A well-known figure in the Irish machinery trade – Tom O’Connor – has joined the sales team at Cooney Furlong Machinery Company (Co. Wexford).

Based at the dealership’s premises in Enniscorthy, Tom joins Ken Lucas and Barth Landy on the sales team.

Tom (pictured above and below) will be focused on sales of Krone, Amazone, Vaderstad and Schaffer machinery.

He’s from Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, and comes from a farming background. He holds a degree in agricultural engineering from Harper Adams University College.

He has been in the machinery business since 2003. Previous jobs have included stints at ECI JCB, Lely Ireland and Farmhand – in various service, sales and managerial roles.

‘Demo’ combine

In related news, AgriLand recently paid a visit to Cooney Furlong Machinery Company when the dealership was putting a ‘demo’ Case IH Axial-Flow 7140 through its paces.

Barth (from the dealership) didn’t just talk about combines though; he also had a thing or two to say about how Case IH – as a brand – is faring in the south-east.

To find out more, watch this video (below) – shot by our camera-man Kevin Farrell.

At that time, he said: “The Puma range goes up to the CVX 240…then into the Optums. We actually have a few Magnums working in this area as well – typically pulling drills.

“There’s a big requirement for big output; [working] windows are shorter. Farmers want to get through the work quicker; it’s the same with contractors.”

He added: “[Cooney Furlong Machinery Company] moved into the new showroom on September 9 last year and, look, we’ve gotten off to an extremely good start.

You know; it took a little bit of convincing in the beginning. Not everybody knew the bigger-horsepower tractors – maybe – as well as the competitors.

“Nonetheless, we’ve absolutely sold a tonne of them – believe it or not. Case IH is now fast becoming the brand to have in the south-east.”