Celebrating 21 years in business, Tomkins Steel Construction is a leading farm and industrial buildings specialist based in Courtown, Co. Wexford. Owner Nigel Tomkins explains more.
Renowned for its expertise in the fabrication and erection of structural steel, Tomkins Steel Construction provides an unrivalled service to a wide and varied customer-base. Nigel and his highly-skilled team offer a range of farm and industrial / commercial buildings which are manufactured to the highest standards and to your exact requirements.
Nigel runs the business in tandem with his 80-acre tillage enterprise close to the Wexford coast. He took over the farm following the death of his father Neville in 2002.
“I set up Tomkins Steel Construction in 2000 because the farm was too small to sustain the two of us,” he recalls.
“The business was already established when my father passed away and at this stage, I took over the running of the farm as well. I milked cows until 2005 before going into sucklers for five or six years. The farm is all in tillage now. I grow spring barley every year. In terms of farm machinery, I have a Ford tm150 tractor, a Fendt 716 tractor, a New Holland combine harvester and other equipment like a plough, seed drill and harrow.
“I also have two NC trailers for moving steel which are pulled by the Fendt.”
In addition, Nigel has two Merlo telehandlers and two Genie boom lifts dedicated to his structural steel business. The Tomkins Steel Construction workshop is kitted out with a plasma cutter, bandsaw, guillotine and welding machines among other things.
The Co. Wexford-based concern is a one-stop shop for all your farm and industrial requirements. It can fabricate and erect any size of building to your design or assist you in designing it to suit your exact needs. If you prefer to erect your own shed, the Tomkins team can cut and supply fabricated steel and accessories to order. Only the very best products go into making a Tomkins Steel Construction building.
“We do the jobs that others won’t do. Things like joining two existing sheds together. We’ll measure, fabricate and fit. No job is too big or too small. The only part of the job that we don’t do is the concrete works, but we can organise this for the customer if they so wish. From our experience, most customers prefer to deal with one person during the entire build process.”
Nigel’s main suppliers are Duggan Steel in Kilkenny (steel), HW Fasteners in Wexford (power tools), South East Providers, also in Wexford (timber, insulation panels and accessories), and Galco in Walkinstown, Dublin 12 (galvanise). His clients range from beef and dairy farmers to local authorities.
“While we try to stay local when it comes to farm buildings, we will travel that bit further for industrial projects. We get a lot of repeat custom from local farmers and businesses, and we also have done some work on big sites in Dublin. The Bradshaw’s in Shroughmore, Avoca are among our most loyal customers. They’re big dairy farmers who have been featured on TV. The vast majority of our work is secured through word of mouth and recommendations from satisfied customers,” the affable Wexford man continues.
Furthermore, Tomkins Steel Construction specialises in smaller steel works such as handrails and grabrails. It prides itself on providing a quality, courteous, reliable and value-for-money service.
“We’re always at the end of the phone and willing to go the extra mile for our customers. We’ve never had an issue or a complaint about the quality of our work or products. They are second to none.”
Nigel is full of praise for his small, but dedicated team who are a mix of steel fabricators, welders and erectors. “I’m very lucky to have good lads working for me. They’ve been very loyal to me and can turn their hand to any job, which is important in this game.”
In summary, Tomkins Steel Construction is committed to providing a top-quality product and service at the most competitive price. All of its buildings are solid, secure, attractive in appearance and are built to last.
Nigel would like to take this opportunity to thank his clients and suppliers for their continued support, and his staff for their hard work, dedication and skill.
Here’s to the next 21 years of this exceptional farm and industrial buildings specialist!
Tomkins Steel Construction
Ballinacur,
Courtown,
Gorey,
Co. Wexford.
Telephone: 087 1427386
Email: [email protected]
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 10 No 3, May/June 2022
