00:00:00:00 - 00:00:06:12
Unknown
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Ice Expo podcast. AKA lifted the lid on construction and plant equipment.

00:00:06:12 - 00:00:28:10
Unknown
I'm delighted to be joined today for the very first episode by Frank Smith from FJ plant. Frank, thank you very much for coming in. No problem. So let's kick it all off. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey where it all started, Frank? Yeah. Right. Okay. I suppose like a lot of people in this industry, it might not have been the case that you ended up in.

00:00:28:10 - 00:00:58:11
Unknown
It's your nerdy. It's born into it. It's like a vocation, maybe. So, like, I grew up, my father was, he worked for, various Komatsu dealers, at farmers next door. So you're always around machinery. You know, all this was all your life really? And your interest kind of grew for that. And like, a lot of young people, you know, machinery and I suppose the difference in maybe between me and others, I was able to get involved around machinery.

00:00:58:13 - 00:01:20:03
Unknown
Some people that might have to look for, you see little kids that became attractors or the pavement diggers, but they might never have the opportunity and, you know, to actually get in and drive. So I actually take I could drive a tractor before I could ride a bike like that. Yeah, I think so. And I tried to think back, but I think I could and I probably wasn't great at either, but I knew to try it anyway.

00:01:20:05 - 00:01:42:02
Unknown
Yeah. So from there, I suppose I was in secondary school, and I suppose this is the big thing that kind of clicked with me. I do older siblings and younger siblings that were very academic and yeah, very good in school and, and loved it like, you know, so more study plans and that sort of thing where I didn't, you know, there's no point saying that it but I did I did love working.

00:01:42:02 - 00:02:02:17
Unknown
I always loved working. And I suppose like a lot of young people, I loved getting praised for being a good worker and easy, doing a good job there or that sort of thing. And I liked it. That cute. Yeah, people like that. So I suppose from I got my way through school, I was, you know, average I did what I had to do, definitely didn't do any more than I had to do.

00:02:02:19 - 00:02:22:13
Unknown
And I always kind of love school to be finished. Our holiday so you could get and, you know, I love that. And, I suppose after that, then I was, I was probably going to head down the apprenticeship route, you know, probably not much interest in going on to, like full time third level education at the time.

00:02:22:13 - 00:02:40:00
Unknown
And a lot of my friends from school upwards, they were all all were down the road of apprenticeships. But I suppose I suppose one of the turning points for me was when, you know, you have the off the job phase and the on the job fair. So you start off on the job and you work for six sim, same as now, maybe six months or whatever it is.

00:02:40:00 - 00:03:04:13
Unknown
Then you go to the after job phase and then you're doing theory and you're doing classroom. And I remember one day we were, I know what we were, what we were doing, but it was it was it was Terry and was Terry about machinery. And it just kind of clicked that, you know, the difference in and and learning about something that of interest about then learning about something that you had no interest at all is hugely.

00:03:04:15 - 00:03:24:02
Unknown
Yeah. And I just I kind of felt that, you know, you couldn't get enough of that. Yeah. Where in school I could never see, you know, maybe I shouldn't be saying this, but I could never see the point of, you know, zoom ways. You know what it that's alright. But, like, I could really see when it came to the practical side of it and how theory relates to the practical side of it, I was like, yeah, this is, this is good.

00:03:24:02 - 00:03:44:08
Unknown
Like, and I like that, you know, this and fast. That was in Capri. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'd like to some really good instruction instructors there too as well. And I had real interest in people that were interested and, and I love to see people that were interested. Like, I can imagine it's a hard job teaching and but it's a teaching someone that's interested and teaching that someone is not interested.

00:03:44:10 - 00:04:09:16
Unknown
I say, you know, the people that are interested keep you going every day. And yeah, I love that. Like, you know, I love that. And probably there wasn't one one that would study all the time, but I could once I was doing it and writing it and, and learn that I could, I could, I could pick it up quicker, you know, and then I suppose being a little bit competitive as well, you probably wanted to be one of the best that you could be.

00:04:09:18 - 00:04:29:12
Unknown
Yeah. Do I have to trade that or don't? So I was lucky enough then. They had I think, they had an apprentice of the year competition in, in force in Canberra that year. So it's like the junior junior fit in or whatever it is. But I won that and I kind of that spurred me on a bit, you know, as well.

