The Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) Executive Council has elected a new president and vice-president of the association.

They will take up office from January 1, 2019.

The new FTMTA president will be James Butler (pictured above) of well-known dealer group Templetuohy Farm Machinery (TFM). Diarmuid Claridge, of Poettinger (Pottinger) Ireland, will serve as vice-president.

New Executive Council members

Three new members were elected to the FTMTA Executive Council at the 2018 annual general meeting of the association.

To put things in context, the FTMTA is led by a voluntary Executive Council which is drawn from the membership of the association. The Executive Council is, in effect, a board of directors of the association.

The addition of the three new council members brings the membership of the Executive Council to its highest level in many years. There are now 20 Executive Council members, which is the maximum permitted by the association’s constitution.

According to the association, the increase in membership is reflective of the “significant increase in the number of member firms in recent years”.

The council members are apparently drawn from all aspects of the farm machinery trade, including retail dealerships, distributors, Irish manufacturers and even international manufacturers.

The newly-appointed members of the FTMTA Executive Council are:
  • Paul Duggan, chairman of Kiltimagh-based distributor of farm machinery parts and agricultural components Genfitt (Mayo);
  • Karol Duigenan, regional sales manager in Ireland for Claas UK;
  • Derek Delahunty, area sales manager (Ireland) for Lemken.

Current FTMTA president Graham McHugh welcomed the new council members. He noted that “the diverse experiences of those involved will be an asset to the association”.