It is every company’s aim to continuously look at ways to improve the service that they provide their customers, even businesses that have been operating since the dawn of time!
One such firm is Kerry based Rhyno Quality Feeds, which has been supplying animal feeds to an extensive customer base since early in the twentieth century.
Having being established so long, the team at Rhyno Mills could be forgiven for just keep on doing what they have been doing for many, many years.
However, that is certainly not the case as Managing Director Paudie O’Connor told this month’s edition of Irish Tractor and Agri.
Success is often gauged by longevity and to that end, not many can rival Rhyno as it enters its 95th year following its established in 1919 when Paudie’s grandfather William O’Connor re-opened the mill in Castleisland after it had been closed for a number of years.
Rhyno produce high quality animal feeds for dairy cows, beef cattle, calves and sheep. They are one of the few independent companies still operating in this industry in Ireland.
To ensure the future of the business, a progressive minded Paudie and his fellow director Joseph O’Connor have been undertaking and extensive programme to help improve the business.
Action Coach is a business coaching firm that according to Paudie has helped transform Rhyno Quality feeds in a very short space of time.
“We were looking at ways of improving the business and the quality of service that we provide our customers and we found out about Action Coach,” said Paudie.
“Helen Burns from Action Coach has been working with us for just over a year now and basically her role is to go through every aspect of the business and look at areas where we can improve.
“The transformation since she came on board has been huge. There is great potential in the business and the first steps to put a system in place have been taken,” stated Paudie.
The company also took on a marketing campaign that has proved successful, while all this led to Rhyno Quality Feeds winning the ‘2014 Best Retailer Award’ at the Action Coach Business forum awards night.
Rhyno Mills was one of six finalists in its category at the two-day forum where leading business experts shared their views. Paudie revealed the animal feed company was delighted to have received the award as it acknowledges all the effort that everyone in the company has put in.
“With the introduction of new plant and systems we have doubled our production capacity and further enhanced the quality of our feeds and the award was for everyone in the company that have worked so hard to make the improvements possible.”
The summer months are a quieter period for Rhyno as animals need less feed, but Paudie feels that could all change once the milk quota goes next year.
“We would be kept going during the summer as dairy farmers are always feeding their cows in order to improve the milk yield, but certainly when the quota goes next year I can see an increase in sales during the summer months.”
Rhyno Quality Feeds’ customer base covers most of the Munster region, and in particular Kerry, Cork and Limerick, to get to their customers, they have their own trucks that deliver to stockists and farmers alike.
All Rhyno’s ingredients are bought from approved suppliers to ensure that they produce a quality feed, which has earned rave reviews across Munster.
“We source our ingredients from reputable suppliers and always have done. We know that if the customer is not happy with the product, they will just go elsewhere, so it is up to us to ensure that we produce a quality product.”
Rhyno produce coarse and mixed feeds which means they have a double productions of feeds, which all come in bulk, mini bulk and 25kg plastic sealed bags.
“All products can either be collected at the mill, delivered or they are available from our 13 stockists throughout the province,” added Paudie.
The work with Action Coach has just begun and Paudie stressed that there is still plenty to be done over the coming year.
“We are delighted with the direction that the company is heading, and we are already working on the next stage of improving the business. There are a number of areas still to be worked on and it is challenging, but it is something that we are looking forward to working on.”
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Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 2 No 2, June/July 2014
