June2013trucker

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IRISH

& LIGHT COMMERCIALS

JUNE 2013

Vol. 16 No. 5

EURO 2.95 stg.£2.50

THORNTON’S RECYCLING

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CONTENTS

INDUSTRY NEWS LYONS OF LIMERICK & NENAGH Putting their customers first MARTINS OF LIMERICK Celebrating their ruby anniversary this year McCORMICK WJ & SONS LTD/MISKELLY BROTHERS LTD. Decades of excellence in road surfacing and aggregate supply GILL GROUP A number of companies under one umbrella

Martins of Limerick P26

DUGGANS GARAGE Catering for a large customer base

RICHARD McBRIDE LIVESTOCK HAULAGE Going from strength to strength KEARNEY’S OF CORK Providing a professional executive coach hire service A1 SHORT NOTICE REMOVALS & STORAGE SOLUTIONS At the forefront of the removal industry FULL OF THE PIPE 2013 Pictorial review of the show NATIONAL WASTE COLLECTION PERMIT OFFICE Processing and managing permits from one central hub THORNTON’S RECYCLING Award winning waste management service provider McAULIFFE TRUCKING COMPANY Offering a keen national and international service TRANSPEC LTD Irelands leading truck & trailer parts distributor DDR RECOVERY Provide a 24 hour vehicle recovery service in the north west J SHORTT RECYCLING Long established family run business FUELLING TECHNOLOGY One of the leading suppliers of fuel management systems PILTOWN COACHES A leading coach operator in the South East CLASSIFIEDS

Gill Group P36

Duggans Garage P40

Kearney’s of Cork P48

J Shortt Recycling P84

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Irish Ferries Ireland-France service celebrates 40 years

Forty years ago this year, in June 1973, the direct passenger car ferry service between Ireland and France now operated

by Irish Ferries began operation.

Managed by the then Irish Continental Line – subsequently joined by B&I Line under the Irish Ferries flag – the route was serviced by the passenger ferry vessel St. Patrick which had been built in Bremerhaven, Germany exclusively to service the route.

Initially, sailings operated between Rosslare and Le Havre. Later, services to Cherbourg and between Cork and Le Havre were added. Subsequently, because of the longer sailing time involved, services to/from Le Havre and Cork were discontinued. In time, a route to the French port of Roscoff was added to the schedule allowing Irish holidaymakers easier access to their favourite destinations along the west coast of France.

Today, direct services from Rosslare to Cherbourg and Roscoff continue to play an important part in Irish Ferries operations. Serviced by the vessel Oscar Wilde, the service operates year-round on a three sailings per week schedule and carries in excess of 200,000 passengers annually.

In business terms, the service makes a significant contribution to the economic welfare of Wexford and the South East generally, bringing benefit to accommodation and hospitality providers and others within the retail and services sector throughout the region. In addition, it plays a pivotal role in underpinning Rosslare Europort’s status as an international ferry terminal through which substantial numbers of passengers and freight units pass each year.

Commenting on the anniversary, Irish Ferries Marketing Director, Tony Kelly said “over the past four decades, our services to France have made a significant contribution towards building Ireland’s links with communities throughout Europe, especially within France, Germany and the Benelux countries.”

“In trade, education, cultural affairs and in many other aspects of life, the connection that we have provided between Ireland and the mainland of Europe has been one of the key elements in Ireland’s development as a leading EU member state” Mr. Kelly said.

‘Taste the View’ choose the Sprinter

Taste the View, a Finglas based, Irish owned company specialising in Irish Artisan food & drinks sourced from quality producers in Ireland has recently taken delivery of a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van.

‘Taste the View’ Mercedes Sprinter

Supplied by MUTEC Dublin, The van will be used for direct van sales to outlets and specialist food stores nationwide.

Varadkar to object to multi tolls

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Transport Minister Leo Varadkar said he has serious objections to proposals for multi-point tolls on the country’s busiest road. The minister said he was not fully convinced by a study carried out for the National Roads Authority (NRA), which recommended that five tolling points should be introduced across Dublin's M50 to combat congestion. "We certainly don't think that serious congestion will return on the M50 in 2015. We think it will be further back than that," Mr Varadkar said.

"Also I have serious objections to multi-point tolling on the M50 because I think it will just displace traffic into other areas."

The NRA proposals could see motorists hit with 6.50 euro in tolls, which is more than double what they currently pay on the M50. AA Ireland spokesman Conor Faughnan said the report from the NRA on adding more tolls on roads "belongs in the bin". He agreed with the transport minister, insisting that introducing more tolls would force motorists off the motorway and on to suburban roads, causing congestion there. "This is an appalling idea that would do much more damage than good," Mr Faughnan said. "On the one hand, you could apply so much punishment to drivers who want to use the M50 with tolls that are so high you could empty it and play golf on it. But the immediate effect would be re-congesting the suburbs."

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Bus Eireann Eurolines launches links to Leeds and London

When it comes to travel between here and the UK...it would seem that more and more passengers are moving away from airlines to embrace the economy, comfort and luxury that modern coach travel now offers.

That’s the view being expressed by Bus Éireann Eurolines and Irish Ferries who have joined forces again to promote their continued collaboration in providing daily coach services from Dublin to London and Leeds.

With extra departures arranged to cater for Summer volumes, three coach departures operate daily from Dublin Busáras, travelling via Irish Ferries to Holyhead and onwards to UK destinations. A parallel daily Cork - Cardiff London Eurolines service also operates on Irish Ferries’ Rosslare to Pembroke route.

Lining out to launch the service was Leinster captain and Irish international rugby star Leo On services to London, travel is via Birmingham and Milton Keynes while on Cullen pictured with (left to right) Rory Leahy, Eurolines Manager, Bus Éireann and Irish services to Leeds, coaches travel via Liverpool and Manchester.

Ferries representatives Marie McCarthy With fares to London from EUR38 single with no booking fee, travel tax or (Passenger Sales Manager - UK) and Dermot Merrigan (Head of Passenger Sales) hidden extras, it is believed that the tipping point for many passengers is the attraction of faster journey times, added luxury and step-on/step-off convenience. A no-charge luggage allowance of two-suitcase per person also applies.

With connecting services to Dublin available from virtually every town in Ireland using Bus Éireann’s Expressway and local bus networks - and with onward connections on tap from every UK drop-off point – it would seem that more travellers are switching on to the convenience, economy and flexibility of overland coach and ferry services.

Plant sales environment improving

News that the environment for heavy plant sales may be improving can be seen in some recent high-profile sales.

From Komatsu distributor McHale Plant Sales comes confirmation of sales to Kerry civil works contractors, Moriarty Civil Engineering of Tralee and to Mayo-based contractor, John Madden & Sons of Ballinrobe.

Purchases by Moriarty include two new Komatsu crawler excavators – 23-ton PC210 and a PC350 LC-8. Both machines are being assigned to a wind turbine project currently under construction at Roscrea.

In the case of John Madden & Sons, newcomers to Komatsu, the deal involves their first purchase of two new units - a PW 98MR-8 wheeled excavator and a PC30MR-3 Mini Excavator.

Other deals completed by McHale include sales to Wexford contractor John Hayes, Aughinish Alumina and Kilsaran Concrete.

To parallel this upturn, McHale Plant Sales has seized the opportunity to introduce a gold card scheme that it hopes will encourage customers to commit to regular machine servicing.

One card is issued for each machine with benefits including agreed fixed price servicing based on special labour rates, a ten percent discount on parts, satellite machine monitoring via Komatsu’s own Komtrax system and a six-month guarantee on all genuine Komatsu parts used.

Komatsu Crawler Excavator purchased by Moriarty Civil Engineering

Major road works to begin

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A major roads upgrade project has officially gotten under way, after work started on the N7 and N11 improvements. The €282m project will remove the bottleneck at Newlands Cross on the N7 in Dublin, and upgrade the N11 between Arklow and Rathnew to a four-lane dual carriageway. The Newlands Cross Fly-over will remove the last traffic light between Cork, Limerick, Waterford and the border with Northern Ireland. The N11 upgrade will improve road safety on a dangerous stretch of road and will also include the first service station on the N11, on the Gorey bypass. The entire project is due to be completed within two years.

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Easytrip presents cheque donation to Irish guide Dogs for the Blind Easytrip, Ireland’s leading provider of electronic tolling and parking payment services today presented a cheque to the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind for over €3,000. The funds were raised as part of a joint initiative where Easytrip donated €5 for every new Easytrip account opened over a three month period.

Promoting mobility and independence is a theme common to both organizations’ and Easytrip identified Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind as its preferred charity with the aim of highlighting this worthy cause.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative, Dermot MacEvilly, Chief Executive Officer of Easytrip Services Ireland said, “Easytrip is committed to supporting the friends and families of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. These dedicated caregivers commit themselves to helping people who are blind and vision impaired, and also families of children with autism, to achieve improved mobility and independence.

To find out more about Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind visit, www.guidedogs.ie Or check out www.easytrip.ie.

Pictured at the presentation were: Kirby, the working guide dog; From left: Marion Lennon, Customer Service Agent, Easytrip Services Ireland; Sinead O’Keeffe, Commercial Manager, Irish guides for the Blind and Jacinta Holmwood, Customer Service Agent, Easytrip Services Ireland.

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Port of Cork Signs Sister Port Agreement with Port of Shenzhen

The Port of Cork and the Port of Shenzhen today formally signed a Sister Port Agreement which will see both ports developing the trade and shipping business while deepening the understanding and relationship between each other. The signing took place in the Port of Cork offices during a two day visit of eleven delegates from Shenzhen to the Port of Cork.

The Port of Shenzhen and the Port of Cork are important ports in their respective regions and given the growth of the world’s shipping industry Shenzhen Port and the Port of Cork face common opportunities as well as challenges. The Port of Shenzhen is one of the busiest and fastest growing ports in southern mainland China. Located in the southern region of the Pearl River Delta in China's Guangdong province, it is the economic hinterland for Hong Kong trade with the Mainland and also one of the most important ports in terms of China's international trade.

Shenzhen port is home to 39 shipping companies with 131 international container routes. There are 560 ships on call at Shenzhen port on a monthly basis and also 21 feeder routes to other ports in the Pearl River Delta region.

This sister port agreement will see the leadership and management of both ports maintaining regular contact and will look to send staff for an exchange of visits to their respective ports to discuss issues of mutual benefit and further enrich the cooperation and collaboration between both ports. There will also be an agreement to recommend beneficial partners to each other.

Speaking at the signing of the sister port agreement, Chairman of the Port of Cork, John Mullins said: “We have signed this sister port agreement with the Port of Shenzhen to the benefit of both ports. We anticipate much cooperation and exchanging of port expertise into the future and we know the Port of Cork can expect to learn a lot from Shenzhen in terms of international trade, port development and expanding our services.”

He continued: “This really is an excellent opportunity for the Port of Cork and one we intend to maximise.

Both ports are committed to working together to draw upon the experience and business expertise between the two ports and broaden the exchange and cooperation between each other in the areas of port planning and building, operation and management, environmental protection, information technology, personnel training and port security.

During their visit to the Port of Cork, the delegates from Shenzhen visited the port facilities, Cork City and Cobh.

Volvo Trucks committed to alternative fuels

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Volvo Trucks has taken another important step forward with vehicles running on alternative fuels.

Within a couple of years, trucks running on DME - an energy-efficient fuel with low environmental impact will be introduced to the North American market.

DME – which can be produced from both fossil energy sources and from renewable sources (biomass) - is interesting as a vehicle fuel for a number of reasons. It is energy efficient and its emissions of air pollutants are extremely low. It is currently produced and used all over the world - but for other purposes than as a fuel for vehicles. After many years of development work, co-operation with scientists and fuel producers, and excellent results from field tests in Sweden and North America, Volvo Trucks has decided to begin the commercial production of DME trucks in the US. These will be available in a Volvo VNL powered by a D13 engine.

“It's clear that DME technology shows great potential for North America and allows Volvo to further its commitment to both our customers and the environment," says Göran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North American Sales and Marketing.

“With high energy-efficiency and good environmental properties, DME is one of the most promising alternatives we have found to today's diesel fuel. By offering trucks running on DME we also hope to hasten the expansion of DME production and distribution - essential in order to establish a presence on other markets too,” adds Lars Mårtensson, director Environmental Affairs at Volvo Trucks.

RSA welcomes extra €50m funding to repair roads

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has welcomed the announcement

by Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Mr. Leo Varadkar that an additional €50 million is to be allocated to Local Authorities to repair regional and local road surfaces. Commenting on the announcement Mr. Noel Brett said “This is a very significant and welcome development. Both the Board of the RSA and I have previously expressed the concern that a lack of investment in roads maintenance could see a deterioration in the quality of road surfaces and consequently have a negative effect on road safety. Our greatest fear is that there would be an increase in the number of collisions where poor road conditions are cited as the main contributory factor. Recent adverse winter weather coupled with a decrease in spending on road maintenance has led to deterioration in road surface condition particularly in rural areas.” Mr. Brett added that “In addition to the €350 million already allocated for this purpose the extra €50 million in funding will go some way towards improving the condition of our roads. I am particularly pleased that the additional funding will be provided immediately to Local Authorities, to enable work to be carried out this summer and autumn.”

“I would also take this opportunity to request that a review of roadside verge cutting regulations and practices be undertaken to ensure that dangers posed to pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists, Haulage operators and farmers by overgrown verges and roadside trees are minimised” Concluding Mr. Brett said, “June was the worst month for road fatalities in 2012 with 26 people killed. In the first three days on June 2013 we have five people killed. With the arrival of summer weather, increased tourism and the start of the harvest season we make a plea to all road users to take personal responsibility for how they use the roads. We cannot allow a repeat of last June’s carnage.

If we all play our part lives can be saved, catastrophic injuries can be avoided and needless heartbreak prevented for families across the country”.

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Industrial Storage Tanks opt for Sprinter Irish Industrial Tanks Mercedes Benz Sprinter 316

Irish Industrial Tanks, one of Ireland’s leading suppliers and installers of liquid storage tanks, has taken delivery of two Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 316 long wheel base vans supplied by MUTEC Dublin.

Wrapped in a newly designed livery, the vehicles will operate from their Ballymount base providing a nationwide tank installation and maintenance service.

Mayo contractor gears up for new contracts - investment in three new Komatsu Excavators Mayo civil engineering contractors Wills Bros Ltd of Foxford has secured a number of major contracts for which the company has invested in the purchase of three new mobile excavators. For flood relief works on the River Fergus in Ennis, Co. Clare, the company has purchased a new Komatsu PW 160-8 mobile excavator. A second unit has been purchased to carry out a road realignment project at Castletownroche in Co. Cork. The third will go into service on the Ballaghaderreen by-pass in Co Roscommon. As one of the country’s leading civil works contractors, Wills Bros maintains a fleet of 80-100 machines. Projects handled by them include development of the M3, M4 and M6 motorways, the Gort to Ennis M18 road project and the new Longford bypass. All supplied by Komatsu distributor in Ireland, McHale Plant Sales of Birdhill, the newlyacquired excavators are the first three of their kind to go into service in Ireland.

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Komatsu PW 160-8 mobile excavator purchased

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Mercedes-Benz Sprinters keep Kerr’s Tyres on the right track

With a customer base that includes the transport operations of several leading supermarkets, Kerr’s Tyres needs to equip its mobile technicians with the most reliable vans on the road.

That’s why the Antrim-based company has taken delivery this year, of five new Mercedes-Benz Sprinters.

Its latest three Long-bodied Sprinter 313 CDIs arrived, like the pair of identical models which entered service in January, via Mercedes-Benz Truck & Van (NI), Northern Ireland’s only franchised dealer for commercial Kerr’s Tyres have five new vehicles bearing the famous Mercedes Benz Sprinter vans three-pointed star.

Kerr’s Tyres’ fleet of 15 vans is now dominated by Sprinters chosen, says company founder and Managing Director Norman Kerr, for their unbeatable combination of reliability, comfort, safety and low overall cost, allied to top-quality back-up from the dealer.

“If a customer’s truck suffers a tyre problem on its way to a timed delivery slot at a supermarket RDC, I simply cannot afford to send out one of my technicians in a van that might break down,” he explains.

“We promise our customers a completely dependable service, so it’s imperative that our suppliers offer us the same level of reliability.”

Kerr’s was founded in 2002 and also has depots in Belfast and Coleraine. As well as providing 24-hour, seven-day roadside repair cover, its technicians use their vans to visit customers’ premises where they carry out regular inspections and routine maintenance.

Mr Kerr continues: “Our Sprinters have proved themselves to be superbly reliable, while in the extremely unlikely event of anything going wrong I know I can call on Mercedes-Benz Truck & Van (NI) at any time of day or night, to fix the problem with a minimum of fuss.

“The fact that the local dealer’s workshop is open around the clock means we can get our vans serviced overnight, which is another major advantage.

“We have an excellent relationship with the sales and service teams at MB Truck & Van. They understand our business very well and whenever we order a new vehicle it’s always delivered with all ancillaries – compressors, beacons, Safe-T-Bar bumpers – fitted and ready to go.

“Our technicians are very pleased with their vans too,” he adds. “They feel much less tired after a day working in a Sprinter than they do after a shift in any of our other vehicles, while we also take comfort from the fact that Mercedes-Benz vans are the safest on the road.”

Kerr’s Tyres acquired its latest vans through a highly flexible Agility funding package from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. This offers all the benefits of conventional hire purchase with a Guaranteed Future Value (GFV) – including low monthly repayments – but gives operators extra options at the end of the term.