00:04:29:12 - 00:04:51:22
Unknown
And that kind of led to you serving your time well at this time. Phillip and Carmen Clanton Lane. Right. Okay, good. And I still read Phillip a lot, up and down, you know, because we lived close enough together, and, he has some friends that are that I it be friendly as well and taught me a lot like, you know, Tom taught me a lot, taught me a lot of things.

00:04:51:24 - 00:05:14:10
Unknown
I suppose that you could take which are little nuggets of advice. And I love little, little nuggets of advice because, you know, you kind of live your life by little things to do if they come back to you. So, then, I suppose progressed a little bit more from there. Then you went into the, the phase four and six and phase four and phase six for us at that time was Bolton Street.

00:05:14:12 - 00:05:39:15
Unknown
Right. And again, and it's funny, you know, there's one of the instructors that was there that I met, two of them actually. Thomas Murphy was one. He did I think it was to the plant. I think was like transmissions of that time. Not sure where the subjects were. And I actually met him.

00:05:39:17 - 00:05:58:14
Unknown
But two years ago, as the, the, the skills were skills competition and the and the RTA. Yeah. And I was I set an exam for that, and I was a judge, you know, for, for two years. And I didn't get to do it. Last two years was probably the busiest. And then around the time of the clown and, the other guy was Pat Toomey.

00:05:58:16 - 00:06:27:02
Unknown
I thought it was actually starting off, his career as an instructor in when I, when I was in, Bolton Street, but then in Bolton Street and was the president of the year competition. Right. And so obviously, you know, after getting one on the back of your mind for another one, like, you know, I also, went into that, probably two of the hardest things I ever done, like, you know, push really, really well worth it.

00:06:27:02 - 00:06:43:17
Unknown
And I just say, if anyone gets a chance, do it. And again, I was lucky enough I won that. And, so that kind of set me up, you know, thinking that, you know, there is there's plenty to be got out of this, like, you know, brilliant. So unfortunately, at the time, I think a lot of the trades had.

00:06:43:19 - 00:06:58:07
Unknown
So when you won that, you went on to represent Ireland. Brilliant. But at that stage there was no representation for Ireland. That time in construction plan fitting, which was some parts of the lofty. Yeah, it'll go on a bit shorter. Not saying I would have got any for any further, but I would have loved to have done it, you know.

00:06:58:07 - 00:07:23:03
Unknown
So from there. So then how did I stand on your documents and was. Yeah. So, from there I worked for about a bomber asking for a year on cranes. And Jade. I really enjoyed that. And with Anson, the then, the quite serious crack was, was Greg. I got you could actually do a podcast and I'd actually like to.

00:07:23:03 - 00:07:39:14
Unknown
I would love to get a few lads. Our work on it is at the time I had never been called to do a few collections. Now you. No, we had numerous events, you know, planned and unplanned like for that. And I was looking into it one time and seeing a loaf of bread in the middle of the pool.

00:07:39:16 - 00:08:04:09
Unknown
Yeah. I think the loaf of bread was doubling up as an accordion. I think at that. But yeah. And, Darren, your brother was, was was work over there at the time. Alan Carr carbon. There's a there was a list. Mick Collins I think you're still there. Maurice Hennessey, Tommy flat. He really did have some, we had we had some crack, and it was it was a great place to work, like, you know, it was it was a great place to turn.

00:08:04:09 - 00:08:21:19
Unknown
Did some company to some company. Yeah. Amazing. And and the plant department, it's still. The plant department is there, which is a lot I suppose a lot of bigger contractors. The plant department went away and the, you know, the kind of state, you know, they used outsource and all that. But the plant department was kind of always to hire feet.

00:08:21:21 - 00:08:39:12
Unknown
And it still, still is like, you know, but yeah, that was great. I mean, you know, some great people, some great friends and still, like you be close to, to that alliance that you work with. And you could meet them, you might meet them for ten years. And you know, you still have the crack with them. No, but we had we had some great times, but, the kids and learned a lot there, no question about it.

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Unknown
And I suppose that's where, because we founded a history and Komatsu, I was, you know, all of a sudden affiliation to the brand. So, we, worked there for a few years, and then I suppose the dad was getting a bit older. He was he was walking away more or less on his own. We tend to have plenty of customers.

00:09:00:05 - 00:09:17:01
Unknown
Now, he was. He was a great man. His job is, you know, brilliant, gifted, brilliant, brilliant. Absolutely. And great interest. And I also you've been chatting about and I remember growing up like at the dinner table, there was always a service minder like. And that was it's the very same. It's that was always. It was always the service manual.

