In what represents a significant investment in their business, Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese has acquired a new Komatsu WA100-8 wheel loader that company founder John Hempenstall says will be an ‘essential link in our production chain’.
Proving to be ‘just the cheese’ for the award-winning cheese makers, the unit is fitted with interchangeable loading bucket, silage grab and front lifting forks. It will be used on ‘yard and warehouse duties’ centred around the management of their large 170-strong Friesian herd.
A family business established in 2005, Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese is located at Curranstown, near Arklow, where the Hempenstall family has operated a dairy farm for the past 50 years.
Sold in supermarkets and specialist stores throughout Ireland, their products have acquired a reputation for quality and taste, varieties including Wicklow Blue Brie, Wicklow Bán Brie, St. Kevin Brie and a selection of Wicklow Gold Cheddar cheeses. Handmade on the farm, their distinctive range has won numerous awards including gold, silver and bronze in national and international competitions.
Supplied to them by Komatsu distributor McHale Plant Sales of Birdhill and Rathcoole, the Komatsu WA100-8 wheel loader was developed for farm and agricultural applications from a machine originally conceived for construction use.
Praising John Hempenstall for his decision to acquire a machine with the robust features to serve their needs for generations, McHale general manager Denis McGrath said: “their decision to invest in their future in this way reflects the importance that Wicklow Farmhouse Cheese attaches to quality in all matters”.