Key to the Agility concept is the agreement of a GFV for the vehicle. At the end of the agreement the customer can choose whether to pay off the final lump sum and keep the vehicle, use the vehicle as a part exchange for a brand new one, or return it free of any further obligations, apart from an excess mileage charge if the initially agreed limit has been exceeded, and damage charges over and above fair wear and tear.

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www.kerrstyres.com

Raids on Limerick waste facilities a success

Gardai say a recent operation targeting the activities of criminal gangs who are involved in the theft and sale of scrap metal was a major success. A significant amount of stolen property, including scrap metal and cars, were seized at an unauthorised waste facility on the Old Cork Road while further quantities of scrap metal and tyres were removed from a number of halting sites on the outskirts of the city during the same operation.

There were also significant seizures of drugs and illegal diesel during the inter-agency operation, which involved, gardai, Customs and Revenue officers and officials from both Limerick County Council and the Department of Social Protection. Supt Dan Keane of Roxboro Road garda station said while there were no arrests, criminal prosecutions are likely to be brought as a result of the daylong operation. “There were four drug seizures made in the course of these searches, there were a number of vehicles seized, there were a number of trucks seized, there was a number of heavy vehicles seized and there were three of four skip loads of scrap metal taken away from these sites,” he said. More than 300 people were interviewed and hundreds of vehicles stopped at a number of check points which were established as part of the operation.

Caroline Curley, Director of Services for the Limerick Local Authorities, said the operation, which was part of Operation Fiacla, was connected to a wider European campaign. “Ireland is facing increasing pressure from the European Commission to ensure unauthorised waste activities, particularly those relating to hazardous wastes such as scrap vehicles are regularised or closed down. Similar actions have successfully been undertaken in other parts of the country using a joint agency approach and have been found to be very effective,” she said.

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New board member for Easytrip Services Ireland

Easytrip, Ireland’s leading provider of electronic tolling payment services has today announced the appointment of Steve Preece to its Board. Steve Preece is Managing Director of Egis Projects Ireland and currently holds positions on a number of Irish company Boards.

As Easytrip Board member Steve will play an active part in the development of the company, assist in promoting Easytrip’s core business, give guidance to the senior management team and attend all Board meetings. Steve will also look to ensure Egis Projects’ interests are represented and work closely with the management team to build on the existing strong relationships with Electro Automation.

Steve came to Ireland in 2001 to take up a position as Regional General Manager for Aviance UK. In 2008, Steve joined Egis Projects in a managerial position to assist in developing a 24 hour management team and was appointed managing director in 2010. In his role as managing director Steve is now responsible for all Egis Projects roads interests in Ireland. Egis currently has 11 different projects throughout Ireland Steve Preece, managing director of Egis Projects Ireland who was and was awarded best French company operating in Ireland in 2011. announced as Easytrip Board Steve has extensive experience especially within the aviation and logistics spectrum member recently. across multiple sites operating worldwide. Currently in his final year of an MBA, Steve enjoys flying helicopters and playing golf in his spare time.

Commenting on the appointment, Dermot MacEvilly, chief executive officer of Easytrip Services Ireland said, “We are honoured to have Steve join us as Board member. His unrivaled experience in our and related industries will be of enormous benefit to us as we continue to expand and diversify.

“These are very exciting times for Easytrip. We are extending our tolling and parking solution services across Europe and introducing a range of additional offerings. We are delighted to have an executive with Steve’s competencies join our team and know his extensive business and industry knowledge will complement our business going forward,” MacEvilly concluded.

New President for motor industry

Paul Linders, Dealer Principal of Toyota dealership, Linders of Chapelizod, Dublin 20 has been appointed as the new President for SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry) at their 60th AGM in Croke Park.

The family business, celebrating their 75th year in business this year, are expanding with the opening of a new Renault and Dacia dealership in Finglas, North Dublin this June. The new dealership will create 15 new jobs for the area and restore Renault to the North city.

Paul’s Grandfather, Sonny Linders started a repair garage in Smithfield in 1938. In 1973 Linders became the first Toyota dealer in Ireland and in 2002 the dealership moved to Chapelizod.

At the Society’s AGM, Mr. Linders said: “The Motor Industry in this country is in deep crisis. It is as hard as it has ever been. However, history has proved that those of us who work in it are resilient. We must remain conscious of our place in this economy. The Motor Industry directly collects over one eighth of the total tax take of this country, over 13% or €4.5bn. Add to this the indirect contribution through PAYE, PRSI from the 40,000 employees working in the industry in 377 towns & villages throughout Ireland. As a sector, we’re one of the biggest Paul Linders, new President SIMI contributors to the coffers of the state. We must ensure that our representatives in Government realise the impact of our success or failure on the health of the Exchequer. As Society Officers and indeed members, we must waste no opportunity to remind them.”

Mr. Linders succeeds Alan Lyons.

Nightmare for UK trucker as vehicle is hijacked

A lorry parked on the A14 in Cambridgeshire was recently hijacked and its load of cigarettes and tobacco stolen. Police are appealing for witnesses to the attack, which took place in a layby near Godmanchester on Tuesday, May 28th at about 4am and resulted in the driver being restrained and assaulted. Two men in balaclavas ordered the 64-year-old driver into the back of his LGV and then drove the vehicle almost 40 miles to Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire. They unloaded the freight before the driver, who suffered minor injuries during the ordeal, climbed out of the lorry and flagged for assistance Local police have described the incident as “a very distressing ordeal for the driver” and are appealing for help in tracking down the hijackers.

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Don’t delay FLT care – it could cost you!

HSE clamps down on inspection and maintenance dodgers

Following news of the HSE’s latest prosecution against an employer operating a fork lift truck with infringements under LOLER and PUWER, an industry expert has urged users to think twice before delaying inspections and maintenance.

Hearing news of the HSE’s second successful prosecution this year, Richard Hayes, Chairman of CFTS, the delivery body for the UK’s national standard for the thorough inspection of fork trucks said: “Ignoring this legal and moral duty is not a good policy for your industrial equipment and, furthermore, it’s not legal – as a number of fork lift truck users have found to their cost this year.”

In the most recent case, involving an Essexbased steel fabrication firm, HSE investigators found that the company’s fork lift had not had a Thorough Examination for more than 12 months.

Fortlift inspections Furthermore, it had been kept in continuous use shouldn’t be delayed – despite showing obvious signs of disrepair.

The HSE’s report revealed that no fewer than 18 of the 24 key items examined on the truck required urgent repair. Defects included: worn-out tyres, loose counterweight and non-functioning lamps and beacons.

CFTS, which administers the fork lift truck industry’s own national Thorough Examination accreditation scheme, points out that not all inspections offered to fork lift users would have picked up on these issues.

“Due to the nature of their design, fork lift trucks are covered by two separate pieces of legislation – each of which has its own testing criteria,” explains Richard.

“The parts comprising a truck’s lifting mechanism are covered separately by the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 98, which requires a Thorough Examination of all lifting apparatus at least once every 12 months.

“Under the Provision of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 98, employers must ensure that safety-critical parts such as those cited by the HSE report undergo regular, recorded safety inspections.

“A LOLER-only inspection would have picked up defects in lifting components such as forks and chains but would not have checked vital aspects covered by PUWER – such as brakes, steering and safety equipment,” explained Richard, “and the majority of companies are still carrying out LOLER-only inspections.

“To be certain of full legal compliance, we recommend CFTS-accredited Thorough Examinations – which have been developed by the fork lift industry itself with the support of HSE… to meet the Thorough Examination demands of LOLER and the Safety Inspection requirements of PUWER.” The company was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £3,238 in costs for putting its workers at risk through breaches of LOLER 1998 and PUWER 1998 “Sadly, this is not an isolated case,” said Richard. “Earlier this year a slate and stone supplier was fined for breaching PUWER. Once again, courts heard that the company’s practice had been to repair only in response to breakdowns.”

HSE investigators reported that the truck had not been properly maintained and that the two sets of bearings holding the forks in line had collapsed.

“Routine maintenance is essential to maximising your truck’s lifespan and efficiency, and it can help to highlight potentially dangerous faults. However, users should be clear that a comprehensive Thorough Examination – which checks the truck in accordance to LOLER and PUWER – is something they need in addition to maintenance. Just as a car needs an MOT test and a routine service, you must have both.”

For more information on what Thorough Examination is, why it is important, and what your responsibilities are, visit www.thoroughexamination.org.

12

Ferry blow for Eurotunnel

Channel tunnel operator Eurotunnel is being banned from operating ferry services from Dover amid fears it could use its dominance of cross-Channel transport to hike prices. The Competition Commission said Eurotunnel’s MyFerryLink venture saw it control more than half of the cross-Channel market and said it needed to take action to protect consumers. Eurotunnel launched MyFerryLink last August with services between Dover and Calais after it snapped up three boats from collapsed operator SeaFrance. But the commission said it believed Eurotunnel only bought the boats to prevent ferry group DFDS/LD from buying them at a cut price and driving down prices for passengers. It also said it feared one of the current ferry operators was likely to quit in the short term, which could hand Eurotunnel an even bigger share of the market. Alasdair Smith, chairman of the inquiry group and deputy chairman of the commission, said: ``It cannot be good for competition when Eurotunnel, which already holds a market share of over 40%, moves into the ferry business particularly when it did so to stop a competitor from buying the ferries. “Customers would lose out from Eurotunnel increasing its share even further and being able to raise prices on the tunnel services.” He added it would be better if there were two independent ferry companies competing with the tunnel. “By preventing Eurotunnel from operating ferry services out of Dover, we can protect the interests of customers,” he said.

Eurotunnel plan to appeal against the decision. It described the ruling as “incomprehensible and seriously disproportionate”.

Jacques Gounon, chairman and chief executive officer of Groupe Eurotunnel, said: “This decision by the Competition Commission will reduce the choice of services across the Straits of Dover to the detriment of the consumer. It will inevitably lead to an increase in the price of a crossing”.

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Truck News designed _Truck News designed 14/06/2013 15:50 Page 13

Arkphire win ‘Private Sector – Project of the Year’ at the 2013 ICT Excellence Awards

22nd May 2013, Dublin: Arkphire, a leading Irish IT Solutions provider, has won the ICT Project of the Year Award (Private Sector) for its work with Easytrip at the Annual ICT Excellence Awards 2013. The private sector award is presented to the company who is responsible for delivering an outstanding application of enterprise-level business technology.

Arkphire was engaged by Easytrip to address three hugely important issues for the business. Firstly, to achieve compliance with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS). Secondly, some of the company’s server hardware was reaching end of life. An extensive upgrade was required to provide the necessary scalability to cope with Pictured receiving the ICT excellence Award for ‘Project of the Year – Private Sector’ 2013 were Tony increased customer demand and grow the business into the future.

Quinn, Sales Director, Arkphire, Paul Hearns, Editor, Thirdly, given its reliance on IT Easytrip wanted to improve its disaster ComputerScope, Paschal Naylor, MD, Arkphire, Manus McGinley, Account Manager, Arkphire and Howard recovery and business continuity position.

Roberts, CTO, Arkphir Commenting on the win, Howard Roberts, Technical Director with Arkphire said “We are so very genuinely thrilled that our work with Easytrip has enabled us to win the ICT excellence award for Project of the Year and that we were able to provide a future proofed resilient solution for Easytrip.”

Roberts adds that “We designed and delivered the project which involved virtualising the infrastructure platform and migrating the data and systems onto more efficient Dell servers running VMware vSphere for virtualistion. Working closely with PCI compliance specialist OC Group, we ensured that the new security protocols, tools and policies were introduced at Easytrip to ensure the standards would be met. We installed monitoring and auditing tools, which enables Arkphire to manage the new virtual infrastructure on a proactive basis, providing both onsite and remote support. Easytrip used the very best industry leading technology to give them a resilient solution built on best industry practice and it’s great for our partnership to be recognised for that.”

Ken Tormey, CTO of Easytrip commented that “This was a very complex project for all involved, with huge expectations and demands put on the deliverables that put all of our collective skills to the test. I just want to say my own thanks and congratulations to the team here and in Arkphire for their commitment and focus on making it happen, and public recognition is duly deserved.”

The 2013 ICT Excellence Awards , now in their 13th year were presented at an industry gala dinner in the Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin on May 16th. The event was hosted by Today FM’s Matt Cooper. The awards showcase the very best from the ICT industry in Ireland, highlighting how innovative, creative and robust the industry is.

Tom O’Carroll appointed Chief Executive Officer of Calor Gas

Tom O’Carroll has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer for Calor Gas, and will take up this role from 1st June. The company are the leading supplier of LPG and rural energy solutions across the Irish marketplace.

Tom has significant industry experience, having been with Calor Gas for 34 years, 15 which were as a member of the senior management team.

He has worked in a number of senior management roles within the company, having served as Director of Corporate Affairs and Chief Operating Officer prior to being appointed CEO. Tom spent over four years in China on behalf of parent company SHV, leading a team which established joint ventures as entry into the

market.

Tom holds an MBA from University College Dublin.

Current CEO, Michael Kossack who was appointed to the Management Board of SHV Energy in May 2012 with responsibility for Western Europe, will be moving to the Netherlands where he will continue to lead operations for the region which includes Ireland.

The company employs 258 staff in 6 sites located throughout Ireland, and a further 200 indirectly. Parent company, SHV Energy operates in 25 countries and supplies LPG to tens of millions of customers worldwide.

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Car sales down / commercial sales up

The number of new cars licensed in Ireland last month fell by 11.2% compared to the same period in 2012 – but commercial vehicle sales have increased by even more! New figures from the Central Statistics Office reveal that 7,095 new cars were licensed in May - down from 7,986 for the same month last year.

However, the number of new goods vehicles licensed in May rose by an encouraging 11.9% to 1,174.

In May, the total number of used cars licensed rose by 35.6% to 4,601 (from 3,394 for the same time last year). Of the new cars licensed last month, 73.7% were diesel and 25.5% were petrol. The most popular make of new car sold last month was Volkswagen (909), followed by Hyundai (787), Ford (644) and Toyota (635).

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Truck News designed _Truck News designed 14/06/2013 15:50 Page 15

DHL Express Ireland awarded ‘Authorised Economic Operator’ (AEO) certification from the Irish Revenue Commissioners

With AEO, DHL Express Ireland met key standards in relation to security, management systems and compliance with customs rules DHL Express, the world’s leading international express services provider, today announced that DHL Express Ireland has been awarded AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) certification from the Irish Revenue Commissioners.

AEO is a certified standard issued by customs administrations in the EU. It certifies that a business has met certain standards in relation to their security, management systems and compliance with customs rules. With this certification, DHL Express Ireland is now officially recognised as a compliant operator within international trade.

Paul Neenan, Assistant Principal, Large Cases Division, Office of the Revenue Commissioners, presented the AEO certificate to Bernard McCarthy, Managing Director, DHL Express Ireland, at an award ceremony in DHL’s Dublin head-office earlier today.

“We are absolutely delighted to have achieved AEO certification," commented McCarthy, “Customs and (left to right): Bernard McCarthy, Managing Director, DHL Express Ireland, revenue compliance is a critical element of the Paul Neenan, Assistant Principal, Large Cases Division, Office of the Revenue Commissioners and Eddie Meaney, Customs and Gateway Express delivery process and we take our Manager, DHL Express Ireland. responsibilities extremely seriously in this regard.

AEO certification is also important for our customers as it provides the assurance that when they use the services of DHL Express in Ireland they can be confident that the service they receive will be fast and reliable but also customs and revenue compliant.“

Fleetmatics, a leading global provider of fleet management solutions for commercial fleet vehicles delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) to SMBs, won Technology Exporter of the Year at the ICT Excellence Awards held on the 16th May in Dublin. Fleetmatics serves more than 19,000 companies and 356,000 subscribed vehicles worldwide. Pictured at the awards are; Karl Flannery, ICT Judge; Paul Walsh, Head of Development; Khurram Saifuddin, Head of IT Operations and Wan Luo, BI & Mobile Development Manager. Commenting on the award, Paul Walsh, Fleetmatics’ Head of Development said: “We are proud to receive the ICT Technology Exporter of the year. This award is recognition for our team who have made Fleetmatics Group PLC a great success story which results in a strong brand globally.”

16

Toxic sludge found on trailer

A trailer laden with between 20 to 30 containers of toxic sludge from illegal fuel laundering was recently found dumped near Keady in County Armagh. It was discovered close to the junction of the Castleblayney and Crossnenagh Roads. The containers held sludge from the process of removing dye from diesel. Some had leaked and the Department of Environment were working to avoid pollution. Huge amounts of money can be made from fuel laundering. For economic reasons farmers and some industries get diesel considerably cheaper than road users. A red dye is put into the discounted fuel in Northern Ireland to prevent it being used illegally. In the Republic of Ireland, green dye is used. But in recent years, fuel laundering has become more common. Environment Minister Alex Attwood said there had been more than 153 incidents involving laundered fuel waste since last July. "For all the good work that has been done in terms of organised crime, there is more to be done," he said. "The reason why it gets abandoned is so that the government steps in and removes the sludge." He said the sludge cartons had to be exported to Britain to be disposed of properly and it cost between £300 and £400 for each container. The minister said he thought the government should scale up its response. "Let's put more money into enforcement, especially environmental crime enforcement," he said. "Let's ensure those hauliers caught using illegal fuel have their licences withdrawn."

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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Hytech Logistics introduce the world’s first ever certified Technical Distribution service - DOPsys

Dublin based Hytech Logistics, an ISO certified company is leading the way in Technical Distribution having taken a supply chain process developed by its team for the last mile delivery of high value and sensitive equipment - Delivery, Offload and Position system (DOPsys), to the world stage.

Technical Distribution has been commercially in use worldwide in the IT sector since the introduction of computer mainframes in the 1960s. Today it involves the delivery and installation of crucial items such as populated server racks, uninterrupted power supplies (UPS), automatic teller machines (ATM,) printers and photocopiers, commercial safes, vending and point of sale (POS) machines, scientific and laboratory equipment.

