High Noons

The transportation of feeds is a specialised area that Noons Transport Ltd has many years experience in. One of the company's managing directors Chris Noons spoke to Irish Trucker about the success of the business and what the future holds for the Co. Laois based firm.

The Noons clan from left: Chris and Caroline; Christy Snr; Pete, Gwen, Ciara and Aoife

Initially the company was set up by Chris' father Christy almost 20 years ago at a time when it was very difficult to make a living in Ireland, but through hard work and perseverance, the company is still going strong today and delivering feeds to a large customer base in the midlands.

"Times were tough when my father first set up the business, work was not plentiful in Ireland and many people were forced to leave the country to find employment,” said Chris.
However, having spent the most of his life at the wheel of a lorry as an employee, the time was right for him to move into the haulage industry.

Based in Co. Laois, the company cover most of Leinster

“The haulage industry is still a tough game to be in, but we built up a customer base and have established our business on our reputation but as with many businesses in this economy, the right choices at the right time are most important.
"We have our loyal customers and feel that it is important not to lose that personal touch with them. So, that is why we take a cautious approach in expanding too much. We provide an efficient service and aim to continue doing so. Once we can deliver on time and are reliable, I feel there will be no problems," said Chris.

Based in Ballybrittas, Co Laois a large part of Noons Transport work derives from Glanbia in Portlaoise where the hauliers draw farm feeds on a full time basis and have two trucks operating out of the plant and one transporting materials into the Mill.
“As a former Avonmore/ Glanbia employee my father was the first to draw out of the Portlaoise Mill in the early 1980’s and we have been involved with them ever since. There is a good working relationship between Glanbia and ourselves, and hopefully that will continue for some years to come.
"We have had a very busy year with the feeds and this is mainly due to the weather having an adverse effect on farming leading to an increased demand for compound feeds.

As well as bulk transport, the company also haul dry goods

Chris and his brother Pete are now in sole charge of the firm, following their father's retirement. They run a fleet of five trucks and eighteen trailers including flats, tautliners, tippers, lowloader and bulk feed blowers.
Chris told us about another contract that the company had been involved in for some time. SBS Timber Frames operate from a facility in Portarlington manufacturing timber frame house kits. Noons Transport undertake the delivery of these kits nationwide.
"We sub-contract some of the work out to other hauliers when we have an increased work load, but we have no plans to expand our truck fleet for the present time"

In the last year, the building trade has slowed up and the level of work has decreased slightly in this sector. "However, with the opening of a new factory SBS expect to increase their output over the coming months, especially if there are any downward changes in mortgage rates”
Other works carried out by Noons Transport include general movement of forestry equipment and civil plan hire for a number of local contractors.

The impressive fleet of trucks are well maintained

Maintenance is a key area to be looked after and Chris revealed that the Company carries out the majority of servicing in-house and major repair work, which there is very little of takes place at the main Dealers. Trailers are maintained again in-house with Casey Trailers, Naas looking after any major repairs.
"We have three new trucks on the road and that helps keep down the maintenance work anyway. We deal with Delaney's in Naas and McCarthy Commercials, Kilkenny. Our first truck came from Delaney’s in 1990, so it says something of the service that they provide that we are still buy from them.

"Scania is a very reliable truck and it has been our preferred choice for many years. There is very little in the way of downtime with them and that is an important factor in this industry. No one wants a truck lying idle as it won't be making money sitting in the yard. There are plenty of overheads in this game and people need to have their trucks working full time.
"We upgrade our trucks after 3-5 years and find that this is the
best way to do business. All the trucks will have a two-year warranty and which covers the majority of repair work, if necessary."
Chris and Pete are also pleased with the staff that they have and find that having reliable drivers is something that is certainly beneficial to the company.

"The drivers are very good and you can rely on them to deliver the goods on time and efficiently. Some of them have been with us for a few years now."
So what are the plans for Noons Transport Ltd in 2008? Chris stressed that it would be more of the same, which includes providing a top quality service to its customers.
“We will continue with what we have. The past number of years has been good for Noons Transport, so why fix it, if it's not broken."
Noons Transport Ltd epitomise what it takes to be successful in this business. Chris and Pete have followed in their father's footsteps by placing a greater emphasise on the phrase 'what we have we hold', which has proven to be the right choice.