James Halligan left Cork in 1984 with a piece of paper in his hand, a B. Comm from UCC, before heading off to London, together with many of his colleagues. He now has a home both in Kent and Waterford. At one time, he had as many as 16 businesses running in tandem, although they have now reduced to 2.
James owns the largest manufacturer of recreational and small commercial hovercraft in the world – The British Hovercraft Company Limited www.britishhovercraft.com.This company exports to over 45 countries worldwide.
The second company he owns is Energy Management Workshop Limited www.energymanagementworkshop.com. This is an energy brokerage and consultancy business which specialises in medium to large business in the UK, saving many of his clients over £100,000 per year in energy costs.
The businesses that James has owned and sold over the years include, two accountancy businesses, international payroll services, a snooker club (which was opened by Alex Higgins), two nightclubs which employed many of the world famous DJ’s in the 1990’s, including a resident DJ called Boy George, a restaurant, a medical recruitment agency, which is now one of the largest in the UK, a logistics business, a car hire and van lease business, just to name a few.
James’s nightclubs entertained clients such Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue and other minor celebrities of the time and hosted parties for the London fashion show and Red Bull etc.
His business clients have included Fortnum & Mason for whom he delivered goods to all the Royal households, Cath Kidston, Lulu Guinness, Laura Ashley, Liberty, McClaren Construction, Ecotricity, The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, The Gadget Show , Top Gear, Clarkson’s Farm, Jamie Oliver, David Beckham, Amazon, Planet Earth, Netflix to mention a few.
He has raised tens of thousands for charities, including The Lighthouse Group and Macmillan Cancer Support.
James has been a member of BITA since the very first committee meeting as well as being a past Vice President.
James is a strong believer that the way to successful business is by working with the right people, and that isn’t just concentrating on sales, it is making sure you have the support of those employed by you, and those who provide services have your best interests at heart.
The best way to get reliable people working alongside you, with you and for you is through a networking system such as BITA, asking for referrals and providing referrals.
Contact: [email protected]