The last two years has seen Hytech Logistics evaluate its technical distribution process whilst From l-r are: Brian Duffy, business development manager, Hytech Logistics, Paul researching and working with industry experts to Hyland, general manager, Hytech Logistics and Stuart Burke, managing director, Hytech Logistics at the company's announcement of its new certified technical develop DOPsys and certify it as a new industry distribution service - DOPsys. standard. “A crucial part of any supply chain is “finalmile” delivery – the last leg of the supply chain, in which products are delivered to required site and positioned to a point of use where they can be finally commissioned by technical staff if required,” according to Stuart Burke, managing director, Hytech Logistics.

"A company can move a product from China to Ireland clear it through customs, move it to a distribution centre and fulfil it in record time. But if it doesn’t deliver, offload and position the product to the end consumer in a high, quality assured standard, ready for commissioning then the company’s supply chain has failed."

DOPsys will offer manufacturers and their distributers the opportunity to have their product delivered, offloaded and positioned to the same industry certified standard anywhere in the world where previously the service was at best, inconsistent.

Technical distribution companies wishing to employ this industry standard as the benchmark for their “final-mile” delivery and installation may apply to Hytech Logistics to become certified DOPsys partners. As part of this certification, alongside the commitment to ensure that the right processes and equipment are in place there will also be a requirement that the staff employed have all demonstrated the necessary levels of expertise and competence to ensure that all delivery and final installation projects are completed to DOPsys standards. This certification of personnel will be completed by the Logistics Learning Alliance (LLA) in the UK. LLA has worked with the Hytech Logistics' senior team to develop DOPsys Training Programmes which are the world’s first accredited programmes for Technical Distribution. Drivers and operators will now have a career development path to three levels (DOPsys Technician, DOPsys Supervisor and DOPsys Project Manager) covering levels 3, 4 and 5 of the UK Qualification Framework in Logistics and Supply Chain.

The first DOPsys certified technicians will complete their training in August 2013 ensuring Hytech Logistics launch the DOPsys service for its Irish clients in September with plans to launch internationally in early 2014.

Poor Year for new car sales continues but Industry gears up for 132

Alan Nolan Director General SIMI IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Figures released from SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry) today show a decline in new car sales in May of 22.5%. There were 5,963 new cars sold in May, 1,735 fewer than in May 2012.

Alan Nolan, Director General of SIMI says; "The May figures are continuing the trend of what has been a very poor year, the Year to Date figure being 14.5% down on the first five months of last year. It is clear that there has been even less spending in the Domestic Economy this year than in recent years, which were not good to begin with.”

Nolan continues; “At this time of year the Motor Industry is usually beginning to ease down, as the second half of the year approaches, and traditionally sales begin to tail off until the New Year. This year with the new '132' registration period beginning on the July 1st, there are now real benefits for consumers buying at this time of year and the Industry is gearing up for some extra interest and activity in July. Certainly June should be a really good shopping month for consumers, with great offers and trade-in values to buy in June, as well as the potential for a new 132 plate."

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Truck News designed _Truck News designed 14/06/2013 15:50 Page 17

FTA opposes London truck ban

The Freight Transport Association has welcomed the recent publication of Transport for London’s Road Safety Action Plan for London. However, it rejected some of the proposals for banning lorries from parts of the city. The plan, which was launched at the Waterloo IMAX roundabout, hopes to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on London’s roads by 40 per cent, or 10,000, by 2020. “I want London to be the most liveable Capital city in the world and improving the safety of our roads is key to achieving this, said Boris Johnson, Mayor of London. “We've made good progress in recent years, but we must do more.

London's population is rapidly increasing and the extra demand that this will place on our road network poses a significant challenge.” TfL has identified 56 key measures, to be included in the new project, which it says will help improve road safety for all. They include; making data on collisions in London available online for the first time, focusing police enforcement to specific times and places, and carrying out trials of innovative cycling measures. The FTA has however voiced concerns about the appropriateness of some of the actions proposed, such as that of banning larger lorries from parts of the city, or at certain times of the day and the idea of increasing the number of 20mph zones within the capital. "Restricting the size of lorries will ultimately lead to more vehicles on London's roads – it would take 13 vans to carry the same amount of goods as a 26 tonne lorry, said Natalie Chapman, the FTA’s head of policy for London. “The safety and environmental implications of putting more vehicles on London’s roads do not seem to have been considered. “Efforts should be focused on specific problems; blanket measures that would add to the cost of doing business in London should be avoided."

Stobart go musical

Eddie Stobart Trucking Songs went on sale recently as a three-CD compilation or download. It aims to cash in on the huge public following for Eddie Stobart by providing a soundtrack of rock anthems designed to pass long motorway journeys. The 58 tracks include Queen’s Don’t Stop me Now, The Road by Mike and The Mechanics, Keep On Truckin' by Hot Tuna, and Roy Orbison’s I Drove All Night. A spokesman for Stobart Group said: “This is something we are doing in partnership with Sony.

They suggested which songs would go on it. It has been available to pre-order for the last week and Sony have told us that pre-orders exceeded 2,000.”

Stobart says the CD is a one off – it has no plans for more releases. The CD set is available from retailers for around £12 or as an MP3 download from Amazon at £8.49 and from iTunes at £9.99.

Sprinter named best large van

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was chosen as best large van at the Van Fleet World Honours. At the prestigious UK awards, Mercedes-Benz Vans also received the safety award for its safety concept.

“We’re delighted that Mercedes-Benz Vans scored this double success,” said Klaus Maier, Head of Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Vans. “The fact that the Sprinter was named best large van demonstrates once again that we offer an ideal vehicle for fleet operators throughout the world.” The Van Fleet World Honours are among the most prestigious awards of their kind and are bestowed by the British Fleet World Group publishing company.

Before being named best large van, the Sprinter and its competitors had to undergo rigorous field testing.

The final assessment also included an independent evaluation of the vehicles’ profitability, which was determined by leasing companies on the basis of the vans’ resale value, fuel consumption, and service costs.

18

Road funding pleases IRHA

The €50 million funding put forward for repairs and restoration of regional and local roads has been warmly weclomed by the IRHA. Funding has been put forward with many roads projects already underway and the IRHA president Eoin Gavin feels that this is a step in the right direction.

He stated: “Our Minister for Transport must be commended for allocating additional funding for road repairs at a time when available financial resources are limited. As part of this initiative, we would urge the Minister and local authorities nationwide to also address the long standing difficulty of overhanging trees and overgrown roadside hedges which is a significant problem” Gavin added: “Overgrown hedges create a serious road safety concern for our industry as where a commercial vehicle cannot travel on the correct side of the road, due to the roadside hedge breaching its perimeter, the vehicle has no choice but to move out into the centre of the road, thereby jeopardising the drivers safety as well as other road users. There are obvious cost factors associated with this difficulty in terms of damage to vehicle mirrors etc. but our primary concern is to contribute to a safe public road network”

DHL launches service to ease new vehicle life cycle

DHL has introduced a new service hoping to facilitate the development, production and launch phases of new vehicles.

The company said the service will see it support the preproduction of model developments, such as specialised packaging of prototypes, during the research and development phase.

While the manufacturing phase will see it organise in-bound material and in-plant logistics, before covering launch communication, including the movement of exhibition cars for test car events or official press presentation, during the launch phase.

“Product launches in the automotive sector are complex and costintensive. The feedback we receive from our customers shows that improvement is in strong demand, said Fathi Tlatli, president global sector automotive, DHL Global Customer Solutions & Innovation.

“With our worldwide solution, companies can benefit from minimised supply chain risks, lower third party costs and higher efficiency, all of which can be tracked via a set of visibility tools we provide.”

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Motorway gets go ahead Work on the construction of new motorway between Gort and Tuam in Co Galway is to begin before the end of the year, after funding was approved for the project. The Department of Public Expenditure has approved the allocation of money to cover the Exchequer element of the scheme. The National Roads Authority says it will now re-engage with the preferred private contractor to complete the new N17/ N18 route. The construction of a 57-km motorway - part of the so-called Atlantic Corridor on the west coast - will take thousands of vehicles out of Clarinbridge, Claregalway and Tuam each day. It will be constructed as a Public Private Partnership project. There will be no tolls on the route. Instead the State will pay the private contractors an annuity over 25 years. The NRA says hundreds Construction on new motorway of jobs will be created during the construction process. It is between Gort and Tuam set to begin expected the motorway will take up to three years to complete at a cost of €550 million. An environmental assessment of the proposed route has already been done, along with an archaeological review. In addition, compulsory purchase orders required to develop the road have been completed. The project stalled in 2010 when the bidders first selected as the private contractor were unable to secure funding to carry out the work, due to the economic downturn. The contract was subsequently awarded to Direct Route- a group made up of several contractors including Lagan, Roadbridge and Sisk.

Port of Cork sees increase in trade traffic in 2012 End of Year Statement from Brendan Keating, Chief Executive of the Port of Cork Company The Port of Cork Company today announced end of year trade traffic results for 2012, showing a total of 9.05 million tonnes. This is an increase of 2% compared to 2011 figures and it is the first time traffic figures in the Port have surpassed 9 million tonnes since 2008.

2012 was a very challenging year across many sectors including the Irish port sector with the import of goods through Irish ports reported to have fallen by up to 11%. However, the Port of Cork container volumes has shown an increase of 6% with over 165,000 TEU handled during 2012 and imports, excluding oil, are up by 12%. Imports of animal feed stuffs increased by 58% compared to 2011 while fertiliser, cereals and other trades have shown a marginal decrease in 2012.

Oil traffic remained steady despite the lower levels of domestic economic activity; however exports of refined product from Phillips 66 Whitegate Oil Refinery were strong and continue to be a significant part of the Port of Cork business. Exports are a key driver in the successful recovery of the Irish Economy and the Port of Cork is committed to continuous support in the growth of international trade for the country’s economic prospects and job creation.

Remarking on the end of year trade traffic results, Mr Brendan Keating, Chief Executive of the Port of Cork said: “The Port of Cork is pleased to announce that our total trade traffic in 2012 remained strong and overall we are starting to see some stabilisation in trade levels in and out of the Port. With 98% of volume of all goods imported or exported from Ireland moved by ship, the importance of ports to our economy is of vital strategic importance. We will continue to look to the sectors that are performing strongly, such as food exports and will seek to capitalise on the demand for such goods from Europe and emerging markets.”

He continued: “The Port of Cork is a key link to the continued economic success of Ireland and in particular the entire Munster region. The challenge now facing us in 2013 is to continue to develop the Port in order to meet the needs of the Country as it emerges from this current recession. We will continue to be extremely active in the emerging trends and logistic supply changes to reinforce our existing strength as the primary deepwater port in the south of Ireland and build on our progress to date”.

Port officials are pro-actively engaged with tourism interests, County and City Councils and destination attractions to enhance the product on offer to the visiting cruise lines with a view to growing the business further through its dedicated cruise terminal. 57 cruise vessels visited the Port of Cork during 2012 bringing almost 100,000 passengers and crew to the region and the Port is scheduled to accommodate 64 vessels in 2013. The Port of Cork was awarded two Cruise Insight Awards for ‘Best Shore Side Welcome’ and ‘Best Tour Guides’ which were announced at the global shipping conference, Seatrade Miami in April 2012. This achievement highlighted the outstanding team effort and commitment by the Port of Cork to deliver an excellent service to the visiting cruise lines and their passengers when in Cork. The Port is delighted to be supporting The Gathering for 2013 and is actively ensuring that all visitors who transit through our facilities receive a warm welcome to Irish shores. Brittany Ferries remained steady on its weekly ferry service from Cork to Roscoff and the Port remains fully committed to establishing new routes and services from Cork.

The Port of Cork’s recreational strategy continues to expand with the aim of improving the marine leisure facilities around Cork Harbour.

8

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Lyons designed_kevin burke designed 14/06/2013 14:29 Page 1

Enter the Lyons den Lyons of Limerick opened in 1984

Lyons of Limerick and Nenagh have set the standard for nearly 30 years in the motor industry in Munster. As main dealers for Ford, Volvo, Land Rover and Jaguar, they have built up a reputation that is second to none.

Marketing Manager Fiona Connolly tells Irish Trucker more.

L

yons of Limerick and Nenagh believe in putting their customers first. Their business may be about cars and vans, but their reputation is built on top quality service, the best value for money and looking after you the driver.

With 38 staff employed across their two sites, the company’s team of dedicated and talented professionals take special pride in the service they offer.

MD Ken Lyons – who established the business in Limerick in 1984 and

20

opened Nenagh two years later – leads by example. A family-run business, our Ford Sales Manager is Pat o’ Leary, Ken’s son Keith is Sales Manager for Land Rover and Jaguar while daughter Jenny looks after Volvo customer service.

“Ken adopts very much a hands-on approach to the business, looking after our customers on a day-to-day basis,” Marketing Manager Fiona Connolly explained.

“Ken Lyons is very much involved with the customers and that differentiates us

from our competitors. There is a big emphasis placed on old-fashioned customer care and customers come back to us as a result.”

Based in Limerick, on the Ballysimon Road, and in Nenagh, on the Limerick Road, Lyons cater for all your sales, servicing, parts and leasing needs.

The company’s experienced workforce is also a vital ingredient in their successful formula.

“That has been one of the secrets of our success. We don’t have a high turnover of staff and that makes all the

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Lyons designed_kevin burke designed 14/06/2013 14:29 Page 2

Lyons of Limerick are dealers for, top to bottom: Volvo, Land Rover, Ford and Jaguar

At the launch of the new B-Max in Lyons of Limerick, l/r: David O’Connell (Ford Ireland), Fiona Connolly (Lyons) and Mark Leenane (Ford Ireland) IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

difference when it comes to the customer service experience as we say Fantastic Cars and Exceptional Service.

“For instance, many of our mechanics are qualified up to the master technician level and that that is way above the standard required by dealerships.”

It obviously helps that customers are spoilt for choice when they pay a visit to Lyons of Limerick as they offer the full range of Ford, Volvo, Land Rover and Jaguar models.

And Lyons has bucked the economic trend. Fiona – who has worked with the company for the past 12 years – explained: “We started the Land Rover and Jaguar franchise at the end of last year. Ken is delighted to be in a position to expand in the midst of a recession.

“They are new to us but

21

Lyons designed_kevin burke designed 14/06/2013 14:29 Page 3

business is going very well and we are very excited about the future. We sold the first New Jaguar in Limerick in 30 years in January 2013.

“We are currently using a temporary building for our Land Rover and Jaguar range but a new building is in the plans for the future and we are very keen to develop that side of the business.”

The Nenagh operation is a main Ford Dealer and their wide range of new and used Ford cars are also supported by state of the art workshops with fully accredited Ford technicians and original Ford parts.

“Efficiency and reliability, the look and style and, most importantly, Ford is hard to beat for price when you compare what you are getting,” replied Fiona when asked why a customer should choose Ford over its competitors. “You get the complete package when you choose Ford you just have to look at the selection Fiesta, Focus, Bmax, Cmax, SMax, Mondeo, Galaxy and the commercial range is absolutely fantastic headed up by the Ford Transit Irish Van of the Year 2013.

“We’ve had the Volvo franchise

since 2008 and we have a fantastic range, starting with the Stylish V40 up to the executive XC90. This range has it all when it comes to Reliability, Style and Safety. Philip Madigan our Volvo Sales manager would be delighted at any time to help you select the Volvo for you.

And then there’s the service and parts end of the business. Lyons’ friendly efficient service staff can offer you a comprehensive range of services from a routine to an extensive service, arrange bodywork, tyres etc. They are a one-stop shop for all your service needs for all makes and models.

Their service team have extensive training with the latest diagnostic equipment and specialist tools and, whatever your requirements, they can provide the facilities to ensure your vehicle is properly repaired and its value protected.

Over the years they have built up an enviable reputation for the quality of their after sales service.

Their fully trained technicians and service managers possess a wealth of technical experience while their friendly after sales team are always

The firm’s mechanics are trained to master technician level

on hand to provide all the assistance and advice you require to ensure your vehicle remains efficient, safe and road worthy at all times.

“Customer service, Great range of New and Used Vehicles and best trade in Values,” is the solid foundations on which the company is built according to Fiona.

It’s a pretty straight-forward philosophy and one that has served Lyons of Limerick and Nenagh and, most importantly, their customers well over the past 29 years.

Lyons of Limerick Ballysimon Road Limerick

Phone: 061 413344 Email: sales@lyonsoflimerick.com www.lyonsoflimerick.com

Sales Manager Pat O’Leary 087 8578926 Opening hours: Monday – Friday: 9am - 6pm Saturday: 10am - 5pm Lyons of Nenagh Limerick Road Nenagh Tipperary

Phone: 067 33442 Email: sales@lyonsofnenagh.com www.lyonsofnenagh.com General Manager Fiona Connolly 087 6402871 Lyons in Nenagh

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ford.ie/transitcustom Ford Transit Custom Finance Example: Term 60 Months. Retail Price €18,252. Deposit/Part Exchange €5,667. Finance Advance €12,585, 60 monthly payments of €229.66. Total cost of credit €1,258.09. *Lending criteria and terms and conditions apply. Finance is generally provided by way of a fixed rate Business Lease agreement. Finance example is based on a fixed rate APR of 3.9% and includes a once off documentation fee of €63.49. To qualify for this Finance Offer; a minimum deposit of 20% and a maximum term of 61 months applies. Rate quoted is correct as at 1st May 2013 and is subject to change. This offer is available on all Ford Transit Custom models registered by 30th June 2013. The amounts shown above are exclusive of Value Added Tax and all payments will be subject to Value Added Tax at the appropriate rate. The weekly payment shown is indicative only, all amounts are payable monthly.

