Antrim-based R Rainey & Sons Ltd supplies the farming community with a comprehensive range of animal feeds. Speaking to Irish Tractor & Agri magazine, Director Alex Rainey detailed the secrets of their success.
Renowned as quality animal feed manufacturers, R Rainey & Sons Ltd is committed to the highest standards and supplying good quality products at competitive prices.
Their core business is the manufacture of meals and blends for pig, calf, beef, dairy and sheep and they are dedicated to delivering excellence. Their products can help farmers ensure the good health, welfare and production of their livestock.
Rainey’s focus lies with innovative, performance-led nutrition and the company is well regarded for its nutritional services and technical advice.
Their products are manufactured using quality raw materials and are promoted on their benefits to maximise the performance of stock.
Started from humble beginnings sixty years ago by Robin Rainey, the business has survived the test of time and continues to operate from its original Randalstown base under the direction of Robin’s sons, Alex and Brian Rainey.
“My father started off working in Nelson’s Pig factory and then decided to go out on his own,” explained Alex Rainey. “He purchased our current premises and started in a small way, mixing with just a shovel, and built the business up from there.
“I served my time as a mechanical engineer and when I turned 21 my father summoned me to do a HGV test and I’ve been working in the company ever since.”
A family-run affair, Alex’s younger brother Brian is also a director while their wives, Deirdre and Lorna, look after the administration end of things.
The success and growth of the company can be attributed to their policy of always putting the customer first, providing high quality products and excellent service.
Their long serving and experienced staff, which currently numbers nine, is another vital ingredient in their winning formula.
“Our workforce have been very loyal to us. We try and treat them as persons, not numbers. We had a fella who retired last October at the age of 65. He had been with us for 48 years. We have another couple of employees who have been with us 30 and 20 years respectively. That’s a lot of experience which is vital to our business.”
A policy of consistently keeping in touch with developments in relation to new feed products within livestock production and research has stood the company in good-stead in the past.
And, looking ahead to the future, research and development remains a cornerstone of their business model. R Rainey & Sons work closely with nutritionists to develop innovative animal feed products that help their customers get the best from their livestock.
Combining their know how with Causeway Nutrition, DSM Nutrition, and Trouw Nutrition their products contain the highest quality ingredients and additives for animal feed that produce healthier animals for better meat.
“It’s a competitive market but we base our products on the best quality raw materials,” Alex highlighted. “There are certain raw materials that we wouldn’t allow on our premises.
“There are high maize mixes in our rations and our products are tried and trusted, you can’t beat them for performance. We have a lot of loyal and happy customers who can testify to that.
“We can also produce individual rations according to our customers own specifications should they require.”
As a result, it should come as no surprise to learn that business has been brisk of late for Rainey & Sons as their products are very much in demand.
“Business is very good at the moment. Again it comes down to the quality of our product. We don’t have sales reps on the road and we only occasionally advertise in local papers. We benefit a lot from word of mouth. Our customers are satisfied with our products and they help us spread the word.
“The biggest growth sector is coming from collections in our yard. A lot of locally based customers use this as it’s convenient for them and provides a quick turnover for them.
“That’s not to say that there aren’t challenges out there in the industry. You have to keep in tow with all the regulations and our staff are constantly having to do training to keep up to date.
“Another challenge is industry prices but we always strive to offer a good quality product at a competitive price.”
Want to find out more? Give Alex or Brian a call at the number below to find out how their products can help you improve animal performance and profitability.
R Rainey & Sons Ltd
147 Portglenoe Road
Randalstown
Antrim
BT413EN
Tel: 028-94472344
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 3 No 3, April 2015
