Irwin Brothers is a partnership between Stephen, John and Neville Irwin based in Fermanagh. They began selling machinery in 1999, but before that it was a contracting business; “We were round bale contractors from when we left school,” Stephen Irwin explains, and the contracting side of the business continued up until 2010 when they took on the Krone dealership.”
“We were doing a lot of work and the machinery business was busy and we just hadn’t time to do both so we took the decision of quitting the contracting.” Stephen explains, “We still have a farm, we farm suckling cows and beef. Neville does more with the farm and it’s very much his thing, but like me and John still help out and we have our own cattle and we enjoy it too like.”
Stephen, John and Neville have been in business from an early age, “Dad never held us back from when we started out, he signed the farm over here when we were only what; I was 17 and my other two brothers like John was 19 and Neville probably was in his early 20s and like from that it sort of got us going to where we are today.” Stephen explains, “Dad would have been square baling round the country. I suppose that’s where we got a wee bit of the disease. He was a farmer too, and he was very good with his hands, even building work or even when working machines like painting in bits and pieces. Dad always encouraged us”
Irwin Brothers expanded their premiss further in 2019 creating more space and easier access to the yard. “When we extended the yard the only old bit left was a stone wall, there used to be an ash tree there and Dad used to park the jeep and many a discussion or decision was made lying over that wall smoking a fag. We decided that we’d keep that wall as a memento for him. Dad was a quiet man, modest man and he always told me, he says, do unto others what you like done to yourself, and we’ve took that motto in business and you know it’s worked. What he done handing over the place to us like it was a big risk.”
“Krone approached us and I think the first year we sold maybe 20 units, which was a shock to us all because it was late in the season when we took it on, maybe around March time.” Stephen explains, “We were in talks with Krone about the Big X then for a few years and it just sort of clicked into place in 2024. The BiG X suits this area well, you know, for lumpy heavy grass conditions. We brought a demo 1180 out to this customer that owned this 990 and he only had it for a few hours, but he seen the way it performed, and you know talk’s cheap, but when you see a machine performing in the field that’s where it speaks for itself like.”
The workshop at Irwin Brothers was recently extended to accommodate their move into supporting the Krone BiG X. ‘You have certain machines that come in for winter servicing but more so we see now with the extended warranty they have to come in for the winter services and winter service is key in a harvester. We find the machines that we’re going through, even the older machines, were having very little breakdowns during the year.” Stephen explains.
Irwin Brothers expanded their premiss further in 2019 creating more space and easier access to the yard. “When we extended the yard the only old bit left was a stone wall, there used to be an ash tree there and Dad used to park the jeep and many a discussion or decision was made lying over that wall smoking a fag. We decided that we’d keep that wall as a memento for him. Dad was a quiet man, modest man and he always told me, he says, do unto others what you like done to yourself, and we’ve took that motto in business and you know it’s worked. What he done handing over the place to us like it was a big risk.”
“Krone approached us and I think the first year we sold maybe 20 units, which was a shock to us all because it was late in the season when we took it on, maybe around March time.” Stephen explains, “We were in talks with Krone about the Big X then for a few years and it just sort of clicked into place in 2024. The BiG X suits this area well, you know, for lumpy heavy grass conditions. We brought a demo 1180 out to this customer that owned this 990 and he only had it for a few hours, but he seen the way it performed, and you know talk’s cheap, but when you see a machine performing in the field that’s where it speaks for itself like.”
The workshop at Irwin Brothers was recently extended to accommodate their move into supporting the Krone BiG X. ‘You have certain machines that come in for winter servicing but more so we see now with the extended warranty they have to come in for the winter services and winter service is key in a harvester. We find the machines that we’re going through, even the older machines, were having very little breakdowns during the year.” Stephen explains.
“John looks after the servicing and then he has three guys with him as well.” Stephen explains, “thankfully they’re good men and they stick with us and they’re willing to work the hours when need be like.”
“Coming from a contracting background ourselves not getting going isn’t an option. So we keep a demonstrator. This year we had a 780, we’ve a 980 for next year, but last year we bought a 480 actually brought in from Germany and we kept her as a spare harvester for smaller machines and we’ve actually changed her now to a 630 that we traded in. What we found is if you had a man with a blow up, which is very unlikely, we can lift them parts off our narrow body machine and it’ll fit a brand new machine that’s going out today. And then we have the wide body machine as well. We can take bits of that so we’re never going to be really stuck.”
“From when we took on the dealership the progression in Krone and the new part store that they’ve put up is phenomenal. The investment they’ve done and like the amount of parts that they carry. There is never a day you phone up and haven’t got the part you’re looking for and the overnight service is excellent.“ Stephen explains, “we had one situation where we needed a part and they put a man in a car and he was here the next day, from Germany like on a Friday and he was here at dinner time. You know, it’s crazy the service you can get when you need it. So at least you have that confidence when you’re selling the product that you’re not going to be stuck without the parts.”
“Working with the Germans has been different than any other company or even Farmhand than we’ve worked with before. We had a few changes that we wanted done to a few different machines and I remember it was six, seven years ago and we told them what we wanted done. They visited here in the month of March and they listened and then we were out at a pre-agritechnica event in the factory and one of the export managers says to me he wanted to take me somewhere else and next thing pull this mower out. He says, “Is this what you want?” we’re sending it over now to Ireland for a few weeks to try it out to see how it goes and we’ll build you maybe three or four of these machines for next season” and currently now all the changes is on the mowers now that we’re selling. It’s phenomenal, like we’re in the back of nowhere and lose to everywhere I like to say and they listen to us. So a company that listens is easy worked with.”
“The Amazone machinery is a great add-on as well. It’s German built, we’re seeing a big uptake in it; power harrows, even ploughs and one passes and sprayers you know not necessarily around here, around Middletown or even Enniskillen there’s a few customers. It’s good product, well put together. Even the high-tech sowers are now becoming more attractive to bigger farmers because their saving on the fertilizer, you know, accuracy and especially with the way your nitrates and everything’s going, you have to do it right.”
“Not getting a deal isn’t really in my vocabulary.” Stephen explains, “I aim for 100%. I don’t aim for 99%. And you know, yes, you lose some, but once you get men into the product, they’re easy kept in the product. It doesn’t always come down to price. It comes down to yourself and the service you give and having the parts on the shelf and keeping men going. And that’s where we see the future is just keep pushing forward.”
