Established since 1994, McCarthy Plant Agri Sales Ltd continues to specialise in the sale and service of plant and agricultural equipment. Irish Tractor & Agri learned more from Conor McCarthy – one of four family members at the Cork-based company.
An endearing feature of the agricultural scene is the loyalty traditionally shown by farmers and agricultural contractors to particular brands, especially when it comes to machinery.
It’s no surprise that many of those working in the agricultural sector, whether born into it or opting for careers ‘on the land’ are tractor and general machinery enthusiasts too, which makes sense.
To that end, McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales, based in the townland of Ballyrichard, two kilometres outside Carrigtwohill village in Co Cork, must seem like a toy store for grown men, only a piggy bank wouldn’t get you too far!
But, of course, McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales is more than just a wonderland of machinery for the discerning farmer or contractor. The company offers everything from sales, genuine spare parts and after sales at two Co Cork locations.
A huge selling point for McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales is the personal touch that is given by all staff at McCarthy’s. Since their establishment way back in 1994, the business has developed but never strayed away from its core principles, building rapport with its customer base and providing the best service and value it possibly can.
In terms of the personal touch and, crucially, the encyclopaedic knowledge of their craft and keen pricing, it could be argued that this Cork dealership is very much in a league of its own.
Put simply, McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales know their business inside out and not just from their own side of the counter. As in any trade, it is vitally important to understand the pressures and demands faced by customers and this is accentuated in a volatile industry such as the agri sector, which is, it seems, in a constant state of flux with variables ranging from the weather to Brexit to the current milk or beef price.
McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales ticks this box and the fact that the company has its roots in the contracting game – current Managing Director Tim McCarthy was a contractor before taking over the business in 2008 – is not lost on Tim’s son, Conor, one of four family members involved who originally joined the business in 2011.
McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales offer an unrivalled sales service. As the main dealers for CLAAS in Munster, they carry an endless array of machines from various well known brands.
CLAAS, as one of the leading brands on the market, manufacture tractors, grassland machines such as balers, mowers, rakes, telehandlers, self-propelled harvesters, combines and now the all new TORION wheel loader – in short, almost every machine that a farmer may need in their yard comes under the CLAAS brand.
In addition, McCarthy’s – who are based just half an hour from Cork airport and 45 minutes from a ferry port for shipping – are also agents for a number of top quality machinery manufacturers. That variety is important, too – now, more than ever, farmers and contractors are clued in and knowledgeable about all products on the market and the well-trained staff at McCarthy’s are able to solve issues any customer may have regarding one of the machines sold at their Carrigtwohill or Lisavaird depots.
Trioliet has proven to be a huge part of the business with their vertical mixer type system, very suitable to combine the various types of fodder that had to be used in this difficult winter just past.
Broughan Engineering are proven to be the front runner and the first name that springs to mind when your purchasing a trailer, this is due to their ability to build a bespoke trailer if the need arises. Broughan take pride in their build/finish quality and this is evident when you drive in to most contractors yards in Ireland, you will no doubt see a range of Broughan trailers lined up. It is down to this high demand that McCarthy’s keep a full range of trailers in stock all year round.
Given the well-publicised issues to have hit the industry – an extended winter and fodder shortages just part of it – it is testament to the superb reputation and truly top-class service offered by McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales that trade has been relatively brisk in 2018 in what has been a challenging climate in every sense of the word.
Then again, McCarthy’s is a family-run business and a by-word for excellence who have carved out a name as a company who can be trusted – and one who provide significant employment in the region as well.
“We’ve 25 staff and altogether there are four family members involved – Tim, Fidelma, Brendan and myself,” remarked Conor modestly.
“So far this year business has been quite good. It’s been one of the best starts to a year that we’ve ever had.”
With the original base outside Carrigtwohill thriving, in 2013, McCarthy’s took the bold step of opening a second branch in Lisavaird, Clonakilty.
Since taking the decision to open a depot in the dairy rich heartland of West Cork, it has proven to be quite a successful move as the modern dairy farm expands post quota, time is of the essence.
Coming from a farming background themselves, McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales staff and management are well aware that for farmers and contractors, time is money and while breakdowns – at the height of the busy summer season in particular – are inevitable, it is imperative to reduce the down time to a minimum.
Thus, while sales are the bedrock on which their trade is based, the company also offers an out of hour’s call-out service. Service vans are at the ready to and, with a large range of parts always in stock; regularly travel all over the Munster in order to meet customers’ needs.
Rain or shine, midday or midnight, McCarthy’s vans are on the road answering the call – they wouldn’t have it any other way.
All that said, however, sales are the heartbeat of any dealership and in this regard, McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales very much has its finger on the pulse. While they have been main dealers for the renowned CLAAS brand since 2002, they also offer Broughan Trailers, Trioliet Feeding equipment, Redrock, Cross, Teagle, Sulky, Nugent, Zero Grazer, Prodig, He-Va, Berthoud and that’s not to mention the Italian-made Venieri brand, which is fast becoming one of the most popular products on offer. Known for its reliability and performance, Venieri loaders are popping up all over the country now.
“The Venieri’s have really taken off quite well for us,” said Conor. “We’ve a customer base here with them and we’re increasing that customer base but, like anything, it takes some time.”
McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales Ltd, long-established as one of the great success stories in the market, is proof of that.
McCarthy Plant & Agri Sales Ltd.
Ballyrichard,
Carrigtwohill,
Co. Cork
T45 H212
(021) 4631229
Unit 4, Lisavaird Enterprise Park
Lisavaird
Clonakilty
Co. Cork
P85 T683
(023) 8850033
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 6 No 4, June/July 2018
