MG Plant, based in Swinford, Co Mayo, was established in the 1970s by Michael Gleeson Sr, originally as an agricultural machinery dealership located on a five-acre purpose-built facility only a stone’s throw from Knock Airport.

In the late 1990s, brothers Martin and Michael Jr took the decision to concentrate more on plant machinery, dealing in popular brands such as Hitachi, Kobelco, JCB, CAT, Hyundai and Doosan to name a few, as well as offering a fully stocked parts department and service facility for customers.

They have more than 80 used machines in stock for customers here in Ireland as well as the export market. “We have quite a few clients across Europe who are constantly looking for good-quality used machinery such as dumpers and excavators, as well as other pieces of equipment,” Michael says.

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In January of this year, MG Plant made the decision to take on the Eurocomach franchise for Ireland, which was not a decision the company made lightly. “We looked at numerous other brands on the market and finally settled on Eurocomach, as we feel it builds very good products and, after visiting the factory in Italy and seeing the passion and attention to detail the staff put into each machine, it was a very easy decision.”

Eurocomach history

The Eurocomach brand was set up in 1992 as a subsidiary of parent company Sampierana to allow it to market a new range of products that became available after taking over an Italian company, which was already manufacturing small, articulated backhoe loaders. The Sampierana company itself has a long history of over 40 years in the earth-moving machinery market, manufacturing undercarriages for other popular excavator brands.

The name chosen for the new brand was Eurocomach, which stands for ‘‘European construction machinery’’. Eurocomach moved into a new 51,000m2 production facility shortly after its establishment allowing both the company and product line room to grow.

In 2000, the backhoe loaders were joined by two new product families, tracked excavators from 900kg up to 8,000kg, as well as two models of tracked skid steer loaders. These new ranges allowed the Eurocomach brand to expand its market out of Italy into neighbouring countries such as France, Belgium and Denmark. The 3.4t ETL 160.3 tracked skid loader made its debut in 2003, which was followed in 2004 by the 5.4t zero tail-swing ES500ZT excavator.

The success of this particular excavator led to a redesign of the complete range, which took place from 2005 to 2010, with most noticeably all excavators being given a zero tail-swing configuration. On the skid steer side of the business, the drive train was revised and a new 2.4t model, the ETL 140.5, was added. The product range was further expanded in 2008, offering tracked dumpers with capacities from 400kg up to 2,500kg.

At the Bauma trade show in 2010, the new zero tail-swing excavators were launched, which led to partnership agreements with distributors in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia, as well as opening up a new export market in Australia. In 2011 and 2012, the company grew its total number of units produced despite the global downturn, with exports growing to 70% of the total business.

The range

Today, Eurocomach offers a complete range of tracked excavators starting with the 1t ES 10 ZT, which is ideal for the landscaper and builder, all the way up to the 9t ES 90 UR4 for more demanding applications. MG Plant has the complete range of excavators in stock available for viewing at its premises for prospective customers.

As well as excavators, Eurocomach also now offers four models in both tracked and wheeled skid steers, with the smallest being able to carry 485kg while the biggest can handle up to 1t. Completing the range is a compact backhoe loader, which weighs in at 3,800kg and is powered by a 48hp Kubota engine. “Initially, we are concentrating on the excavators, which are proving popular, with over 12 machines sold already, but we intend to also bring in the skid steer and backhoe ranges in the near future,” explains Martin.

The Eurocomach range of machines uses established components, such as Kubota and Yanmar engines and Rexroth hydraulics. They made their first public debut at this year’s National Ploughing Championships, which Martin says was a great success, with many potential customers and even the opposition impressed with their build quality, finish and design.

All machines come with a comprehensive one-year warranty, which can be extended up to three years, dependant on the customer’s requirements. Attractive finance packages are also available. For more information, contact MG Plant on 094-925 1209 or Martin on 087-246 6111.