00:09:17:03 - 00:09:34:17
Unknown
And don't remember. You should have grown up with one, I suppose. Obviously mobile phones aren't so, lot even though you were working during the day, a lot of the phone calls came at night. Yeah, of course. So probably to a landline. You know, you'd have your motor trying to listen to Coronation Street and your father put in the back end in the €65 or like on the phone.

00:09:34:19 - 00:09:51:08
Unknown
So that would be a bit like, unlike you nearly got to the stage by the time you're in, you know, the fifth year or six year that you might never have seen it. But like, you could probably do a set of steering touches over the phone with someone on on the doors. Or you could do that, you know, you could build an engineer.

00:09:51:08 - 00:10:12:12
Unknown
You knew what problems machines were having because you're listening to it every night. Of course, you know, I suppose looking that gave you the insight into how things work, you relearn them without even realizing you're learning. You know, you really did have great mentors growing up. Unbelievably and still now I'd, you know, I, I'd always listen to advice, like, always, always.

00:10:12:12 - 00:10:34:11
Unknown
And there's some great people in this industry and there's a great people outside, essentially, but it's a little nuggets of advice that you get every day. And every day is learning that there's no question about later. So go back then to PhD. So when did you I suppose, Brendan. Yeah, no, I suppose I think I think it was zero 1 or 0 zero somewhere, somewhere around zero two.

00:10:34:13 - 00:10:52:10
Unknown
I went looking for that and said it was getting it was getting a bit older. Loads of work on I think I just arrived there one Monday morning. The bus was probably was never really planned. And because the parents, you know, there were conservative and, and the supposed risk taking wasn't, you know, because grew up in an era where risk taken wasn't me.

00:10:52:10 - 00:11:08:03
Unknown
So, you know, if you had a job, you got. And not that there's anything wrong with that, but, okay, so I probably arriving on a Monday morning and just said, hey, I'm here now, so you make it something for me to do. So there's obviously law to do. And I kind of just developed from that. And did you start on the tools that one day.

00:11:08:05 - 00:11:27:04
Unknown
Yeah I was always yeah, yeah. Still. So like, yeah we're still off the roads. But yeah we worked. Yeah. And I suppose that time it was, it was in the boom or the Celtic Tiger or whatever you want it. So this is much work as you wanted to do. Like, you know as much work as you wanted to do.

00:11:27:06 - 00:11:44:22
Unknown
And we kind of we built it a bit. We use, at the time, we had lads that came in and helped us work, you know, like subcontractors with. Yeah, as work. So, some of them actually make the gardeners want to make us silver yesterday. And I was like, oh, really? Yeah. Great. Yeah. I was there any bronze at this stage?

00:11:44:24 - 00:12:10:17
Unknown
And. No, we kind of specialize then. Yeah, we specialize in, I suppose a bit of a class of stuff we specialize in, you know, engine building and transmission building, hydraulic pumps, that sort of stuff, you know. So what was the first agency then? Yeah. It's it's the for the first one we looked at, I said, well, I, I suppose all the agencies joined at the boom, but everything was tied up, you know.

00:12:10:17 - 00:12:35:20
Unknown
Yeah. So dealers are doing well stuff for selling. I'm sure manufacturers were happy. And then I suppose the recession hit, and to no fault of anyone, there was a lot of change, you know, but the market just completely fell off, as everyone knows. And I. And that was like that for years, you know, a few years and I suppose dealers, manufacturers and dealers, there wasn't much communication between them.

00:12:35:20 - 00:13:04:05
Unknown
There was no market. And a few years elapsed, and I suppose to go for some dealers to get back into, you know, when it started to come round again or to go, going to go back doing it again, maybe not. So I suppose it's like every recession, I suppose there's, there's opportunities that do come over, you know, and one of the first ones we looked at was actually I think we were in a trade show and in China, and we came across Roby, which is an attachment brand name.

00:13:04:07 - 00:13:24:23
Unknown
And, that was that was probably a first. You know, that was probably our first official agency. Such stick on. We since sell some, some equipment for them and then I suppose the big one for us then after that was, was Cobra, like, we were a 2013. It took a, it took while was a bit of two.

