Although Palatine Engineering in Co Limerick is still a company very much in its infancy, the man behind the brand comes with 22 years of knowledge which was accumulated in the agricultural manufacturing and steel sectors.

Having been bitten by the machinery bug at a young age, Askeaton man Ken Smyth finally realised a lifelong dream to make a go at his own fabrication business in 2015. Since then, he has built up a solid reputation and amassed a selection of awards for his engineering and fabrication skills.

Background

Ken started off on the path to design and fabrication when he completed two years studying agricultural engineering at Tralee IT. He went on to continue his studies at Silsoe College in England, which at the time was the hub of agricultural engineering in the UK. He gained much experience in England, including a stint at Dowdeswell Engineering, a plough manufacturer.

Once the degree was secured, Ken headed west where he took up an R&D role with McHale in Mayo. There, he spent three and a half valuable years and played a pivotal role in the team that developed the McHale 998 big square bale wrapper.

Ken moved closer to home and subsequently spent two years at Samco, where he worked on the maize drill which was still in the early days of production at the time. From there, he relocated across Limerick city to Shortts Stainless Steel where he worked for 16 years, largely occupying a managerial role in the profile cutting department.

Time for Palatine

Although Ken only officially left his full-time job in the steel sector in 2018, he had set the wheels in motion for his new venture back in 2014.

“One day I was topping old pasture on the home farm. The field I was working in wasn’t performing to its potential and had an old matt of grass at the bottom of the sward. That night, I spent some time researching machines to help improve pasture and remove older material. Tine harrows were the most popular option.

“I saw the tine harrow as a progression to the chain harrow. I was always a fan of a challenge and enjoyed design and fabrication so I decided to build my own machine as a hobby. The completed machine worked a treat and several neighbours later approached me, encouraging me to build more units.

“I decided to build a handful from the end of 2014 and into 2015. I sold eight tine harrows that year and noticed that there was a niche in the market for a well-built machine. The following year I built and sold around 20 machines. By then, I felt there was something here and I began aiming towards coming home and concentrating full-time on Palatine Engineering. In 2018, I finally took the plunge and began working full time for myself,” explained Ken.

Products

Today, Palatine offers three product lines: the tine harrow, a front mounted ripper and the recently added three-point linkage quick-attach system.

The tine harrow is offered in three sizes, with working widths of 3m, 4.5m and 6m. These machines are offered with or without a seeder. A small spinner broadcaster or an air seeder can be specified if required. Harrows include six rows of tines with galvanised tine frames which have oversized main pivots with greaseable, replaceable bushes.

In 2019, the firm launched the PP-RIP, a front-linkage-mounted surface loosening/ripping operation device. It was launched at the National Ploughing Championships where it subsequently scooped the Machine of the Year accolade. The machine came to fruition after Ken was approached by a neighbouring contractor to manufacture a machine to prepare ground before stitching in seed with his one-pass unit.

Most recently, Palatine took over the production of the Pal Attach three-point linkage quick-attach system. This system was originally developed and patented by Palatine’s neighbours OCE (O’Connor Engineering) who went on to pursue other interests. Both companies came to an arrangement for Palatine to restart production and sales.

Business

Today, Ken continues to run Palatine Engineering as a one-man band. With production edging up and up year on year, Ken says that 2021 up to the end of June has been his most successful year to date. Palatine currently solely serves the Irish market through nine dealers scattered throughout the island. However, the Limerick man has expansion on his mind and is aspiring to take on several staff, with his eyes set on expanding to other countries following strong enquiries.

What’s it like setting up a machinery manufacturing company in the modern day?

“The first few years are tough, but I knew it was going to be that way. It’s tough to survive financially and to get through the workload when you’re by yourself. When you’re a one man band, you’re responsible for everything from fabrication to assembly to marketing and selling of the products. It’s hectic. Everything stops once you walk out the door. There is also a lot more certification and regulation nowadays that machines must meet in comparison to years ago.

“On the other hand, the internet has made the world such a small place. It’s now so much easier to source components and reach new customers than it was for manufacturers 25 years ago when I started out in the industry.”

Opportunities/threats

“The increased emphasis on grass production has helped us to grow in recent years. I think the pressure on the use of pesticides may open a new market for our tine harrow for weeding purposes in the near future”.

“Like every other manufacturer at present, my biggest challenge is both the price and availability of steel and components. The uncertainty makes it difficult to price machines and plan ahead. However, despite this, there is a great widespread demand in the current market for new machinery so overall I think the mood is quite positive.”