As of March, 2017, Bailey Machinery Sales has been the main SlurryKat agent for the South of Ireland. Irish Tractor & Agri travelled to Rathdowney, County Laois and caught up with proprietor Darren Bailey – who has worked with agricultural machinery in every perceivable capacity – to get an insight into the fledgling operation.
During Spring of last year, it was announced that innovative slurry solutions company, SlurryKat, had appointed Bailey Machinery Sales Ltd. (BMS) as its southern Irish dealer. Based in Warringstown, County Armagh, SlurryKat is the market leading manufacturer of all types of slurry handling equipment – umbilical systems, slurry tankers, agitators, nurse tanks and pumps alongside a full trailer range (silage and grain trailers, dump trailers, low loaders and bale trailers), shear grabs and road sweepers.
SlurryKat MD Garth Cairns comes from an engineering and agricultural contracting background which has enabled him to use his hands-on knowledge of physically operating the machines and incorporate it into developing and testing new models. Thus the wholly appropriate company motto ‘Designed by Contractors, Built by Engineers’.
In Darren Bailey and Bailey Machinery Sales, SlurryKat – which was formed in 1994 and manufactures the most technologically-advanced range of slurry equipment and agricultural trailers available on the market today, exporting over 140 different products to 18 countries worldwide – has found a worthy ally as Darren also boasts a rich CV of working with machinery in a variety of capacities.
Having grown up working in the family agricultural contracting business before moving on to sales with New Holland, Darren also served a stint as Machinery Correspondent with the Irish Farmers Journal.
During his numerous dealings with all makes and manner of machinery, Darren developed a massive appreciation of the internationally-renowned SlurryKat brand, impressed by its quality and efficiency and attracted to the fact that – as Garth himself works the machines – they are built with the user in mind and are 100% customer-focussed. In turn, Garth and SlurryKat are confident that working with Darren and the BMS team gives them unbeatable representation and service in the southern half of Ireland.
Located in Rathdowney, County Laois and ideally situated just three miles from Junction 3 on the M8, allowing for convenient nationwide sales and service coverage, Bailey Machinery Sales Ltd. supplies quality new and used agriculture machinery and construction equipment. Partnered with leading Irish and international manufacturers, they offer a comprehensive range of quality products.
In addition to the SlurryKat dealership, they also stock ProDig Attachments, Can-Am ATVs as well as importing the innovative safety Tractor Bumper for Ireland. ProDig produces a wide range of robust and reliable attachments designed for the agricultural and construction industries, while powerful, reliable and comfortable Can-Am ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) provide the ultimate off-road experience.
Tractor Bumper, meanwhile, is the latest in tractor safety innovation. Protecting the tractor, its operator and other road users, this device looks stylish whilst greatly improving road safety.
BMS also carries a constantly-revolving stock of used equipment. Whatever a farmer or contractor is looking for, Darren and his team can come up with a solution to suit their precise requirements.
At the age of 32, Darren has experience beyond his years of all aspects of agri machinery: “I’ve been through a lot of different aspects of the machinery trade,” he confirms. “I grew up on a farm, with the family contracting business going strong, and I then got my passion for sales when working for a New Holland dealer. After working as the Machinery Correspondent with the Farmer’s Journal, I decided to set up my own machinery business.
“I suppose I’m coming at it from a unique perspective as I have been a buyer, a seller and a journalist so I’ve sat on both sides of the table and have covered most of the bases already. This allows me to know what a customer wants and expects from his machinery, which enables me in turn to operate a business that is totally customer orientated. I’ve gone from driving tractors to selling them, to writing about machinery and now selling it on my own terms.”
Darren’s strong relationship with SlurryKat goes back a long way. In his capacity as a writer for The Farmer’s Journal, he even composed an excellent editorial on Garth Cairns’ engineering and contracting operations. “I subsequently met him again at the Machinery Show in Punchestown and we had a conversation, which led to me taking on the SlurryKat agency for the South of Ireland.
“Being a dealer was always a dream of mine and there was no better time to get involved than with the offer of such an excellent brand,” the Laois man continues. “I also became an authorised agent for ProDig Attachments and Can-Am ATVs and have just recently started to import Tractor Bumpers as a safety feature for tractors, and they are going very well.”
Garth Cairns purchased SlurryKat in 2007, having used their products since 1999. His background in contracting has allowed SlurryKat to fill the gap often left between the manufacturer and the user and he has gone on to expand the SlurryKat range to incorporate a complete range of slurry handling solutions. In 2009, for example, SlurryKat began manufacturing slurry tankers purpose-designed for slurry applicators, which today account for roughly 50% of total sales.
The market-leading, innovative manufacturer of quality slurry tankers, umbilical slurry systems and farm trailers, SlurryKat pride themselves on being able to produce exceptional slurry handling equipment and accessories which are engineered with design and quality to the fore. All equipment is rigorously tested and finished with meticulous attention to detail.
SlurryKat invest heavily in developing and testing equipment and use the latest cutting-edge engineering techniques and systems to ensure that their products remains at the forefront of innovation. They employ highly skilled technicians and engineers to work on maintaining and improving their growing range of equipment, which provides the SlurryKat brand with a competitive advantage.
“I promised myself that I would only take on a brand that I have 100% passion for and confidence in – something that I would take home myself – SlurryKat ticks all the boxes,” Darren continues. “What really stood out for me is that SlurryKat are coming from an agri contracting / farming background. They work equipment themselves on a daily basis – who better to design and build machinery?
“As well as contracting, Garth is also from an engineering background and has a great passion for his products. The product line is constantly evolving. SlurryKat were one of the first to develop umbilical slurry systems and have now expanded into tankers, sweepers, agitators, trailers, etc. They are constantly refining the existing machinery as well as introducing new products and there are plans in place to open a new manufacturing facility in October, which will further reduce lead times and enhance customer service.”
BMS’s first 15 months in business have gone very well: “I said to myself when I started out that anything I did in the first two years would be a bonus,” says the proprietor. “The targets we set were therefore modest, but I have been blown away by how many followers SlurryKat has in the South and how loyal they are. It’s a renowned brand and there’s big demand for it.
“We’ve made a great start but it’s vitally important that we are able to back up the machinery we sell with an excellent aftercare service, to make sure that our customers get the complete package.”
At any given time, Bailey Machinery Sales has a great selection of second-hand machinery in stock. “We sell good quality and fully-serviced trade-ins that offer our customers reliable and cost-efficient alternatives to new machines. If we don’t have something in stock, we can source it for them. I have a full contact book and know practically everybody in the industry. It’s a small country. The machinery industry worldwide is surprisingly small and, definitely within Europe, everybody knows everybody.”
Regarding his strong partnership with SlurryKat, Darren concludes: “There’s a good relationship there and we get on very well both professionally and personally. SlurryKat were looking for strong representation in the South and I like to think we fit the bill!”
Bailey Machinery Sales Ltd,
Kilbreedy,
Rathdowney,
Co.Laois.
Tel: 087 368 7104
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 6 No 6, September/October 2018
