For almost 20 years now, Dungarvan Tyre Centre in Co Waterford has been first choice for its customers throughout the south east. Irish Tractor & Agri caught up with Managing Director Phil Flynn to learn more about the company and the top of the range tyres which they carry.
This is very much the busy time of year at Dungarvan Tyre Centre, where it’s all shoulders to the wheel for Phil Flynn and his nine staff.
An independent tyre retailer in business in Dungarvan for the last 18 years, the company supplies car, truck and agri tyres and have mobile units which cover all of Waterford, east Cork and south Tipperary.
Agri tyre repairs and sales are available at the Dungarvan Tyre Centre and they also offer provide a breakdown service for their customers.
Phil Flynn founded the business back in 1999 and has been in the tyres sales and repair trade most of his working life. The Dungarvan native was able to take time out of his busy schedule to explain what they’re all about.
“We’re based in Kilrush Business Park, Dungarvan, Co Waterford and the company is on the go 18 years now,” Phil outlined.
“We do a lot of agri-related work here and the whole spectrum of tyre distributing and repairs. We also do alignment work here as well.”
Michelin, Agrimax and Kleber are the three main brands of tyre which Dungarvan Tyre Centre carries for its agri clients and they also offer wheel alignment, wheel balancing and alloy wheel straightening for their customers on a daily basis.
All services combined, it’s hard for agri contractors around the Dungarvan area to look elsewhere when it comes to their tyre needs, whether it be repairs they require or purchase.
Phil explained that business has been on the up since having gone through a rough stint during the economic downturn and says he’s optimistic for the future, with the company now edging closer and closer to its 20th anniversary.
“Business has been ok lately. It was very slow for a while but it has picked up again now thankfully and things are going well,” he stated.
“With the agri sector there has been a little bit more of a turn around with the milk price at the moment, which is great to see and hopefully that will continue to go well and keep encouraging our customers to spend.”
Dungarvan Tyre Centre have been a Michelin Certified Centre for six years and when it comes to quality tyres it’s hard to look past that particular brand.
The company stocks tyres from all the major manufactures, whether it be for car, van, 4×4 or tractor, and many of their customers have been with them on a long-term basis at this stage.
Repeat business has been a huge aspect of the company’s success to date, as Phil explained.
“Almost everything here would be repeat business,” he put it plainly. “Our customers trust us and we continue to provide them with an excellent service each year.
“When it comes to call outs for breakdowns we have a fast response time. It’s something else that we’re known for and I feel it’s another reason why our customers tend to stick with us ahead of others.”
The breakdown service which Dungarvan Tyre Centre provides is certainly a huge ‘catch’ for customers and in the summer time it can be quite essential for their agri contracting clientele.
With silage season in full swing, a flat tyre on a John Deere or Massey Ferguson could have a huge effect for the average agri contractor and the team at Dungarvan Tyre Centre are always there to help.
“We have four breakdown vans and, depending on how busy it is, all of them could be on the road at the same time,” said Phil.
“From an agri point of view, the middle of May until the end of June is usually the busiest for us with the agri-contracting going on.”
As for the tyre that they’re most busiest with, there’s one that still stands out among the rest, according to Dungarvan Tyre Centre’s owner.
“We started with Michelin in 2011 and we’d sell a lot of the BKT Agrimax tyres here as well,” Phil stated.
“Firestone and Bridgestone are two other tyres that we carry here that sell well for us and I’d like to point out that we do a pick-up service for all the local factories as well.”
He added: “There’s a tyre recycling charge that’s set to come in, which means that every tyre we pick up is going to cost €2.80 plus VAT and I feel it might have a negative impact but we can only wait and see.”
For now, things are going well at Dungarvan Tyre Centre and Phil Flynn and his loyal staff members wouldn’t have it any other way.
Dungarvan Tyre Centre
Kilrush Business Park,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford
Tel: 058 41595
E-mail: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 5 No 3, April/May 2017
