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HomeBeefLaois native manufacturing tyres for covering silage pits
Catherina Cunnane
Catherina Cunnanehttps://www.thatsfarming.com/
Catherina Cunnane hails from a sixth-generation drystock and specialised pedigree suckler enterprise in Co. Mayo. She currently holds the positions of editor and general manager at That's Farming, having joined the firm during its start-up phase in 2015.
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Laois native manufacturing tyres for covering silage pits

That’s Farming editor, Catherina Cunnane, in conversation with Eoin Hogan of the Tyre Mat Master.

The Tyre Mat Master is a business born out of frustration, its proprietor, Eoin Hogan, says.

The 32-year-old Camross, Co. Laois native, runs his own business, specialising in manufacturing tyre mats for covering silage pits while working full-time for McHale Plant Sales in Dublin.

He explains to That’s Farming editor, Catherina Cunnane, that the lightbulb moment for his business “sprung from helping neighbours cover their silage pit one summer”.

“After getting destroyed with muck and soaked with water from loose tyres, I started looking to see if there was anything on the market to help stop having to handball tyres on pits.”

“That is when I came across Liam Murphy from Co. Kilkenny, who had come up with a way to join tyres into mats. The tyres are joint by a coach screw and two custom-made washers.”

“I rang Liam to see how it worked, and it went from there. He no longer had the time to continue at them, so I made the jump and took it over.”

The business launched in May 2020 and now covers the 32 counties of Ireland, with Co. Cork and Kerry being among the busiest regions.

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Tyre Mat Master

He explains that the entire process is all completed in the farmer’s yard. Tyres are laid out on the ground, and the gun – which runs off the hydraulics of a tractor – fastens each tyre together.

Then when completed, they are neatly stacked until they are required, which, along with being labour-saving, is a distinct advantage of the method, he added.

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“The mats are a very effective way of covering pits as more and more silage is being cut; pits are opened two or three times every summer. The mats leave it very handy to open the pit when needed.”

“The number one benefit is that most of the work is done by the tractor/telehandler. Also, the safety side; lifting off tyres in the middle of winter when plastic is wet can be very dangerous.”

He added: “I am targeting my business at all farmers with silage pits; there is no pit too big or too small”.

“Old tyres will not work as they are closed in, and we cannot get the gun in to tighten them.”

“If the farmer does not have tyres suitable enough, we work with Crossmore Transport from Kildorrery Co. Cork, a nationwide registered tyre collector that can deliver tyres to a farmer’s yards.”

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From strength to strength

Hogan revealed that his business is “going from strength to strength”. In its first year of trading, it had 40 customers, while last year, this rose to 105, and the firm is on target to surpass this in 2022.

“This year, we had a stand at the National Ploughing Championships, and we got a lot of new customers from that. Some of the future plans are to up the number of our truck tyre mats that we made for a local farmer this year.”

“They are very good for the sides of pits because of their weight. We had queries from the UK and Netherlands and also to send the materials to Canada and New Zealand, so that is something we would like to look into doing.”

“None of this would be possible without our customers. I would just like to take the chance to thank all our customers over the last two years,” he concluded.

Anyone looking to purchase Tyre Mats can phone 087-2725625. According to Hogan, the price of its standard mat (5 tyres x 3 tyres) is €30 (including VAT).

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