John Moloney is a Research and Development (R&D) Engineer in McHale.
John Moloney, Co Clare
Job title: Research and development engineer
College: Limerick IT, electrical engineering
When did you start at McHale?
I started at McHale in September 2017. I ended up in the company having spent a few seasons in New Zealand working with agricultural contractors. I also spent a harvest in America, as well as working for contractors in Ireland, so I have always had a big interest in agriculture and machinery. With this in mind, I applied for a job at McHale in 2017, and started working as a test engineer on the production line before moving to the research and development (R&D) department earlier this year.
What does your job entail?
My job entails working closely with the entire R&D department to develop the latest products and improve existing ones. I work standard hours but during the summer this could be longer. The job would involve working with other engineers on drawings and designs, while also making any modifications or implementing new changes to machines in the workshop before testing. Every day is different, as there are always changes and improvements to be made to the product line.
What are your favourite parts of the job?
My favourite part of the job is without doubt being involved in the latest designs and ideas, and working with like-minded people.
What are the greatest challenges in your job?
There are challenges in every job and for me I am in a busy area, so there is always something new to work on – which means that every day is different. However, for me this is what makes the role interesting.
Do you like your job?
Yes, McHale is a good company to work for, with lots of opportunities to grow and where hard work gets rewarded.
Gerard O’Shea from Kerry is a service manager in McHale.
Gerard O’Shea, Co Kerry
Job title: Service manager
College: IT Tralee, agricultural engineering
When did you start at McHale?
I started in the company in 2000, following a season with a contractor in 1999, after finishing my degree in Institute of Technology Tralee. I saw an ad in the Irish Farmers Journal and applied. I started on the assembly line of the 991 wrapper and after 18 months I moved to the UK into a service role until 2009. The UK is one of our largest markets, where our full range of equipment is used, so I gained knowledge there as the company expanded into balers. Following this, I moved back to Ballinrobe, where I started at the in-house service department.
What does your job entail?
As technical support and service is one of the company’s main priorities, the first part of the job is making sure that our importers, dealers and customers who require help with problems are able to get answers as quickly as possible. So during the busy season this means answering these queries and making sure problems are resolved. We have a team of technical people in all of our main markets and all the information from them is processed to eliminate problems from machines through the research and development department. In the off-peak season I cover the technical training for all our dealers and importers. This is done in-house or in the importer’s country.
What is your typical day like?
In season, it is answering calls and emails to resolve problems for importers, dealers and customers actually working in the field. Out of season, it is training or travelling to importers to do training there.
What are the greatest
challenges in your job?
I guess trying to have solutions to problems to keep customers working. Different crops and unusual conditions in any of the 56 countries we are operating in, means the cause of a problem or the solution to that problem can differ from call to call.
What are your favourite parts of the job?
From one day to the next it is never the same, constantly dealing with different people in all of our markets.
Do you like your job?
After 19 years, I have to say I do. I have visited and operated our machines in most of the 56 countries that we export to. I have seen countries and parts of countries that I would never see otherwise. Coming from a sheep and suckler farm in southwest Kerry, I would never have thought that I would have gotten the opportunity and knowledge of agriculture from so many parts of the world.
Michael Nyhan is a student in Harper Adams and is on the Harper Adams Student Placement in the company.
Michael Nyhan, Co Cork
Job title: Student placement
College: Harper Adams, agricultural engineering
When did you start in McHale?
I started here in July 2018 after I applied for a 12-month placement in the company. I am now halfway through the programme. My placement has seen me working in all areas of the company, including welding, assembly service, sales and marketing, and research and development. I am studying agricultural engineering at Harper Adams and come from a farming background, so this is an excellent opportunity.
What does your job entail?
Depending on the area which I am working in, my placement has various duties. I spent a few weeks welding and also a number of weeks working on various stations across the production hall. I have also spent some time working on the overall run of the factory and how to get the best out of the production line. I have gained a vast amount of experience in many areas of the company so far and have a rigorous placement plan in place, which sees me working on projects within the company.
What is your typical day like?
There is no typical day for me as I work in various areas over the course of my placement, but I am also given different projects and tasks to carry out within the company – which have been a great way of learning more about the business.
What are the greatest challenges in your job?
The greatest challenge is just trying to learn as much as I can in a short period of time while I am on placement here.
What are your favourite parts of the job?
I like the way every day is different and brings about a new challenge.
Do you like your job?
Yes, they have given me a great opportunity to learn in various aspects of the company. The company gave me more opportunities than I ever imagined.
