Home Care In New Ross, IN

As well as the new hoist the Boat Yard has also invested in a 10 KW wind turbine and solar panels

© New Ross Standard

A long standing Co Wexford boat yard is poised for a significant boost in business following a €340,000 investment in a new boat lift and energy efficiencies which will allow it work with heavier fishing and leisure vessels for dry dock and repair.

New Ross Boat Yard has taken delivery of a 60-ton hoist which will not only handle bigger vessels, but which is also more energy efficient as it operates on reduced diesel.

The well-known marine facility extends to over four acres and has 230 metres of shoreline to the west of the River Barrow, as well as access to the Rivers Nore and the Suir. One of its key facilities is a 15 metre by 70-metre-long dry dock used for servicing large commercial fishing boats and ferries, as well as smaller leisure boats.

As well as the new hoist the boat yard has also invested in a 10 KW wind turbine and solar panels which are reducing energy bills and the businesses carbon footprint.

The boat yard received total grant aid of €170,000 towards its €340,000 investment under the Brexit Blue Economy Enterprise Development Scheme, recommended by the Seafood Taskforce established by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. and implemented by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM). The scheme is funded by the European Union under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.

According to boat yard owner, Michael Kehoe, the former 25-year-old boat hoist could only lift 50 tons, was not energy efficient and needed more and more maintenance to keep it in working order.

“We had a number of boats that we were no longer in a position to take into the yard due to the capacity of this lift. The new lift has made a huge difference. It means we can take on bigger boats and see the weights displayed on each lifting point, something which is very important and allows us to distribute weight when lifting a vessel.”

At any given time, there are over 100 boats in the yard representing a mix of fishing and leisure boats in for servicing and repair, and for winter storage.

Currently the boat yard is servicing two ‘mini-cruise’ ships - the Barrow Princess and Cailín Déise owned by the Three Sisters Cruise Company. They provide mini cruises along the Rivers Suir and Barrow.

The boat yard also does important maintenance work on one of the area’s biggest attractions the Dunbrody Famine ship, which is based on New Ross quay front and which boasts tens of thousands of visitors each year. The Galley Cruising Restaurant is also maintained at the boat yard.

“As well as fishing vessels we get lots of interesting characters here with their leisure boats,” said Michael. “One of our regular customers is a renowned travel writer who spends several months a year sailing around the world, and he docks the boat here in winter.”

New Ross Boat Yard has a history dating back 50 years and at its height in the 1970s employed around 400 people and supported vessels that sailed all over the globe.

Michael Kehoe and his brother Stephen bought the boat yard in 2008 and they invested in the refurbishment of the dry dock as well as building a stores facility, showroom, offices and storerooms. Today it offers boat sales, services, and storage facilities all on-site. It has one of only three dry docks in Ireland measuring 70 meters in length.

Before the solar panels and wind turbine were introduced the boat yard had electricity bills of €2,500 a month. “By being able to offset the cost of our electricity bills, and possibly selling electricity back to the grid, we are in a position to protect ourselves against future price rises,” said Michael.

Ross Stores easily topped expectations for its fourth quarter, but warned that housing, food and gasoline costs continue to put pressure on its customers.

In a statement, CEO Barbara Rentler cited the “sustained” sales momentum that began in its second quarter and continued through the holiday season, but cautioned there remains “ongoing uncertainty in the macroeconomic and geopolitical environments.”

“While inflation has moderated, housing, food, and gasoline costs remain elevated and continue to pressure our low-to-moderate income customers’ discretionary spend,” she said. “As a result, while we hope to do better, we believe it is prudent to continue to take a conservative approach to forecasting our business in 2024.”

Ross, which has set a long-term target of at least 2,900 Ross Dress for Less and 700 DDs Discounts, will continue its store growth in 2024. It expects to open about 90 new locations, including 75 Ross stores and 15 DD’s stores. By comparison, Ross opened 71 Ross stores and 23 DD’s in 2023.

