would prove them wrong. I would challenge myself to go and do what I needed to.”

Lee did well enough to go to the University of Ulster to do his degree in electronics/software design and then went on to Queens to do his Masters in Semi-conductor Design. From there he went to Edinburgh where he worked for a company designing microchips, before moving to London to work in recruitment, project management and business development for a variety of employers, all within the electronics field. Through his work, Lee identified a gap in the market, where he felt he could make a contribution and as he wanted to come home, he moved back in 2006 to set up Nvolve Ltd.

Learning Solutions
The gap Lee had identified was a need for organisations to co-ordinate recruitment, training and performance management. Nvolve’s learning solutions division has developed software that trains staff faster, better and more cost-effectively than ever before, enabling organisations to manage and deliver their training at a fraction of the time and cost of more traditional methods. The business owners / managing directors can set objectives, which are filtered through the business hierarchy in the form of individual objectives for each worker that are measured against a timescale. Each employee can work on their own objectives and feed back what resources or training they need. This allows businesses to streamline and the success of the product is measured by the amount of money saved for the organisation. “The learning management side fits perfectly with organisations that have legislative requirements but it is effective for any business that wants to align their training activities to performance objectives,” Lee clarifies.

Software Solutions
The other division of Nvolve Ltd develops bespoke software to match the needs of their clients. Their customers include start-up businesses as well as large enterprises; any-one who needs a professional software solution in place quickly and efficiently. One recent example was a package for a community forum of golfers so they could keep in touch and chat on-line. Lee outsources his software development to a company in India, a partnership that has worked so well that Nvolve recently bought a majority share in the company. This means very competitive rates for his clients.

Lee is keen to point out that although their customers include large corporations and companies, more and more small local businesses are getting in touch with him. He explains, “Over the last few months about forty small businesses, local people from the Northwest have contacted me with an idea for a software package. There are some really good business ideas out there; I have found the entrepreneurial spirit has really gone through the roof. Some of these young businesses however, don’t have many resources or can’t afford to get a software package developed. I would encourage any-one in this situation to contact us for advice on how they could get their software developed.”

Sharing business skills
Lee is open to sharing his business skills. He recently gave a talk to 600 young people at Mount Errigal Hotel, which was organised by the Donegal County Enterprise Board. So what advice has he got for young entrepreneurs? “I would encourage people to engage with organisations such as the Inishowen Partnership, the Donegal County Enterprise Board and Enterprise Ireland,” he says. “I would also suggest that before they invest serious time and money on a service or product, they should try and get a commitment from some-one to buy it. You need qualities such as perseverance in business, drive and ambition as well as being able to keep your feet on the ground. If you have business acumen and skills, that is great, but you need perseverance to get through the hard times. However when you see the fruits of your hard work, there is no better feeling.”

Lee employs six people locally in Ireland and has sixty employees in the Indian software engineering company. He believes in meritocracy in the business culture and believes that employees in Nvolve get out what they put in. Two recent graduate employees have worked so well that they will soon be heading a new software division.

The future
So what about the future for Nvolve? Well, there are two new software products in the pipeline that are being developed and with the large amount of exports to the United States, Lee is looking at opening a sales office in the U.S. possibly in California. He is also going on a fact-finding mission to Dubai and has already secured business over there.

If you would like to contact Lee his e-mail is leetedstone@nvolve.net and his phone number is 0749116000.

FALLASK FURNITURE

“A place for everything and everything in its place” Alain Liault Chairman of CéLio

Fallask Furniture pride themselves in supplying discerning customers with high quality, value for money furniture.

Fallask Furniture, the suppliers of classic and contemporary furniture, have moved into new showrooms. The McDaid brothers opened the doors of the original premises in 2003 and over the years the company has grown and extra space was needed. They have located to a brand new premises behind the new Maxol petrol station in Umrycam on the main Carndonagh road out of Buncrana. Their new site is really convenient, on the main road with loads of parking spaces.

There is a wide range of furniture to choose from in the two well-stocked showrooms. Upstairs there is a great choice of bedroom furniture manufactured by top class companies. The bespoke designs can be ordered to suit your living space and takes only a short space of time to be made and delivered to your door. In the downstairs showroom there is a huge range of bookcases, dressers, tables and chairs as well as three-piece suites, coffee tables and lamps to suit all tastes. It’s all about quality at the right price at Fallask Furniture in Umrycam.


Fallask feel that it is important to stock attractive, quality furniture at the right price. They hold the exclusive rights and are the sole distributors of many high quality stock items, that you won’t see anywhere else in Donegal.


The friendly, professional staff are always on hand to advise how you can get the most from your living space.



Some of Fallask Furniture’s exclusive ranges are from these quality manufacturers:

CéLio
CéLio Bedrooms have upheld the finest traditions of cabinet making for two generations. In this time they have developed an aesthetic approach to storage that can be adjusted to suit your needs with the emphasis on user comfort. The large range includes bedside tables, walk in wardrobes and wardrobe doors with full sized bevelled mirrors.

HEMELAER
Hemelaer produce stylish and innovative furnishing concepts. The combinations of classic and contemporary collections stocked by Fallask Furniture are complemented by a fantastic range of accessory items, giving a complete designer look. Fallask Furniture know that it is important to get a balance of affordability and inspirational styling to satisfy even the most choosy of customers.

MARK WEBSTER
Mark Webster is a family run business that places great emphasis on quality design. Fallask Furniture stock a wide range of elegant yet commercial furniture all aimed at providing your home with the lifestyle and look you have always dreamed of. Choose from their unique collection of leather sofas or upholstery range with classic designs using the very latest fabrics all put together to offer the ultimate in style and comfort.

LASSERRE TRADITIONAL FURNITURE
Lasserre furniture is made from solid oak wood sourced and manufactured in France. Albert Lasserre, founded the company in 1942 and has two main passions; value for top quality workmanship and value for the customer. Fallask Furniture carry on this philosophy and include both traditional and modern designs to suit all tastes.

DE SPIEGHEL

If its painted furniture you love, then look no further than Fallask Furniture. They stock a wide range of De Spieghel furniture made from high quality teak, oak and rattan. Based in Holland, De Spieghel pride themselves in re-creating that old world charm that is so appealing and attractive in the Irish home.

CLIVE WASSON

Clive Wasson with his helium filled balloon used for aerial photography