John Moloney is a Research and Development (R&D) Engineer in McHale.
John Moloney, Co Clare
Job title: Research and development engineer
College: Limerick IT, electrical engineering
When did you start at McHale?
I started at McHale in September 2017. I ended up in the company having spent a few seasons in New Zealand working with agricultural contractors. I also spent a harvest in America, as well as working for contractors in Ireland, so I have always had a big interest in agriculture and machinery. With this in mind, I applied for a job at McHale in 2017, and started working as a test engineer on the production line before moving to the research and development (R&D) department earlier this year.
What does your job entail?
My job entails working closely with the entire R&D department to develop the latest products and improve existing ones. I work standard hours but during the summer this could be longer. The job would involve working with other engineers on drawings and designs, while also making any modifications or implementing new changes to machines in the workshop before testing. Every day is different, as there are always changes and improvements to be made to the product line.
What are your favourite parts of the job?
My favourite part of the job is without doubt being involved in the latest designs and ideas, and working with like-minded people.
What are the greatest challenges in your job?
There are challenges in every job and for me I am in a busy area, so there is always something new to work on – which means that every day is different. However, for me this is what makes the role interesting.
Do you like your job?
Yes, McHale is a good company to work for, with lots of opportunities to grow and where hard work gets rewarded.
Gerard O’Shea from Kerry is a service manager in McHale.
Gerard O’Shea, Co Kerry
Job title: Service manager
College: IT Tralee, agricultural engineering
When did you start at McHale?
I started in the company in 2000, following a season with a contractor in 1999, after finishing my degree in Institute of Technology Tralee. I saw an ad in the Irish Farmers Journal and applied. I started on the assembly line of the 991 wrapper and after 18 months I moved to the UK into a service role until 2009. The UK is one of our largest markets, where our full range of equipment is used, so I gained knowledge there as the company expanded into balers. Following this, I moved back to Ballinrobe, where I started at the in-house service department.
What does your job entail?
As technical support and service is one of the company’s main priorities, the first part of the job is making sure that our importers, dealers and customers who require help with problems are able to get answers as quickly as possible. So during the busy season this means answering these queries and making sure problems are resolved. We have a team of technical people in all of our main markets and all the information from them is processed to eliminate problems from machines through the research and development department. In the off-peak season I cover the technical training for all our dealers and importers. This is done in-house or in the importer’s country.
What is your typical day like?
In season, it is answering calls and emails to resolve problems for importers, dealers and customers actually working in the field. Out of season, it is training or travelling to importers to do training there.
What are the greatest
challenges in your job?
I guess trying to have solutions to problems to keep customers working. Different crops and unusual conditions in any of the 56 countries we are operating in, means the cause of a problem or the solution to that problem can differ from call to call.
What are your favourite parts of the job?
From one day to the next it is never the same, constantly dealing with different people in all of our markets.
Do you like your job?
After 19 years, I have to say I do. I have visited and operated our machines in most of the 56 countries that we export to. I have seen countries and parts of countries that I would never see otherwise. Coming from a sheep and suckler farm in southwest Kerry, I would never have thought that I would have gotten the opportunity and knowledge of agriculture from so many parts of the world.
Michael Nyhan is a student in Harper Adams and is on the Harper Adams Student Placement in the company.
Michael Nyhan, Co Cork
Job title: Student placement
College: Harper Adams, agricultural engineering
When did you start in McHale?
I started here in July 2018 after I applied for a 12-month placement in the company. I am now halfway through the programme. My placement has seen me working in all areas of the company, including welding, assembly service, sales and marketing, and research and development. I am studying agricultural engineering at Harper Adams and come from a farming background, so this is an excellent opportunity.
What does your job entail?
Depending on the area which I am working in, my placement has various duties. I spent a few weeks welding and also a number of weeks working on various stations across the production hall. I have also spent some time working on the overall run of the factory and how to get the best out of the production line. I have gained a vast amount of experience in many areas of the company so far and have a rigorous placement plan in place, which sees me working on projects within the company.
What is your typical day like?
There is no typical day for me as I work in various areas over the course of my placement, but I am also given different projects and tasks to carry out within the company – which have been a great way of learning more about the business.
What are the greatest challenges in your job?
The greatest challenge is just trying to learn as much as I can in a short period of time while I am on placement here.
What are your favourite parts of the job?
I like the way every day is different and brings about a new challenge.
Do you like your job?
Yes, they have given me a great opportunity to learn in various aspects of the company. The company gave me more opportunities than I ever imagined.
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