The credit provider is Ford Credit which is a registered trading name of Bank of Ireland Leasing Ltd. Excludes delivery and related charges. Model is shown for illustrative purposes only.

75104329 Transit_Irish Trucker_A4.indd 1

02/05/2013 12:37

Lyons designed_kevin burke designed 14/06/2013 14:29 Page 5

www.rapidautocare.ie

Rapid Auto Care Cathedral Place Limerick Tel: 061 310922 info@rapidautocare.ie

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We directly bill all Insurance Companies Open 6 Days A Week Continued success to all at Lyons of Limerick& Nenagh

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Limerick Road, Nenagh

Tyres | Exhausts Wheel Balancing & Tracking Puncture Repair | Alloy Repair

Jimmy Creamer

067 32422

TRUCK BODIES

Best wishes to Lyons of Limerick & Nenagh, from

Sheeaun, Gort, Co Galway Phone (091) 631144. Fax (091) 631155

Contact Gerard (087) 8286770

GRACES GARAGE

Continued Best Wishes To Lyons of Limerick & Nenagh, From

R E C O V E R Y

Crossagalla, Killmallock Road, Limerick.

Phone: 061 412993 Gerry: 087 2582946 Mike: 086 2582946 Email: info@gracesgarage.ie | www.gracesgarage.ie

Wishing Lyons of Limerick & Nenagh All The Best In The Future From IRISH

& LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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24

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martins designed_carryduff designed 14/06/2013 13:22 Page 1

Martin’s of Limerick celebrate 40 years

For any company to reach their Ruby anniversary is a testament of the hard work and the dedication that it provides to their customer base, especially when it has come through two economic recessions (eighties and present day).

F

The fleet has grown considerably over the years

26

amily run business Martin's of Limerick have reached that fantastic milestone this year and for this month's edition of Irish Trucker, we profile the Limerick based firm and speak to managing director William Martin about the success of the business.

Richard and Eileen Martin created Martin's Coaches in 1973, and are still actively involved in the day to day running of the business, although they are more involved in the local side of the company's activities. Now, sons Patrick and William are also involved.

Patrick is a qualified mechanic and looks after the coaches. William and his wife Noëlle look after the administration, office and customer relations. In 2006, they moved into their custom build new premises, with large three bay, fully equipped garage, bright offices and plenty of coach parking spaces which we hope will remain empty most of the year.

“The premises that we moved into are in the same industrial estate in Annacotty Business Park that my parents first started the business in.

My father was working for DELL when he took on the job of transporting workers to and from the premises. His first bus was a 41 seater Bedford SB. A few years later he took redundancy and started at the buses full time,” revealed

William.

“He started to pick up more work and he started doing private hire as well as the DELL run, which we kept until the factory closed a few years back. Also at the start, we started doing work for Mary Immaculate College in Limerick and I'm glad to see that we are still working for them today.”

From humble beginnings, Martin's of Limerick has expanded on an almost annual basis as the fleet has grown from the one bus to a mixed fleet of 12 vehicles, although that number was bigger a few years back.

“We bought our first tour vehicle in 1989 and three years later bought a Vanhool. In 1999, we purchased our first brand new vehicle and begun to add new ones on an annual basis.

Like all businesses we were forced to scale back in 2008. Up until then we would have a bought a few new buses every year. But, now it would be as much, we actually bought a new one in 2011 and may look at adding to the fleet next year.”

The old adage that 'no job is too big or too small' is a philosophy that has stood the Martin's clan in good stead over the years. “We would provide a transport service for any event imaginable regardless of size. Word of mouth has been our best form of advertisement and we pride ourselves on providing the best service possible to our passengers. We are always IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

martins designed_carryduff designed 14/06/2013 13:22 Page 2

All types of tours are catered for

looking for customers' feedback as we are continually trying to improve the service.”

The coach industry has been subject to many changes in recent years, but for Martin's of Limerick, they have gone to a whole new level in their quest for luxury travel.

“We would provide a wide range of travel options for our customers and we cover such areas as tours, schools, sports and private travel.”

Over the years times have changed dramatically with coaches becoming much more luxurious and more environmentally friendly.

Martin's of Limerick now run the most modern fleet of mini buses and coaches.

The Martin family have always taken pride in their business and continue to provide a top class service to all their customers by supplying clean well maintained IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

modern vehicles for every trip.

When passengers look to travel, comfort, friendly drivers, hassle free journeys and affordable prices all spring to mind and with Martin's, you can be guaranteed all of the above.

“To help make the business a success, you need a loyal work force and on that front, we are very fortunate to have 25 employees that are highly trained and very efficient in what they do and I would like to thank them for William and Patrick Martin run Martin’s of Limerick

27

martins designed_carryduff designed 14/06/2013 13:22 Page 3

Wishing Continued Success To Martin’s of Limerick, From All At

Robert G. Power & Co Registered Auditors & Accountants

72 O'Connell Street Limerick.

T: +353 (0) 61 310588 F: +353 (0) 61 318305 M: + 353 (0) 87 2571474 E: rbtpower@eircom.net www.rgpowerandco.ie Best Wishes To Martin’s Of Limerick, From

McCarthy Recovery Service Best Wishes To Martin’s of Limerick From

Limerick Limerick

Specialise In All Bus & Coach Recovery

Contact 087 1353066

MICHEÁL GLYNN & CO. SOLICITORS Best Wishes To Martin’s Of Limerick, From

Commissioner For Oaths

98 O’Connell Street, Limerick.

T: 061 418518 | F: 061 418519

Branch Office

Gaurus, Ennis, Co. Clare.

T: 065 6840823 | E: info@michealglynn.ie

Wishing Continued Success To Martin’s of Limerick, From

Donnellys Coaches

Coach Hire Specialists

Barrack Street, Granard, Co. Longford.

Est. 1927

Tel: 043 66 86540 | Fax: 043 66 86653 Mobile: 086 8297341

Auto Diesel Services Ltd. Continued best wishes to Martin’s of Limerick from

Unit 1, Dock Road Commercial Park, Limerick Tel: 061-229222/229105/229430/229103 Fax: 061-301921 After Hours Emergency Service Tel: 061-340677

Email: donnellyscoaches@gmail.com

28

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

martins designed_carryduff designed 14/06/2013 13:22 Page 4

their efforts over the years.”

To ensure that they continue to provide a top level service, all the fleet is well maintained. Patrick looks after the maintenance of the vehicles along with two mechanics, while the fleet looks in pristine condition thanks to the hard work of Patrick's wife Oksana.

“We pride ourselves on offering an efficient and friendly service, which has stood us in good stead down through the years. Customer satisfaction is our main priority and always has been. It's important to keep relations going with customers and passengers and I think we do it well here. Hopefully we will continue to do so and the next few years will see an improvement in business all across Ireland.

"We are proud to offer a quality coach and tour service. Whether it's bus hire, luxury coach tours, or corporate travel, we guarantee a service second to none. We have become experts on travel throughout Ireland.

"Our company has travelled the length and breadth of Ireland helping our passengers enjoy their trip to the

The company bought their first tour vehicle in 1989

fullest. By choosing Martin's of Limerick passengers from anywhere can sit back and enjoy a relaxing experience of the Irish countryside in our luxury coaches. Whether itineraries are arranged by themselves or by your own travel operators, you can be sure to travel in luxury and comfort.”

Contact Details

Annacotty Business Park, Biddyford, Annacotty, Co. Limerick Phone: + 353 61 333100 Fax: + 353 61 333102 Web: www.martinscoaches.ie

Best Wishes To Martin’s of Limerick From

Eamonn Barrett INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT LTD. Kilbeha, Askeaton, Co. Limerick.

All vehicles are kept in pristine condition

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Tel: 061 398924

Mobile: 087 2691995

Email:barretttransport@iolfree.ie

29

Taking the smooth road to success

mccormack designed_kevin burke designed 14/06/2013 14:01 Page 1

Two of the seven trucks operating at Miskelly Bros. in Ballygowan

Sister companies McCormick WJ & Sons Ltd. and Miskelly Brothers Ltd. in County Down boast decades of excellence in road surfacing and aggregates supply. To coincide with their 80th-anniversary celebrations, Irish Trucker caught up with general manager / director Derek Rooney to get an insight into the continuing success of this fourth-generation family business.

30

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

mccormack designed_kevin burke designed 14/06/2013 14:01 Page 2

O

perating out of Ballynahinch, County Down, McCormick WJ & Sons are renowned far and wide as professional road surfacing and aggregate suppliers, guaranteeing that – regardless of the size of a road surfacing or quarry project - they will provide an exceptional and professional service at all times.

Catering for both commercial and domestic customers, McCormick WJ & Sons are comfortable working on largescale road projects and also on smaller projects such as driveways.

All grades of aggregates are supplied by the long-standing road surfacing contractors, with a keen, professional and prompt service provided by an experienced team throughout Northern Ireland at competitive prices. Free quotes and estimates are available upon request.

A highly-qualified and fully-trained team is on hand to assist with all construction and road surfacing projects and McCormick WJ & Sons Ltd. is one of the largest road surfacing contractors and building materials and aggregates supplier in County Down.

Product-wise, all grades of aggregates, concrete blocks, bricks, bituminous, asphalt and macadam are supplied.

Reflecting on the genesis of this family business – which celebrates the 80th anniversary of its inception this year – general manager Derek Rooney notes: “The business was originally set up here in Ballynahinch by my greatgrandfather William James McCormick in 1933. He was originally a farmer with a flax mill and he decided to go into quarrying, opening up a quarry on the family farm. In 1951, he acquired Miskelly Brothers Ltd. in Ballygowan, which is a quarry company, and the two companies have since grown hand in hand.

“It’s still very much a familyowned business – the third generation of McCormicks were all daughters and that’s how the name has changed.

“The concrete blocks were originally handmade but we now have a Finlay block-making machine, which has made life a lot easier for everyone. As well as supplying materials, we also Eighty years on, the family quarry business is still going strong have our own contracting squads IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

31

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Charles Tennant & Co (NI) Ltd

9 Airport Road West, Belfast, BT3 9ED Tel: 028 9045 5135 Fax: 028 9046 0077

www.ctni.co.uk

BEST WISHES TO McCORMICK WJ & SONS LTD

CAHILL MOTOR ENGINEERING N.I. LIMITED Wishing Continued Success To McCormick WJ & Sons Ltd

Seddon Atkinson Parts & Service MACHINE SHOP | MARINE ENGINES | FUEL INJECTION | TACHOGRAPHS MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL OVERHAUL 24-Hour Recovery | Crash Repairs 10 Quay Road, Newtownabbey BT37 9TE Office: 028 90 365652 | Seddon Stores: 028 90853094 | Night 028 90853434 | Fax: 028 90365606 Wishing McCormick WJ & Sons Ltd Continued Success In The Future

YOUR NO 1 SUPPLIER OF HOME HEATING OIL AND COMMERCIAL OIL

Tel: (028) 97561122 Also supplying premium grade wood pellets!

32

www.carlislefuels.com

Spence Engineering Ltd

Specialist Manufacturers of Excavator Equipment General Welding & Repair Work Best Wishes & Continued Success To McCormick WJ & Sons Ltd

Spence Engineering Ltd

67 Tullymore Rd., Hillsborough, Down BT26 6QE T: 028 9268 2435 F: 028 9268 9045 M: 07831 189983 www.spenceengineering.co.uk IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

mccormack designed_kevin burke designed 14/06/2013 14:01 Page 4

Wishing Continued SuccessSuccess To McCormick WJMcCormick, & Sons Ltd, From Best Wishes & Continued To WJ From

www.bruce-eng.co.uk

Bruce Engineering Ltd, 33 Lindesayville Road, Cookstown, Co, Tyrone BT80 8UH

Tel: +44 (0) 28 8676 3684 | Fax: +44 (0) 28 8676 6144 www.bruce-eng.co.uk

who go out and lay down the surfaces, be that for the road service, building developers, in car parks or on driveways of residential houses etc.”

Most of the business is local. In terms of catchment area, the vast majority of the work is in County Down primarily, but McCormick WJ & Sons also have customers in neighbouring counties Armagh and Antrim.

At present, gainful employment is provided to an overall team of 59 workers – 37 at McCormick WJ & Sons Ltd. and a further 22 at Miskelly Brothers. This represents a massive boost to the local economy in these unforgiving economic times.

Like everyone else involved in the construction sector on this island, Derek has seen these numbers

William James McCormick established the company in 1933 IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

decreased as a direct consequence of the slowdown in the economy, but his company continues to fight the good fight – and with impressive results!.

“Employment has been affected by the downturn,” he confirms. “Our numbers used to be a good bit higher.

We had 75+ employees at one stage but, unfortunately, we had to downsize. There’s not as much work there any more – especially the bigger jobs - and it’s more and more difficult to get sensible rates. But we’re still here.”

Fleet-wise, Derek oversees twelve lorries in Ballynahinch and seven more in Ballygowan – a mixture of makes and models. Other additional transport is subcontracted out as and when required. A team of fitters looks after basic maintenance tasks in-house. “However, we will send the vehicles or machines to a specialist if we encounter a problem that our own fitters don’t have the computers for,” Derek adds.

With static crushing plant in place in both quarries, all aspects of the business are coordinated in as smooth and efficient a manner as possible. What exactly is the

33

mccormack designed_kevin burke designed 14/06/2013 14:01 Page 5

Manufacturers of equipment for the concrete block industry

Best Wishes & Continued Success To McCormick WJ & Sons Ltd

140 Dungannon Road, Ballygawley Co. Tyrone BT70 2JX t: +44 (0)28 8556 8888 f: +44 (0)28 8556 7983 e: sales@srsfinlay.com w: www.srsfinlay.com Best Wishes To McCormick WJ & Sons Ltd

Lissue Industrial Estate, Lisburn BT28 2SU Briggs Equipment UK Ltd has been the proud supplier of Hyster forklift trucks to Miskelly Bros and McCormick WJ & Sons Ltd for the past 10 years.

TBF Thompson

Mallusk: 028 9034 2001 Garvagh: 028 2955 8353 Portadown: 028 3839 3300

Our total materials handling solution includes.

Hyster Forklift Trucks Genie Access Equipment Baumann Sideloaders Bradshaw Tow Tractors Sweepers/Scrubber Dryers JCB Tele-Handlers

SALES - SERVICE - PARTS - HIRE T: 028 9084 2537 E: sales.ni@briggsequipment.co.uk

34

DAF Distributors-Northern Ireland Best Wishes to McCormick WJ & Sons Ltd

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

mccormack designed_kevin burke designed 14/06/2013 14:01 Page 6

relationship between McCormick WJ & Sons Ltd. and Miskelly Brothers Ltd.?

“They are two separate companies but are owned by the same shareholders.

The two businesses work hand in hand and complement each other.”

Looking to the future, Derek says it’s impossible to predict what’s in store for anybody but hopes to consolidate the

businesses by continuing to provide the same excellent service for which they are already renowned: “Nobody has that crystal ball and these are unpredictable times,” he concludes. “But we will try to hang in there and wait for the tide to turn.

Hopefully funds will become available to the roads service to do all these road All grades of aggregrates, concrete blocks, bricks and asphalt are supplied

A total of 19 lorries make up the fleet

maintenance jobs that they keep talking about!

“We’re specialising more in mediumsized projects at the moment – a lot of private developments, football pitches, 3G pitches, schools, driveways, laneways and local council work.

There’s no real sign of the larger jobs coming back again – it would take a huge lift in the economy before that would happen.

“But we’ve found a niche here for ourselves and we’re doing quite well as we are.”

Contact Details

McCormick WJ & Sons Ltd. 104 Belfast Road, Ballynahinch, County Down Telephone: 028 9756 2275 Fax: 028 9756 2099 Email: info@wjmccormick.co.uk Miskelly Brothers Ltd. Carrickmannon, Ballygowan, County Down BT23 6JE IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

35

gill designed_kevin burke designed 13/06/2013 16:17 Page 1

Top of the class

Excavation work being carried out on a project

The ability of companies to diversify into many different areas is essential in the current economic climate and even more so in the construction industry, which has suffered more than most in recent times, especially in Ireland.

U

nfortunately, a lot of businesses have been forced to close, while some have broadened their horizons and have not only extended their array of services, but have expanded their client base to a world wide scale.

One such company is the Gill Group, which is an Irish owned business that has offices in many different countries around the world. Initially established as a plant hire service in 1994, the Gill Group has grown substantially ever since and now they cater for a number of companies under the one umbrella.

Gill Civils, Gill Excavation, Better Plant and Gill Haulage are all companies within the Gill Group, which went limited in 2008. The genesis of the company begun in Clonmany, Co Donegal, where they still have an office, while these days, they also have premises in Derry and Scotland.

At the Gill Group, they are different.

36

Their mission is to unite their diverse portfolio of businesses through one simple strategy - to 'deliver excellence' in the most demanding of environments and for the most discerning of clients.

The offer high-end construction plant hire; the provision of quality raw and processed materials to major contractors, SME's and the public alike, and the supply of committed, skilled and dependable personnel.

Irish Trucker reports that the Gill Excavations and Gill Civils were sister companies and this end of the business had grown considerably in recent years and that their experience had led them to the forefront of their field of expertise.

Gill Excavations specializes in all types of Groundworks and Civil Engineering in Ireland the UK and North Iraq. Gill Civil's is a sister company of Gill Excavations that specializes in Civil Engineering and

Plant Hire. The company was formed in 2012 to cater for civil engineering contracts in Scotland. Although only recently formed this company benefits from the expertise of the sister company. They are fully insured and have trained personnel to cater for every contract.

