A speedy service

Ever wonder how a package can be delivered so promptly or what procedure it goes through before ending its journey at the proposed destination. Well, a company involved in the industry is Mercury Express Ireland.

Managing Director of the Galway based firm is Michael Brennan and he talked us through how the business is run and all about the process of delivering goods.
The establishment of the company came about in a unique way as Michael and his father PJ attended the Student/University Show at the RDS in 1996.

“There was a company called Mercury Express at the show and they were looking for businesses to take on their franchise over here as they were based in the U.K. and other countries. They wanted to branch out in Ireland and we were immediately interested in getting involved,” said Mick.
“Having thought about it, we decided to get involved and were very eager to get started. However, we did not get off to the best of starts as only three weeks after we began work, Mercury Express went into liquidation!
“We had no clue what the story was or what was going to happen. However, we decided to push ahead with the business and having secured the name, we set about the establishing the business.

Mick admitted that it was difficult to find customers starting off, but after they eventually found their feet, they haven’t looked back since and the company has gone from strength to strength.
“It was very hard to find the work then. In fairness we were thrown in at the deep end, but fortunately work did come our way and the customers we had were happy with the service provided by us and things have just spiralled from there over the years.”
Mercury Express Ireland is now well established and these days’ twelve people are employed by the company. Mick stressed that a reliable work force is an important aspect of the business’ success.
“It is essential to have reliable drivers and we are fortunate in that respect as the drivers we have are experienced and efficient at their jobs. The same can be said about the office staff, who ensure that all the paperwork is in order and that each driver knows in advance the work they must do.”

The company has recently purchased a new rigid and draw for a specialised contract with ACE International in that they provide an over night service from Dublin to Galway and Mick revealed that this was proving to be a success.
“We have the new truck working on that contract full time. Basically, it involves an over night service where we go to Dublin to pick up the goods and bring them down here to Ardrahan for delivery the next day. It means that we are particularly busy for this time of year, but we’re certainly not complaining.”
In total, Mercury Express Ireland has six trucks and five vans on the roads and Mick has a preferred model for each, which he believes are the most reliable.

“In this job, you need to have the vehicles in good working order and well maintained. I find that MAN trucks are the safest and best. They are 90% trouble free, while the Mercedes Sprinter vans are very good also. We do the majority of the servicing and maintenance work ourselves, but some of the bigger work is subbed out.
“Over the years both these makes have been our preferred choice and we see no reason why we should change that as they say, why fix it when it’s not broken.”

Mick, along with PJ, who is still involved in the day-to-day running of the company acknowledge the fact that one wrong turn in the business could be detrimental to the future of the business.
“You have to approach any decision with caution. There are many over heads in this industry and it is essential to keep the fleet working as much as possible. The new contract that we have taken on will hopefully keep us going. We have no further plans to expand, but you never know what is around the corner. This is a very fickle business at times.”
Situated in Ardrahan means that Mercury Express is ideally located to cover the west if needs be and they have built up a loyal customer base over the years.

“We still have many of the customers who came on board at the start, while we have acquired more business over the years. We are grateful that they have stayed with us and I’m confident that if we keep providing the same level of service that has been provided over the years, then there is no reason why they should leave us.”
Without doubt, Mercury Express place a great emphasis on customer care and this is one of the main reasons why the company has been so successful over the years. It is their priority to ensure customer satisfaction.