Head of Mayo car dismantlers reaches a global audience

by Patrick Hennelly

A Mayo entrepreneur is set to represent Irish small businesses at a European level as part of eBay’s Seller Advocacy Programme.

Ian Naughton, CEO of Naughton’s Car Dismantlers in Belcarra, has been invited to join discussions with policymakers from Dublin and across Europe in the New Year, to highlight the challenges facing Irish sellers trading globally.

Mr. Naughton was part of the seller panel on August 25 alongside fellow sellers from Ireland and the UK, where they met eBay CEO Jamie Lannone.

Through his work, Ian Naughton has already raised concerns in Europe around shipping costs, staffing challenges, and access to support for small businesses, and last March he was in Brussels where he met some key people, including Aingeal O’Donoghue, the Permanent Representative of Ireland to the EU.

Ian Naughton’s participation on the European panel aims to ensure the voices of Irish businesses are heard when decisions are being made that affect online trade and global exports.

Speaking about the opportunity, Ian said: “It’s not just about my business, it’s about making sure small businesses in Ireland have a fair chance to compete internationally.

“We play an important role in recycling, sustainability, and keeping costs down for consumers, but we need the right support to keep growing.”

Ian Naughton said that it was a great opportunity to meet the CEO of eBay last month.

“It was nice to be asked and to be part of that meeting in the eBay headquarters in Dublin. It was great to meet Jamie Lannone, and he is seller focused and wants to improve his platform for the sellers.

“It was a fantastic opportunity to share my perspective as a seller, and to highlight the work we are doing at Naughton’s Car Dismantlers.”

Naughton’s Car Dismantlers was established in 1982, and the company has gone from strength to strength over the years, and Ian Naughton said that there is a great team in the business.

Naughton’s Car Dismantlers is expected to develop even further over the coming years, and the fact that they have now reached the global stage is testament to the hard work and dedication by the entire team.