Aidan McCarthy
Managing Director
Aidan McCarthy founded File One back in 1988 at a time when Ireland was also undergoing challenging times.
Starting from modest beginnings the company which traded then under the company name Mr.Fax Cork Ltd. Originally supplying fax paper to forward looking companies using the emerging “fax machine” to speed up communications. How the world has changed in two decades. Email, Smart Phones, Texting, Google and Social media were still only science fiction.
As the company’s product range widened and the sales team grew the now familiar trading name of File One took hold and the company moved from a rental unit to their current offices and warehouse on Centre Park Road.
Over the past 23 years Aidan has seen the fledgling company grow into one of Munster’s best know Office products and furniture suppliers. With a dedicated and strong team the File One brand continues to grow and now the File One web business is gaining national recognition.
Aidan was educated at Colaiste An Spoiraed Naimh in Cork and at Rochestown College back when it was a prominent boarding school. After leaving school 1975, Aidan first worked for the scout movement opening the “Scout Shop” in Cork’s McCartain Street which recently relocated at Daunts Square.
During Aidan’s time there it was normal to see canoes, caving and mountaineering equipment on display outside the shop, adding life & interest to the store front.
In 1978 Aidan entered the photo processing industry when he joined Color Foto Ltd. Ireland’s oldest colour processing lab at that time. Over the following 10 years Aidan became a partner with local photographer David Barry in the business. Aidan recalls his time at Color Foto with fondness; both the people he worked with and the professional photographers they served have left lasting memories.
The recession of the 80’s took a terrible toll on small businesses and Aidan looked to the emerging fax technology and the future with confidence to replace the lost photo business. Apart from work Aidan in his younger days was heavily involved in the scouting movement playing rolls both locally and nationally in CBSI. From 1979 to 81 he was camp chief in Killcully camp site and was also the founding chairman of the “Ventact South” committee which became an institution in the scouting calendar.
Canoeing and caving were among his passions and he was regularly to be seen on the rivers Bandon, Lee and Laune taking some of the more adventurous stretches 0f those rivers. While he looks back with pleasure, he wonders how he was never injured.
In the intervening years, Aidan took a very active part in several community based organisations. For the past 11 years he has remained a member of the Rotary Club of Douglas of which he was president in 2003.
Aidan is also heavily involved in NOPA, The National Office Products Alliance, of which he is chairman. This is an industry grouping dedicated to the development of member office supply companies through training and joint procurement activities.
Aidan is married to Pauline and has two teenage children, Aifric and Emmet. Apart from his work with File One which he is passionate about, leisure time is now spent with family and friends and trips to west Kerry where Aidan says is the one place on earth where you can switch off and enjoy the simple beauty of life.
As with everyone there are many fond stories to be recalled from Aidan’s life and experiences to date. If you remember Aidan from his past and have not been in touch in a while, why not send him an email and remind him of them.
Email: Aidan@fileone.ie
Office: 021-4910888
