Stira was founded in 1983 by Michael Burke Senior after he repaired an imported loft ladder for a friend. He saw how he could improve the loft ladder making it much stronger and Stira was born. The company grew slowly based on word of mouth until it was featured on the Late Late show in 1990. After the appearance sales skyrocketed and it become a household name in Ireland.
The company is now run by his children and continues to provide an unmatched service in the loft ladder marketplace. They have added automation, while maintaining the strength it is famous for.
Stira are proud members of Guaranteed Irish. Guaranteed Irish is a not-for-profit business membership organisation representing businesses in Ireland since 1974.
Guaranteed Irish is the original symbol of provenance in business in Ireland. Our members span all sectors including pharmaceutical, healthcare, technology, construction, energy, professional services, tourism, food and drink, art and design, retail & more. We award the Guaranteed Irish symbol to indigenous and international companies operating in Ireland which provide quality jobs, support local communities and are committed to Irish provenance. When assessing an applicant for membership, we look at three core criteria; jobs, community & provenance.
Beginning as a campaign ran by the Irish Goods Council in December 1974, Guaranteed Irish became an independent non-profit organisation in 1984 and was launched by President Patrick Hillery. Over four decades, the Guaranteed Irish symbol has become one of the most recognised symbols in the country.
In 2017, Guaranteed Irish was rebranded and relaunched by An Taoiseach, Mr. Enda Kenny, T.D., with the original logo from the campaign’s inception. Led by CEO, Brid O’Connell, and a new Board of Directors and team, the organisation repositioned by opening up membership to international companies operating in Ireland.
Our member companies now directly employ 120,000+ people in Ireland and generate a turnover of €11.2bn here. Globally, these companies generate a turnover of €29.7bn. Currently, 46% of the members export, primarily to the UK, US and mainland Europe.
With 1,900+ members and growing, we believe that we are #AllTogetherBetter.