The Sustainable Irish Forestry Fund – SIFF was established to facilitate the collective investment in commercial forestry plantations located in the Republic of Ireland. SIFF is structured as a Limited Partnership established and tax resident in Ireland. The Fund offers investors exposure to a highly valued global commodity. The increasing global demand for timber from an expanding world population driven by rapid economic growth of emerging economies underpins the potential to provide substantial investment returns. The Fund provides a tax efficient and investor friendly structure to establish a forestry plantation and have it professionally managed to maturity on year 15. The management team Peter has put in place at SIFF ensures investors are dealing with industry leading specialists at every step of the investment process.
The Fund aims to achieve long term capital growth while providing an annual income from a low risk yield. The Fund will be invested over multiple plantations at any one time to reduce risk exposure. To achieve the full potential of the investment in terms of reliable capital growth, annual incomes and diversification from traditional asset classes’ investors should hold their shares for the maturity of the investment.
Peter O’Neill is the founder of SIFF and responsible for it’s administration and financial management. He is Head of Asset Management overseeing the sourcing of land, both planting and grant approval, purchasing of site, establishment and the ongoing management of SIFF forestry plantations. Peter has over 10 years’ experience in managing private forestry plantations in Ireland. Peter has worked in financial services since 2003 mainly in investment banking, wealth management and financial advisory roles both in Ireland and abroad. Peter has worked closely with investors to select, construct and manage investment portfolios. This unique combination of experience prompted Peter to work with industry-leading specialists from the forestry, financial, property and legal sectors to construct SIFF. Peter’s goal for SIFF is to offer investors the opportunity to invest in Irish forestry, a highly valued global commodity, in a low-cost structure that is tax efficient and all within a regulated environment. The management team Peter has put in place at SIFF ensures investors are dealing with industry-leading professionals at every step of the investment process.
Raymond Gilmartin has a degree in Environmental Science and has been working as an Agri-environmental Consultant for over 15 years advising on farming and forestry-related issues. He has built a solid customer base of over 300 clients advising on over €125,000,000 worth of land. Raymond’s primary responsibility is for the acquisition of sites for establishment of forestry plantations. Ray also oversees the planting and grant approval, establishment and ongoing management of all forestry plantations under the management of SIFF.
Ray’s vast experience in the agriculture sector means he has access to over 25,000 acres of suitable land for forestry plantations.
In addition, Ray is an active member of Macra Na Feirme and the Irish Forestry Association, having held many different positions in both organisations. This has helped Ray to make numerous connections in the wider farming community.