00:13:24:23 - 00:13:40:10
Unknown
And if one is a lot of these decisions are still made, but, we knew what was definitely on what was at stake, a much, you know, so that was, that was, that was the big one for us. And that was in 2013. So we became a board of dealers in 2013. So it was a big change.

00:13:40:13 - 00:13:59:12
Unknown
Yeah. Kind of going from the tools as opposed to taking on cabal, getting into sales. Well, I suppose we always would have sold a little bit because. Yeah, we were fixing for people and, and people like service and they were coming and saying, maybe, you know, I'm thinking a change and something. Would you get me something?

00:13:59:14 - 00:14:18:01
Unknown
And we were selling a nice bit of secondhand stuff that at the time, you know, and we had a good customer base, some really good customers instead of some really, really good customers, some like customers and, you know, we kind of it would be nice to have something else to offer. So yeah, it was it was no big change.

00:14:18:01 - 00:14:40:15
Unknown
Like, you know, it was no big change for me. I kept doing the same little things. And I think there's no real, you could say a big turning points for me, even if there's no there's no big turning point. So it's all little incremental steps. Do you know what I mean? What a fantastic agency like. Yeah. Unbelievable I, I couldn't you know I just couldn't believe the reliability my correct design.

00:14:40:15 - 00:15:08:20
Unknown
You started with the construction line and then you moved into it. Yeah. So we started construction and we were construction for probably bonds for ten years. This was before we went to into the ground care and I excited it, like the construction equipment. Come on. Construction equipment is like. It is. It's unbelievable. Like the reliability and the following that that's, you know, you have to have everything right still to sell, you know, you can't, you know, and they know that as well.

00:15:08:20 - 00:15:28:23
Unknown
You can't just rest in your laurels. But, I know they're good. Yeah, they're good to evolve. And but the managed to keep the quality really, really good. And then, this was a two years ago, the opportunity arose then to take on the full line growth. So that was, obviously. Yeah. I mean, yeah. That's normal.

00:15:28:23 - 00:16:01:23
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah, it's it's different in a lot of ways and similar in a lot of ways. A lot of different customers, a lot of similar customers. You know, and you have an overlapping in between, between some of them. But, yeah, it's it's a different side to the business. But it is it's going well, you know, I think we're, we got some great people when we, you know, when we, when we took on that, that side of it, we got a couple of, lads that were in sales and obviously with the background in the industry, really, really good lads, really, really knowledgeable, which is brilliant for us, you

00:16:01:23 - 00:16:20:02
Unknown
know, really, really good for us. And Marcus and, and Alan there that, that same lifetime experience there and you know probably what a struggle without them. You know there's no question about it. You need you need people especially when you look on a golf course. Yeah. And yeah. And some of the thing, you know, some of the Marcus that you think is going to be a great market.

00:16:20:02 - 00:16:39:13
Unknown
So turns out that it's not where the sales are at all with them now the lads are very good and very solid on next and after the Kabbalah, the next big a big one. No, actually I think there's the Sam era. Shortly. The next year, we got, for a kawa, which is another Japanese brand. Yeah.

00:16:39:16 - 00:17:03:12
Unknown
PhD, breakers and attachments. Again, I would have been familiar with that because the water distributor, I think it to the marrow of any network in the 90s and 100. So it's familiar with it. Yeah. From a the father like, you know, so yeah, we took on them, because, you know, to train obviously the people on diggers, a lot of the time the line to break or whatever, you know.

00:17:03:14 - 00:17:25:18
Unknown
So we took on that. Yeah. And today we're still, we're still doing them and. Yeah. Great. Great product. Like really reliable, really reliable records. And they have a lot of books demolition wise, don't they. Yeah they do. Yeah, they do a lot of I suppose the main, the main thing in Europe is breakers to do that also manufacture trailer rakes and stuff like that.

00:17:25:18 - 00:17:54:10
Unknown
But the big thing in Europe is, is, is the breakers really proud of their breakers? But they had a good you know, they had a good team. The guy there called Mark Lessman, you know, market very great unbeliever like he actually done. And we done that. He liked it here you know. And he's actually what icon now. He says I think he could be like he's he's one that really good job at any kind of thing in Europe at the moment for really nice fella.

00:17:54:10 - 00:18:16:09
Unknown
And it just goes to show like people do make the brand do. Not just those people buy from people. People buy from people. And it's not hard to be nice. No. And, Paolo, who's our dealer manager for the moment, he was he was a hitman, my good friends with the great dynamic like, you know, and even to say to myself, you know, we're friends at the end of the road on a few adventure races and things like that together.