Included are all types of excavations, drainage, shuttering, foundations, utility works, hard and soft landscaping, crushing and screening and aggregate sales. Our client base includes FP McCann, PJ Carey's, McLaughlin and Harvey, Lagan Construction, SIAC, Ferrovial, Priority Construction and this has brought us to places like north Iraq, where we are currently in the middle of a project.

In completing works from green field site to finished floor level, they are experienced in utility works, deep drainage to 7m deep, bulk rock excavations, drilling and blasting, IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

gill designed_kevin burke designed 13/06/2013 16:17 Page 2

A load of stone is delivered

crushing and screening operations and on and off site muck shifting. We would carry out about 80% of the muck shifting work that is done in Derry and Donegal.

The Gill Group also operate an extensive fleet of 16 Volvo trucks that are used for tipper, lowloader and general haulage work. The fleet is kept well maintained and is used for the transportation of plant as well as other jobs.

They are a fully licensed haulage company based in Co. Derry. Gill's operate a fleet of articulated Lorries, Low Loaders and Tipper Lorries throughout the UK and Ireland. They also provide a very professional service to their customers and cater for large and small contracts The Gill Group runs and operates a quarrying division. The company changed from sole trading status to a limited company in January 2008.

They have a highly skilled and motivated workforce that provides an excellent service, while they are fully insured and have trained personnel to cater for every contract.

The plant hire end of the business is where it all started for Laurence and it is an area that continues to keep them busy, even though the construction industry is not what it used to be.

Better Plant is a plant hire company that specializes in Plant and Machinery Hire and Sales. It stocks a IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Gill’s have their own lowloaders

The Gill Group went limited in 2008

Their fleet is kept well maintained

37

gill designed_kevin burke designed 13/06/2013 16:17 Page 3

Wishing Continued Success To The Gill Group, From

McLaughlin Motor Factors The largest car parts & accessories store in the northwest of Ireland

35 Lower Main Street, Buncrana, Co Donegal Tel: 074 93 61400 Fax: 074 93 62180 Email: mclaughlinmotorfactors@eircom.net www.mclaughlinmotorfactors.ie

CROWE McLOUGHLIN & Co. CHARTERED CERTIFIED ACCOUNTANTS REGISTERED AUDITORS TAX ADVISORS

Partners: Seamus McLoughlin BBS (Hons) FCCA Alan Crowe BSc (Hons) FCCA

Chapel Street, Carndonagh,Co. Donegal Tel: 074 93 73292 / 93 73293 Fax: 074 93 73305 Email: crowemcloughlinandco@eircom.net

Continued Best Wishes To The Gill Group Continued Best Wishes To The Gill Group, From

MCM Insurance LET US FIND THE BEST QUOTE FOR YOU Business |Commercial Motor| Construction Haulage | Civil Engineers | Plant & Machinery Property | Pubs & Clubs

Telephone: 048 713 10823 Mobile: 0044 7500 445143 E: David.Nash@mcmgroup.co.uk| www.mcmgroup.co.uk Authorised & Regulated by the Financial Services Authority

Keep on trucking with

www.irishtrucker.com

38

TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS

Umricam, Buncrana, Co. Donegal t : (00353) 74 932 2714 f : (00353) 74 932 0694 e : bradleysales@eircom.net

www.bradleytransport.com Continued Best Wishes To The Gill Group

John Fahy & Co. SOLICITORS

Our Offices Are Based At

Strabane 02871 382 356 02871 382 391

Derry 02871 308 664 02871 271 638

Castlederg 02881 671 825

www.johnfahysolicitors.net

WILSON

Wishing Continued Success To The Gill Group Best Wishes To The Gill Group From

AUTO REPAIRS & GARAGE SERVICES

Trucks | Vans | Plant |Agri Machinery etc

Tel: 075 44 844 513 Tel: 07719 154 174

6 St.Pauls Rd., Articlave, Coleraine BT51 4UN

IRISH

& LIGHT COMMERCIALS IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

gill designed_kevin burke designed 13/06/2013 16:17 Page 4

large fleet of heavy plant and haulage vehicles which are exported worldwide with shipping available and they are interested in buying your surplus plant top prices paid.

They also have vehicles on self drive basis.

The company supplies, services, hires and maintains plant and machinery for light and heavy construction, both off and on-road. All plant and equipment can be provided with their in-house certified operators or drivers at your request.

They hire plant and vehicles out to the light and heavy construction industry, retail and distribution companies and bulk material suppliers.

The schedule of maintenance and inspection is tailored to ensure that the plant delivers the standards needed to

All drivers have many years experience

meet the stringent demands and arduous conditions of their client

base. Plant can be serviced or

maintained on an exchange basis to

avoid disruption on site. All hire is supported by 24-7 emergency call-out backup.

Contact Details

Gill Excavations Gill Group, Head-Office, Clonmany, Co Donegal, Ireland Tel: (00353) 074 93-76756 Or Tel:(00353) 074 93 78535 Fax: (00353) 074 93-76611 Email: info@gillgroup.eu Northern Ireland Address 23A Heather Road, Creevagh, Co. Derry BT48 9XD. Tel: (00353) 07493-76756 Fax: (00353) 07493-76611 email: info@gillgroup.eu

Plant Hire is another service provided by the company

Gill’s have a massive customer base IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Better Plant Gill Group, Clonmany, Co Donegal, Ireland Tel: (00353) 07493-76756 Fax: (00353) 07493-76611 Email: info@gillgroup.eu Gill Civils 47 Bridge Street, Montrose, Angus, Scotland, DD10 8AE Tel: (00353) 074 93-76756 Mobile number: 00447742217636 Mobile number: 00447563389444 Fax: (00353) 074 93-76611 Email: info@gillgroup.eu Gill Heavy Haulage 23A Heather Road, Creevagh, Co. Derry, BT48 9XD Tel: Mobile number: 00447563389444 Tel: (00353) 074 93-76756 Fax: (00353) 07493-76611 Email: info@gillgroup.eu

39

duggans designed_carryduff designed 14/06/2013 13:40 Page 1

PHILIP CROSS Best Wishes To Duggans Garage, From

Motors & Recovery

24 HOUR RECOVERY

Secure Compound Available Servicing & Repairs Diagnostics etc

David J. O’Meara & Sons Solicitors

Best Wishes To Duggans Garage, From

Established 1889

Bank Place, Mallow, Co. Cork.

T: 022 21539 | F: 022 42164 E: info@djomeara.ie | www.djomeara.ie

O’Sullivan Best Wishes To Duggans Garage, From

CAR DISMANTLERS BREAKING CARS | 4X4’S LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Clonbanin, Mallow, Co. Cork

End Of Life Vehicle Certificate Available Fully Licensed Facility - WFP CK 11 0091 02

Tel: 029 78031 M: 087 2571018

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Best Wishes To Duggans Garage From

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We dismantle a wide range of makes ie: Volvo, Scania, Daf, Mercedes, Man, Renault & Hino For The Home & Export Trade. Our premises is a licenced END OF LIFE WASTE FACILITY, fully compliant with EU regulations.

Cloughleafin Mitchelstown Co Cork.

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40

Millstreet Road, Macroom, Co. Cork .

Tel: 026 41016 / 087 2523511 Email: philipcrossmotorsandrecovery@gmail.com

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24 Hour Recovery Service • Roadside Assistance • Heavy/Light & Motorcyle Recovery •Distance No Object • Storage Facilities Available • AA Approved • MIS Approved • Mondial Approved Members of RIES, IFRS, AVRO, RRRA, SIMI, PAS 43

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• Defensive Driving • Collision Investigation • Independent Vehicle Inspections • Collision Analysis • Traffic Management • Roadworks Signing Advice • UKAS Accredited PAS 43 Assessor 2 Eastbank, Strathfoyle, Co. Londonderry BT47 6UW

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Continued Best Wishes To Duggans Garage, From

MALLOW

Accident Repair Centre Ltd.

Quartertown Ind Est, Mallow, Co. Cork

M: (087)2459015 T: (022) 22514

Email: mallowarc@eircom.net www.mallowcrashrepair.com

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

duggans designed_carryduff designed 14/06/2013 13:40 Page 2

Taking the strain out of breakdowns An aerial view of Duggan’s secure compound

Breakdowns are one of the worst scenarios faced by motorists on a daily basis as they are generally accompanied by stress, the scourge of everyone’s day. Across the board, whether it be a car, motorbike, van or light commercial, breakdowns are inevitable.

T

here are times too when accidents occur and along with breakdowns, these can be very stressful times for the owners/drivers. However, such strain can be eased by the dedicated few can concentrate on the recovery of cars

Duggan’s Garage was established 21 years ago IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

and light commercials.

There are many recovery services throughout the country, but few have the experience of Duggan’s Garage and it’s proprietor Michael Duggan, who has garnered over 45 years knowledge of the industry. For the past 21 years, Michael has concentrated solely on recovery work, having operated as a mechanic for many years previously.

Duggan’s Garage is a family run business as Michael’s wife Mary looks after the administration side of the business along with Kathleen and Frances, while one of his two sons, John, helps run the operation on a day to day basis. Based in Mallow, Co Cork, the company caters for a large customer base that includes all the major insurance companies as well as the Gardaí. Public work is also a big part of their business and their location allows them to attend to any vehicle in the county in a short space of time.

“We have three recovery vehicles on the road and we cater for anything from a motorbike to a light commercial. I use to have the garage and found that I would be called out to jobs a lot, so

41

Best Wishes to Duggans Garage from all at E. Tarrant & Sons Ltd.

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I decided to concentrate on the recovery side of things and thankfully, we have been kept fairly busy over the years,” said Michael.

“We would do a lot of work for all the big insurance companies, as well as other state bodies, while we would have a lot of call outs to people that would be stranded on the side of the road.

We would also attend a lot of crashes and health and safety is paramount, regardless of what the situation might be.”

A full 24-hour service is provided, seven days of the week, 365 days per year. A professional, prompt and affordable service is provided at all times and Duggan’s Garage is renowned for getting the job done on time every time. As the company's stellar reputation spreads, he is benefiting from more and more business through word of mouth.

Simply put, this business is now established as one of the premier recovery / breakdown operators in Munster. A comprehensive service is provided under one roof and using the latest state-of-the-art equipment means customers can be back on the road in double-quick time.

The company cover the greater Cork area

“We’re available 24 hours a day to recover anything from a motorbike to a light commercial. We can recover a vehicle from literally anywhere - the roadside, out of a bog or wherever it might be stranded. The equipment is very versatile and for that reason the work can be quite varied.”

Michael may think that it is a 'small operation' but his large

A vehicle recovered from an accident IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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customer base suggests otherwise, the majority of which come from the public sector and the MD admits that there location is key to the success they have sustained over the years.

“From Mallow here, I can be on most of the motorways in minutes and through the road network travelling times have been greatly reduced, so I can be anywhere in the country in a matter of hours.”

Customers may worry about where their vehicles are stored when towed away, but they can rest assured that when Michael and John remove a vehicle, it is going to a very safe location indeed.

“We bring the vehicles to the Garda compound in Mallow, which is a very secure location with 24hr CCTV. Customers can rest assured that their vehicle will be looked after properly.”

Michael is pleased to report that he is reasonably busy at the moment.

“We're tipping away. Things have picked up in the last six months or so, which is encouraging. From '06 up to '09, it was booming. Things have been a lot quieter since, but we're still kept ticking over. This work can be seasonable, but in all honesty even though many might think that the winter is busier, I think the summer can be busier at times as people are driving a lot faster.

In this line of business, no corners can be cut and no chances can be taken. To this end, Duggan’s Garage is fully certified and does everything in compliance with existing legislation and recommendations. “Health & Safety are of paramount importance,” he confirms. “You have to be clearly visible when you're out on the road

Continued Success To Duggans Garage

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Customers can be assured their vehicles will be looked after

and you have to keep all the equipment fresh, clean and in prime working order. Image is everything so I look after the vehicle as best I can. It is checked on a daily basis and maintenance is key. A CPC course must be done to get the proper licence to operate.”

As for the future, Michael concludes: “I'll try to keep the overheads down, keep the money coming in and offer as much help as possible to the people who need the service. I've have no major plans to expand for the time being.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all our suppliers and customers, who have helped the business over the years. From the likes of the Garda or RAC to every customer, we are grateful for their support.”

Contact Details

Duggan’s Garage Lombardstown, Mallow, Co. Cork Tel: (022) 47186

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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Maintaining a proud family tradition

Armagh man Richard McBride was extending a proud family tradition in the road transport industry when he established Richard McBride Livestock Haulage eight years ago. Very much a one-man operation, the company has grown from strength to strength in the meantime, providing an unrivalled service throughout the island of Ireland and also across the UK. Irish Trucker dropped into the Newtownhamilton depot and met up with eponymous founder Richard to discuss the story of his business so far as well as his future hopes.

R

ichard McBride has been a trucker for the best part of 25 years, fronting his own livestocktransportation operation for almost a decade now.

Reflecting on the genesis of Richard McBride Livestock Haulage, he tells Irish Trucker: “I set the business up in 2005 and it’s more or less a one-man operation.

Before that, I had driven a lorry for a neighbour for

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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16 years. My father would have been in haulage before me as well, so it’s very much in the blood, you could say.”

How did Richard come to the decision to set up as an owner-driver? “A fella called to me one day about exporting sows to Duffy’s in County Galway and I decided to take him up on the offer. I bought my first lorry – a Scania 143 – and just built it up gradually from there.”

It has been a case of ‘steady as she goes’ ever since. Richard hasn’t lost the run of himself, happy to grow the business gradually in accordance with demand rather than taking any rash risks. The policy of prudence has served him well.

Today, the fleet comprises three Scanias – two R500s and a 124 420 rigid – and Richard also operates two state-of-the-art, specialist Houghton-Parkhouse double-deckers; versatile livestock trailers that are ideal for any job. As for the actual nature of his day-today activities, Richard reveals: “I run two or three lorries a week into England and also do runs here in Northern Ireland and into the Republic of Ireland. I bring cattle from the South to the North and cattle over to England. It’s mainly cattle these days but I also bring one load of sows from Donegal down to Cork once a month.”

The trucks and trailers are hard-working and Richard leaves no stone unturned in ensuring that they are in tip-top condition at all times.

Regarding maintenance and servicing of his vehicles, he notes: “I do most of the maintenance myself. I’d also get Sean Toal of Toal Truck Services in Middletown to do some of the work – he’d be known throughout the UK for Scania servicing and repairs.”

It’s always a brave decision to set up your own business but Richard McBride hasn’t looked back. He has worked extremely hard to build his business up and the proprietor of Richard McBride Livestock Haulage says he has no regrets: “We’re fairly busy at the moment, thankfully,” he confirms. “I have to say I’m very happy with how the business has gone for me.

Things are working out okay. I know a lot of people have been badly affected by the downturn in the economy but so far it hasn’t affected me at all.

“If anything, I’d say I’m in the right line of work because agriculture seems to be keeping the whole thing going. Agriculture is really strong at the minute and there’s a big demand for this service.

“We run a tight ship and we are always on time. We place a major emphasis on health and safety and have an excellent track record.

Best Wishes To Richard McBride

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www.workmanlivestocktransport.com IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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We also take backloads back to Ballymena Meats, with a two- or three-day turnaround going over to England and back.

“I suppose one of the secrets is to try and make sure there’s always something in the trailers. I am contracted to a couple of factories in Antrim and I also work directly for farmers. The double-decker trailer can accommodate up to 40 cattle but

I am versatile and will take on any job – no load is too big or too small.”

Of course, an operation like this doesn’t run itself. Far from it, in fact.

To the contrary, Richard invests long hours into the business and there’s no real let-up. He gets behind the wheel six days a week, 52 weeks of the year.

“I have a couple of part-time drivers, as well, and they make sure the service is uninterrupted.

It does take up all of my time but, in fairness, I’m happy enough with what I’m doing. If things continue as they are at present, and there is the same amount of work every week, I certainly won’t complain. I won’t be trying to expand or to take on more work than I can handle. There’s no need. If things stay as they are, we should be okay…”

Richard runs a fresh fleet. While none of the vehicles are brand new, they are excellently maintained to get the job done every time. “Nobody wants to be

going out buying new lorries or trailers unless they have to,” he concludes.

“These double-decker livestock trailers cost around £120,000, so you tend to look after them! If you keep on top of it and service the unit regularly, then a 2006 trailer can perform just as well as a new one.”

Since setting up his own company in 2005, Richard McBride has forged an excellent reputation for himself in the livestock haulage sector throughout Ireland and the UK. With a combination of hard work, excellent equipment, punctuality and transparency in dealing with his clients, he has developed Richard McBride Livestock Haulage into one of the most-sought-after specialists in its chosen field of expertise.

As well as bring very knowledgeable, he’s also a down-toearth and focused individual, so the success of this business should continue for many years – and decades – to come!

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kearneys designed_carryduff designed 17/06/2013 12:43 Page 1

Diversifying and multiplying

Forty-five years since its genesis, Kearney’s of Cork is in a stronger position than ever. As well as providing a professional executive coach hire service throughout the Rebel County and beyond, this renowned family business has also diversified significantly in recent years, giving rise to a sister company, Little Island Commercials Ltd., which offers a top-class maintenance, spray-painting, repair and recovery service to truck and bus operators in the locality. Irish Trucker caught up with company proprietor Roy Kearney to get the lowdown.

P

roviding a wide range of executive coach transfer solutions throughout Cork, Munster, Ireland and abroad, Kearney’s of Cork was established in 1968 by Anthony Kearney. In 1996, the founder’s son Roy took over the management of the long-running family business, which he proudly describes as “100% Cork-

48

owned”.

