GoFundMe set up after expensive equipment stolen from small business in Tipperary
A GoFundMe has been set up to help James replace what was taken in the theft
A small business owner in Tipperary, who recently suffered the theft of his most expensive tools from his workshop, has spoken to The Nationalist about the impact the incident has had on his livelihood and ability to work.
It has been a difficult few weeks for James Denn, the owner of Jay’s Resprays, a small kitchen spray-finishing business based in Bansha, Tipperary.
What began as a one man operation built from a shed has grown over the past seven to eight years into a steady local business, supporting commercial clients and private customers across the region.
“It’s about three weeks now since it happened,” James explains. “I was in contact with the guards, they came out straight away and later returned to carry out forensic work.”
James arrived at his workshop one Thursday morning to discover a theft had taken place, with expensive tools he relies on for work gone in the process.
“I came in and noticed straight away that everything was gone, all my spraying equipment had been taken,” he says. “At first I thought it was just one machine missing. I knew the welder was gone. Then I went into the spray room and realised the spray guns were missing too.”
He says the robbery on his workshop in Bansha was unusual.
“It was the strangest robbery I’ve ever seen,” he says. “They didn’t take everything. They went through the workshop and specifically took what they knew had value.”
Some of the equipment stolen was essential to his daily work. “One of the spray guns I use every day was gone. Another one I only used occasionally, but it was still important,” he explains. “Without them, I can’t work.”
The financial impact of the theft has been severe for Jamie. “The welder alone cost me around €2,500 when I bought it,” Jamie says. “Now, because of inflation, it would cost close to €4,800 to replace.”
“People might think it’s just tools,” he says, “but for me it’s my livelihood. It took years of saving and reinvesting to build up what I had.”
James has been running the business for nearly a decade.
“I’ve been running the business about seven or eight years now,” he says. “I started from a shed and built it up from nothing. We do kitchen resprays, wardrobes, and commercial work. I’ve also worked with kitchen companies and private customers.”
Despite the setback the theft has caused, James says he has been overwhelmed by local support.
“My sister set up a GoFundMe to ask the community for some help replacing what was stolen. The support from people has been incredible, not just donations, but people sharing the GoFundMe and offering help,” he says. “Some people have even offered to lend me equipment so I can get back working again. That means a lot.”
He also reflects on the pressure of trying to keep a small business going in difficult times.
“I’m working long days, from early morning until late at night, trying to keep everything going,” he says. “You don’t really have the option to stop.”
Still, he is determined not to give up.
“I don’t want sympathy,” James says. “I just want to get back to work and rebuild what was taken.”
The link to James’ GoFundMe can be found here.