00:18:16:11 - 00:18:39:17
Unknown
Yeah, we don't say it's so much fun. Yeah, yeah, great. Great. Guys, I got it. Yeah. I don't think he ever got over, but, Yeah. No, it's, So then I suppose the next big one first then was, was Logan, you know, at the time, I suppose things are getting busier. The economy was starting to improve and the opportunity was there for, for larger equipment as well.

00:18:39:17 - 00:19:03:20
Unknown
And, and we were known for, for larger stuff, larger excavators and loading shovels and that sort. Yeah, we took on I think that was 2015 or 2016. We took on Logan and we looked at a couple of different manufacturers. Obviously you're slow to make a commitment like that, you know, from both sides and same like it's from a manufacturer's point of view.

00:19:03:20 - 00:19:22:07
Unknown
Our dealer's point of view. Once you're committed to a brand like you, you're committed 100%, you know, and it costs a lot of stock, across a lot of stock parts, it costs a lot to train people. So you have to be sure about, you know, every brand you're bringing on here, like, you're you're hiring more sales reps.

00:19:22:09 - 00:19:44:22
Unknown
Oh, well, yeah. And and I suppose it's not, it's not always the selling of the, the equipment. It's. Can you back it up. Of course I'm not scared but that is key. Like and I think that's a key thing for you because you already had that knowledge going. Yeah. Yeah. I always I maybe could have sold more in the past and maybe we can because, you know, but I always thought like, if, if you sell this, there's the first thing.

00:19:44:22 - 00:20:00:21
Unknown
If you sell this to a customer, they depend on you, you know, they depend on you to be able to when they're stoked that you can come out and and get them going again at the end of the day. So like cost and money, the reason that we went for a long and one of the reasons was, you know, they had the European job.

00:20:00:23 - 00:20:19:24
Unknown
I have the European hope there. So Paris wasn't going to be an issue because they had the facility and down there, in the Netherlands and in Poland and the factory in Poland as well. So I knew that, you know, no matter what happened, at least you can get something, you know, you didn't have to wait for no components record later.

00:20:20:04 - 00:20:45:18
Unknown
Obviously. Roland Coleman's engines. Yeah. Built in the UK, the Kawasaki pumps and valve blocks. Rexroth use Rexroth as well, so that all really good components. And I would have spoke to a lot of guys because the UK that the dealer in the UK it's thanks to C CPMs, who eventually sold out to Lugano and so they had a lot of Irish customers in the UK.

00:20:45:18 - 00:21:06:16
Unknown
So I'd say I probably spoke to every one of them before, you know, you make a decision that how are the machines going and what's the, you know, what's the quality like what's about like everything. And it was a lot of demolition contractor. So they're well-tested like well-tested and or. Oh yeah. Well you have to because you know, once once you're there, you're there.

00:21:06:17 - 00:21:24:18
Unknown
It's just it's it's all going back like, you know, so, the confidence obviously to drive home and then and we've been, we've sold a lot since and it's a, it's a really good brand for us. You know, it's pretty nice people to work with too as well, which is important, you know, of course. And trust you know, trust is very.

00:21:24:18 - 00:21:42:05
Unknown
And this year you saw the first electric. We did see what a. Yeah. Yeah. And that was a huge step for them and a big step for us. Like you know amazing. And has it gone really well I think to I looked at it on the telematics there. And the other day I think just like 800 hours on it now.

00:21:42:07 - 00:21:58:13
Unknown
Brilliant. But yeah, it was a big step for them. And in fairness, it was it was really it took a it took a lot to do because it's not, it's a massive investment like, and you know, it's electric machine, there's a place for it. But it's not every replace. You know, it's not every job site you can you can bring it.

00:21:58:13 - 00:22:24:17
Unknown
Yeah. It's like that's that's what they wanted to show but really good in the bog. Hahahahaha. No. But then there's a lot of things they're not very good. And of I'll get on of the yeah yeah hundred percent. Sunny on the bog. So after a bit of a short conversation to say that it wouldn't be any good in the bog right afterwards, places like, you know, where's it working at the mill.

