McManus Plant Hire 20 years going and growing july 2004

The eponymously named Gerry McManus Plant Hire Ltd, based in Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh is celebrating 20 years in business this year. Gerry took time out from his busy schedule to give Irish Trucker an overview of the company's operations.

Gerry McManus is celebrating 20 years in business this year

Gerry McManus started off in agricultural contracting, predominantly silage making, in the mid 1980s, carrying out seasonal work for farmers in counties Fermanagh and Cavan.

Stiff competition and a relatively short operating season saw him diversify into other areas and by the end of the decade he had made the quantum leap into plant hire, contract crushing and screening, heavy haulage and civil engineering.

Nowadays, the company which employs a team in excess of 50, has almost 60 varying machines operating throughout the country. "I started off in 1985 doing agricultural contracting mostly silage, but that only lasted for three or four months of the year. In 1989 I bought a Hi-Mac digger and things began to grow from there," Gerry recalled.

Gerry McManus goes over the finer details with engineer Paddy McGoldrick

"Gradually I moved away from agricultural contracting and moved into plant hire. One thing led to another to the point where the company is now involved in plant hire, contract crushing and screening, heavy haulage and civil engineering," he added.

Gerry McManus Plant Hire Ltd is still very active in counties Fermanagh and Cavan, but increasingly its customer base is spreading throughout the country. To that end the company has carried out major projects in Dublin, Galway and Sligo in the recent past.

Gerry McManus Plant Hire's expansion has mirrored the upward trajectory of the Irish economy over the past 12 or 14 years. But this success story wasn't built on merely being in the right place at the right time.

Clare Gilheavy (administration), Pat McKenzie (accounts) and Corina McManus, make up the backroom team. Diane Traynor Batley (office manager) is mising
from the photo

Hard work, reliability, competitive pricing and a dedication to delivering high levels of customer service have been the cornerstones of the company's success since inception.

Other important ingredients include an extensive list of modern plant and equipment, the company's highly trained and friendly staff and Gerry's eagerness to get out and meet potential and existing customers.

When Gerry first broke into plant hire, he focused on drainage, site clearance, groundworks and muck-away but down through the years he has been able to add other strings to his bow and can now offer turnkey solutions.

The company is involved in contract crushing and screening

"We have all of the equipment and the expertise, so we are inclined to quote for the entire job from start to finish. That way we can better utilise our equipment," he commented.

"We do contract crushing and screening for a number of local quarries. We have also carried out roadside crushing and screening on a number of road projects. We have the capacity to crush and screen all types of aggregate using Pegson and Hartl crushers and Powescreen screeners," he noted.

He added: "We are also working on six other projects at present.”
With an extensive plant and machinery list that runs to 58 machines, Gerry McManus Plant Hire Ltd has a significant haulage requirement. Consequently the company has two Scania tractor units and a number of low-loaders.

Gerry with some of his crew

"We recently purchased a new 100-tonne low-loader and it is available for hire. The low-loaders would be tied up a lot of time moving our own machinery about, but we do have quite a few customers on our books for heavy haulage."

The company also operates a small fleet of six wheeler and eight wheeler tippers 5-Volvo FM12 8 wheelers and 2 ERF 6 wheelers, which are used almost exclusively in site clearance and muck-away, Gerry explained.

Screening personified

The age profile of the company's fleet ranges from 1994 to 2002. Frequent 'in house maintenance" ensures the fleet is always in tip-top condition. Gerry confirmed: "The trucks are maintained to a very high standards by our own fitters. We have a 100 foot by 60 foot fully equipped workshop, where we carry out all our own repairs and maintenance.We have three fully qualified fitters and a fulltime welder."

With a plant and machinery list that numbers almost five dozen, it is easy to understand why the company opts for "in house' maintenance. "We do the work ourselves because of the size of our operation. We have more than 50 machines to maintain. We can do the work at times that suit us," he added.

He continued: "Our fitters would have a wealth of experience in the quarrying industry and are well used to working on a wide and varied list of equipment from screeners to excavators to dump trucks."

Gerry explained that the company's list of plant and machinery is very modern with a minimal maintenance requirement. He prefers to utilise modern plant because "downtime is far too expensive".

He elaborated: "We keep our plant very fresh because downtime is expensive. Our machines work long hours. We can't afford to have them idle because of breakdowns. Most of our equipment would be working in tandem with other equipment. So if one machine was stopped it would might mean three other machines would be idle," he commented.

Operating in what is ultimately a price sensitive market Gerry McManus Plant Hire Ltd believes it has the edge over the competition in a number of crucial areas. Its modern, reliable, and extensive plant and machinery list is just one key area.

Gerry remarked: "We have extremely modern and reliable plant, which means we can offer our customers an excellent service. Price is always an important consideration, but reliability is equally important."

He concluded: "In this business you are always working under the pressure of time. You have to be able to produce the goods, because other people can't start until you are finished