The current MD reflects: “My father would have started off with taxis and minibuses and built the business up gradually from there. We had moved into the coach business by the time I took over 17 years ago but there were only two buses in the fleet at that time, so we had to rebuild.”

There had been a fleet of 20 or 30 vehicles in the ‘80s and early ‘90s; when Roy took over he immediately set about the task of resurrecting the family business to its former glories. He has succeeded in doing that – and then some!

“The first step was to purchase two high-quality coaches,” he relates. “I built

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it up from there and today we have a fleet of 64 vehicles.” A mixed fleet of versatile coaches can cater for groups ranging from 14 to 55 passengers, or even larger groups.

As well as investing substantially in the fleet, Roy has also overseen significant investment in the brand new state-ofthe-art facilities in Waterfront Business Park, which has given rise to a sister company – Little Island Commercials Ltd. He takes the story up: “We invested €4million in the new premises here in Little Island in 2011. We now have a full test lane dedicated exclusively to our own vehicles as well as a full in-house paint shop / spray booth, which is used for our own vehicles and is also open to other commercial vehicle owners.

“In addition, we also have a full maintenance and repair workshop, which is also open to outside work and a full drive-through coach wash with a special lift, which enables chassis cleaning on the underside of trucks and buses.

This is also open to the public.”

The new facility is a huge operation and it allows Kearney’s not just to maintain their own fleet in pristine condition but also to provide an excellent service to the large number of operators in the immediate vicinity and beyond.

This separate business has truly taken on a life of its own and Roy admits that they are “fairly busy” in the workshop on a daily basis despite the economic slowdown.

As for his visionary decision to open up the garage in the first place, he explains: “When you are running 60-odd buses, you eventually realise that it would be IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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cheaper to do all you own work and to also be able to offer the service out to other operators.

We branched out and it has worked out well for us.

“We are completely self-sufficient now and we no longer have all our eggs in the one basket. Little Island Commercials Ltd. is located in a very busy industrial area and we are able to get plenty of local business. We also provide a full recovery service for artics and coaches and one of the other positive things about the new workshop facility is that we’ve been able to increase our staff base to the point where we now employ a total of 50 people.

“We also purchase used coaches and refurbish them and then sell them on again, so we’re keeping ourselves busy.”

With a 45-year history in providing corporate, educational / schools and private clients with a trusted solution to a wide variety of trip, tour and transfer requirements, Kearney’s of Cork is still very much the core business. And Roy has no intention of taking his eye off the ball: “We’re doing a lot of

tours around Ireland, the UK and Europe, including quite a few skiing trips,” he notes. “The bread and butter would be school transport and other school-orientated business.

“At the moment, we’re also running six colourful doubledeckers around Cork in eye-catching colours – pink, black, red etc. – with the company name painted on, and these are proving to be very good advertising tools. March – October is always a very busy time of year for us so things are really starting to pick up at the moment.”

Kearney’s of Cork operate a fresh fleet and, on the day I

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IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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visited their Little Island base, Roy was taking delivery of a lovely new 32-seater Mercedes Turas 818 from Noone Coach Sales in Maynooth.

He has two more ’13reg coaches on order and the rest of the immaculatelymaintained fleet would comprise 06up to -12 regs, with a large percentage of 2011 and 2012 vehicles.

Looking to the future, Roy concludes: “We work very hard at what we do. Unfortunately, it’s not a 9-5 operation every day but we wouldn’t have invested so heavily if we didn’t think there was a future for Kearney’s of Cork.

We are a fully Irishowned and -operated company that’s been here for 45 years and we have a loyal core of regular customers. We have a strong fleet, excellent premises, great staff and we provide a high-quality service.

“We’ve diversified to safeguard out

future and I’m confident that we’ll continue to grow.”

Decades of experience of the coach transfer industry results in total safety and comfort. Kearney’s of Cork set the

highest of standards when it comes to coach services and are extremely proud of their high customer retention rate. A profession, punctual and friendly service is provided at all times for corporate clients, educational transport, day trips (at home or abroad), pilgrimages to Lough Derg or Knock and sports events (in Ireland or abroad).

This company has a proud past and a promising future.

Contact Details

Kearney’s of Cork Unit 3/4, Waterfront Business Park, Little Island, County Cork Tel: 021 4232252 Fax: 021 4232257 Mobile: 087 6172186 Email: kearneysofcork@eircom.net IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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Everything is A1

A1 Short Notice Removals & Storage Solutions has been at the forefront of the removal industry for more years than proprietor Jim Kinghan cares to remember. After speaking with the affable Kinghan, it is clear to Irish Trucker why so many of his customers stayed loyal to him and his business for over four decades.

A1 Short Notice Removals is 45-years in business

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B

ack in 1968 the entrepreneurial streak came out in Jim Kinghan. An impulse buy of an Austin J4 from a scrap-yard opened the door for his introduction into the removal business.

He recalls his parents weren’t overly impressed at the time but he has since proved them wrong.

2013 marks his company’s – A1 Short Notice Removals & Storage Solutions – 45th anniversary in business.

“I started the business in 1968 with a van I bought out of a scrap yard – an Austin J4,” Jim explained to Irish Trucker. “I remember bringing it home and my father and mother nearly threw me out of the house!

“I painted it and had it on the road within a fortnight and started to work. The business grew from there.”

Moving to a new home or moving business premises can be an exhausting and timeconsuming ordeal but by choosing A1 as your moving company you can ensure that everything will go according to your plan.

Based in Newtownards, A1 boasts a dedicated fleet of four different sized Mercedes which can accommodate any sized job.

“I specialise in mainly household removal and storage but I do commercial work as well, throughout the UK and Ireland.”

Jim concedes that the removal and storage business has not been as profitable as he would have liked in recent times.

After spending practically all of his adult life helping ease the burden of moving house for appreciative clients, he has witnessed the wheel turn full circle.

At the height of his business he provided gainful employment to a staff of 25 but the economic downturn has hit him, and the industry as whole, hard.

“Work is scarce; it’s on the thin side to say the least. At the height of the good times we’d be moving five or six homes every day.

A restored Austin J4 van which is a replica of the first company van from 1968

“I’m not really that optimistic about the future to tell you the truth. It’s hard to be enthusiastic and anyone saying there is a bright future is making it up.”

Not that Jim has any intention of throwing in the towel, however.

“I have four lorries on the go at the moment and I intend to stay going for a while yet. The rent has to be paid on the yard!” he added with a laugh.

Customer service has been a cornerstone on which the success of A1 Short Notice Removals & Storage Solutions has been built.

No job is too big or small for Jim and this approach has earned him plenty of repeat business down through the years.

“A lot of people came back to me time and time again. They seem to have been very satisfied with the service.

“I have always gone the extra forty miles for people and they

The company go ‘above and beyond’ for their customers IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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appreciated that.”

As part of cost-saving measures, some people take on to move their belongings themselves but, in Jim’s experience, that creates more headaches than it is worth.

“A lot of people haven’t a clue what to do. I go out and visit the house, look at the situation and see what needs to be done in terms of packing, screwing down wardrobes, beds and so.

“It may seem to be straightforward but there is a lot more to it than packing a few boxes and people don’t be long in realising that.”

Jim also operates a courier service which guarantees same day delivery and is available at affordable prices.

The company’s service can accommodate both high volume users and emergency shipments – anything from an envelope to handling a complex logistical issue.

Meanwhile, A1 ‘s self store facilities offers a wide range of clean and secure storage units ranging in size from a locker to a space capable of storing the entire contents of a large house and suitable for domestic and commercial

storage.

Each unit is lockable and their sites have 24-hour closed circuit television and monitored fire and intruder alarms for added security ensure their customers’ total peace of mind.

Customers can have unlimited access to their storage unit during working hours and access is free. The company also provides free use of handling equipment to help customers manage their goods into store.

Recent lean times have given Jim plenty of time to reflect on almost half a century of plying his trade in the removal trade and he took a trip down memory lane a few years ago by returning to his roots.

“Over the years I thought wouldn’t be nice if got a J4 van. Five or six years ago I started looking and now I have three old J4s. One is sitting in the yard, fully restored and painted in the company livery. It’s identical to the first one I had.”

The removal business has been good to Jim Kinghan and he has returned the favour to a multitude of a families and businesses moving premises.

Contact Details

A1 Short Notice Removals & Storage Solutions 49 Quarry Road, Comber, Newtownards, County Down BT236ED Tel: 07811442196 Email: a1shortnoticeremovals@live.co.uk www.a1shortnoticeremovals.co.uk

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56

Best Wishes To Jim & All The Staff In A1 Short Notice Removals, From

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A memorable Full of the Pipe 2013

Full of the Pipe was a huge success once again on a brilliant June Bank Holiday weekend in sunny Cavan. Crowds were up on last year and the quality of the trucks on display was fantastic. The work that went into the presentation of trucks was obvious and a credit to all the owners. The Cavan Equestrian Centre was the place to be and once more we must take our hat off the organisers for putting on yet another memorable show, with a number of charities benefiting from the event. We are looking forward to next year already.

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Waste collection permits centralised, streamlined and simplified Members of the NWCPO team (from left): Liz Carbury, Fidelma Naughton, Emma Molloy, Leo Duffy, Helen Rosney, Sinead McEvoy, Natasha Troy. Missing from photo are Ray Bell, Celine Kavanagh, Ide O’Connell, Lorraine Watkins and Leonie Fennelly

The genesis of the National Waste Collection Permit Office in Tullamore, County Offaly last February has simplified the process of applying for and processing waste collection permits. Regardless of the collector’s location, all permits are now processed and managed from one central hub and – with the system conveniently accessible and amendable through online portals - life is a whole lot simpler for everybody concerned!

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s of February, 2012, all new waste collection permits are being processed and issued from a new national office in Tullamore, County Offaly: the National Waste Collection Permit Office (NWCPO). The office is also reviewing all existing permits. The new centrally-operated service is also fully operational online, all of which makes life much easier for hauliers involved in the transportation of waste, who can focus more of their attention on doing what they do best.

The new service was initiated with a minimum of fuss by team members from neighbouring County Councils in Offaly and Westmeath, who got the ball rolling when they went to Dublin to present their submission to the County and City Managers’ Association (CCMA) in late 2011.

The Local Government Efficiency Review Group had recommended that waste collection permits should be issued nationwide from a single point and expressions of interest were invited by the environment sub-committee of the CCMA from existing nominated authorities. Offaly / Westmeath County Councils made their presentation in October, 2011 and were notified that they had been selected in December, 2011.

The successful presentation was based on using online services and ICT to improve efficiencies and service quality. Services would be offered on a shared basis, with Offaly County Council looking after admin and Westmeath County Council providing

the IT expertise.

A project team was established to ensure that all targets were met, legalities were sorted out and other local authorities were advised to nominate Offaly County Council to look after all waste collection permits. The National Waste Collection Permit Office in Tullamore has been processing all new waste collection permits for Ireland since February 1st, 2012.

The transition was seamless. Files (electronic data and hard copies) held in the offices of the nine nominated authorities were transferred to the NWCPO without any problems and permit holders already providing a waste collection service experienced no interference / delays. They were simply informed that their file was now held at the NWCPO. All additions, deletions, changes and reviews would henceforth proceed through the national office and an online portal was introduced, further streamlining the process and enabling waste permit holders to make amendments themselves.

The genesis of one national office has generated obvious efficiencies, particularly in the area of IT. As the nominated authority for the midlands, Offaly and Westmeath County Councils had already worked together, specialising in administration and IT respectively. Now, their combined expertise and foresight has conceived a centralised national waste collection permit process that is completely operational online, from initial

registration through to the public inspection of collectors’ permits.

The online facility incorporates public, waste collectors’ and local authority portals which allow all three parties to access the information relevant to them.

On the ground floor, waste enforcement teams remain active in both local authorities, checking on waste collections and collectors and ensuring that everything is being done properly. The team at the NWCPO works in conjunction with both the CCMA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce and maintain the very highest standards of health, safety and compliance.

Efficiencies were also possible in terms of appointing the seven team members at the NWCPO, who were redeployed to the national office, while the fact that collectors can now conduct their own business online has reduced the administrative manpower needed in this area.

All individuals, companies and partnerships intending to carry out waste collection activities for reward anywhere in Ireland must apply to the NWCPO for a waste collection permit.

To ensure that applications are processed efficiently, applicants should ensure that all forms are filled out correctly and all the required documentation is included. Collectors are advised to engage in a preapplication consultation prior to lodging an application.

The National Waste Collection Permit Office is located in Tullamore IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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Best Wishes To NWCPO, From Mill River Business Park, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary.

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IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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Since the waste collection permit system was amalgamated into the National Waste Collection Permit Office, the waste collection permit register is now held by the NWCPO and can be accessed via www.nwcpo.ie. The Waste Facility Permit and Certificate of Registration registers continue to be hosted by the EPA and are available at www.epa.ie.

An application form for a waste collection permit can be downloaded from the NWCPO website or by contacting the office by telephone: 057 9357428. For a multi-regional permit, the fee payable is €1,000 per region (up to a maximum charge of €5,000 for all ten waste regions). Each permit is reviewed after five years, a fee of half the original fee applying for this review. All reviews are now carried out at the NWCPO. The National Waste Collection Permit Office has already been a huge success since its inception. Long term, its presence is set to be of enormous benefit to everybody involved in the waste collection sector.

Contact Details

National Waste Collection Permit Office Árasan Chontae, Charleville Road, Tullamore, County Offaly.

Telephone: 057 9357428 Email: nwcpo@offalycoco.ie www.nwcpo.ie

Best Wishes To National Waste Collection Permit Office From

Anybody carrying out waste collection anywhere in Ireland must apply to the NWCPO for a permit

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Thornton’s Recycling leads the way A food waste recycling truck

Offering a full range of waste management services to both the domestic and commercial sectors, Thornton’s Recycling is an award-winning company which has recently introduced special food collection trucks to its 100-strong fleet.

F

ounded in 1979 by Padraig and Carmel Thornton, Thornton’s Recycling has grown from one bin lorry into one of Ireland’s largest waste management companies, providing waste collection, recycling and recovery services nationally.

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The Dublin-headquartered company’s customer-base encompasses the domestic, public and private sectors with annual sales in excess of €36 million. Currently, the company employs over 302 staff. Thornton’s prides itself on being one of the country’s most

progressive and advanced recycling companies with an impressive company recycling rate of 88% in 2012.

Thornton’s dedication to quality and service is reflected in the number of prestigious awards it has won over the years. In 2012, the company was

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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named Repak Recovery Operator of the Year (Large Company) and was a Repak Kerbside Collection Service of the Year finalist. And on April 13 last, it won the Waste Business Resource Award at the 2013 Green Awards.

Thornton’s received the Waste Business Resource Award for excelling in the conversion of food waste into compost.

With new EU household food regulations being introduced on July 1, Thornton’s already has two special food collection trucks (a DAF and a Volvo) on the road, and is due to take delivery of a third (another DAF) soon. These state-of-the-art

vehicles are different to your typical refuse collection trucks in that they boast sealed containers which do not leak.

These trucks are already a familiar sight in the greater Dublin area where customers avail of Thornton’s brown bin (food waste) service.

Thornton’s Recycling does not own nor operate a landfill and, as such, does not have the conflict of interest in making it viable to fill a hole in the ground balanced against the cost of recycling the material. The company places a strong emphasis on recycling, energy recovery and the diversion of

Gary Brady (right), MD Thornton Recycling, accepts ‘The Waste to Business Resource Award’ from Olivier Gaillot IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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The Purge service offers secure shreading All sizes of skips are available

waste from landfill.

Across its seven facilities in 2012, Thornton’s accepted 338,273 tonnes and are proud to have further increased the company’s annual recycling rate to a record high of 88%.

To put this recycling rate into

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perspective, in 1979, all waste was delivered to landfill as was the norm.

When Thornton’s opened its first

A mobile CCTV survey of drains

Specialists in the secure destruction of confidential data

recycling centre in 2000, it achieved a recycling rate of 6.1%. Throughout the proceeding years, Thornton’s expanded and built specialised recycling facilities and has seen its recycling rate increase consistently year-on-year.

As one of the country’s foremost waste management companies, Thornton’s are proud active members of the Irish Waste Management Association and are committed to helping Ireland reach and maintain its national recycling targets. The company has invested in excess of €55m in state-of-the-art facilities and sorting technologies to date, with plans for investing more in the years ahead.

The company operates three waste licensed facilities, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and four waste permitted IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

HARRIS

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TRUCK CENTRE

Suppliers of New & Secondhand Quality Trucks To Thornton Recycling

Large range of secondhand vehicles – all makes All export enquiries welcome

BEST WISHES TO THORNTONS RECYCLING

Harris Truck Centre Naas Road, Dublin 12 Phone 01 4194500 Email info@harrisgroup.ie

www.harrisusedvehicles.ie

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Labels . Folders . Office Recycling Bins & Desk Trays Plain & Printed Brochures . Letterheads . Business Cards . Conference Pads.

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www.irishtrucker.com

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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Domestic waste collection IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

facilities, issued either by Kildare County Council or Dublin City Council.

Thornton’s facilities include a 250,000 tonne waste transfer station and SRF production plant, a 50,000 tonne dry recyclables MRF, a 50,000 tonne construction and demolition facility with a civic amenity site, a 40,000 tonne composting facility, a 20,000 tonne wood chipping facility, a security shredding facility, an end-of-life vehicle processing facility and a liquid tankering waste division, all of which are operated in compliance with their associated licenses and permits.

Thornton’s Recycling offers a complete waste management solution to its customers. It do this by working in partnership with its customers to identify recyclable waste streams at their facilities or homes, to provide educational information in relation to the correct segregation of their waste on site, and what happens their waste after Thornton’s collects it.

