Based in Stranamuck, Castlefin, Co Donegal, North West Farm Supplies Ltd specialises in the planning and construction of over ground slurry stores and tension roofs. Irish Tractor Agri & Plant touched base with Managing Director Kevin Egan to learn all about company – from its origins to the state of business today.
Next year is set to officially mark an even decade in business for North West Farm Supplies Ltd and, since its inception, the Co Donegal concern has built up an excellent reputation for its work.
Operating with eight full-time staff, the company is situated Stranamuck, Castlefin, Co Donegal and headed up by Kevin Egan who has been in this line of work for some 20 years now.
North West Farm Supplies is a family-run business, with Kevin’s father Pat a partner in it and his wife Rosie also playing an integral role.
Irish Tractor Agri & Plant caught up with Kevin recently to discuss the ins and outs of his company and what he feels separates it from the competition.
“It’s established since 2016 and was formerly NGS Agri in Galway. That was my uncle’s company and we used to build tanks for it,” he outlined.
“So, he (Joe Egan) went into milking cows and I took over and changed the name. I just started a new company and kept all his contacts.
“There’d be between eight and 10 staff working for us here, depending on the time of the year.”
These past nine years or so have saw the Egans growing a golden reputation amongst customers for their company’s service.
So, what is it exactly that North West Farm Supplies specialises in?
“We specialise in the planning and construction of over ground slurry stores and tension roofs,” Kevin stated.
“From the planning stages to when it’s passed. After that, it’s working with local digger men to get the site prepped. Like everything, if it’s not done right, it’s never right.
“We do all our own fitting. We don’t subcontract anything. If the tank’s not built right, it’ll never be right, so we do all our own fitting and we can supply underground pumps and agitation pumps.”
He added: “We’re also the only agents in Ireland for the Cunningham Covers Tension Roofs. That’s the only Irish made tension roof and we have been selling them now for maybe 16 years. They’re the only ones really that have been designed for the Irish climate.”
While the books for 2025 look good thus far, Kevin admits that there are plenty of challenges out there at present for a company like North West Farm Supplies.
The Tir Chonaill County native cites planning as being the main issue these days when it comes to farmers looking to put in new slurry tanks.
“Business is fairly slow in Ireland at the minute. The planning is a big issue now,” he pointed out.
“There have been tanks turned down for no reason and there’s been expansion on farms turned down for no reason. Looking at the media, you’d be thinking that farmers are getting everything but they have to jump through hoops to get anything.
“The way slurry is gone at the minute, in my opinion, farmers should get a good enough grants and easy enough planning. You can’t do away with the planning like they have been talking about because that makes no sense, but you have to have some kind of a regulation of where to put the tank.
“A farmer spreading slurry in January is only spreading to make room in the tanks. Farmers should be given good enough grants so they have good enough storage until the end of March where they can spread at the end of March and the ground can take it and the ground can grow from it.”
He added: “In saying that, there are always tanks going up. We would travel across to the UK to build tanks for Storth Machinery as well and we’d do all the fitting of Cunningham’s tension roofs throughout Ireland and the UK.”
Along with tension roofs that Kevin and his team fit for Cunningham’s, they also do slurry bags as well and floating covers for different types of tanks, which all serves to keep the company business year-round.
So, all of that considered, the burning question is what has been the secret behind North West Farm Supplies’ continued success?
For Kevin, it comes down to the service first and foremost.
“One reason that they come to us is that we do all of our own fitting. If I’m on the road selling, there’s no question that I can’t answer there and then because I’m on the ground all the time fitting,” he said.
“Our phone is answered 24/7 if there’s ever an issue with pumps, or if there’s valves sticking or something like that. We’re always on the ground and we always try and get the farmer up and going as soon as possible.
“If you look after them, they have no reason to go anywhere else.”
Looking at the months ahead for the business, the Managing Director says he’s optimistic as North West Farm Supplies Ltd edges closer and close towards the 10-year mark.
“The hopes are that we get a couple jobs and get them over the line. We have a lot of tension roof enquiries at the moment. The books are looking well for this year so early on, so that’s a good sign,” Kevin concluded.
North West Farm Supplies Ltd
Stranamuck,
Castlefin,
Co Donegal.
Mobile 086 162 7963
Email: [email protected]
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 13 No 1, Spring 2025
Featured, North West Farm Supplies
