Based in Rathnure, Co Wexford, Barron Machinery is a family-run business which supplies and services the needs of local farmers in the area. Irish Tractor Agri & Plant spoke with Managing Director Barry Barron to learn all about the ins and outs of the company – from its origins to the state of business today.
Next year will see Barron Machinery marking four decades since it first opened its doors in Rathnure and, right now, business is going well for the Co Wexford company.
Set-up by the late Seamus Barron in 1983, it’s a dealership which supplies new McCormick tractors along with the full range of replacement parts for McCormick and Case IH tractors.
They are also dealers for KUHN farm machinery, as well as being main agents for big name brands such as Major Equipment, Rauch, Hardi, Bomford and Strautmann.
Sadly, this past January saw Seamus Barron pass away and, since that time, his son Barry has been heading up the operation which he worked alongside his father for more than 25 years.
Irish Tractor Agri & Plant spoke with Barry recently to hear more on the most popular machines they’re selling at the minute down in Wexford and the overall hopes for the company going forward.
“We have four staff altogether and basically we specialise mostly in machinery,” he outlined.
“There’s Kuhn, Rauch, Major, Vicon and we do a few second-hand tractors as well. We’re still McCormick dealers, but I’m not doing a lot with them at the minute and we do a bit of parts and things like that.”
Located in the village of Rathnure, Barron Machinery offers its customers services in sales of new and second-hand machinery and, as well as this, it also supplies them with a comprehensive after sales and service department.
The company offers a range of spare parts to help keep its customers’ machinery running day in and day out and, as main dealers for Kuhn and McCormick, they stock a vast array of genuine parts.
Since ‘Day One’, it has been Barron Machinery’s aim to provide its customers with a backup service that is second to none, as the company prides itself in the extensive range of fast-moving and not so fast-moving genuine Kuhn parts that it has available on its shelves.
Any parts that they do not have in stock in their store can be ordered for next day delivery.
Indeed, the company has come a long way over these past 39 years and, with Barry himself having been on board full-time for 26 of those, he is as optimistic as ever looking to the future.
Right now, according to the Model County native, business is going well and he’s also glad to report that the Covid-19 pandemic, and the government lockdowns which followed to combat the spread of the virus, did not have too much of a negative impact on the company.
“Business is not bad at all at the minute really,” stated the Managing Director.
“Covid and the lockdowns would’ve made things a bit awkward for us at the time here where we are based, but didn’t make much of a difference because we were still let work away.
“Farmers worked away during it and it didn’t do us a pile of harm, to be honest with you.”
Kuhn and Major, which are the two most popular brands Barron Machinery sells, still saw their machinery coming in and out the gates during those unprecedented times and they still continue to do so to this day.
You can also be certain that going forward and, as it approaches its 40th year, Barron Machinery will continue to invest more into its facilities and resources.
If you’re standing still in this business then you’re probably going backwards and the Barron’s have never been ones to go backwards, with the proof lying in their company’s success to date.
So, the burning question is what has been the secret behind Barron Machinery’s success over these past four decades?
How has a small start-up grown into a leading business which supplies and services the needs of local farmers in its area?
“I think our customers choose us and come back to us for the service that we give them and the fact that we’re local as well,” Barry responded.
At Barron Machinery, they know that their customers’ need quality machinery and they also support that equipment with high-quality after sales support.
Looking towards the months ahead for the business, Barry says he’s keen for more of the same going forward and heading into 2023.
“With grants and all, things are still good and if the grants stay going things should be good for the next few years.
“With the likes of fertiliser spreaders and items like that, hopefully business will stay good for us here,” he concluded.
Barron Machinery
Rathnure,
Enniscorthy,
Co Wexford
Mon – Fri: 9AM – 6PM Sat: 9AM – 1PM
Mobile: 087 222 4488
Email: [email protected]
Web: barronmachinery.ie
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 10 No 6, November/December 2022
