#158: The Bottom Line – Business News of The Week; Trade Links - South East regions of Ireland & Georgia USA; Monart Solar Farm & A Sauna on the Banks of The Barrow.

In this episode of The Bottom Line on KCLR, John Purcell was joined by Laura Slattery of The Irish Times to discuss the business news stories making the headlines this week. TradeBridge is a new organisation established with the support of Local Authorities and other business development organisations across the South East. Its purpose is to develop trade links between South East Ireland and South East Georgia, USA. This week a delegation of business leaders from Savannah in Georgia were in this area and John Coleman, incoming Chair of the World Trade Centre in Savannah and Claire McInerny Brown, Chief Executive of TradeBridge spoke with John to tell us more about how business links between the South East of Ireland and the South East of Georgia, first established almost two hundred years ago are being revived in the 21st century. Liam Anthony Griffin, a Director of Griffin Hotel Group spoke with John about how their business has been on a long running sustainability journey and to discuss the recently announced details of its achievements in developing a Solar Farm adjacent to the Monart Destination Spa in Wexford, a project which they hope will ultimately provide all the electricity for all the hotels in the group. Dan O’ Connor of The Hot Box Sauna, chatted to John about how the idea to develop a range of sauna locations around the lakes & shores of Ireland came about and their latest venture on the banks of the Barrow on the Carlow Kilkenny border in Graiguenamanagh. To contact the show, email: [email protected]