Although still in its infancy, Farmstrong Agri & Domestic Supplies is carving a niche for itself as one of Northern Ireland’s leading farming supplies companies. They provide quality products that offer their customers excellent value for money.
Under the direction of Neil Armstrong, the Tyrone-based company has secured a strong foothold in the local agricultural and domestic supplies market and there are ambitions to expand its reach throughout the north and further afield.
Neil took the decision to go out on his own just over 12 months ago and it has been very much a case of so far, so good. One of the main differences is that the owner of the company is from an agricultural background and understands what farmers need and when agricultural supplies are needed.
In addition, 15 years Neil spent in a management role with a similar company helped broaden his knowledge of what the customer wants and gave him a head start when it came to starting up his own business in terms of a strong network of suppliers and customers.
Farmstrong Agri & Domestic Supplies will always try to deliver products and farming supplies on time and to the customer’s suitability.
“I established the company in October 2014,” answered Neil when asked to reflect on the company’s roots.
“My father (Desmond Armstrong) hit retirement age and I decided the time was right to go out on my own. I was reared on a dairy farm in Trillick, Co Tyrone, milking 80 cows on 120 acres, and I noticed a gap in the market.
“One of the strengths of the business is my background in dairy farming. Also I possess a strong local knowledge, I know the customers and I know the local area.”
Farmstrong Agri & Domestic Supplies comprehensive range of products covers cow cubicles, mats and mattresses; feed barriers/gates/drinkers; dairy hygienc/equipment and machinery; animal medicine/health/minerals; animal tags/Antibiotic testing kits; agri sprays; fertiliser and farm feeds; silage wrap/bale net; calf milk; cubicle lime/bedding and coal.
“I specialise in several different products including the complete live stock house solutions supply and fit.
“Thankfully, business has gone very well so far. My customer base is mainly west Tyrone, Omagh and Enniskillen but I cover all of Northern Ireland as required. Distance is no object and I have done business in Antrim, Armagh and Derry in the past year.”
Customer service is a cornerstone of Neil’s approach to the business. He believes in the personal touch when it comes to dealing with his customers and, above all else, he tries to ensure that every customer he deals with is 100% satisfied. If there is any problem, large or small, he will always try to resolve it to the best of his ability to the customer’s satisfaction.
Farmstrong’s prices are consistently monitored to ensure that their customers have the confidence in knowing that they are one of the most competitive suppliers in the industry.
“The dairy sector is going through a tough time, milk prices aren’t great and business is tough but there’s a lot of good customers out there who have been very decent to me since I set up the business.
“I’m a one-man operation but I like it that way because then I have only myself to blame if anything goes wrong!” he quipped. “The business demands a lot of commitment and hard work. Normally, I’m on the go from 6am in the morning to 10pm, 11pm at night and I have to fit in milking cows twice a day too!
“I’m flat out at minute but, in my experience, the hard work is worth it because if the price is right, the product is good and you provide a good service, customers will keep coming back to you.”
Looking to the future, Neil has plans in the pipeline which he hopes will help the fledgling company spread its wings in the coming years.
“At the minute I’m in the process of developing a website which I hope to have up and running in soon. That’s the way forward for the business and our customers will be able to shop online for smaller products.”
Looking for quality agricultural and domestic supplies at reasonable prices? Look no further than Farmstrong Agri & Domestic Supplies. With a delivery service available, feel free to contact Neil to find out more about his wide range of products and services.
Offering free quotes, he looks forward to hearing from you and will be pleased to offer you unrivalled advice on your particular requirements.
Neil Armstrong Farmstrong Agri & Domestic Supplies
80 Ballyard Road
Trillick, Omagh, Co Tyrone
BT78 3PE
NI: 07713886853
ROI: 00447713886853
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 2, February 2016
