Ronan moved from England to Ireland at the age of 16 and from a very young age wanted to run his own business. Ironically, it was this determination to be his own boss that won him his first job in Coras Trachtala, promoting exports to America. In the job interview he was asked where he saw himself in five years’ time and with typical candour told the interviewer “Well not here. I’ll definitely be running my own business by then.” It turned out this was exactly the get-up-and-go type candidate that they were looking for and promptly offered him the position. However, true to his word he set up his own business within the five-year period, establishing Curust Industries Ltd.
In late 1950’s Ireland chemical solvents such as White Spirits and Turpentine were measured out by hand in stores which was messy, cumbersome and inefficient. His genius was to understand that the public would pay more for the convenience of buying these products in standard size pre-packed bottles.
Having a good idea and converting it into a viable business are two different things. Ronan set about designing and building the very first mechanised bottle-filling line for these products in Ireland. He branded these products with his father’s name Douglas, and within a few short years Douglas White Spirits, Turpentine, Brush Cleaner and a half dozen other products were being sold in every hardware store in Ireland.
The business flourished through the 1960’s and 70’s and in 1977 the hardware shop Weirs of Baggot Street was added to the empire. He loved business and always claimed to look forward to Mondays.
He will be most fondly remembered by some for the annual quantity rebate lunch which he hosted every year in top restaurants around Dublin. This brought together the leading lights of the hardware industry at the time and rapidly became a must-go-to event. This proved so popular that he later added a Cork equivalent. Fortuitously it enabled him to combine his passion for food with his love of business.
Curust Industries Ltd continues to sell the Douglas Range of Paints, Accessories and Solvents throughout Ireland. In addition to Douglas, the company now sells a wide range of security products under the Tessi brand – named after Douglas’s wife!
Ronan will be sadly missed by all who knew him and especially his children Grace, David, Richard and Maeve and his 10 grandchildren. May he rest in peace.