On the earnings call, Rentler called DD’s top-line fiscal 2023 results “respectable,” but said the company was disappointed with the brand’s performance in newer markets. It is conducting an analysis to better understand the needs of DD’s diverse customer base as it expands into new market.

“Until this work is completed, we believe it is wise over the near term to moderate DD’s store growth in newer markets and focus new store openings primarily in existing regions,” Rentler told analysts.

Ross reported income of $610 million, or $1.82 a share, in the quarter ended Feb. 3, up from $447 million, or $1.31 a share, in the year-ago period. Analysts had expected earnings of $1.66 a share.

Sales rose to $6 billion from $5.2 billion, topping estimates of $5.8 billion. Comparable-store sales increased 7%.

“Our above-plan sales were driven by customers’ positive response to our improved assortments of quality branded bargains throughout our stores,” stated Rentler. “Fourth quarter operating margin grew 165 basis points to 12.4%, up from 10.7% in the prior year. This improvement was mainly due to the strong gains in same store sales and lower freight costs that were partially offset by higher incentives. “

Ross expects 2024 same-store sales to grow 2% to 3%, on top of a 5% gain in 2023. Earnings per share are expected to be between $5.64 and $5.89.

Ross operates 1,764 namesake locations in 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam, along with 345 DD’s Discounts stores in 22 states.

Gardaí at New Ross Garda Station have confirmed that Anne Connors, (17), who was reported missing from New Ross since Wednesday has been located and is ‘safe and well’.

An Garda Siochána would like to thank the public and media for their assistance.

By Dan Walsh

Met Éireann weather stations have recorded significant rainfall with Johnstown Castle showing 153.7mm of rainfall in March which almost double the March long term average rainfall of 79mm.

Deputy Paul Kehoe told WexfordLocal.com; “Weather conditions are hammering farmer morale, and we are moving into an unprecedented territory on farms. Farmers are acting responsibly but the reality is that the weather is preventing livestock turnout, spring planting, and other fielding right across the country, including in County Wexford.

“This is causing untold stress for farmers who are trying to manage a difficult situation. I welcome the pausing of all non-essential farm inspection until April 22^nd to provide farmers with breathing space. We are in a position where every and all option to support them needs to be considered if these difficult conditions persist,” said Deputy Kehoe.

Fine Gael Deputy Kehoe is calling on Government and all actors in the sector to come together to provide a co-ordinated response to the situation facing farmers.

Fine Gael Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon said that any measure which could offer a reprieve for farmers until the conditions improve was being looked at.

Minister Heydon said; “Last Friday my department convened a meeting of the food and fodder security committee to work through the issues facing farms. This committee and its members will continue to provide up-to-date information and advice as the situation develops and will meet again next week.

“In the meantime, we are putting in place a system to coordinate existing feed supplies to ensure any surpluses are available to those struggling. We are engaging with financial institutions to emphasise the need for short term finance on farms where cashflow is a difficulty, and in addition to pausing non-essential inspections we are exploring any flexibilities that can be offered around schemes and administration,” stated Minister Heydon, who concluded; “A difficult autumn in 2023 and persistent rain this spring have delayed livestock turnout, disrupted spring plantings, and caused difficulties with other fieldwork.”

Today’s scheduled Wexford races are off.

The track was found unfit for racing following a 7.30am inspection.

17mm of rain since the declarations.

Ross Stores, Inc. ROST has set its sight on a path of accelerated growth with the recent unveiling of 18 new Ross Dress for Less (Ross) and nine dd's DISCOUNTS stores across 14 different states. These store openings align with the company's strategic vision of adding approximately 100 new stores during fiscal 2023.

Out of this planned expansion, 75 stores will be Ross Dress for Less outlets, while 25 stores will be dedicated to dd's DISCOUNTS. This aggressive growth strategy demonstrates Ross Stores' commitment to expanding its footprint and catering to the evolving needs of its diverse customer base.

