Serving dairy farmers since 2008, Alfatech is an authorised DeLaval dealer for Meath and Dublin. The company is run by Kevin Rogers and Peter Brennan who have a wealth of experience in the milking systems sector.
DeLaval is a world leader in the dairy farming industry, providing integrated milking solutions designed to improve dairy farmers’ production, animal welfare and overall quality of life. The brand develops, manufactures and markets equipment and complete systems for milk production and animal husbandry worldwide. Service and sales of a wide range of accessories are also key aspects of DeLaval’s operations.
The company supplies highly-efficient system solutions for milking, herd management, animal traffic control, feeding, cooling, manure handling, ventilation and energy recovery.
Flying the flag for DeLaval from its Summerhill, Co. Meath depot is Alfatech which services counties Meath, Dublin, Westmeath, Offaly and Kildare. Along with milking equipment, it supplies a range of premium quality dairy detergents and aftermarket products, and also carries a huge range of spare parts.
“We specialise in the installation, maintenance and repair of conventional milking systems,” Kevin Rogers explains.
“Our services include delivery of the sale, installation of plant and preventative and scheduled maintenance. We have good customers in our catchment area who we work closely with to ensure they can optimise their milk production and the wellbeing of their dairy herd. We pride ourselves on our ability to meet and exceed their requirements on quality, productivity and safety. DeLaval design, manufacture and supply integrated milking solutions with the needs of dairy farmers in mind.
“We’re here 24/7, 365 days a year for our customers.”
Founded in June 2008 by Kevin and Peter, Alfatech took over the DeLaval dealership in their area from Trim-based ALFCO Farm Services Ltd who nowadays concentrate on supplying rubber matting, hydraulic and rope scrappers, drafting gates, parlour stall work and manger systems to the dairy industry. Not only have Alfatech retained the existing client base, they have grown it by providing a top-class and unrivalled service.
“We picked up the ALFCO client-base and grew it,” says Kevin, who was reared on a dairy farm in Moynalty, Co. Meath, which gave him a good understanding of dairy farming and animal husbandry.
“Having worked for ALFCO on both a sub-contract and permanent basis, I was already familiar with many of their customers. I’ve been in this business since 1995, while Peter has over 40 years’ experience of milking systems. We’re both involved in sales and preventative maintenance, Sean Kirby and Brendan Kerrigan are our fitters, Niall O’Loughlin is our service technician.
He continues: “We’re just a phone call away from our customers. Our technicians are highly-trained and accredited. We cover everything from installation of a new milking parlour to preventative maintenance programmes and emergency repairs. It’s very important to have your equipment serviced twice a year to ensure downtime is kept to a minimum. A well-maintained milking parlour can save a farmer a lot of hassle and expense.
“We run a fleet of vans which are customised and fully stocked. Ninety-nine per cent of repairs are carried out onsite.”
Building a new milking parlour is a costly investment, thus making good liaison and cooperation between the farmer, installer and building contractor vital.
“When we deliver a sale, we give the farmer a blueprint of what we’re building. We work closely with the farmer and the builder during the entire process. Building the milking parlour is the starting point and the really important part. Layout and positioning are critical. The dimensions and distances between walls, drainage, slopes etc need to be spot on before any installation can take place.”
Alfatech has experienced a marked increase in business since the EU milk quotas were abolished in 2015, while farmers are also continuing to avail of grants under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme 2 (TAMS 2). Open until 2020, TAMS 2 covers many areas of farm safety and infrastructure and runs in three-month tranches with priority given to young trained farmers and those farming in disadvantaged areas. Grant aid is 60 per cent for young trained farmers or 40 per cent in all other cases up to a maximum of €80,000 spend for individuals.
“There have been many new entrants into dairying since the milk quotas were lifted. Many existing dairy farmers are also expanding and upgrading their equipment. The expansion of herds is more to do with volume than anything else because milk prices are so modest. The typical herd size in our region is north of 100 now.
“We’re installing more milking parlours than ever to keep apace with demand. There is a growing trend towards Midline swing-over Herringbone installations, ranging from 12 to 30 units. We also supply rotary systems to cater for the larger herds, i.e. 300-500 and upwards.”
Employing 4,500 people in more than 100 countries, DeLaval’s goal is to reduce the environmental footprint of farms, while improving milk production, farm profitability and the wellbeing of the people and animals involved. DeLaval believes the goal of Sustainable Dairy Farming can be achieved by supporting dairy farmers with smart technology and services to continuously increase resource efficiency on farms. To put it another way, DeLaval support them to do more with less.
“It’s all about efficiency of labour and getting the job done well and as quickly as possible. No farmer wants to spend half the day in the milking parlour. We’re committed to providing our customers with the best equipment and backup service there is. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their continued support and loyalty,” Kevin concludes.
Alfatech
Readstown,
Summerhill,
Co. Meath.
Telephone: 086 8228855
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 7 No 4, August 2019
