AGRIBAND Ltd has deep roots in the farming community of West Cork.
Located in Bandon, it began as Michael Hurley Farm Machinery and the branding still bears the founder’s name today.
Following his retirement in 2003, one of the current owners of the company, Gerard Lordan, took over and Agriband Ltd was formed.
“I started out in stores in 1976” recalls Gerard.
“The plan was that I would work in stores for a few years and then take over the sales… I took over the sales after 6 weeks and I’ve been selling ever since!”
Today, Agriband supplies a wide range of agricultural machinery for the modern farmer, along with a range of housing, bedding and feeding equipment.
They deal in cattle-handling equipment, housing materials, slat and cow mats and general rubber products that can be used for a variety of different applications.
They also stock a comprehensive range of tools and accessories from well known names such as Jefferson, BNR and Milwaukee as well as parts for some of the older machines that have been sold in the past. Gerard says “if it’s not on the shelf, we can order it and have it available in 24 to 48 hours”.
The company acquired the Honda agency for ATV (All Terrain Vehicles) in the 1990’s.
At the time this was a new concept, and it has grown to be a huge success.
Commonly referred to as the ‘quad bike’, the ATV has become an indispensable piece of equipment on the Irish farm – both big and small.
“What has driven the whole ATV growth has been farm expansion,” explains Gerard.
“Farms have gotten bigger and they need something to get around. You’d have had someone typically milking 50 cows 20 or 30 years ago. Now he’s milking 300 cows. He has the same amount of labour to get through but on a much larger scale, so he needs something to get himself from A to B in order to get to C: to do all the different jobs that have to be done around the place. They’re also invaluable to both beef and sheep farmers.”
It's both a time-saving and a labour-saving machine, he says, adding that for the smaller ‘hobby’ farmer, the ATV also provides a great solution to their needs: “For the hobby farmer with, say 10 or 12 acres, he can’t get in a contractor to spread a bag of fertilizer or to do a bit of mowing or whatever needs doing. The ATV is an ideal solution for him.”
Attachments such as, spreaders, feeders and fertilizers are all a part of the extensive range that Agriband supply.
They also stock the Wessex Agency for grass cutting equipment, including a full range of self-powered trailer mowers which can be pulled by both ATV and UTV.
Well-known brands such as Gamberini, Aithision, APV grass and pellet applicators, Green Mount Quad Sprayers with hand lance and boom, JFC Nugent quad trailers and CDAX Weed eliminators are also stocked.
ATVs have also become widely used outside of traditional farming.
Public service providers such as County Councils and the ESB use them, to access rough terrain.
As Gerard says, “They’ve been a game-changer for a lot of people, even outside of farming.”
Safety is of course paramount in the area of ATVs and all ATV users must complete a state approved safety course before operating the machines.
Agriband also supplies all the safety equipment required, such as safety helmets and roll bars.
Crucially, they also provide in house servicing and repairs by qualified mechanics, to ensure machines remain safe, efficient and reliable for daily use.
While Agriband is well known for being an official Honda ATV partner, the business has built its reputation on offering a comprehensive range of products.
“We cover all the aspects of farming, except for the bigger stuff,” says Gerard.
“We don’t go into silage harvester, combines or that type of thing.”
For example, another well-known brand that is stocked in Agriband, is Nugent trailers and Bale handling equipment.
They also do a great range of cattle handling equipment and manufacture over 30 different models and sizes from livestock to flat beds, Tipper Plant, Beaver Tail, General Purpose, General Agri Quad and Utility and recently launched a box range in sizes 8, 10 and 12 foot.
Other agencies Agriband have include, Fleming Agri Products, Agrional sprayers from 400 up to 1300 litre with hydraulic folding booms, Malone post drivers and log splitters, Wessex bale unwinders and Rossmore equipment.
Finance can be arranged on new and second-hand machines.
With nearly 50 years of experience behind them, Agriband remains committed to supporting the farming community with trusted advice, reliable service and the best products.
For more information about Agriband, visit www.agriband.ie or call 023 884 1374 086 2531080.