00:22:24:19 - 00:22:46:05
Unknown
It's for first, it's in character at the moment. But that's the first job it went. Was a man job in, Sandy Motor School. And it was an ideal set up for because obviously it was three phase power and the site idea and, you know, you could plug in an opportunistic time to charge it at lunchtime as well, you know, and, it was also quite so it was, it was a phase.

00:22:46:09 - 00:23:03:07
Unknown
It's a phase job so obviously of demolition. And the school has to keep going. And I think even during the Leaving Cert, and exams, it was the only machine that could run on and on X because it was quite like, you know, so it was it was quite ideal for urban jobs, you know, brilliant and ideal for jobs.

00:23:03:08 - 00:23:21:06
Unknown
What does it take to charge that now? Look, there's a there's, there's a couple of if not if we had the power here. Theoretically. Yeah. You could charge it in three hours, like. Right. Okay. That's what they call double going. And so you're putting two charges in at the one time. We don't have that, you know.

00:23:21:08 - 00:23:50:00
Unknown
But yes, I welcome so when we when it came force we it was a 40 kilowatt hour charge or so. It took over and I took ten hours to charge it, like, then you're getting, you know, probably struggle to get the full shift over, you know, maybe that just an hour short. But then we've had a few changes to the machine, and and in fairness to the operator that was on, it was really good.

00:23:50:00 - 00:24:18:03
Unknown
He gave us some great feedback, you know, and, we could do a few little changes and change that could extend the battery life. And also then there was an 80 kilowatt per hour charge off it still. But what do you think he say even a day in diesel? Well, we worked it out. Like, if you're using, like the likes that we looked at a few 20 toners at the time and it's actually surprised or using the them 12l and our 13l an hour.

00:24:18:05 - 00:24:37:22
Unknown
Oh. So it wasn't so. Yeah. I suppose you're saving. Yeah. Or saving on the fuel. Of course. You're also saving on, on the, the servicing you know. So like you don't 500 hours service there recently which was you know, you go out with we do the final try using due to slow box nature filters and that's really it.

00:24:37:22 - 00:24:54:23
Unknown
Like you know the cab filters. There's no there's no engine servicing. There's no age nine. There's huge it's big. Like the parts of people wouldn't think they're supposed to have to get right. But the cost of it, it's an expensive machine, you know? But, you know, you have to probably look at it over the lifecycle of, are you really saving?

00:24:55:03 - 00:25:16:13
Unknown
You know, but the cost of the machine versus what you're saving the fuel because obviously electricity has to be paid for. But you're saving on fuel. And what you're saving on service costs, like, it does take that five years to, to balance the balance itself out. But it's not all about it's not all about that. I suppose it's it's clean, you know, it's when it's working to save the environment.

00:25:16:14 - 00:25:37:15
Unknown
But. Yeah. Are you saving few trees through trees. Exactly. Yeah. No. And it is, it's clean and in, in urban areas it's ideal for it. You know. What would you say, Frank, is the biggest changes in the last 5 to 10 years. Obviously the electric machine is one. But what would you say is the biggest change in the industry in the last?

00:25:37:17 - 00:26:08:12
Unknown
Yeah. The biggest change is in the 5 to 10 last five, ten year, I think. I suppose the two there's a couple of key things at the moment are I talk about I suppose one is autonomy. The other is electrification and AI, but they're probably going to be the biggest changes. Yeah. I suppose in the last 5 or 10 years you can change it in the excavator side of things.

00:26:08:14 - 00:26:31:23
Unknown
I suppose the excavators have always used as an excavator, but. And that's how you do things now you'll see more and more of, where an excavator is now becoming a tool carrier. So because it's, it's difficult to get skilled operators, you're looking more and more ash, you know, what can this one excavator do? So like tilt, rotate.

00:26:31:23 - 00:26:51:10
Unknown
And if, you know, GPS, I'll have things and people are looking more and more at that, like, you know, it's a, it's about how much you can get out of one machine because if you can, if you if one machine can do 3 or 4 jobs, it's not that, you know, you couldn't have 3 or 4 more machines.

00:26:51:10 - 00:27:13:04
Unknown
It's just hard to get 3 or 4 more operators. So like and I will say like a lot of customers that we have, like there's no one really I like I, I've seen it, you know, because I travel a bit with manufacturers and been to different countries and see how they operate there, like when Irish people are on it later on is, you know, unbelievable.