Thornton’s Recycling continues to grow sustainably and currently has over 48,000 household customers along with 3,200 commercial customers, delivering integrated solutions tailored to the needs of customers across a broad range of sectors from Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, Education, Manufacturing, Leisure, Construction to Domestic and Municipal.

Since the company’s foundation, Thornton’s has developed its products and services to provide its customers with a complete waste management solution. Some of the services now offered to customers include: Recycling and Recovery Services, Waste Management, Skip Hire, Tanker and Liquid Waste Services, Secure Confidential Shredding - On and Off-Site, WEEE Collection, Food Waste Collection to Compost, End of Life Vehicle (ELV) Collection and Processing, Demolition/Site Clearance, Product Destruction.

Thornton’s Recycling employs a dedicated team of professionals, including an environmental team of scientists and engineers who ensure compliance with licences, permits and relevant national regulations. The company’s management systems are certified to international standards for ISO 9001 Quality, OHSAS 18001 Health and Safety and Environmental

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Wishing Continued Success To Thorntons Recycling, From

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IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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ISO14001.

On March 7, Minister Phil Hogan signed the European Union Food Regulations 2013 (Household Food Waste and Bio-Waste, S.I.No.71 of 2013). These regulations are designed to promote the segregation and recovery of household food waste. They will increase the amount of food waste that is recovered through the production of energy, compost and digestate by directing food household food waste into composting facilities which are authorised for the treatment of such material.

Compressed The new household food regulations packaging bundles provides obligations on waste collectors to provide a separate collection service for household food waste based on populations agglomerations greater than 25,000 persons from the 1st July 2013. As already stated, Thornton’s has invested in two trucks that are tailor-made for the specific collection of food waste, with a third due in July – just in time for the new food waste regulations.

Food waste is collected from the householder and commercial customers and delivered to the company’s composting facility in Kilmainhamwood, Co. Meath where it is turned into a compost material. Thornton’s own fleet of Artic trucks (their overall fleet is 100strong) delivers the compost to end users, typically farmers. The company can also spread the compost for the farmer using its own John Deere tractor.

GMOTOR EORGE BRENNAN FACTORS LTD. Final shredded and bailed paper at Thornton’s secure facility

Continued Success To All At Thorntons Recycling, from

Contact Details

Thornton’s Recycling Unit S3B, Henry Road, Parkwest Business Park, Dublin 12.

Tel: + 353 1 623 5133 Fax: + 353 1 623 5131 Email: info@thorntons-recycling.ie Web: www.thorntons-recycling.ie

10 St. Marys Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12 (Opp. An Realta) Tel: 01-4552731. Fax: 01-4551376. Mobile: 087-2571148

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Keeping good company

Over four decades since its genesis, McAuliffe Trucking Company is still going strong, servicing the haulage and distribution needs of local and national companies, big and small. Irish Trucker popped into the company base in the Kingdom to get an update from manager Davy Corkery.

M

cAuliffe Trucking Company – headquartered at Fahaduff, Castleisland, County Kerry – is owned by Mike McAuliffe, who has forged a stellar reputation in the trucking industry for efficiency, dependability, service and integrity.

Established in January, 1970, the company specialises in providing a wide

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range of haulage solutions, offering a keen national and international service that comprises everything from grain to fridges, tankers to curtainsiders etc.

McAuliffe Trucking Company was founded by the proprietor’s father and has gone from strength to strength over the intervening four decades and more.

Boasting a great tradition and an illustrious history, McAuliffe Trucking Company stays true to its core founding values of quality service, punctuality and competitive rates, making it one of the most sought-after haulage companies in the south of Ireland.

Day-to-day operations are overseen by company managers Declan Mangan and Davy Corkery, both of whom have been part of the McAuliffe Trucking Company team for over 20 years. As with any

haulage firm, McAuliffe has had to adapt, diversify and move with the times. I asked Davy how things have changed in the past few years: “I suppose we’re doing even more continental work now,” he states. “We do a lot of runs to Germany and Truly Irish Country Foods would be one of our main clients now. We also do a lot of work for North South Pig Company, which is another combination of farmers. We’re doing a good bit of tanker work as well.”

Central to the success of McAuliffe Trucking company are two key factors: experienced, competent and professional staff plus a modern fleet of superbly-maintained vehicles. The stringent and routine fleet maintenance / servicing / repairs / work is carried out literally in-house by Kerry Truck Sales, which is a sister company, also owned

by Mike McAuliffe. Investment in the tractors and trailers is ongoing to ensure IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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that an excellent service is provided at all times.

To this end, McAuliffe Trucking Company will soon be collecting the keys of a brand-new DAF 105 460 truck, which will bring the total number of lorries in the fleet to 18. Trailer-wise, they operate a fleet of some 60 units (tankers, fridges, curtainsiders and livestock trailers) which, combined, enable them to handle literally any kind of work.

In 2011, McAuliffe’s took delivery of a brand-new, state-of-the-art Pezzaioli livestock trailer, an investment of €127,000, which underlines the company’s dedication to excellence and commitment to their customers.

The painstaking upkeep of the fleet – which not only performs brilliantly but also looks superb provides McAuliffe’s with a keen edge over the competition and also ensures that their loyal and satisfied core clients / partners – the vast majority of whom have been contracted longterm – know they are on the receiving end of an optimal level of service.

Long-term partners include the likes of Newmarket Co-op, Kerry Co-op and The Kerry IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Group.

“We have a big fleet and we invest a lot of time, work and money into keeping it modern, up-to-date, fullyoperational and MOT’d,” Davy notes.

“We handle all our own repairs and maintenance through Kerry Truck Sales, where we have four engineers working in a top-of-the-range workshop.

“We leave no stone unturned in making sure that the trucks are compliant, safe and roadworthy. No expense is spared. All our lorries are taxed, ensured, MOT’d and we keep them clean. We carry out six-week inspections and we always put on

premium tyres. The drivers are experienced and are fully-trained in all aspects of heavy haulage.

“They do manual handling and inhouse training. Every member of staff does the MONTIE in-house safety course, which has seventeen modules covering every aspect of truck safety.

They all have their CPCs done, too. We make every effort to keep on top of things and to provide the best service that money can buy.”

One of the most frustrating things about this is that compliant companies like McAuliffe Trucking Company can then see their rates undercut by rogue operators who have practically zero overheads because they simply don’t bother with the rules: “The cowboys are the biggest problem,” Davy admits. “They have no MOTs, they are running on washed diesel and they don’t care about health and safety. By not doing things properly, they can get away with doing things on the cheap. I will never understand why they are allowed to do this, why there is no enforcement of the law, no clampdown. I could actually name them out now, but what’s the

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for all the latest industry news

Wishing Continued Success To McAuliffe Trucking Company & Kerry Truck Sales, From

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Tel: 00353 66 71 21301 /00353 66 71 21202 Fax: 00353 66 71 22230 Email: info@efsco.ie

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mcauliffe designed_carryduff designed 14/06/2013 13:34 Page 4

point? Is anything every going to be done?

“As well as the economic downturn, the thing that has affected us most is illegal operators and the cutting of rates. They shouldn’t be there. Their presence is making life very difficult for the honest operator who’s doing everything by the book.”

Employing a total staff of 25, McAuliffe Trucking Company provides an all-Ireland service, all-UK deliveries and also a continental service covering France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. While there’s no room for complacency in the haulage sector at present, Davy reports that they are “tipping along and keeping the show on the road.”

He continues: “This business has been here since 1970 and we’ve developed a very good reputation for providing an excellent service. We tend to keep our customers. When you look after your customers, they will generally stay with you. We’ve always prided ourselves on giving an outstanding level of customer care. Even on the rare occasion that a customer has left us and hooked up with somebody else, they have come back to McAuliffe Trucking Company eventually because our service is second to none.”

Continuity amongst the staff facilitates the provision of a consistently-excellent service: “I’m here 21 years myself and I’m only 38,” Davy says. “All the staff have been here a long time. Anyone who comes here, they tend to stay. We have a lot of lads who are here 27 / 28 years. That would be normal enough here.

“Mike [McAuliffe] is a sound man to work for. Once you’re doing the job, he lets you get on with it. Myself and Declan both have our CPCs and we share out the running of the business between us. He looks after the domestic work and the piggery and I’m over the yard and the continental work.

“We’re confident that we’ll continue to keep things going and to provide the excellent service we’re renowned for. But it’s time somebody did something about the cowboys…”

Contact Details

McAuliffe Trucking Company Ltd. Fahaduff, Castleisland, County Kerry.

Telephone: 066 7141933/35 Mobile: 087 2509508 (Declan); 087 1354554 (Davy); 087 2566364 (Mike) Fax: 066-7143006 Email: mcauliffetrucking@eircom.net www.mcauliffetrucking.com

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Transpec, a true one stop shop Transpec has outlets in Dublin and Limerick

Transpec Ltd’s emergence as Ireland’s leading truck and trailer parts’ distributor hasn’t come about by accident, according to managing director Richard Sheehan.

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focus somewhat from trailer to truck parts,” Richard explains.

“We made a concerted effort to grow our truck parts business. We now sell more truck parts than trailer parts, which is quite an achievement when you consider we were primarily trailer parts stockists only up until relatively recently. We’ve grown our truck parts sales and retained, even increased, our trailer parts sales at the same time.

But, crucially, we’re no longer perceived as a trailer parts distributor only.”

He adds: “It speaks volumes for the pro-active approach we’ve adopted with regard to our truck parts business that we’ve had success in a market that isn’t growing.

This has been achieved by taking a larger slice of the cake.” “Also, the quality and calibre of our staff plays a fundamental part in our success and we have recruited some very experienced people in recent times. In the past couple of months we have recruited Anthony Buckley and Nicola Power to the team. Anthony, who is a native of Tipperary, has many years sales experience in the industry and brings with him a wealth of truck and trailer parts knowledge. Anthony currently covers Tipperary, Kilkenny, Offaly, Waterford and Wexford.

Nicola joined us in February and will be well known to many in the industry. She is based in our Dublin branch and has over 10 years relevant experience.

We place a massive emphasis on customer services, continued Sheehan. “Often companies pay lip service to this but to us it is everything.” “We are acutely aware that we operate in a competitive environment and we take nothing for granted. We understand that if we don’t look after our customer, then someone else will. The Dublin area is particularly competitive and is very service orientated. We have two full time delivery drivers who make sure that we can get the right parts to our customers without any delay.”

F

ormerly a distributor for trailer parts only, Transpec Ltd – which is a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of BPW, Europe’s largest manufacturer of axles and suspensions for the commercial trailer market – branched out into truck parts some five years ago. This decision has paid off spectacularly for the company which currently has outlets in Dublin and Limerick. Transpec has seen its turnover increase dramatically in the last three years with sales of truck parts now accounting for the lions share of their business.

“About five years ago, we shifted IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Anthony Lillis behind his desk

The growth in Transpec’s business has been greatly aided by the opening of the Limerick depot in 2010. This depot has given the company a presence in the Mid-West and South, and is manned by five full-time staff.

“The Limerick branch has been a great success for us,” the affable managing director enthuses.

“We recently moved into new premises on the Ballysimon Road which is three times bigger than the one we had been in. We’re situated directly across the road from Shannon Transport, who are one of our customers. Our trade counter business has gone through the roof in both Dublin and Limerick, and we now employ 17 staff overall.

“Our Limerick depot – which covers the whole western seaboard – has been such a success than we are actively considering opening another branch elsewhere in the country in the near future.” “We have a number of prime locations in mind”, continued Sheehan “but we are keeping our powder dry until the time is right and we are sure we have picked the right location”.

Transpec was established in Ireland in 2001 and is 100 per cent owned by BPW Ltd, which represents the BPW

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Group in the UK and Ireland. BPW was formed in Wiehl, Germany in 1898 and remains to this day an owner-operated family business, employing 5,000 people worldwide, with 20 distribution companies and a worldwide service network of 3,200 agents. BPW produce some 335,000 axles per year from it’s 10 production sites throughout the world. BPW’s consolidated worldwide sales would be in the region of 1 Billion Euro.

Transpec is the distributor for BPW parts in Ireland but, as already mentioned, it is certainly not limited solely to BPW products. The company also offers a wide range of SAF, ROR and Mercedes parts too. Transpec’s comprehensive truck parts range includes everything from clutches, batteries and filters to body panels and airbags. They also carry a comprehensive range of track rods, ball joints, drag links, king pins and A frames for all of major truck makes.

In addition, Transpec are exclusive Irish distributors for globallyrenowned products such as Lipe clutches, Sidem steering parts and Filtron filters. They are also distributors for quality brands such as Truck-lite lights, Dinex exhausts, febi and Diesel Technic DT parts.

Because Transpec is owned by BPW, it only distributes quality parts.

“As a BPW company, we are extremely conscious of quality, and every part we supply has to meet the same exacting levels of quality that BPW is synonymous with,” Richard continues.

“Because we’re buying as a distributor, we’re able to buy in large quantities and this allows us enjoy significant savings from suppliers. We in turn can then pass on these savings to our customers, making us

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New Sales rep Anthony Buckley with a new Transpec van outside the company’s Limerick premises

Keith O’Neill pictured in Transpec’s well-stocked warehouse

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

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extremely competitive in the marketplace. Coupled with this, BPW have set up a company headquartered in Vienna called Trailerline. Trailerline is a central purchasing company that negotiates pan-european deals with suppliers ensuring that we are buying at the possible price for all of our parts all of the time.

Trailerline is a relatively recent initiative but being part of this group will pay massive dividends to Transpec in the near future.”

Transpec supplies parts to a wide range of customers, including haulage companies – small, medium and large – as well as garages and commercial motor factors. They currently operate and are active throughout the 32 counties of Ireland.

Full trade counters are open to the public at the company’s Dublin headquarters in Baldonnell and at its Limerick depot.

Transpec relocated to its state-of-the-art Baldonnell facility, which is just off the M7 Dublin-Limerick Motorway, five years ago. It comprises an 8,000 sq. ft. warehouse and carries a vast stock of parts. A free delivery service is provided to Dublin customers and those in surrounding counties by Transpec’s dedicated delivery drivers.

Transpec’s knowledgeable staff are equipped to deal with the needs of its ever-expanding network of trade and end-user customers, ensuring quality throughout every facet of the operation. It’s a case of upwards and onwards for this thriving company.

Contact Details

Transpec Ltd (Dublin branch), Unit 11, Block B, Kingswood Business Park, Baldonnell Road Lower, Dublin 22.

Phone: 01 4642002 Fax: 01 4643112 email: richard.sheehan@transpec.ie Transpec Ltd (Limerick branch) Unit 8, Romadda Business Park, Ballysimon Road, Limerick.

Phone: 061 437932

Wishing Continued Success To Transpec Ltd, From

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80

The number one truck and trailer parts distributor

Gary Kelly is part of the Transpec team

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DDR designed_kevin burke designed 14/06/2013 13:46 Page 1

The recovery specialists in Donegal

Jason Gordon has seen his company grow in recent years

DDR Recovery provides a 24-hour vehicle recovery service in the NorthWest. Proprietor Jason Gordon explains more.

S

et up seven years in Manorcunningham, Co. Donegal, DDR (Donegal Derry Recovery) Recovery has established itself as the leading breakdown recovery specialist in its area, attending to the needs of motorists throughout the North-West and beyond.

A privately-owned company situated IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

on the main Letterkenny-Derry Road, DDR Recovery can recover and transport any kind of vehicle, ranging from motorcycles to motorhomes.

Providing a fast, friendly, reliable and efficient response, the company boasts a modern fleet of recovery vehicles which are equipped with the latest technology to ensure you get the best

possible and most competitively priced service.

In addition, DDR Recovery can collect a vehicle from any part of Ireland and transport it home. The company attends to breakdowns for motorcycles, cars, commercial vehicles, LGV, HGV, caravans‌ you name it. “The business has been going since

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on value or price.”

DDR Recovery works in partnership with other reputable recovery companies to ensure a prompt and efficient service for the motorist throughout Ulster. Among the recovery specialists it enjoys an excellent working relationship with are John Beers Recovery & Commercial Repairs, Comber, Co. Down, Lakeland Recovery Service, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh and Two Trees Recovery Service, Ballymena, Co. Antrim.

As already mentioned, Jason is assisted in the business by his brother Noel. The third member of DDR Recovery team is Paul Halpenny, who is a mechanic by trade and therefore can carry out repairs to broken-down vehicles.

“If a truck needs to be patched up and put back on the road quickly, Paul has the expertise and knowhow to do this,” Jason notes.

DDR Recovery’s modern fleet includes a seven-and-aNot something you see every day ... A broken down Ferrari is recovered by DDR Recovery half tonne Iveco tilt and slide, a three-and-a-half tonne Iveco beavertail, a Volvo F12 under-lift recovery vehicle, a MAN truck and low-loader and a Transit service van.

2006 and it’s been a case of so far, so good,” founder and The fleet comes with state-of-the-art lifting and towing proprietor Jason Gordon explains. equipment.

“We’re a small company that has established itself mainly through word of mouth. We cover an area from Dungiven in Co. Derry, which is 30 minutes away from our base, down as far as Sligo, which is about an hour-and-a-half away. But we will literally travel anywhere in the country to collect vehicles. My brother Noel looks after the long-distance runs.”

DDR Recovery excels in the area of breakdown assistance and recovery. In fact, this accounts for a lot of the business.

“Roadside repairs and recovery is our core business,” Jason says.

“Even though we have Garda and other contracts, breakdown is our bread and butter work. Among the most frequent callouts we get are from motorists who have put the wrong type of fuel in their vehicle. We get at least 10 callouts a week of this nature.

