RAY PEERS
Ray Peers, MD of Q Park Ireland Ltd. talks to
Liam Keilthy
LK: It’s been a busy couple of years for you, Ray?
RP: Yes! I am delighted to be MD of Q-Park Ireland and facing the challenge of a complete re-branding of our nationwide parking operation. Future Parking Services joined the international Q-Park Group nine months ago, hot on the heels of the acquisition of Irish Car Parks.
LK: I understand that you started your career at Aer Rianta in Dublin Airport?
RP: Yes, I started with Aer Rianta over 25 years ago, and worked my way up through the company. By 1997 I was responsible for the development and management of all vehicle activities at Dublin Airport, including 13,000+ parking spaces. I was involved in the change from the old manual system to the new automated payment system. That was a first for a major commercial car park in this country.
LK: At Aer Rianta were you involved in any of their international projects?
RP: I successfully set up and managed operations as far afield as Warsaw and Oman Airports.
LK: Having done so well at Dublin Airport what prompted you to step out into the cold commercial world?
RP: I saw an opportunity to use the tax incentive schemes available at that time to raise parking quality standards in the private sector and formed Future Parking Services, in 1997. The company focused on delivering a quality product to the Irish consumer. Our first project the Royal Surgeons in Dublin set the standard for all new car parks to follow.
LK: The business has grown dramatically since 1997?
RP: FPS continued to grow and develop. In 2002 we acquired ICP. This added a new dimension to the company’s business. In addition to their managed portfolio, the company now owned three prime car parks – Marlborough Street and Setanta Place Centre in Dublin and Grand Parade in Cork. Between them all we were now running over 6,000 parking spaces.
LK: The move to join the Q-Park Group must have been a dream come true?
RP: Q-Park’s strong commitment to quality, and to making the capiital investment to optimise the success of the brand here in Europe make them the perfect match for me in terms of their knowledge, experience and philosophy.
LK: It What will the new organisational structure and new team
mean to the development of the business?
RP: It means we can implement more ideas and attract more opportunities, which is great. Currently, I and my team are busy preparing for the launch
of the Q-Park brand in Ireland, and developing it through an extensive programme involving every aspect of our nationwide operations.
LK: Do you have any special projects in the pipeline?
RP: We are working towards the completion of Grand Parade in Cork as a fantastic flagship site which will express all that the Q-Park brand is about.
LK: How do you see the future from your new viewpoint?
RP: My passion and enthusiasm for the business is still as strong as ever. The future is exciting, and I look forward to showing what Q-Park and Ray Peers can bring to the Irish market in terms of quality standards in parking.
LK: You are in your second term as Chairman of the Irish Parking Association….
RP: The organisation has made great strides since its early days and we are blessed to have a great board of directors. For the future, I see the key task for the IPA as providing strong support to change the perception of the parking industry in Ireland, and in setting and maintaining high quality standards throughout.
Born in Cabra, Ray is married to Linda and they have two boys, Kenneth and Brian.
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Q-Park Ireland
3 Cathal Brugha Street
Dublin 1
Tel: 00 353 1 8788957
Fax: 00 353 1 8746408
www.q-park.ie
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