Farm buildings have become an integral part of any farm and high standards have to be met in order to meet the regulations that are in place.
That is why when farmers are constructing buildings on their premises; they want quality products at competitive prices.
Each year, millions of euro are invested in farm buildings. This year is expected to be no different, and with grant aid available spend could be higher. Dairy farms account for 60 per cent of the planned spend on buildings and facilities..
Any farm building is a major investment. It needs to be well designed, comply with planning requirements and be built to a good specification.
If farmers are building a new outhouse or other farm building, there are various specifications that they need to follow. By doing so, they can then be sure their new building complies with all relevant planning and environmental regulations.
When it comes to roofing supplies for farm buildings, then there is few companies in Ireland that can compete with the renowned O’Connor Roofing Supplies Ltd.
Located in Rampark, Jenkinstown, Dundalk, Co Louth, this roofing supplies company has been providing its large customer base since it first opened its doors in 1980.
Established by Brian and Mary O’Connor, the business’ primary focus was on the agricultural sector, but over the years, not only do they focus supplying roofing materials, supplies, cladding and much more to the commercial and Industrial sector as well as domestic dwellings in Ireland. The company has supplied to some large projects as well as smaller developments and every customer is treated the same by the efficient and friendly staff.
For this month’s edition of Irish Tractor & Agri, we profile the Cooley Peninsula based company and speak to assistant manager Antoin Watters about the services that they provide.
O’Connor Roofing Supplies Ltd supplies all Department of Agriculture approved materials and they use all the regulated materials in order to maintain the standards put in place.
The company had the ISO 9001:2008 implemented in 1996 and ISO Certified in November 2014.
“We here at O’Connor Roofing Supplies Ltd have met the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 in Quality Management and are focused on meeting customer expectations and delivering customer satisfaction,” said Antoin.
“We aim to become an essential preferred supplier and are committed to providing customers with the highest quality of product and service. Through our specialist knowledge and our many years of experience, we work with customers to find the best solution that suits the customer.
“There is a lot more paperwork these days, but it is for the benefit of the industry and we have met all the requirements asked of us,” he added.
O’Connor’s have used the same reputable suppliers for many years, as they supply a wide of products.
“We source all of our materials from long established, quality suppliers and can offer lengthy warranties to all our customers.
“The housing of livestock, dairy, beef, poultry and pigs would be where we do about 40% of our work, but we have completed some big projects in other industries as well.”
O’Connor’s offer a wide range of products and nationwide delivery is available to their customers, many of who are located all over the country.
“We would have a lot of repeat custom, while we would deal with many of the contractors constructing the buildings and this always helps us find the best product suitable for the job.”
“Our Products come in various sizes and colours, we hold some stock in our yard but we specialise in a cut-to-measure service. We have a quick turnaround time with all items cut to the appropirate size, reducing waste. With the help of our highly experienced and committed team we can answer any questions you may have regarding our products. The sheets are dispatched on a dialy basis and by supplying the appropriate sizes, this makes fitting easier for our customers.”
Ten people are employed at the company and their motto tells its own tale “A family run business that is small enough to know you but big enough to serve you.”
“We work very closely with our customers in order to ensure that they get the right product that they need. It’s important to us that they get the proper supplies as they don’t want to be holding up a job because of us.”
Antoin revealed that the last four or five years have seen an improvement in the market and they are hoping to build on that in 2016.
“Business has been good for the last few years and the aim for this year would be to try and improve on that. There are grants available this year and farmers are availing of them, so we have already had a lot of enquiries.”
O’Connor Roofing Supplies
Rampark,
Jenkinstown,
Dundalk,
Co. Louth,
Ireland
Telephone: (+353) 42 93 76314
Fax: (+353) 42 93 76113
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 2, February 2016
