Under the Radar/Atomic Sports:If Thomas O'Connell had listened to his parents, he probably wouldn't be heading up Atomic Sports, a sales, marketing and retail distribution company that looks set to record turnover of more than €3.5 million this year, writes Ciarán Brennan
When his first attempts at importing and selling a new "Rock it Scooter" for children ended in failure, the 27-year-old's parents urged him to get a job.
"That went horribly wrong and I ended up owing the bank a load of money," he says.
"I couldn't continue because I didn't have any cash flow, so I went home to live for 11 months in Castleblaney. My parents were telling me every day to go and get a job, but I was determined to keep going."
Despite having worked at Kingspan for a while after leaving college, the determination to run his own business was too strong for the young Monaghan man.
However, O'Connell puts his transformation from laid-back former student to serious businessman down to a Eureka moment rather than something that was carefully plotted as he made his way through a business degree in UCG.
The failure of the "Rock it Scooter" did not deter him and further research into the outdoor toy market uncovered the "KMX Kart", a three-wheel, pedal-driven go-kart. O'Connell secured the distribution rights for Ireland and the UK for his company, Atomic Sports, and began distributing the product in the summer of 2004.
"I went off to the bank manager kicking and screaming, looking for one more go. And he did; he gave me a €50,000 overdraft," said O'Connell.
"I just had a mad burst of energy. I had a mobile phone and a van. That was it. All the orders were done through the mobile phone. It was unbelievable seat of the pants stuff."
But it paid off. Atomic Sports turned over around half a million euro in revenue in the six months to the start of 2005.
That was enough to convince his bank manager to increase the overdraft to €100,000 the following year.
Last year sales reached €1.5 million, with the company recording profits of €150,000. On the back of deals signed with the likes of Tesco, Asda and John Lewis, turnover is forecast to rise to €3.5 million this year.
O'Connell's prospects of increasing sales were not harmed by an appearance on Dragon's Den, BBC 2's business programme for nascent entrepreneurs pitching their ideas to secure investment.
"The publicity was great. A lot of the big companies we were targeting, the buyers had seen me on it, so that really helped a lot."
However, he said the programme is more about entertainment than the real issue of raising cash to start a business. "I have sat in front of investors a few times and it's totally different than the way it is done on TV. It's not a real environment at all," he said.
Atomic Sports now specialises in the sale of unique, innovative outdoor toys for children with the slogan, "Take it outside". O'Connell says the company is in a unique position to benefit from the anti-obesity drive currently in vogue, particularly for younger people, and acts as a counter-balance for the computer games generation.
But O'Connell is keen to move the company beyond a simple import business.
He is working with the Screentime ShinAwiL television production company to design a programme based on the Atomic products, a project that sounds like Blackboard Jungle meets Gladiators.
"Blackboard Jungle was really popular because you had the interaction between schools. What we are trying to do is set up a TV programme where it is a schools versus schools challenge using the Atomic Sports toys."
He's also exploring the idea of building specialised tracks in adventure centres for Atomic Sports products.
"We could make €70,000 net per track. We have done trials already with the big UK leisure operator Center Parcs and it was full all day," he said.
It may seem like a big jump for the company, but thanks to his Dragon's Den appearance, O'Connell's company and his various business ideas have attracted the interest of British millionaire Jonathan Kendrick who could bankroll its expansion.
"They are all separate businesses, but if they all gel together that will put it through the roof," he said.
On The Record
Name:Thomas O'Connell
The business: AtomicSports, which specialises in the importation, distribution and sale of unique, innovative outdoor toys for kids. Examples include the "Power Jumpers" - giant spring-loaded shoes that enable you to run at 20 miles per hour and jump six feet in the air - and the "Flybar", the world's largest and most advanced pogo stick.
Education:Our Lady's secondary school in Castleblaney, degree in business from UCG.
Family:Single, two brothers and sisters, mother and father.
Ambition:To see the various plans for Atomic Sports come together and work out.
Most admired person:Used to be Richard Branson.
Inspired by:A big fan of Bob Geldof.
Favourite book: No Logoby Canadian journalist Naomi Klein.
Most likes to do:Snowboarding, surfing, cycling.
