Maguire International Ltd and Pirelli

Maguire International Transport Ltd based in Ballinode in Co Monaghan has specialised in international refrigerated transport for the past 20 years. Financial controller Maria Maguire gave John Loughran an overview of the company’s operations and explained why it runs exclusively on Pirelli tyres.

Maguire International Transport Ltd is the epitomy of a well-run, family owned and operated international haulage company. The management team comprises brothers Dermot and Niall Maguire who established the company in 1982 and their wives, Maria and Susan. It is a close-knit, efficient and customer focused concern which continues to thrive in an ultra competitive market.

The company specialises in the distribution of frozen food and food related products throughout the UK / and mainland Europe as well as warehousing for a number of well-known UK companies from its impressive 13,000 square foot premises at Ballinode. The company also imports frozen product on behalf of its customers, before distributing it through the country.

The company now runs a fleet of 35 Scania trucks and 40 refrigerated trailers and employs a staff of 48. However, Maria revealed that the company grew from humble beginnings. “The company grew gradually. In the last 10 years it has grown quite considerably to where it is today.”
Despite being established for 20 years, Maguire International Transport displays all the hallmarks of a young and vibrant company. To that end it certanly won’t rest on its laurels. Maria enthused: “We intend to reduce our reliance on refrigerated work by diversifying into related areas.”

Just last year the company made the innovative step of entering the warehousing market. “It is very much in its infancy at the moment, but it is a part of the business that we really want to develope,” Maria commented.
In any transport operation downtime can be crucial and to that end the company adopts an “in house” maintenance policy. “That way we have total control over it. We can do it at a time that best suits ourselves. We train all our own mechanics to our standards. They attend regular training courses to keep abreast of changes. We have the requisite knowledge to do all our own repairs,” Maria noted.

She continued: “It is cost effective for a company of our size to do our own maintenance. That mightn’t be the case for smaller companies, but it works for us. It allows us total flexibility.”

To say that the company has a penchant for the Scania marque would be an understatement - all of the company’s trucks bear the Scania badge. “That says a lot for Scania and for our local dealer McElvaneys. They are just two miles down the road which is a big plus for us. We find Scania and McElvaneys suits our requirements,” she added.
Maguire International Transport positively personifies quality. It can be seen on its ultra modern fleet of vehicles - right down to the smallest detail. Always in pristine condition, the fleet exudes an air of professionalism, that puts the company in the top echelons of the refrigerated transport sector.

This professional ethos has been nurtured down through the years. “We received ISO 9002 accreditation in 1995. We also have a quality system in place. It covers all areas from the office, to the warehouse to the garage. We also have a quality audit every year.”
The ongoing driver shortage has had only a minimal affect on the company although Maria admits there are easier ways of making a living. “There are better paying jobs than driving. Having said that we are operating in the top end of the transport industry, and many drivers approach us looking for work. Some of our drivers have been with us from day one.”

Recruiting and retaining quality drivers is of paramount importance to the company. ‘We value our drivers very highly and we look after them well. We recognise that our driver is our customer’s representative abroad. We encourage our drivers to be well presented, on time, and portray a positive image of both ourselves and the customer,” Maria revealed.

She concluded: “Our trucks are always spotless. We make a big effort to keep our trucks clean. We have changed our logo in the last couple of years. We want to portray the image of a young, modern, forward moving and dynamic company and that is reflected in the way we present our vehicles.”Maguire International Transport on Pirelli Tyres

Maguire International Transport has been running exclusively on Pirelli Tyres for the past six years. Maria Maguire sang the praises of the ever-popular brand.
“Our vehicles travel considerable distances each week to the continent. Over long distances we find Pirelli tyres superior to other brands and we also get more mileage.”

“Like all businesses we strive to keep costs to a minimum without compromising on the quality of the product. We find that Pirelli are cheaper than our rival brands.”
“As you can imagine with the number of trucks and trailers involved in this operation, we purchase a considerable number of tyres each year. We therefore need a tyre supplier who will pay for our returned casings. Again Pirelli delivers on this score.”

“Orders placed with the dealers are dispatched as and when required. There is never a problem with delivery.”
“Pirelli has introduced new patterns to its tyre range - FR 25 which is a steering tyre and TR 26 which is a driving tyre. We have these tyres on outr trucks at present and we are currently monitoring them for performance. So far we are pleased with the results.”