Eurogene AI Services in Co Tipperary are leading suppliers of some of the world’s best beef and dairy sires for Artificial Insemination. Company owner Folke Rohrssen filled Irish Tractor & Agri in on the rest when we caught up with him recently.
Eurogene AI Services has become Ireland’s fastest growing AI company since being founded by four individual breeders back in 1997.
With offices based in Church Street, Cahir, Co. Tipperary, and a Bull Stud based in Kilcoran, Cahir, the business has steadily grown from strength to strength and fostered close alliances with fellow international AI companies such as World Wide Sires, Cogent Breeding Ltd, and Sersia, to name but a few.
It was the close commercial relationships with these companies that led to Eurogene AI Services’ reputation as a supplier of top quality international genetics perfect for the Irish Herd.
German native and experienced veterinarian Folke Rohrssen was one of the founders of the business, heading it up today, and he was able to give Irish Tractor & Agri the lowdown on what they’re all about.
“We were founded in 1997 and it started with the help of a couple of my friends,” Folke explained.
“Originally it started with just technician work and it eventually went to sales then. Today we have close to 160 part time staff and there are over 20 working with us full-time.”
Eurogene AI Services (Ireland) Ltd officially commenced trading in 2000 following the union of AI Services Ireland Ltd, which is a subsidiary of AI Services NI Ltd and the privately owned Eurogene, founded by four breeders in 1997.
In March of 2008 came another milestone for Eurogene AI Services, as they incorporated LIC’s (formerly New Zealand Genetics) Irish target market into their mainstream business. The amalgamation with LIC brought with it the need to move into larger offices in the Carrigeen Industrial Estate, Cahir, Co. Tipperary.
The new offices not only house the original office staff, but are also home to a new dedicated telesales team poised at raising awareness of both the LIC and the Eurogene Products.
It’s all a far cry from when Folke first arrived in Ireland a decade previous, as he explained.
“I’m originally from near Stuttgart in Germany and came to Ireland in 1987 and ended up staying,” he stated.
“From ’92 onwards I worked as a single vet practice and I eventually took over another practice.”
Cahir Veterinary Clinic is operated by Folke and his wife Annika and caters for all small and large animals.
Since its inception in 1992, it has earned a glowing reputation for providing a top class service and the services aren’t merely confined to the office of the clinic, as Folke outlined.
“I travel across the whole of the south of Ireland and give advice of fertility with real specific consultancy tailored for each farmer and try to assist them in achieving better profitability,” he stated.
“This is a very busy time of year, especially around Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary. Herds are getting that bit bigger now and some famers don’t have the man power they need.
“One man operating with 300 cows is a serious undertaking and now more and more of them are beginning to use technology and bio-technology.”
As for Eurogene AI Services, business is as good as it has ever been with 2016 having shown some significant growth.
An essential part of the company’s success has come down to them being able to understand that using top genetics in your herd can boost your profit potential and it was this realisation that drove their breeding advisors to choose some of the best national and international beef and dairy bulls available.
Some eight years after having officially commenced trading, Eurogene AI Services joined forces with LIC Ireland and are now Ireland’s distributor of the LIC / New Zealand product.
The aim of the company is to continue to supply top quality genetics nationwide and to continue to identify the best sires possible from their international suppliers.
Having such high standards and experiencing year on year growth at the same time is no coincidence, according to Folke.
“It’s very good. Last year was our best year ever and we saw a growth of somewhere between 17 to 18 per cent,” he said.
“We are basically represented in every county in Ireland now from Wexford all the way up to Donegal, so we’re happy with our growth as well as the staff that we currently have in place.”
Twenty years on and you can’t ask for more than that from a company’s perspective.
It’s clear as day that the German native still loves the challenge of it all and the same could be said for his love of carriage driving.
Folke has been representing Ireland in the sport since 2009 and has competed in World Championships, European Championships and the Nations Cup.
“In Ireland it’s a small sport, but we’ve done reasonably well,” he said. “We came third in the 2013 World Championships in Slovakia in the team dressage so we have been quite competitive.
“My wife, Annika, also competed for Ireland and we’ve competed together in the European Nations cup in Germany, finishing in fourth place.”
It’s a hectic schedule indeed for Folke and Annika, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.
For details of Sales Agents / AI Technicians in your area contact the Eurogene AI Services office on: 052 7442940. For information on the New Zealand product you can call 1800 60 40 20.
Eurogene AI Services
Carrigeen Industrial Estate,
Cahir,
Co. Tipperary
Phone: 052 74 42940
Fax: 052 74 45731
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 5 No 5, July/August 2017
