Drogheda & District Chamber CEO Hubert Murphy on creating channels for members to do business

How are you finding your new role as CEO at Drogheda & District Chamber?

I took on the role in June 2024 and it’s been a great experience. Working closely with the chamber council, we intend on further creating the landscape to allow Drogheda and district to thrive in the years to come. I believe in change, as standing still in life and business is never an option. I love engaging with members and seeing how we can deliver for them. That is what we are here for.

Can you tell me about your career so far?

I spent many years in the newspaper industry with INM and then Mediahuis. Then in 2021, I took on a new role as General Manager at Drogheda United FC in the League of Ireland. It was a wonderful opportunity to engage with the community so well as developing national and international business contacts. To see the club win the FAI Cup in 2024 and qualify for Europe was special. It’s a huge boost to the town.

Do you think previously held roles will inform your new CEO position?

I see the chamber brand as one that can deliver great things for the Drogheda region. In the same way as the name of a local newspaper or local football team draws support, confidence and trust, the chamber does likewise. You bring a little bit of life experience to any role you do, be it paid or voluntary, and that adds to the team and the product. I believe consistent and solid branding is huge in business and a bit like a football team, we now carry the chamber logo on our jackets. Proper PR and selling the chamber is equally as important, that’s why we introduced the concept of ‘ribbon cuttings’ for new members. We need to celebrate every little achievement with them.

How is business in Drogheda?

Drogheda is like every other big town. It has ways to improve but by working as a collective for the greater good, so much can be achieved. We want to see a rejuvenated main street, enhance the Purple Flag experience for those visiting the town and make the town a major destination location for international businesses. The M1 corridor has great potential and being close to the airport, backed by a motorway and rail service, we are primed for major investment.

What are some of the challenges facing business?

Drogheda is the biggest town in Ireland and has the potential to be a city. That alone draws constant debate, from traffic, to education needs, crime, housing and other social elements. The thing that makes Drogheda stand apart is the potential of the place. We are building 7,500 new homes on the north side of the town, a new IDA park is going in, we have a new €1bn sustainably powered enterprise campus planned, offshore windfarms are earmarked off the coast, a new multi million-euro port is planned, along with the completion of a new link road and the arrival of the DART. The chamber will be a willing partner in all of this.

How does Drogheda & District Chamber support its members?

I believe in two things – an attitude of Chamber First and making sure we treat those that support us as family members. There is no better feeling for our team than to solve one member’s problem by introducing them to another member. The more we build the membership, the more contacts are made. We have a weekly newsletter that keeps us all informed and our regular coffee and chats mornings are so popular.

As CEO, what are your ambitions?

Drogheda is a regional growth centre and will be a force to be reckoned with in the years to come. But a bird can’t fly on one wing. The chamber is all about collaboration and building teams and inspiring others on the journey. We signed a Friendship and Solidarity Agreement with our friends in Lisburn Chamber of Commerce in October and we are planning on adding to our ‘family’ of contacts in England in 2025. We must create channels for our members to do business and also open the door to others to come to Drogheda and sample what we have here.