“It’s a surprisingly common mistake people make, but we’re not as bad for it DDR Recovery has been in here in this country as they are in the UK business for seven years where it accounts for 43 per cent of all callouts. Fortunately, nine times out of 10, people realise the mistake before they start their vehicle, meaning there is no damage done to their engine. We use special diagnostic equipment to do a check on the vehicle and make sure there are no further issues.” Jason has seen an increase in business over the past few years due to the higher age profile of vehicles on the road.

“There aren’t as many new cars or vehicles as there used to be, and I suppose that has been good for our business. With cars getting older and warranties lapsing, there’s a greater chance of breakdowns occurring. No matter what time of the day or night it is, we will answer the call and have the breakdown sorted in no time.

“We pride ourselves on our rapid response time and our competitive prices.

We are one of only three vehicle recovery DDR covers an area from Dungiven to Sligo companies in Donegal and won’t be beaten

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IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

DDR designed_kevin burke designed 14/06/2013 13:46 Page 3

DONEGAL CAR BREAKERS

Wishing Continued Success To DDR Recovery, From

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The Donegal-based firm can collect a vehicle from any part of ireland

The company’s location in the village of Manorcunningham (known simply as ‘Manor’ throughout Donegal) means it’s well positioned to service the needs of its customer-base. DDR offers a secure storage area for vehicles if necessary.

“We’re in a good location on the main N13 road between Letterkenny and Derry. Letterkenny is only four or five miles up the road. Strabane is also nearby, so we’re close to all the main centres of population in the area,” Jason continues.

The affable managing director worked as a tyre fitter and in car sales before setting up the company in 2006. And since then, DDR Recovery has gone from strength to strength by providing an unrivalled service in the NorthWest.

“It’s a tough game to be in because you’re always on standby. You never know when the next call will come. You have to be prepared to drop everything and just go. I look after the weekend work, so I’m never really switched off.

“It can be hard to get out of your bed at 4 o’clock on a cold December morning but, having said that, it can be very rewarding and I get great satisfaction from being able to help a customer in distress,” he concludes.

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Telephone: 086 3318447 www.ddr.ie

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& LIGHT COMMERCIALS 83

jim shortt designed_national waste designed 13/06/2013 15:38 Page 1

Experts in scrap metal recycling Jim oversees a state-of-theart recycling yard in Keady

Scrap metal is collected nationwide

For a top-class scrap metal recycling solution, look no further than J Shortt Recycling in Keady, County Armagh. Over the past two decades, this familyrun business has forged an excellent reputation for itself both at home and abroad as a recycler of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals.

F

ounded by Jim Shortt twenty years ago, J. Shortt Recycling is a long-established, family-run business that specialises in recycling scrap metal. Operating out of a state-ofthe-art recycling yard in Keady, County

Armagh, they recycle all types of scrap metal, both ferrous and non-ferrous.

The dedicated team at J Shortt Recycling pride themselves on operating in a transparent, fair and honest manner, and are acutely aware

of the environmental impact of their operations. The business is very much service-orientated and founder Jim Shortt believes that by providing his customers with a high-quality service he won’t stray far from the path of success.

Ji

J Shortt Recycling recycles all types of scrap metal

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A ta IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

jim shortt designed_national waste designed 13/06/2013 15:38 Page 2

So far, this philosophy has served him well!

J Shortt Recycling provides a high-quality, efficient, reliable and conscientious service through every aspect of its operations, from first point of contact and collection through to transportation, recycling, delivery and payment, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience for its many global partners.

Offering value for money in today’s cold and demanding economic climate is also important. In this regard, J Shortt Recycling guarantee the very best price for any scrap metal they purchase, with prices updated on a daily basis to remain one step ahead of the competition. Jim will buy from anybody who has unwanted scrap metal - the general public, government organisations, local businesses, engineering factories, construction contractors etc.

When it comes to selling its recycled scrap metal, J Shorrt Recycling has tapped into a number of developing markets worldwide.

They are continually seeking to develop and strengthen relations with other scrap merchants and trading companies around the globe, remaining dedicated to forging trusting and reliable partnerships that will really benefit both parties.

They always have large amounts of processed material in stock, ready to be shipped worldwide, and over the last number of years they have expanded their operations to include the loading and shipping of material in 20ft containers. Their main goal is to continue this expansion and continue to build reliable trade links.

Jim Shortt set the business up in the early 1990s and thereafter, with hard work and honest endeavour, built it up on his own. He has significantly developed and established the business over the last five years or so.

Scrap metal is collected nationwide

using roll-on roll-off skips and brought back to the Keady base where it is sheared and processed before being loaded onto containers and shipped abroad, predominantly to India, Pakistan, Dubai and the UK. The proprietor operates a fleet of four Volvos, which are out on the road every day and has also invested substantially in diggers, shearers, skips, containers and all the other plant and equipment he needs to run a modern and efficient metal recycling operation. “We have everything we need,” he notes. “We are completely self-sufficient and we have plenty of capacity for expansion.

“We buy the metal and recycle it into new steel and there’s no waste involved in the process whatsoever.

You’re not going to make a fortune at this business but we are keeping our heads above the water and trying to keep things going as best we can.

“We’ve tapped into some important markets abroad and we are embracing a new state-of-the-art method of transporting steel. It’s all machine-

Jim operates a fleet of four Volvos

A company truck takes to the road IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

J Shortt Recycling was founded 20 years ago

Jim Shortt’s daughter Molly showing an early interest in the family business!

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jim shortt designed_national waste designed 13/06/2013 15:38 Page 3

moved now; it is tilted straight into the container. You’re always looking at ways of making the operation move efficient and this is a major step forward. We’ve also added a brand new digger to the fleet this year and we keep all the equipment and vehicles in top condition at all times.

“We deal mostly in heavy scrap at

very high volumes.

We’d be taking in loads of maybe 1,000 to 2,000 tonnes at a time and you’d be shifting about 150,000 tonnes a week through Belfast Port.

At present, J Shortt Recycling is providing g a i n f u l employment to a crew of five. Every single job is important these days, so this comes as a welcome boost to the local economy. While it’s obviously impossible to predict the future with any degree of accuracy, Jim is confident that he can consolidate the business if he continues to provide the same excellent service that’s currently available.

Ultimately, going forward, by identifying and linking up with new customers, he hopes that perhaps a modest form of expansion might be on the cards.

“I suppose we’ll wait and see what this year brings first,” he says.

“We’ll keep plugging away and 260 Newtownhamilton Road, who knows what Armagh, Co. Armagh BT60 2RT might come of it?”

With twenty years of experience, J Shortt Recycling Wishing Continued Success To are proven experts J SHORTT RECYCLING in their chosen field

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86

This company van looks the part!

of expertise. They have a thorough knowledge of the scrap metal recycling industry and have at their disposal all the ingredients to provide a stellar service: the personnel, the equipment, the contacts and the experience.

In the most demanding of environments, with a global recession closing its fist around companies worldwide, Jim Shortt has built this business up from literally nothing into one of the premier scrap metal recycling specialists on this island.

All the signs are encouraging that there are a few chapters yet to be written in this particular success story!

Contact Details

J Shortt Recycling,

42 Annvale Road, Keady, County Armagh, BT60 2SA. Phone: 087 2346 625 Email: info@jshorttrecycling.co.uk

Ivan Morton Best Wishes To Jim & All At J Shortt Recycling, From

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Tel: 079 2108 6398 Email i.morton2@hotmail.co.uk IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

fuelling designed_kevin burke designed 13/06/2013 15:45 Page 1

Fuelling the industry

Fuelling Technology is one of the leading suppliers of fuel management systems in Ireland. Based in Chapelizod Industrial Estate, Dublin, they supply, install and maintain retail and commercial fuel management products and services for oil companies, county councils, large haulage companies and data storage markets. The company was formally established in 2008 by Shane and Caroline Pemberton, but the experience of the team goes way back before that. Stephen Reilly spoke with managing director Shane Pemberton and filed this report.

F

A new tank installed

uelling Technology comprises of a team of highly trained engineers who boast 20+ years’ experience in the commercial re-fuelling industry. Each member previously served their time with Irish Pump & Tank Co. Ltd – the market leader of fuelling solutions to the commercial market for over 40 years. In fact, Irish Pump and Tank was owned and managed by Caroline’s parents, Nat and Wilma McCoy. Unfortunately in 2006, due to Nat’s ill health a decision was made to cease trading.

In 2008, Shane and Caroline re entered the commercial re fuelling industry and Fuelling Technology was established with the aim to restore reliability, experience and cost effectiveness back to the market place. The team were carefully selected

by Shane and Caroline for their experience, expertise and professionalism. “With the knowledge IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

and contacts that Caroline and I had gained over the years, and the expertise of the team that joined us, we had a very

The company installs many different types of fuelling systems

good starting point. Sadly Nat passed away in June 2009, but lived long enough to see the start of something

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fuelling designed_kevin burke designed 13/06/2013 15:46 Page 2

Best Wishes & Continued Success To Fuelling Technology From

Wishing Continued Success To Fuelling Technology, From

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Best Wishes To Fuelling Technology, From

88

SPECIALISTS IN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE REFUELING FUELTEK Ltd Unit D, Lang Court, Nuttalls Way, Blackburn, Lancashire. BB1 2JT T: 01254 291391 | F : 01254 291399 E: info@fueltek.co.uk| www.fueltek.co.uk

very exciting. The business has grown steadily from strength to strength and in recessionary times is holding its own.” revealed Shane.

Fuelling Technology provides a complete and comprehensive service to the commercial market. They offer reliable products that are uncomplicated, robust and easy to use and aim to provide first class customer service.

With a wealth of experience, Fuelling Technology is ideally placed to offer best practice advice and solutions for your new or existing re-fuelling operations.

The Dublin based supplier has always prided itself on the level of customer service it offers. Fuelling Technology is not willing to compromise service standards or the quality of its products to remain in an increasingly competitive market.

The business has diversified its services and the technology it offers to keep ahead of the competition. Shane continued “We supply solutions for all types of refuelling installations.

Fuel management systems can be card, key or tag operated. The software package can be custom made to customer requirements, installed locally, or hosted remotely via our web server, allowing the customer to gain access to their data from any pc worldwide. We are the sole distributor in Ireland for Earthsafe products – the leading provider of emergency power fuel systems for critical facilities and data storage markets. This part of the business is developing rapidly and is playing its role in changing the direction and potential of refuelling facilities for the future.”

Systems to date have been supplied to major oil companies, County Councils and many haulage firms together with household names in the large industrial, data storage and fleet operated markets. The company operates in a price competitive market. However, quality of service and quality of products are also key elements of buying decisions. Shane explained: “Price will always be important; however products can be tailored to suit individual budgets and customer requirements. We aim to firstly establish a customer’s requirements and then propose a number of solutions to address these requirements. Each proposed solution is discussed in detail with the customer and is priced transparently to allow the customer make an educated decision on the package that best suits their budget. It is essential that the needs of the customer are met. ” He revealed that many customers are now looking for “Turn Key” solutions to their fuel management problems.

“We can project manage the installation from start to finish including the civil engineering side of things. This part of our business is growing all the time.”

The company provides a full after sales backup in line with manufacturers warranties and also provides the customer with the option to enter into annual maintenance contracts providing priority service and efficient response times. A lion’s share of the strong customer database avails of this cost saving service. “The maintenance contact side of the business is growing on a daily basis. In difficult times our customers need to know that their refuelling facility will have minimum downtime and maximum productivity.”

“Bunded Tanks” or a tank within a tank are now universally accepted in Ireland. This environmentally friendly concept was introduced to the Irish market by Irish Pump & Tank.

“We pioneered the supply of bunded tanks in steel and plastic at Irish Pump & Tank and it is something that we continue to supply. The bund prevents leaks and spillages into the environment and makes for a much safer product.”

Dealing with class 1 and class 2 inflammable products such as petrol and diesel leaves no room for error. “From a health IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

fuelling designed_kevin burke designed 13/06/2013 15:46 Page 3

and safety viewpoint there is no room for mistakes. We use only quality equipment and all our staff are highly trained. Safety is of paramount importance at all times,” Shane commented.

Fuel polishing is another innovative service being offered to customers. “Cleaning your fuel system will reduce costs and help customers with their environmental compliance clean fuel improves filtration, combustibility and stability, lowers emissions and extends component life. Contaminated fuel inside storage tanks can cause pumps or vehicle filters to block, in some cases resulting in hefty repair bills,” advised Shane.

“In hugely competitive times we offer the customer a personal service and are proud that we are on first name terms

The integrated pump and FMS

A tank being installed at Enniskillen hospital

The company installs many different types of fuelling systems IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

with a majority of them. We know their requirements, which is important. We tailor the package to suit individual situations and budgets, thereby offering a value for money service.” Although operating in a very competitive marketplace, Shane is pleased with the direction that the business is heading.

“We operate throughout the 32 counties and business is steady. We must continue to grow and develop our business in a professional and ethical manner without losing the objective of servicing the customer. We adopt an innovative approach to new products and are constantly striving to keep abreast of change in the market place.

Fuelling Technology has its finger on the pulse of breaking technology and the environment.” he concluded.

Contact Details

Fuelling Technology Unit A1 Chapelizod Industrial Estate Chapelizod Dublin 20 Tel:+353(0)1 6264977/6267544 Fax: +353(0)1 6265249 e: info@fuellingtechnology.ie

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piltown designed_carryduff designed 13/06/2013 15:55 Page 1

Personal service key for Piltown Coaches Piltown Coaches was established in 1991

Michael Malone first started driving buses back in 1977 and he has seen many changes in the coach hire industry in that time. He spoke to Irish Trucker about the challenges facing the sector and the continued success story of his company, Piltown Coaches.

P

iltown Coaches is a family run coach hire company based in Kilkenny with over 22 years experience in the business.

Over time, they have established themselves as a leading coach operator in the southeast of Ireland.

Established in 1991 by Michael Malone, Piltown Coaches operate all size and specification coaches and minibuses and Michael’s sons Brian and John are also involved in the running of the business.

“Dedication, hard work and attention to detail,” was Michael’s immediate response when asked what were the secrets behind the company’s longevity.

He also added that no job is too big

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or small.

“It’s a very competitive business, you can’t decide when to work and when not to work. We take every job as it comes obviously at a competitive price.

“We pride ourselves on providing top quality service to our customers and we’re fortunate to have a dedicated and loyal staff.”

Michael started driving buses in 1977 and this experience has enabled him and his company to develop a reputation for providing a quality and personal service to their customers.

They pride themselves on the family orientation of the business and their team of dedicated long serving staff.

“When you have three of the family able to drive it takes the pressure off,”

explained Michael, “it helps with lining up drivers for jobs.”

Piltown operates a modern fleet of luxury Van Hool coaches appointed and maintained to the highest standards.

They presently have seven different capacity coaches to ensure groups of all sizes can be catered for.

“We have a fleet of 10 buses, five large coaches, three medium range and two mini-coaches.

“We carry out all types of work – contract work for Bus Eireann, school contracts, third level college services, foreign students, sport clubs, coach tours and all types of private hire.

“We’re on the periphery of the tourism sector. Over the last few years we’ve been working with sub-

IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS

piltown designed_carryduff designed 13/06/2013 15:55 Page 2

Dermot Cronin Motors Coach Sales & Service

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contractors and it is an area we hope to get more involved with in the future.

For that reason we have extended our fleet.

“Vanhools are little bit more expensive initially but they are very reliable and the quality and satisfaction of our customers warrants the initial outlay. It is up to us to recoup that.”

As across the full spectrum of the transport industry, the cost of fuel is a ‘big issue’ for the coach hire sector and Piltown Coaches is no different.

Michael also highlights the escalating problem of rogue bus operators.

“Within the industry there are people not engaging on a level playing field. There are regulations in place but you will find that not everyone is adhering to them in terms of basic driver pay and so on.

“You also find that there are client who are not necessarily interest in quality of service but more the basic price.

“Rules and regulations don’t seem to matter and there are some operators who don’t have all the boxes ticked in that respect.”

With that in mind, Michael welcomes the additional licensing regulations, fuel checks and random road safety authority inspections.

The price of parts is another thorny issue but Piltown boast their own in-house maintenance facility.

“It’s the only way to survive,” according to Michael. “The

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Best Wishes To Piltown Coaches

Agent For Vanhool TX Range of Coaches

Piltown Coaches operates a modern luxury fleet

Best Wishes To Piltown Coaches From

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS BUSINESS ADVISORS

O’Connell Court, 64 O’Connell Street, Waterford Tel: (051) 840 800 • Fax: (051) 874 504

Email: info@mkbrazil.com | www.mkbrazil.com 91

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price of parts is another major problem and there are companies which are not able to meet their garage bills in external workshops.”

On a more positive note, last year, Piltown Coaches added a new arm to their business with the opening of their bus driver school which provides

Best Wishes To Piltown Coaches

92

coach and bus driving lessons for Category D and Category D1 licences.

All tuition is provided by a fully qualified RSA registered driving instructor.

“One of our parttime drivers is a fully qualified instructor.

The Driving School is in the early stages, but it is up and running now and it has another dimension to the business.”

As regards the future for Piltown Coaches, Michael is optimistic the business philosophy that has stood them in good-stead to date will continue to reap rewards.

“We hope to continue to grow insofar as we can continue to operate a quality service and improve on that where possible.

“Hopefully, that, in turn, will lead to repeat business with satisfied customers and that they will pass on their experience to other

potential clients.

“Word of mouth is an important part of our business,” he concluded.

Contact Details

Piltown Coaches Main Street, Piltown Co. Kilkenny

Ph: 051 643250 Fax: 051 644791 Web: www.piltowncoaches.com E-Mail: info@piltowncoaches.com

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