Well-established and with a wealth of knowledge to fall back on, Gamble Agri Contractors’ name is synonymous with dependability and consistent, quality work. Irish Tractor & Agri magazine spoke to Jonny Gamble to get an insight into the range of services that the Ballymoney, Co Antrim based contractors specialise in.
Jonny Gamble is joined in the day-to-day operations of Contracting Business by two of his four sons, Matthew and Philip and hopefully the two younger sons as they get older as Jonny explained: “Matthew and Philip now work with me in the Agri Contracting business and we have six full-time employees in total. At peak season we’d be running fourteen to sixteen men.”
Matthew and Philip have inherited their father’s passion for contracting and are carrying on a proud family tradition.
“I enjoy it,” Jonny announced. “I’ve been at it now for 35 years roughly and I’ve enjoyed it the whole way up. I know it’s probably a young man’s game but as long as you keep the customers happy, that is half the battle. Hopefully, the boys will continue to work at it. They are a great help.”
Jonny takes great pride in investing in the latest high-quality equipment and machinery. The wide range of agricultural machinery at their disposal is extensive and enables Gamble Agri Contractors to cater for a full range of services.
“We’re running two Fendts, the rest of the tractors are Massey Ferguson. We have one 7726, five 7720s, two 7118s, two new 7719s as well as a 6290 and a 6280, along with Househam Sprayer, Krone and Claas Harvesters, Class Combine with Tracks and two Krone Big M Mowers,” he outlined.
Services Gamble Agri Contracts offer include : Dung Spreading, Slurry Spreading with Pipe System & Tankers, Power Harrowing, Ploughing, Sowing Fertiliser, One Pass Sowing, Hedge Cutting, Barley Crushing, Mowing with Krone Big M, Silage Cutting with self-propelled, Round baling, Spraying with Self-propelled and Combining with Tracks.
Gamble Agri Contractors’ efficient fleet of tractors and associated machinery were rarely idle during the past 12 months and, to ensure happy customers, they always strive to get the job done as quickly as possible.
The Antrim-based operation has a flexible and adaptive approach and their customers can be assured of reliable service from a trusted contractor.
“Business wasn’t too bad in 2020. It got off to a fantastic start, there was a great start to the season thanks to the weather. The unpredictability of the weather is the biggest challenge in this line of work and then Covid-19 came along. In saying that, it didn’t really affect us that much. The roads were a lot quieter and there was less hassle on the country roads because of reduced traffic.
“It was a good enough season although the middle part was tricky enough – the barley cutting and the spring cereal. It was dicey enough getting it up. We finished up okay again, there were bits and pieces to tidy up. We wouldn’t be cutting the same amount of maize now as we used to. Whatever bit of maize we had, we got it tidied up.”
Customer satisfaction is of paramount importance to Jonny and he is grateful to the customers who have stuck by him through thick and thin.
“We generally work within a 20 mile radius of Ballymoney, sometimes a little farther and we are lucky to have a lot of loyal customers who I have carried out work on behalf of for many years now. Hopefully they will continue to be happy with the service we provide so long may it continue. I think they appreciate our reliability, which would be a lot to do with it, as well as our workmanship.”
Looking ahead to the future, Jonny has plans to expand the family farm enterprise.
“Gamble Agri Contracting will continue to grow and as for home, we’ll be looking to expand more on the cattle end and the farming end itself. We’re running a beef cattle enterprise, start to finish. I intend to keep at it and work away as I have been. Hopefully, I’ll be at it for another 30 odd years!” he concluded.
For any more information on Gamble Bros Agri Contractors’ services, contact Jonny on the numbers below. With their range of agricultural contracting services, modern and reliable equipment, plus a highly skilled workforce, they can help improve efficiency on your farm.
Gamble Bros Agri Contractors
22 Drumlee Road
Ballymoney
Co Antrim
BT537LE
Jonny: 078-3133-9749 Matthew 078-2539-7415
Telephone: 028-2766-2379
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 9 No 2, March/April 2021