By strategically expanding its store network and targeting both established and emerging markets, Ross Stores positions itself for continued success. This summer, Ross Dress for Less marked its entry into Michigan with the inauguration of six stores, while dd's DISCOUNTS extended its footprint in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

With a total of 2,061 stores currently operating across 41 states, the District of Columbia and Guam, Ross Stores is already a dominant player in the off-price retail segment. The recent store openings not only reinforce the brands' presence but also enable Ross Stores to tap diverse consumer markets and drive further growth.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The company has ambitious goals, aiming to reach at least 2,900 Ross Dress for Less and 700 dd's DISCOUNTS locations over time. By expanding its store network, the company strengthens brand visibility, captures new customer segments and unlocks potential sales growth.

The expansion strategy, combined with the company's strong brand reputation and off-price retail model, positions Ross Stores for success in the dynamic retail landscape. The strategic store openings fortify its competitiveness.

No doubt, Ross Stores has struck a chord with bargain hunters in search of quality, brand-name products at significantly discounted prices. Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have rallied 35.9% in the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 4.1%.

Here we have highlighted three better-ranked stocks, namely Lamb Weston Holdings LW, Ollie's Bargain OLLI and Walmart WMT.

Lamb Weston, a leading supplier of frozen potato, sweet potato, appetizer and vegetable products to restaurants and retailers worldwide, currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). LW has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 47.6%, on average. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Lamb Weston’s current financial-year sales and earnings suggests growth of 29.6% and 117.3%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers. The expected EPS growth rate for three to five years is 42.7%.

Ollie's Bargain, one of the largest retailers of closeout merchandise and excess inventory, currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The expected EPS growth rate for three to five years is 22.5%.

The daughter of a New Ross resident, missing since having been released from a Waterford hospital over a month ago, has said: “It’s weird, like he’s actually disappeared’ after extensive CCTV and physical search trawls have not been able to identify his whereabouts.

Michal Piotrowski (69) was a patient at University Hospital Waterford from where he was discharged on December 19, at 3 p.m.

A well-known face in New Ross town, Michal was last seen on the Dunmore Road in Ballynakill in Waterford City at approximately 11.40 a.m. that day.

“CCTV cameras have him turning left as he exited the hospital, but the cameras at Maxol show no trace of him,” Ewa said.

“We are really worried. It’s weird. I’m afraid as there is water near the hospital. Waterford Castle CCTV is being checked.”

Michal is described as being approximately 5’ 8” in height with a slim build and with grey hair.

Gardaí and Michal’s family are extremely concerned for his well-being, especially following the recent cold spell.

Gardaí are appealing to any road users who were driving along the Dunmore East Road and surrounding areas between 11.35 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. on December 19, and who may have video footage, to make this available to them.

Anyone with any information on Michal’s whereabouts is asked to contact Waterford Garda station on 051 305300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

Since December 19 Michal’s family have been going through a living nightmare as they have not been able to locate him, despite launching appeals on social media sites, a garda alert being issued and physical searches of Waterford and New Ross.

Michael’s daughter Ewa said he is likely to be wearing a dark green, long jacket, a dark tracksuit or jeans and dark brown work boots. A hold-all bag that he had with him in hospital has was found on Thursday, January 4, in New Ross and returned to his family.

Ewa said her father lives with her and her two daughters, adding that he also has children living in Poland. She said he suffers from confusion and memory loss as a result of a brain injury. Michal may appear to look homeless, according to his family.

“The guards in Waterford are still looking at CCTV. They’ve checked the bus station and train station and people have been checking in New Ross and Waterford also. The guards are looking with drones and dogs. They took a DNA sample from me last week.”

A report of a sighting of Michal in Cork proved inaccurate. “It was someone similar looking but it turned out not to be him. I put posters in shops around Waterford and spoke with homeless people. My daughter Claudia’s English is better so she has rang all the hospitals in Ireland. I’ve walked the route he would have taken a few times and a friend of ours in Waterford has been searching for dad as well.”

Michal’s case is due to be highlighted on RTE’s Crimecall next Monday, January 29.