A Thanks to DRAM and Alison

Alison McKeand heads up DRAM, the company which distributes our products in Italy. Alison is a Scot who came to Italy 35 years ago as a young woman and eventually stumbled on the rotational moulding industry as well as meeting Roberto, a native Italian and her partner of 22 years.

Rory met Alison when he first came to Europe as a young graduate, doing research at Belfast University and she helped to find him the contact in Italy to secure his first job. The rest is history and she has always stood behind Rory's products, promoting them from when La Plastecnica was a tiny, fledgling company and Rory was still trying to fit running the business in around a day job.

While we have been here, Alison has organised the DRAM contingent to the major conference Rory attended at the start of our trip, organised many many day visits and trials at companies for Rory and Alison to promote Supacool and our other products. Our hope is that, all the hard work done by Rory and Alison on this trip will pay off over the next few years as sales of Supacool increase. Because it is a totally new product and concept to the industry, there has been so much ground work to do to show people how it works to convince them of its benefits. This trip, while it has been a change of scenery, has been far from a holiday for Rory. When he wasn't working, he has been looking after the kids to try and give me some kid-free time.

Alison and Katia

Rory, talking at the Polivinil open-day in late November

And for this trip – Alison has done even more for us. Welcoming our family into her apartment (she owns the apartment we are staying in – but she lives with Roberto in the same apartment block) and trusting us to look after it with two small boys. She organised the logistics of borrowing numerous toys, a push chair and car seats for the boys and even purchased 2 bikes prior to our arrival! She has trusted us with her car on numerous weekends for trips away – which have been the highlights of our visit. She has provided me with english speaking company – at times having to put up with a moan when she has been the only adult I have talked to other than Rory in a day. She has also given me italian lessons when we could fit it in, providing my coffee fix at lunch time. We have attended pilates together once a week. And it would be fair to say that Alison has helped us with a thousand small things to smooth our stay and make it more enjoyable. DRAM has provided, the only real sense of 'family' we have had over here.

The wider DRAM family: employees and all their families at the recent Christmas Party 

Alessandra and family

The Dram office is just downstairs from the apartment. Many times we have called in both boys to say hello to Alessandra, Tiziana and Enza (and Katia who lives in another town). The DRAM company is staffed by all women – Alison providing a rare opportunity in Italy - part-time employment for women and for the some of the women, they are the main bread winners of the family. Alessandra speaks good english and has always taken the opportunity to grab both boys and smother them with kisses – something that put a smile on my face and theirs. They also often provided me with a morning coffee shot – always welcome!