Based in Ballacolla, Co Laois, Sadlier Plant Repairs rebuilds and re-fits engines from plant and machinery and also offers site repairs of construction quarry and recycling plant and machinery, and also repairs wiring, transmissions and hydraulics. Irish Tractor learned all about the business recently from its owner and founder Paul Sadlier.
This May saw Sadlier Plant Repairs mark five years since its inception and business has seldom been better down in Ballacolla, according to one Paul Sadlier.
Paul set-up the business in the summer of 2015 with the hope of providing clients an excellent service when it comes to the servicing and repairs of plant and machinery.
Since ‘Day One’, the company has provided engine rebuild services which sees it remove, rebuild and refit engines from plant and machinery.
Sadlier Plant Repairs also operates a fully equipped workshop with pit, press, mig and welders and plant and machinery can be overhauled and serviced with wiring, lights etc.
Irish Tractor & Agri heard more from Paul Sadlier himself about this thriving business recently.
“We have the workshop there and vans on the road providing a breakdown service,” he said.
“A lot of our customers are into plant hire and civil engineering work and we have plenty of repeat business with them.”
Formerly known as Sadlier Mobile Repairs, the business is presently a two-man operation which offers on site repairs of construction quarry, recycling plant and machinery.
Paul himself had gained the ideal working background before taking the decision to set-up shop in May 2015 and, thankfully, hasn’t looked back since.
“I had worked with a plant hire crowd here in Laois until 2010 when I moved to Australia,” he outlined.
“I spent five years in Australia and worked for a civil engineering company and when I came home I just decided to go out on my own.”
Fast-forward half a decade and the company is now very much thriving.
For Paul, it seems a steady flow of work has never been an issue, having first hit the ground running when decided to go out on his own and start up what was then known as Sadlier Mobile Repairs.
“We were actually busy enough here from the word ‘go’, you could say,” he said.
“It was just me here we I started and I updated the machinery year on year to the point where we’re at now.
“We now carry out the GA 1 Safety Certificate for machines which is something we started here a year ago or so.”
So far business has been flourishing in 2020, Paul is very happy to report.
His newly named company hasn’t had a bump in the road yet this year and, fingers crossed, business will continue to grow for the O’Moore County native.
“I’m glad to say that we’ve had a very busy start to the year,” he beamed.
“We’ve had a good bit of work on-going in the workshop and on site as well, so we can’t complain with how 2020 has been so far. It’s basically picked up from where we left off at the end of last year.”
So what has been the secret to success over these past five years?
How has a small start-up outside of Ballacolla advanced to the point where it has now earned a reputation for an excellent service amongst what is a strong customer base?
For Paul, it’s always been about the service.
“I really think it’s the fact that we give our customers a good service,” he said.
“It’s hard enough to get mechanics and fitters so for customers I suppose it’s just handy that we’re a phone call away – and they know we’ll always be there when they call.”
Soon the company will be doubling its van fleet so as it can begin to service clients further afield.
That is the vision right now for Paul as he looks towards another busy summer period.
“Right now we have one van on the road and another on the way,” said the company’s founder.
“We cover all over Leinster and spend a good bit of time in Dublin with some of our bigger clients.
“We’ve been with the likes of Sean Smyth Construction in Mullingar for about four years now and Coolrain Concrete in Laois for a couple of years as well.”
He added: “We’ve a lot of one-off work with smaller companies as well, which helps to keep us busy all year round.”
The months ahead should be intriguing ones for Sadlier Plant Repairs and the hope for their Managing Director is to continue the growth as they get set to pass the five-year mark.
“We’re hoping to that second van set up and on the road very soon and hopefully we’ll be getting some more diagnostic gear in as well.
“With regards to business, we just want to keep doing what we’re doing here and hopefully gain one or two more new customers along the way,” Paul concluded.
Here’s hoping.
Sadlier Plant Repairs
Aghaboe,
Ballacolla,
Co Laois
Mob: 087 443 9319
E-mail: [email protected]
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 8 No 2, Summer 2020
