McManus keeps em moving

Tullamore Test and Repair Centre formerly known as McManus Commercials specialises in DOE testing, 24-hour breakdown and offers an excellent repair and maintenance service from its premises in Cloncollig Industrial Estate, Tullamore, Co Offaly. Owner Kieran McManus gave John Loughran the guided tour.

Kieran McManus has been involved in heavy goods vehicle repair and maintenance and associated services in the midlands for more than a decade. The affable entrepreneur has carved out a flourishing business through hard work, dedication and honesty to an extent that he is well known and respected throughout the region.

Kieran started initially by conducting repairs from the back of a van. He followed the work so to speak. In the intervening years he has operated from a number of small premises around the town building up loyal and valuable customers all the while.

By his own admission Kieran dabbles infrequently in the second hand truck market just to maintain a presence. He also offers a 24-hour breakdown service, trailer repair and maintenance and tachograph installation and calibration. However, he fully realises where the company’s core business lies.

“The core of our business is the DOE test centre and repair and maintenance. The DOE test centre has been up and runnng for about five years. We have a very good catchment area here. There are also two main dealerships in the town - Sheridan’s Daewoo and Jenning’s Hino. We test all their second hand trucks All in all we are kept very busy.” Kieran explained.

The company also offers a trailer repair and maintenance service to complement its list of sevices. He commented: “We have the ability to repair curtainsiders, flats, tautliners etc and carry an extensive stock of spare parts for trailers. We work extensively for a number of local construction companies.’

Running the DOE test centre and a very busy workshop side by side allows the company to offer a pre-test inspection service. Most of Kieran’s customers see the benefits of the service.
He commented: “We don’t put the gun to anybody’s head or anything like that, but the customer has the option of leaving the truck with us. We’ll do whatever work is needed, before we put it through the test. Alternatively the customer can have the work done elsewhere,” he commented.

Down-time is of crucial importance to the transport operator. Every haulier knows the double whammy cost of having a truck off the road for repair. It is a point that doesn’t go unnoticed at Tullamore Test and Repair Centre.
Kieran elaborated: “We try to minimise down-time. For our regular customers we run preventative maintenance programmes. That way we can minimise breakdowns and when the truck is due to be tested, it only needs minimal work.”

As a result of the recent construction boom Kieran draws a significant percentage of his work from construction hauliers. However, he has loyal customers working in national and international transport and practically all sectors of the haulage industry.
Offering quick turn-around times, quality workmanship and competitive pricing are the key components in the company’s ongoing success. It is a case of minimal fuss and maximum satisfaction.

Kieran remarked: “There is no mystery to it. We offer a very good service. We do the work quickly and we do exactly what we promise to do. We don’t need to advertise. We get a lot of our custom through word-of-mouth which tells us we are going in the right direction.”

He continued: “We have built up a good reputation for doing quality work and we benefit from having a loyal customer base. That base has been growing all the time. Thankfully we are kept very busy.”

Maintaining and repairing a diverse range of vehicles can have its-pitfalls especially when it comes to carrying spare parts. However, Kieran explained that having an established customer bases minimises the headaches. “We know our customers and importantly their vehicles. We know based on past experience what parts to stock.”

Last year the company added tachograph installation and calibration to its list of services as a result of customer demand. “That has proven to be a winner for us and we are very busy. It ties in nicely with the other work we are doing,” he elaborated.

The company is currently working out of a 2,400 square foot premises. However, demand for the company’s services is continually growing and expansion plans are in the pipe-line to keep abreast of developments. “We are extending our premises at the moment. We have all the latest equipment. There is no job we can’t handle. We pride ourselves on keeping our customers moving,” Kieran noted.

To offer an all encompassing service the company also operates a 24-hour breakdown service. The service is rendered virtually redundant. Kieran enthused: “We don’t get that many breakdowns because most of our customers would have preventative maintenance programmes with us. However, the service is there for anybody that needs it. We wouldn’t leave a customer on the side of the road.”

With a staff of just six, Kieran assures us, that every customer is given individual treatment and that no job is too big or too small. Kieran and his staff can be contacted on 0506 52057.