00:27:13:04 - 00:27:33:05
Unknown
Like it's like the, the way I think, the way getting through work. You can see how you know, how Irish contractors are so successful in, in the UK, in Australia and in America. And it's just the way we have of doing things and the way we think about getting work done. It'd be a shame never lose that like it's we've, we've a great way of with a great way of working.

00:27:33:05 - 00:27:52:01
Unknown
And I think that's the changes I've seen that, you know when we have when there's a challenge, you know, owners and companies will look at something like how are we going that how are we going to make this machine work better for us? The other big thing on this is back to another brand that that we work with now is evil quip.

00:27:52:07 - 00:28:12:20
Unknown
Yeah. Christian scream. And so one of the big changes then, I suppose, and I think there's more way more to come on that is the recycling, you know, onsite or onsite recycling. Circular economy. Yeah. That is the balls at the minute. We're not just there. I don't think, you know, we're not just there. But it's it's it's common.

00:28:12:22 - 00:28:28:04
Unknown
It's the more you can do and that's a it makes, you know, it makes perfect sense the more you can do it on site to do it on site. And that, you know, that's an opportunity as well for, for what we're selling in the Iva quick brand because it's it's very much focused on that.

00:28:28:04 - 00:28:51:00
Unknown
Michael. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. We were looking at Michael. Okay. Good lad. Yeah. Very good man. Very conscientious. Good worker. And very knowledgeable. Like. You know, it's like taking something that's very knowledgeable. Yeah. Very, Like, he knows that he knows the industry and he knows the application. What's suitable for the application, which is very important. And when you're selling something like that, you have to know the application.

00:28:51:00 - 00:29:13:09
Unknown
The license. Very popular. Yeah. Yeah. Like you give your place in to where it is sold. The real nice machine. Nice, easy transport set up and crushing in a few minutes. Tidy, Compact. You know, ideal for a sale. You can get through work, like. Yeah, you know, so, if you want to invest and, you know, with screens as well.

00:29:13:09 - 00:29:28:15
Unknown
So there's definitely, there's definitely the shift is on and, and is on for, for all that sort of work to be done, you know. It's amazing what can be done though on site now. Yeah it is. Regards. Some space I suppose is probably I can see you can some urban sites is you know, you have to roam through this and that.

00:29:28:19 - 00:29:45:05
Unknown
That's the problem. So they'll always be a foreign city to allow us to be trucks in and out, you know, and far safer for unfortunately for the lads that are that that's their business, you know, but there is always a, there's always that, there's always room for that and it always will be room for that. There's some things that that are not going to change, you know, 100%, you know.

00:29:45:05 - 00:30:08:00
Unknown
But yeah, for the down side stuff, it's space is space constrictions. Very interesting though. Lots to come. It is very interesting. Yeah. And I think it's driven by a lot of it is driven by you know, it's getting people getting operators. You know, let's see. Autonomy is as I said, is the big thing. You driverless like, you know, can you see robots driving machines.

00:30:08:00 - 00:30:26:22
Unknown
And I don't know, I think it's closer than you think. You know, I think it's you can see. But they're at a conference there. You can see the track. There's there's some again to say. It's like the electric excavator. It's to some places it's it can work and you can see how it can work. And, and there's some places never going to work.

00:30:26:22 - 00:30:44:03
Unknown
You're never going to replace an operator like, you know. Yeah. Maybe will I don't know, I just can't see it. Because the job site change is so much, you know, you need people thinking, you know, how much things have evolved over the last 5 to 10 years with regards to you. You know, obviously content screens my background, but, yeah.

00:30:44:05 - 00:30:49:23
Unknown
Well, what I'm seeing out there at the minute, like with onsite recycling, it's incredible what's been done. Site stabilization. It's.

00:30:49:23 - 00:31:07:19
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah, it's it's really interesting. Yeah. It's it's it has changed like and and there's way more to come on that side of it. Like I think it's got very scientific weightings. Yeah. And again people as I said you know you can't these people in this country to adapt to something and learn it you know.

00:31:07:19 - 00:31:29:12
Unknown
Yeah. Very true. I mean people become experts here quick, very quick, very quick. And it's because the, you know, smart people, you know, but look at all the I suppose manufacturing in drone alone and Christian is green and like it's incredible like all over the world. Unbelievable. Like what's being a tiny, tiny, tiny small country. And it's amazing to see the manufacturers and the facilities to have up there.

00:31:29:12 - 00:31:38:19
Unknown
It's just, you know, in a small area, in a lot of case, a lot of it's in the round throw around. Yeah. Yeah. Very small area like for. Yeah. But I don't believe. Yeah.

