If there’s one thing that’s become apparent on these careers pages in recent years, it’s that there is a thriving hub of machinery manufacturing creating employment in Carlow. Irish Country Living decided to take a closer look at why this is happening.

Kieran Comerford, head of enterprise for the Carlow County Council Local Enterprise Office, says the agriculture manufacturing sector in Carlow has developed out of historical processes – the spin-off companies from big players like Irish Sugar and Braun have stayed and developed.

“It seems to be a tradition in Carlow, particularly around the Bagenalstown/Borris area,” says Jim Nolan from Hi Spec, a company that employs 52 people and manufactures agricultural machinery, slurry and manure spreaders and diet feeding equipment.

“There were a few companies building sheds, so maybe it came out of them, but it’s hard to pinpoint why,” he says. “There are a lot of businesses that manufactured sheds and agri equipment years ago.”

Jim seems to be right in his assumption.

According to Keenan’s, “Carlow has had a long association with engineering, dating back to when Keenan had a steelworks operation in the 1940s. The success of the sugar factory, which was established in Carlow in the mid 1920s, would have attracted many other industries. Additionally, the surrounding counties of Kilkenny, Wexford, Laois and Kildare were very much associated with agriculture”.

Kieran Comerford notes that there’s a well-developed indigenous space (particularly in the tech sector) and a well-developed SME space in Carlow.

“The industries feed off each other. Carlow is home to Teagasc HQ and Glanbia is only next door.”

He notes that farmers who have ideas in the engineering area are broaching those ideas in an environment that’s supportive. The great tillage land around Carlow has also no doubt encouraged the manufacture of harvesting equipment. Carlow IT helps to foster a sense of innovation in the area and conducts industrial research.

Technology

Pearson Milking Technology, based in Athy, has 25 employees and manufactures dairy farm systems – eg milking, feeding and slurry systems.

Alan Pearson says the reason the greater Carlow area has become such a hub for ag machinery manufacture is because of its geographical location, in terms of the proximity to Dublin, and the availability of employees with an agricultural background. This latter point seems to be the most important one to the companies Irish Country Living spoke with.

Proximity to a port like Rosslare also makes Carlow a suitable location for this type of business. Particularly for Hi Spec which is exporting 60%-70% of what it’s manufacturing.

The UK is one of their main markets, other markets include France, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, Norway and the Middle East.

Keenan

Keenan is perhaps the best-know ag equipment manufacturer of them all. The company’s history as an engineering firm began with Keenan Bros of Bagenalstown, which was set up in 1942 when John Keenan left his 50-acre family farm in Co Laois to set up a business making small farm implements for local farmers.

The company has grown to become one of Ireland’s largest engineering companies, employing 650 people in farm buildings.

In 1979, Richard Keenan sold his interests in Keenan’s of Bagenalstown and set up a new company in Borris, Co Carlow. The company developed and introduced a whole series of products.

In 1983, the Keenan Easi-Feeder mixer Wagon was launched and won awards throughout Britain and Ireland. The mixer wagons are now at the core of Keenan operation and Keenan currently employs 245 people worldwide.

In recent times, Keenan is placing more emphasis on precision feeding of animals and is using technology to ensure that animals are getting fed exactly what they need each day.

The company says it finds there is a skills shortage in the IT sector.

“There seems to be huge competition for talent, along with the availability of experienced design engineers and professionals in the animal nutrition area.”

Broughan

Agricultural trailer manufacturer Broughan Engineering (established in 1975 and then known as Patrick Broughan & Sons) has 16 full-time employees, which consist of steel fabricators, welders, finishers and sprayers).

The company says it finds it difficult to find experienced welders and fabricators. Jim from Hi Spec agrees.

“It depends on the type of employee. It can be difficult to get a skilled labourer.”

Jim says Hi Spec gets a good few suitable applications for positions that come up in the fabrication and welding part of the business, and that it’s easier to train people into this part of the business than it would be train people in hydraulics and electronics assembly – it’s even harder to get people skilled in this area.

In relation to the engineering and design element of the business, Jim says that while there are a number of candidates available with the right qualifications, it’s hard to find somebody with proper experience and a farming background.

“Experience is the only way an engineer will learn. For this type of work, you can’t start someone from scratch because it would take too long to train them up.”

There’s no doubt that innovation within the ag manufacturing sphere will continue in Carlow for years to come.

Kieran Comerford says that 20%-30% of the projects his office is approached with are in the food and agri sectors.

Other sectors his office sees a significant number of proposals from is engineering as well as international services.