“People always talk about price first. And yes, price is an issue at the start,” says Jim Power. “But once the cheque is written or the payment is sorted, you forget about the price completely. What really matters is the machine. If the machine performs and does exactly the job the customer expects it to do, then the price was worth paying. If it doesn’t perform, the price becomes irrelevant very quickly — and all of a sudden, no one is happy.”
Jim Power is the founder of Jim Power Agri Sales, which is located in Tallow, Co. Waterford. Jim’s business is built on decades of experience and hands on knowledge within the Agri machinery industry. “I started my career back in 1989,” Jim explains. “I left college in Tralee and went straight into working as a mechanic, travelling all over the 32 counties. From there, I moved into sales, working with John McCarthy Agri Sales, where we began selling Krone machinery. From the very beginning, we were selling the big self-propelled machines, including some of the first Big X foragers to arrive in Ireland, back in the late 1990s. When you look at how those machines have evolved, from the early Mark 1 models right through to what’s available today, the progress has been phenomenal.”
This deep understanding of machinery reflects on how Jim still sells machines to this day. “We don’t just sell machines here — we know them inside out,” he says. “A lot of our staff have been with us for many years, and that experience matters. Customers know that when they walk in the door, they’re dealing with people who understand the machines properly and can back them up with service, parts, and real support.”
Jim Power Agri Sales started in 2008, at the height of the recession. “It was a very tough time to start a business,” Jim recalls. “But we worked extremely hard, focused on service and support, and built the business step by step into what it is today. To be fair, we’ve customers now that I’ve been dealing with for 25 or even 30 years — from my time before starting out myself — and they’re still with us. That loyalty is built on trust and long-term relationships.”
Jim has also adopted a philosophy of long-term reliability when selling machines to his customers. “Selling machinery today isn’t about pushing what suits the salesman,” Jim says. “These machines are too expensive for that. The customer has to buy the machine that suits his operation. Sometimes he knows exactly what he wants, and sometimes he doesn’t — so it’s our job to explain what’s available, guide him through the options, and come together on the right specification. That’s how you get the right machine at the right price.”
Support after the sale is just as important. “Breakdowns are rare when machines are properly serviced and maintained,” Jim explains, “but when something does happen, parts availability and response time are everything. That’s why we carry a large stock of parts ourselves, work closely with our suppliers, and rely on excellent backup from manufacturers. Next-day parts delivery is very impressive — but sometimes 24 hours is still too long. That’s why we also keep standby machines here. If there’s a major breakdown and a part can’t be sourced immediately, we can keep a customer working.”
Support after the sale is just as important. “Breakdowns are rare when machines are properly serviced and maintained,” Jim explains, “but when something does happen, parts availability and response time are everything. That’s why we carry a large stock of parts ourselves, work closely with our suppliers, and rely on excellent backup from manufacturers. Next-day parts delivery is very impressive — but sometimes 24 hours is still too long. That’s why we also keep standby machines here. If there’s a major breakdown and a part can’t be sourced immediately, we can keep a customer working.”
Jim is particularly strong on the importance of innovation and performance. “A lot of customers who demo Krone machines comment on the same things every time — how evenly the machine runs, how it handles lumps, the exceptional steering lock, and the outstanding suspension. In my view, proper rear axle suspension makes a massive difference, both in the field and on the road. These are details that matter day in, day out.”
“Everything in this shed is ready for sale. We try to keep all the expensive machinery in here because obviously if a customer is spending €200,000 or €300,000 on a second‑hand machine, he doesn’t want to see it sitting outside in the rain.” Outside in the yard, there is a wide range of additional machinery on display, while “the workshop over to our right is where we’re working on machines all the time.” At present, “there’s roughly 18 staff here, with two or three part‑time as well, and to be fair we have some very, very good staff.” Many have been with the business since the early days, with “a lot of staff here ten years and more.” Jim highlights the importance of his staff. “We couldn’t do it without good staff — not a hope — we’d have no business without them.” “There’s no one here walking around in suits,” Jim says. “Everyone is practical. Every salesman here will set up a machine, and if we’re under pressure, I’ll put on the overalls myself. That mechanical background never leaves you, and I still want to see every machine performing exactly as it should.”
Jim highlights the importance of having a strong family around him to help run the business. “My two sons are involved now, both serving their apprenticeships, and they bring new ideas and high standards with them. Sometimes they’re the first to tell me if something hasn’t been done right,” Jim laughs. “But that’s a good thing. We set standards here because we understand what our customers are trying to achieve.”
Looking back, Jim says the scale of the business today was never imagined at the start. “When something grows this big, you need everything to back it up — staff, service, parts, suppliers. Customers expect support, and rightly so. Our job is to make sure that when they invest serious money in a machine, they get performance, reliability, and backup they can depend on.”
“Price might start the conversation,” Jim concludes, “but performance, trust, and support are what really matter in the long run.”
