Based just outside of Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, Wood Dale Agri supplies its customers with quality tractors and last year saw the company add a new state-of-the-art workshop to its base. Irish Tractor & Agri heard all about it from co-director Eoin Murphy recently.
Up and running close to half a decade now, Wood Dale Agri in Co Wexford has quickly established a reputation amongst clients for providing an excellent service.
The company is operated by brothers Eoin and Paul Murphy who both started out as agri mechanics, having followed in the footsteps of their father Jim.
Today, Jim still remains very much involved in the family business, with 2019 having been their best year to date at Wood Dale Agri.
Irish Tractor & Agri caught up with Eoin Murphy recently to learn all about a business which looks to be thriving off the back of its stellar service to date.
“We’re based in Forrestalstown, Clonroche outside of Enniscorthy, Co Wexford and we’re on the go about five years now,” Eoin explained.
“Myself and Paul are the directors and our father Jim is here with us, as well as two more full-time staff.
“We originally started off as agri mechanics and branched out then to selling quality New Holland tractors and run a repair service for local farmers.”
From repairing to selling has been quite the transition for the Murphys and they haven’t forgotten their roots in the meantime.
Jim Murphy has been immersed in farm machinery all off his working life and his two sons were never going to stray too far away from the same line of work, having both picked up an interest from a young age.
“My father started out farming and growing up here we were always interested in the machinery that was on the farm,” said Eoin.
“We both completed agri mechanic apprenticeships before starting up this business and, thankfully, things are going well for us here at the moment.”
Rewind back five years or so and the picture looked different.
Getting a new business up and running is often difficult but the Murphy clan persevered and their company’s excellent work to date is now seeing them reap the benefits.
“If I’m being honest, it was extremely hard getting off the ground when we started this business, but we got there,” he said.
“Every day is a battle in business, especially this business, but we get through it and, as I said, things are going well now here.”
Last year goes down as their best to date for Wood Dale Agri and Eoin hopes to top it in 2020.
The opening up of a brand new workshop in Forrestalstown could, he hopes, prove to be the catalyst for more success with regards to business coming in for the Rossmore Agricultural Equipment dealers.
“We had an extremely good 2019,” he beamed. “It was probably our best year to date and here we’re always looking to grow.
“We’ve grown year on year and plan on doing the same again in 2020 after building a new workshop at the end of last year.
“We took on a new lad and opened the workshop in December which has been going well for us since.”
So what has been the secret to success over this past half decade?
For Eoin, he feels that honesty with clients goes a long way in this line of work along with, of course, expert knowledge of the business.
“We base ourselves on being honest and fair and there’s also the fact that we know what we’re doing,” he said.
There’s no denying that when it comes to the people behind Wood Dale Agri and last year’s numbers for the company can certainly prove it.
The machinery has continued to fly out the gates in Forrestalstown for the first couple of months of 2020 and that trend looks like continuing right into the summer.
“At the moment, it’s 120 and 140 horse power tractors that are our most popular sellers here,” he said.
“Over the winter months it’s the smaller ones but right now the 120 and 140 horsepower are the most popular machines we have going out the gates.
“We have clients coming from down as far as Cappoquin (Co Waterford) and last week we’d a lad up from Baltinglass (Co Wicklow) to pick up a new tractor.”
The good word on Wood Dale Agri certainly seems to have spread all throughout the south east of the country and perhaps even further afield.
As for the months ahead, the company will target further growth while continuing to keep clients satisfied, according to the co-director.
“We’re always looking to build and grow our business here. We’ll be looking to get out there and grow our customer base again this year.
“I have to say that the outlook is positive,” Eoin concluded.
Wood Dale Agri
Forrestalstown,
Clonroche,
Enniscorthy,
Co Wexford
Tel: 087-7759566 (Paul) / 087-6955720 (Eoin)
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 8 No 2, Summer 2020
