Based in Co Donegal, Maurice Montgomery Agri Contracts has managed quite a quick rise in the short space of seven years by offering all aspects of agricultural contracting. Irish Tractor & Agri found out all about it from the man himself.
These are busy times for Maurice Montgomery Agri Contracts & Montgomery Plant Hire Ltd and the company’s namesake simply wouldn’t have it any other way.
Having set-up his business venture in 2012 – a memorable year for Donegal people worldwide – Maurice Montgomery has watched it grow into a success story which keeps him busy 12 months a year.
Still only 26 years old, Maurice is proceeding with his plan to grow the business year on year and so far it has been going according to script with a plant hire venture having also been added.
Irish Tractor & Agri caught up with the man himself recently to learn more about his agri contracting firm and its impressive machinery fleet.
“We’re based here in Raphoe, Co Donegal and the company would have been established since 2012,” Maurice explained.
“There are four of us working here full-time then and my father Robert helps as well. My father’s a beef farmer so I’m from a farming background and would have come home from New Zealand to set-up the business seven years ago.”
Those seven years have certainly flown by for Maurice as his company has grown year on year, adding both full-time staff members and machinery.
The popularity of Maurice Montgomery Agri Contracts has grown rapidly as well, with their company’s Facebook page now boasting more than 6,500 likes.
The social media platform has helped reach customers all throughout Donegal and beyond, as the company’s repertoire of different services make them a popular choice for farmers.
“We provide services in hedge cutting, round baling, mulching, sub-soiling, ploughing, dung spreading, rock-breaking, general haulage, dump trailer work,” Maurice outlined.
“You could say that we basically cover all aspects of agri contracting and it’s one of the reasons why a lot of our customers are coming to us first here.”
Agri contracting remains as competitive a game as ever and keen prices still play a huge part.
Maurice Montgomery Agri Contracts has become known for its competitive prices and reliable service.
Those two factors helped Maurice to hit the ground running once he started his business venture and, thankfully he hasn’t looked back since.
He attributes his time working in New Zealand working for an agri contractor as being a huge help to him before coming home and taking the decision to go out on his own.
“I went to New Zealand when I was 18, lived there for two years and during that time I got great experience working for a contractor,” said Maurice.
“It was very valuable to me and shortly after I came home I would have started up this business. Thankfully, things have went well for us here since then.”
According to Maurice, a huge aspect to the company since ‘Day One’ has been mulching, as it has brought the company all over the county and down into Connacht as well on occasion.
It has been a big focus for the company, along with slurry spreading going by what the Managing Director has to say.
“We have always done a lot of mulching here and slurry work is right up there with it,” said Maurice.
“Our work would see us cover all over Donegal and go down as far as Sligo when it comes to the mulching. We cover a good size area and it helps to keep us busy all year round.”
Of course, covering a good size area requires good machinery and Maurice Montgomery Agri Contracts certainly have it in abundance within their fleet.
Maurice explained that hiring more machines during the busy summer months is a common practice so as to keep up with the demand from clients.
“We’ve four tractors here and then hire out another three during the summer months,” he said.
“There’s two New Hollands (a TM140 and a 1740) there and then a Case as well and they’re kept busy throughout the year.
“With regards to the other machinery, we’re operating with four 18-foot silage trailers, a round baler and a wrapper. We’ve a JCB 416 loading shovel and a couple of trailers as well, a John Deere 6850, a Claas 2800 rake, Krone mowers, an Abbey 2250 tanker, a Redrock 2050 tanker, a NC 3800 slurry mixer, round bale lifting equipment and a Kev plough/Kuhn powerharrow.”
He continued: “We’ve also got a Land leveller/roller, selecting of dump trailers, an airater, lowloader/flat trailer, an NH T7 200/ NH TM 140, a Case MX 135/Steyr 9105, a McConnell PA 60 hedge cutter, two mulchers, a small square bale wrapper, a Hitachi Zaxis 130 with a rock hammer and saw head, a McHale F560 round baler and connor wrapper and a Scania 164 .480.”
Indeed it seems to be ‘all go’ for Maurice and his team at the moment, but what has been the secret to the success to date?
How has an agri contracting outfit which started just seven years ago gained such popularity and, above all, the trust of its loyal clients?
“I would like to think that we have keen rates here and that when people come to us looking for work to be done, they know we’ll do a good job for them,” Maurice concluded.
Maurice Montgomery Agri Contracts are now taking bookings for grass in 2019 and are also offering a round baling service with a McHale 560 and wrapping service for this year as well.
There’s also pit silage for €75 or £65 per acre. Price includes mowing, raking, lifting, hauling and buck raking.
For all inquiries be sure to contact Maurice Montgomery at 086 445 7227 (ROI) or 00 353 8644 57227 (NI).
Maurice Montgomery Agri Contracts
Raphoe,
Co Donegal
Mob: 086 445 7227
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 7 No 4, August 2019
Maurice Montgomery Agri Contracts
