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ROSS MAGUIRE IS a grown man who decided to chuck in his desk job for the chance to play with Lego every day.
Five years later, the business he and his wife Pauline started to teach kids the basics of engineering using the interlocking brick system had about 10,000 students coming through its camps and workshops.
“I was working a dead-end IT job, sitting in an office with no windows; I hated it but it was the height of the recession so you were lucky to have any job,” Maguire told TheJournal.ie.
Despite having only €1000 from their savings to invest in the business, the pair decided to launch after seeing how popular Lego workshops were in the US.
“The first class we did we had eight children, but within three months we had 110 children attending our classes each week,” Maguire said.
Their business, Learn it, which runs holiday camps, regular workshops and in-school programs, has grown from the humble investment to one which now owns some 500,000 pieces of Lego.
A toy you say?
Maguire said a lot of people still thought of Lego as a toy – but they missed the educational value of the 60-year-old building system.
“When you put a piece of Lego in a kid’s hands it changes the way they learn,” he said.
“There are very few things out there where you have to build your toy before you play with it – and learn at the same time. It’s something that’s been lost now in this digital age.”
Lego’s Danish parent company this year overtook Mattel to become the world’s biggest toymaker.
Big plans. European plans
The next step for the couple will be to franchise the business around Ireland and open up in the UK within the next 12 months, before hitting mainland Europe in the next two years.
“I like to think we did something pretty cool – we took the risk and we haven’t looked back since; I essentially get paid to play with Lego,” Maguire said.
READ: Lego makes female scientists playset… after getting told off by a little girl
READ: Mesmerising stop-motion building of The Simpsons Lego set
But… But …. We’re attracting these companies because of our educated workforce and links to Europe right? Best small country to do business according to the dear leader… Surely he can’t have been wrong?
Ive been in many meetings where that sentence is the butt of a good few jokes.
This is down to American Tax law, so unless the cabinet are deciding American Tax Law then you’ve chewed too many of those pink tablets.
First of many deals to go I’m afraid.
Will facebook google and the like still be here in 10years?
IFSC will be the next ghost estate.
Cheerful.
You’re right. sad but true. Noonan should be making it easier for companies to dodge tax, not harder. It’s the only thing we have to offer. Our workforce is too expensive and the infrastructure is simply not on par, even with Poland.
Exactly. Who cares if we are offering them a way of paying less tax? It doesn’t matter if it boosts our economy at the expense of America’s. We are absolutely screwed if these companies pack up and leave due to decades of neglect towards indigenous businesses.
Obama the bollox
I thought the yanks just love the irish
no just the tax rates. and easily exploitable muppets in Government
Apparently only when we’re a tax haven.
what is it with the gimps who “run” this country , they always give away any “aces” they have up their sleeves for no payback. Its like they just want to be good poodles for their handlers in Europe
What has this to do with Ireland.
Some people really think that the world revolves around this place, that they are trying to shaft us or are laughing at us or we have it the worst in the world in this “kip”.
America is doing here what is in its own tax interest, they couldn’t give a fucj who is in charge here. That doesn’t come in to it.
What it does show is that focusing on Multi-nationals leaves the country very open to changes in American domestic policy.
Ordinary people were never going to benefit from this anyway
I work in the pharma industry here in Ireland and this takeover deal was (is?) huge. It is a great opportunity for Ireland – and UK based – Shire. The inevitable consequences of the negative publicity over the past year I’m afraid. Bad for business and bad for Ireland over the long term in my opinion.
Yea but no offense, the pharma industry has a lot to answer for in terms of ethics and general human health
It was bound to happen, given all the publicity. I’m confident our government will find some way around it, after all they’ve been codding us for years, Obama will be a doddle.
Very good, Martin! Let’s hope you’re right.
Keep big pharma away from this country, corrupted killers making money, should be buried in a desert somewhere.
shouldnt you be dancing at a crossroads somewhere?
With Comey maidens – or youths, whichever floats your boat?
The same desert you’ve your head buried in? Pharma and Med. Device companies are our biggest employers and account for over 50 billion in ex ports from this country. I bet you’d go to a faith healer if you got sick. Best of luck with that.
One thing about Pharma is the vast imports that it brings in as well, so the net benefit to the country is not as large as it looks when you say 50bn in exports.
Agriculture is surprisingly eaves the most in Ireland’s hands out of exports, money circulating in the economy than Pharma.
They are all just slices in a pie, mind you, but Pharma is in no way our largest sector employer. In all the companies and all the spin off jobs for there would still only be under 3% of the workforce.
Fools those who are negative & for giving in to the EU. US companies really only have a couple of choices uk, Israel or us. If the krauts spoke English they would go there. Posted on this before. Who gives a sh€t how much corporate tax they pay, it’s the PAYE, PRSI & USC take that makes the difference, by local employment. Shame on the government & naysayers for pushing reform. The right move was to cut it to 5% and stick two fingers to Brussels, what could they have done? Their broke, kick us out & watch everyone else jump with us. The tax on the fees alone on the merger alone would have been €50m – grow some balls Ireland. We’re paid up and EU is on the ropes
No more tax dodging and money laundering through Ireland for multinationals so.
One last point because the anti pharm guy’s wound me up. The U.S. Won’t change tax policy more than cosmetics. Who the hell do you think provides the $1bn it takes to get elected in the states? – Santa?
They just tryin drive a hard bizargain, know’m sayin?
For Christ sake it’s only 3-10% but the PAYE take is at least double of Ag, given the tax breaks. I’m a big fan of farming and the industry but the average Ag business doesn’t employ folks at the same rate after tax breaks. Cut corporate tax on strict employment requirements and the country will pick up. Even line factory guys pick up €20-30k+ per year all in. Farm folk just can’t pay that give the current prices. You think Iceland or Singapore would take this sh€t? We need to start looking after ourselves.
Uh oh
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