Shortlisted for the 2014 Contractor of the Year at the inaugural Farming Independent/Zurich Insurance awards, father and son team Eugene and Garrett Headon of Eugene Headon Farmers & Agricultural Contractors boast a proven track record and can be trusted to get the job done.
The Farmer of the Year Awards seeks to reward excellence in all areas of farming in the Republic of Ireland and while the Naas based Headons narrowly missed out on the Contractor of the Year title 18 months ago, reaching the final three was a noteworthy achievement in itself. Not to mention a valuable learning experience and Eugene and Garrett have taken on board the feedback they received from the judging panel and used it to telling effect to help them improve the smooth running and efficiency of their business.
Judging was based on a number of criteria, including standard of the machinery fleet, operator training, health and safety, cash flow management and environmental standards.
The judges for the contractor competition were Derek Casey, machinery reporter with the Farming Independent and John Kennedy, inspector with the Health & Safety Authority.
“We may not have won it but we were delighted to make the final three,” stated Garrett Headon. “Thomas Moloney of of Moloney Agri from Tipperary was the overall winner but the whole process was a very positive experience from our point of view. “It made us take a step back and look at what we had and what areas we could improve on. Also, feedback from the judges was very constructive. Moloney Agri’s documentation and specialisation was exceptional and they deserved to the win.’’
It should come as no surprise to learn that the Headons hail from a strong farming background and Eugene Headon commenced contracting back in 1972. Six years ago, he was joined in the day-to-day running of the business by Garrett.
“My late father William was a cattle and sheep farmer and did a little bit of tillage,” Eugene revealed when asked to trace the roots of the contracting business. “I was always into machinery so it suited me better to do tillage. We farm our own farm and also rent other farms, growing winter wheat, winter barley, oilseed rape, spring beans and spring barley. “I’ve been contracting since 1972 and we have one full-time and three part-time employees while we also use sub-contractors as required. My wife Catherine looks after the paper work.”
The experience gained over 40 years by Eugene is complemented by Garrett’s strong technical knowledge and they work well together as a team, enabling them to to provide a full and comprehensive contracting service, with particular emphasis on tillage operations and silage harvesting. At all times, they ensure the highest quality, safety and professional standards are adhered to.
Garrett, who completed his studies at Harper Adams University, England in 2010, added: “Dad’s experience counts for a lot and we work well together. When you’re younger you can be a bit hot headed and tend to learn things the hard way but we’ve a good combination with my technical background and Eugene’s practical experience.”
Offering high quality services, the Headons are dedicated to customer satisfaction. Consequently much of their business comes from word of mouth and satisfied repeat customers.
“A lot of our customers go back years with us and we’re grateful to them for their continued support,” Eugene commented. “We pride ourselves on our reliability and the high standard of work. “There was a good yield in 2015 with the favourable weather so if 2016 is as good we won’t complain. But, having said that, prices are back where they were in the 1980s and, at the same time, costs are going up.”
Garrett continued: “We treat every job as if it is our own. We don’t just turn up in the wet and bull on. You have to treat the landowner and customers land with respect. “In that sense, we always try to be honest with people. If for some reason we get delayed, we tell them that. You have to be straight and honest in this game and we always try to be professional in everything we do.”
Attention to detail and a policy of continually updating their fleet of tractors and associated machinery are vital components in the well-oiled Headon family machine. They have invested heavily which means field operations can be very timely and to get the most from their machinery, they look after as much of the maintenance work themselves as possible. They also rely on some key dealers for back up on larger repairs.
“We follow a programme of preventative maintenance as opposed to fixing machinery when it breaks down,” Garrett explained. “That shows out in the field when it comes to finishing the job.”
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Eugene & Garrett Headon
Naas
Co. Kildare
Tel: 086 2560022 or 086 8240352
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 2, February 2016
