As one of Ireland’s leading distributors of wood shavings, McPhillips Woodshavings Ltd in Co Monaghan delivers quality animal bedding to some of the country’s top poultry producers and equestrian centres. Irish Tractor & Agri touched base with its Managing Director Sean McPhillips to hear more about the company – from its machinery fleet to the overall state of business at the moment.
These are busy times at McPhillips Woodshavings Ltd and the plan for Sean McPhillips and his team in Newbliss, Co Monaghan is to try and keep things that way right through to next year.
Established by Sean’s late father John McPhillips in 1979, the company has grown from strength to strength over the past four decades to the point where it is now one of the country’s leading distributors of wood shavings.
It currently operates with six full-time staff and five vehicles on the road, delivering quality animal bedding to its clientele across Ireland.
Irish Tractor & Agri spoke with proprietor Sean McPhillips to find out all about what is a thriving business situated in the Farney County.
“Things aren’t too bad here at the moment business-wise considering everything had closed up in the country at one stage,” he said.
“Mills actually got busier though and when we shut down in April 2020 for a month, we decided to concentrate on cutting straw for that month.
“I do honestly feel like things have gotten busier for us since then.”
Indeed, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the government lockdowns which followed in order to try and combat the spread of the virus, had its affects on businesses throughout Ireland.
McPhillips Woodshavings Ltd was no different to the rest and, in April of last year, it would shut its doors for the first time in 41 years.
Since then, however, business has been flourishing as the demand for its high-quality products continues to rise.
The products that the company provides clients are 100 per cent pure white softwood kiln-dried shavings with no recycled materials or MDF content.
Every bale at McPhillips Woodshavings Ltd is dust extracted and composed of clean dry soft wood shavings, making it an excellent choice for animal bedding.
In order to ensure the consistent quality of bales, the company uses an advanced production and control process, providing an ultra-compressed bale using state-of-the-art equipment.
Each 25kg bale is vacuum-packed using a weather-proof, heavy gauge plastic cover which is then heat-sealed. Bales are then built on a 36-strong pallet, which is in turn wrapped and protected from all weather conditions.
Shavings are readily available in bales or bulk and sawdust can also be provided in bags or in bulk.
Cavan Equestrian Centre, Hogans Turkeys, Whitaker Turkeys, Western Brand Group and Manor Farm Group are just some of the clients that McPhillips Woodshavings Ltd have worked with down through the years and the list continue to grow.
“Right now, ECC Timber Products in Cornamona in Galway would be the main client for us,” Sean outlined.
“We also draw out of Bill Kehoe Sawmills in Wicklow and Glennon Brothers would be another as well.”
For years now, McPhillips Woodshavings Ltd has operated with a business model which is simple but effective, taking the shavings from timber mills and distributing them into the poultry, equestrian and dairy (sawdust) sectors across Ireland.
The company has its own baler in situ at Agnew & Co., baling the 25kilo packs, which are popular with equestrian centres for topping up etc.
As well as poultry farms and equestrian centres, they also supply dairy farmers with sawdust, straw and bales of shavings.
Recently, Sean added a new Manitou machine to the fleet in Drumloo South, which he purchased from Mid-Louth Garage in Ardee.
It’s the latest addition to a fine machinery fleet which includes four Scania artics and three curtain-siders with Moffett Mounties for pallets of bales, as well as two walking floor trailers to draw bulk loads in and out.
All of the machinery at McPhillips Woodshavings Ltd is maintained in excellent condition year-round.
So, all of that considered, the burning question is what has been the secret to the company’s continued success down through the years?
“I’m not too sure what the secret has been to be honest, but I suppose we just try and never let our clients down,” Sean put in candidly.
“Keeping your own clients happy is always the priority and I think we cover all bases for them time and time again.”
As well as all that, Sean still keeps some 75,000 broiler chickens on the home farm which he sells to Manor Farm. The Farney County native has also invested for the future by having 120 acres of forestry land which should be ready for harvesting within the next 20 years.
Looking towards the more immediate future, McPhillips Woodshavings Ltd’s MD is optimistic for what’s around the corner in spite of all the current challenges out there.
He has also hinted at a possibility expansion into the UK market some time in 2022.
“We’d still be maintaining the same rate of work that we have on at the minute for next couple of months. I don’t see that changing, to be honest,” said Sean.
“Other than that, the hopes would be to start breaking more into the UK market – England, Scotland and Wales, maybe next year some time, so we’ll see how that goes.”
McPhillips Woodshavings Ltd,
Drumloo South,
Newbliss,
Co Monaghan
Tel: 047 54818
Mobile: 086 884 4027
Email: [email protected]
Web: mcphillipsshavings.ie
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 9 No 6, November/December 2021
