Last Friday, the spectacular new headquarters of Grimme Ireland Equipment was officially opened by Franz Berndt Kruthaup, one of the managing directors of the Grimme group.

The new Irish headquarters in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, features a large stores area which currently holds €800,000 worth of spare parts, a large fully equipped workshop capable of taking the biggest of self-propelled machines at its ease, office space and meeting rooms.

This facility is a major investment by Grimme into the Irish market.

Mr Kruthaup said that the Irish market was very important to them and that this new facility would allow the company to give its Irish customers the good backup and service that Grimme in known for worldwide.

Grimme machines are currently working in 120 countries around the world. All of the machines are built in Damme, Germany. Eighty-five per cent of them are exported from Germany, with the French market being the biggest last year.

The Grimme Company is a family owned business and has been in operation for more than 150 years. Currently Grimme has bases similar to the Irish one in 13 countries.

Cecil Morgan of Grimme Ireland Equipment said that the new premises meant that they could give Irish growers and producers the service that they have become used to from Grimme Ireland for many years to come.

On the sales front, Cecil said that 2018 looks good, with lots of interest and up to five self-propelled harvesters on order for next season.

This new facility is very impressive and shows a very serious commitment from one the biggest root crop machinery companies in the world to the Irish market and growers.