Based outside of Bantry, Co Cork, Scart Agriculture Contracting Ltd is a company with more than 20 years of experience when it comes to agri contracting. Irish Tractor & Agri caught up with its director Patrick Coughlan to find out all about this thriving business situated in the Rebel County.
Business is good these days at Scart Agriculture Contracting Ltd and the plan for its founder Patrick Coughlan and his team down in Ardra, Scart, Co Cork is to try and keep things that way right through to next year.
Set-up just a couple of years ago, the company has origins which date back to more than two decades ago when Patrick took the decision to go out on his own, with his brother Richard working alongside him.
Today, Scart Agriculture Contracting Ltd offers its clients almost all aspects when it comes to your typical agri contracting services.
Irish Tractor & Agri heard more from the Managing Director about the origins of his company and the overall state of business at the moment down in Bantry.
“We’re based in Scart, Bantry, Co Cork and the company is only up and running as Scart Agriculture Contracting Ltd a couple of years now, but we’ve been operating over 20 years here at this stage,” Patrick outlined.
“We’ve two with us on a full-time basis and my brother Richard would be with me all the time here, so I suppose it’s a family business in that way.
“Round baling would be a big part of what we do here when it comes to the services that we provide and also slurry, re-seeding, digger hire – we do everything really.”
Operating with seven tractors in its fleet, Scart Agriculture Contracting Ltd provides its clients with a reliable and efficient service.
Patrick and his team in Scart cater for almost all aspects of agri contracting services and it has seen them grow a reputation for providing an excellent service to customers.
Rewind back to the start and times were tougher when Patrick was trying to get things off the ground but, in saying that, there was an upside back then in that machinery prices were much more reasonable two decades ago.
“I started out on my own straight after finishing school and I’ve been at it since,” he said.
“It was a different story back then starting out. In those days, you could buy a decent machine for around €15,000 – now it’s €120,000 for a new machine.
“I think the first new baler that I bought was back in 2001 and I paid €22,000 for it.
“The prices have gone crazy nowadays, but that’s the way it is and you just have to get on with it I suppose.”
Every agri contractor out there is in the same boat when it comes to adding new machinery to their fleet and Patrick himself sees it as a necessary cost, especially with the rate of business at the moment.
Right now, these are busy times at Scart Agriculture Contracting Ltd as clients all over the Bantry region look to avail of the company’s round baling service, along with the many others on offer to them.
“Business has been good this year so far,” said Patrick. “Thankfully, weather-wise, everything has gone well and the pandemic hasn’t had too much of an impact either on farmers.
“Hopefully, things can stay that way and we’ll be busy here for the next few months and into next year.”
Either way, Scart Agriculture Contracting Ltd certainly has the machinery at its disposal to handle the workload.
Patrick has invested in a new baler wrapper this year to keep up with the demand, while the tractor fleet still stands at seven strong.
“We’ve seven tractors here at the moment, five of them New Hollands,” he said.
“I got a new McHale Fusion this year and, having used it plenty so far, I have to say that McHale has come a long way. It’s an excellent machine and we’re delighted with it so far.”
So, the burning question is what has been the secret to success for Patrick Coughlan and his agri contracting business thus far?
How has a small start-up grown into a thriving business with seven tractors in its fleet and an excellent reputation amongst clients to go along with it?
For Patrick, the name of the game is honesty and taking the same approach to work as if it were his own that needed to be taken care of.
“When you go to do a job, you go out to do it as well as you’d do it for yourself. That’s the approach we’ve always taken here and I think our customers can see that in the work that we do,” said the Cork native.
“Every single contractor is only as good as the people he has working with him.”
Looking towards the months ahead, Patrick is eager for more good weather like the country experienced this past July.
Well, perhaps not that hot, but another dry spell would certainly do no harm.
“The number one thing with us has always been the weather. If it’s right then everything is right,” he said.
“The weather has been incredible lately, so we have no complaints at the moment.”
Great to hear.
Scart Agriculture Contracting Ltd
Ardra,
Scart,
Bantry,
Co Cork
Mobile: 086 875 9731
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 9 No 6, November/December 2021
