McHale Plant Sales, based in Birdhill, Co. Tipperary, has been bestowed with a prestigious award by Komatsu Forest, the Swedish-based forestry arm of the Japanese construction behemoth. The Dealer of the Year accolade was handed to the Irish importer by Komatsu’s forestry equipment division as a testament to their successful collaboration, unwavering loyalty, and unparalleled expertise in the forest machinery sector. Dr. Jurgen Munz, managing director of Komatsu, commended McHale Plant Sales for their pivotal role in promoting and selling Komatsu’s timber harvesting equipment across Ireland, encompassing both the northern and southern regions.
Komatsu Forest offers two primary categories of machinery. Firstly, the timber harvesters, utilized within the forests to fell trees, remove excess bark and branches from trunks, and cut them into manageable lengths for further processing. Secondly, the articulated forwarders serve as indispensable companions, transporting the cut timber from the forest site to accessible drop-off points for conventional road trucks. This seamless process ensures the efficient movement of timber from the forest to subsequent processing facilities, such as sawmills or factories, where the raw material is transformed into various timber-based products, including construction materials and paper.
The roots of Komatsu’s forestry equipment division can be traced back to the early 1960s when Valmet commenced production of forestry machinery, eventually becoming part of the Komatsu family. The longstanding partnership between McHale Plant Sales and Komatsu spans over four decades, primarily focusing on construction equipment. This recent recognition from Komatsu Forest underscores the strategic market positioning achieved by McHale in promoting Komatsu’s forestry equipment within the Irish market since assuming the distributorship seven years ago.
The prestigious award presentation took place at a pan-European distributor conference near Frankfurt, gathering representatives from various markets where Komatsu forestry equipment is distributed. The event attracted distributors from Europe’s heavily forested nations, where timber harvesting stands as a cornerstone industry. McHale Plant Sales was represented by key personnel, including sales director Denis McGrath, business development director Darragh O’Driscoll, and aftersales director Anthony Ryan, who graciously accepted the award on behalf of the company.
Michael McHale, the company’s chairman, expressed profound gratitude for the honor, emphasizing the award’s recognition of McHale Plant Sales’ pivotal role in establishing Komatsu forestry equipment as a prominent player in the market since their appointment to the role seven years ago. This accolade adds to the array of international honors received by McHale, including a recent recognition from Finnish stone crusher manufacturer Metso, whose equipment they also represent, further solidifying their reputation as a trusted partner in the industry.
