Celebrating 34 years in business this year, Kelcro Transport Cork continues to stand the test of time.
Celebrating 34 years in business this year, Kelcro Transport in Cork continues to stand the test of time even in the difficult climate. Company co-director Donny Kelleher spoke to Irish Trucker about the business he started all those years ago and what they’re up to at the moment.
Based in Millstreet, Co. Cork, since 1977 Kelcro Transport is been working hard to build an excellent reputation in a very competitive environment.
Founder and co-director Donny Kelleher has been the main driving-force behind the company that has enjoyed a strong business relationship with Mid-Cork Pallets & Packaging, which is owned by Sean Lehane and is the current leading manufacturer of pallets in Ireland. Through their dealings with the Clondrohid-based company, Kelcro Transport has been able to build itself into the company it is today.
“We’re established since 1977 and we now have 12 trucks on the road,” explained Donny.
“I suppose my position is co-director, with Sean Cronin as the other co-director here.
“Around 80 per cent of our work here is from Mid-Cork Pallets. We draw finished pallets for them and bring in their raw materials from the timber companies. They have a premises in Dunboyne in county Meath and we haul back and forth from there also.”
Donny describes the haul up to Dunboyne as “only up the road” for him and his drivers, who have surely covered almost every mile in Ireland at this stage given Kelcro Transport’s lifespan.
However, the real journey for Donny has been from the very beginning when he started up his own business with just one truck and a borrowed trailer. If times are tough at present, then a modern young businessman could only imagine what it was like to try and get a business off the ground in an era that was, arguably, tougher than now for new born businesses.
“I started off with one truck and I didn’t even have a trailer, I had to borrow one, so that will tell you what it was like,” said Donny.
“I started off working for Kerry Co-op in Listowel back in 1977, drawing milk powder, cheese, butter etc. up to Dublin and Cork. Since 1978, we’ve worked for Mid-Cork Pallets and the business just grew on from there to what it is today.”
‘Today’ Kelcro Transport finds itself working with several different companies and groups to help keep things busy on the work front in order to make sure things remain solvent week in, week out.
“Business at the moment is not too bad,” said Donny. “We’re kept busy and hopefully things will stay that way going into next year and beyond.
“Last year, due to the recession we had to make adjustments to our working arrangements and our pricing structures to maintain our competitiveness,” he added.
Donny’s outlook is certainly a positive one. Then again, it most probably has to be considering the times that are in.
Along with Kelcro’s busy schedule with the Mid-Cork Pallets, business has been steady with a number of different customers all across the land availing of the services that Donny and co have to offer.
Trips from their base in Millstreet up to the capital have now become a common thing for Kelcro. They work for a local company “Allen’s of Allenbridge” who supply flooring for concerts all over Ireland, including Croke Park, Aviva stadium and Oxygen. The most recent being the Michael Bublé concert at the Aviva Stadium.
“We also do regular deliveries for Taltech Engineering in Dublin, and we deliver air conditioning units nationwide for Mark Eire, who are based in Coolea, Co. Cork,” said Donny.
However, in order to obtain such a high quantity of work, you need the man power and enough equipment to make sure the job’s done efficiently and this is where Kelcro Transport excels ahead.
Among the company’s 14 full-time staff, 12 are truck-drivers and two are office staff, Kelcro can boast having some of the finest vehicles on the road in Co. Cork to carry out whatever the needs of their customers are.
“We are very lucky with our drivers as they are all great lads and some of them have been with us for a long time, they, of course are the face of Kelcro on a daily basis and we are very grateful to them for their dedication and hard work,” he said.
This, along with the distances they are willing to go to make a delivery, gives Kelcro somewhat of an edge with their customers, who continue to come back for their services.
“We have 12 trucks in all consisting of five DAF’s, three Volvos, three Renaults and one Mercedes truck,” explained the co-director. “I hope to be in a position to upgrade by the end of this year or at least by the start of next year, please God.”
For now though, Donny is keen on keeping busy with Kelcro Transport Ltd and looking after his family, which has been his priority from day one. Ironically though, both tasks mix in well together for him, considering that he works with his wife Kathleen who is the transport manager.
“She, of course is the glue that holds Kelcro together,” he explains.
Good to hear.
http://www.irishtrucker.com Published on 14 March 2011
