Based just outside of Navan, Co Meath, Mohan Agri Contractors offers its customers a full range of agricultural contracting services and has been doing so for 15 years now. Irish Tractor & Agri spoke to its owner Stephen Mohan to learn all about the company – from its origins to the state of business today.
These are busy times at Mohan Agri Contractors and the plan for company director Stephen Mohan is to try and keep things that way right through to 2022.
Established in 2006, the business has grown a reputation for its excellent work all over the Royal County and beyond its borders.
It operates with five staff (a number which swells during the busy summer months) and seven John Deere tractors in its machinery fleet.
Irish Tractor & Agri touched base with Stephen Mohan recently to find out more on this thriving business which marks a decade-and-a-half this year.
“We’re based just outside Robinstown, Navan, Co Meath and right now we’ve five full-time working here, with a couple more part time lads coming in in the summer,” he outlined.
“Silage and maize are a big part of what we do here, and slurry as well. We have three umbilical systemsthat we operate with and it all helps to keep us busy year-round.”
Stephen started his agri contracting venture when he was just 19 and since then it has grown year on year.
Today, business is thriving and he and his team down in Robinstown are keen to keep things that way going forward.
Reflecting on the origins of the business, Stephen explained “I suppose it started off with me doing an agri engineering degree which I ended up not liking” and in pursuit of another path Stephen bought a John Deere tractor. “I started working for a local man on tillage and I guess it just grew from there.”
“My father was a farm manager and I would’ve gotten the original interest from there but, once I started working, I knew I wanted to go out on my own into agri contracting.”
Even with an economic recession around the corner, Mohan Agri Contractors managed to grow with each passing year from its birth in 2006.
Silage and maize were the services it specialised in for customers and by 2015, Stephen would purchase his first umbilical system and, with two more added since, slurry work is another aspect of the business which helps to keep it busy throughout the summer.
Even the Covid-19 pandemic, and the government lockdowns which have followed to combat the spread of the virus, haven’t had the negative impact on business which was first feared back in the Spring of 2020.
“It (the pandemic) hasn’t really affected us, thankfully,” said Stephen. “After everything that has gone on with the pandemic and the lockdowns, business is still the same as normal for us.”
For now, Stephen is looking towards what will hopefully be another busy summer for the company.
As ever, Mohan Agri Contractors are well-equipped to handle the workload thanks to the experienced men and excellent fleet at its disposal.
“I’ve always had John Deere tractors here and right now we have seven John Deeres (6250R, 6190R, 6145R, 6175R, two 6210Rs and a 7530) in the fleet,” Stephen outlined.
“We bought two 5,000-gallon New Rock slurry tankers recently off Mortimer Machinery in Trim and should have a new JCB loading shovel in the next month.
“As well as that, we have a new silage wagon and a second set of R950 R mowers, so we’re well equipped for the summer ahead.”
So, the burning question is what has been the secret to success for Mohan Agri Contractors down through the years?
How has a small agri contracting start up grown into a thriving business with a superb reputation for carrying out quality work?
According to its owner and founder, the range of services on offer for customers go a long way, the slurry outfit is a big part of it and the area they’re operating in has also been beneficial.
“We always try to be as punctual as we can here and I think our customers appreciate that too.”
“We’re in a good area here for silage farmers and we feel that we give a great silage service as well.”
Looking towards the coming months, Stephen is as optimistic as ever for the business which he has managed to build from the ground up over the past 15 years.
The Meath man is also keeping his fingers crossed for some decent weather as they look towards another busy summer season at Mohan Agri Contractors.
“We just hope that the weather stays on our side this summer as long as we get this silage cut.”
“So, we’d be hoping for decent weather and that fuel prices manage to stay down as well,” he concluded.
Mohan Agri Contractors
Robinstown,
Navan,
Co Meath
Mobile: 086 388 0049
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 9 No 5, September/October 2021
