SlurryKat has unveiled a significant investment in its manufacturing base with the official opening of a Research and Development (R&D)facility and ‘Team Hub’ during its 15th anniversary year.
Operating since 2008, when it was founded by CEO Garth Cairns, the firm, which specialises in slurry handling and distribution machinery, has grown from a workforce of just two to a team of over 80.
Sustained growth
The company prides itself on its research and development alongside sustained investment in the manufacturing process.
It claims to have designed innovative machinery for precise slurry distribution as well other agricultural equipment.
SlurryKat’s manufacturing facility is set on a 52ac site in Waringstown, Co. Down. Initially starting as a small workshop it saw the first developments of alternative slurry spreading methods and has since grown to a 120,000ft2 production facility.
The latest investment includes a 1,000m2 R&D facility which is understood to be the first of its kind globally.
It represents a multi-million investment in support of the company’s ongoing growth into the future.
Part of the building will allow the firm to test equipment with different pressures and flow rates in their bid to continually refine the performance of new and existing products for the worldwide slurry equipment market.
Personnel matters
In addition, SlurryKat has opened a ‘Team Hub’ for staff as part of the investment. This includes a canteen, shower facilities and a commercial grade kitchen, as part of its ongoing commitment to improving the wellbeing of members of staff.
The firm’s success over the years has been underpinned by the establishment of a worldwide sales network, including Norway, Iceland, Chile and New Zealand, with exports to over 25 countries which represents 70% of sales.
Marking the anniversary of the company, founder Garth Cairns said:
“I’m immensely proud of our achievements over the past 15 years. Slurry plays a big part in the agriculture industry across the UK, Ireland and beyond.
“We wanted to build equipment that could overcome the different challenges we see in different markets across the world, and over the years our team has been working tirelessly to evolve and develop our machinery to be as efficient as possible for our customers.”
Cairns also noted that “it’s a competitive industry and as a company we’ve been constantly growing and evolving with the industry and adapting our designs to be leaders in the market”.
SlurryKat and Ireland at the forefront
There can be no doubting that Ireland, as a whole, has produced companies that lead the world in slurry handling systems, and SlurryKat is one of the major players in this industry.
To see it enjoy sufficient success to be confident in making this sort of investment underlines the strength of the agricultural machinery sector in Ireland, a sector which is based on a thriving agricultural industry.
In addition to the extension of the development facility, the company has given itself the target of being 100% self sufficient in energy needs by 2028.