00:31:38:19 - 00:31:41:01
Unknown
So, Frank, I know another big brand.

00:31:41:01 - 00:32:05:14
Unknown
You have a is Marlo here? Obviously working alongside the lovely Helen. Yeah, yeah. That happened first last year. We became marrow dealers. It's going quite well first. And I know you have good relationship with Helen and the lady, but again, it's like a lot of the manufacturers I work with, it's really there's some really good people, you know, involved in Marilyn Marlowe UK.

00:32:05:16 - 00:32:32:07
Unknown
Whitley. It's a family. It's a family business. Like our own source. And they still have, you know, the have them, them values. You know. So I suppose we had range of excavators, the range of Lord and shovels. We have, you know, good range of stuff, crushing screening equipment. And it was a lot of customers for us, you know, don't have a telly handler.

00:32:32:12 - 00:32:52:18
Unknown
Intelligent, I suppose. And we all of a sudden, if something came up, that, that fitted, we would go for it, you know, so at the time and it was it's a lot of what I do a I tend not to make decisions on the, on, you know, you have to trust the people that are with you and you can't just land stuff on the meter, you know?

00:32:52:20 - 00:33:18:05
Unknown
Of course. So, and he would you discuss these decisions with Frank or the likes? Well, you'd have to discuss with Lorraine on air. You be in trouble if you didn't. This with Lorraine? Yeah, it could be detrimental to me in every way. You'd be lost without Lorraine. Lorraine is very good. Like, just really, she's in the industry, like, you know, since she left school and, and what that would, would, would look, I would, I'd always ask for advice is can can watch.

00:33:18:05 - 00:33:38:00
Unknown
Cancer is a long time as well. We really good fella. Really levelheaded, you know, a great man in this job as well. So. And then obviously, you have to, you know, when you're bring something, then you have to you wrote a body service. You have to renovate parts, make sure that they're happy enough for you for to do it.

00:33:38:02 - 00:34:02:19
Unknown
Clay Kelly, who worked with Lorraine when she was in see him. So he had a background in, in, in marital power. Okay. So he was he was happy enough to take it on James Martin as a service manager. Like he was, he was happy enough to take it on to make sure that you incorporate, you know, and we were lucky enough to have Kevin Meyer, who's, you know, he's an expert on unmarried, you know, really, really good.

00:34:02:21 - 00:34:22:22
Unknown
And Kevin set limit as well. And is it a great addition, you know, but, yeah, definitely. You have to discuss it with you have to discuss with the people that involved, you know, and then obviously it more staff and which is obviously more which is more work for my wife. She does payroll, you know, for signs.

00:34:22:24 - 00:34:40:01
Unknown
And this is what she signed up for. But she's doing it now and it's donuts. Yeah, yeah. And it's any sort of, you know, Frank, I don't know, I don't know, I think it was around 45, I think, it's made it more mature, you know, it is proud of where you've you started and where you are now.

00:34:40:01 - 00:34:56:20
Unknown
Like, that's so much as it's. Well, it's just little steps, you know, it is little steps. There's no as I said to you before earlier, no big turning point. It's just little incremental steps. Of course you've opened your new place in nicer. Yeah. That was that was we moved into that at the start of this year. Sorry.

00:34:56:20 - 00:35:19:18
Unknown
The yeah, it was, it was, it was building it for a couple of years and it was an eye opener as well. I suppose we started it just at a time. A call for everything went up in price. Yeah. So let's start off well, I don't know, and I suppose. But it's just me. Or does it happen when you think of something that you're going to buy, you have an expectation are going to do your expectation of how much it's going to cost.

00:35:19:20 - 00:35:35:20
Unknown
But by the end of it, you always seem to spend more, don't you? Because and as we were building that, you could see little things that were you needed to change. Yeah. And that obviously you make a change, it's going to cost a bit more. It's going to add more time. But I mean, there's purpose built.

00:35:35:20 - 00:35:55:05
Unknown
Oh no. Oh it's not it's really it's really good. And in fairness to Sean, just a more often more like, you know, day when we were making changes, they were just not never, never nothing was really a problem, you know, great lads and and the probably some things that I was saying is if you're as quick to say no as to say yes, sometimes you might be better off.

00:35:55:05 - 00:36:09:01
Unknown
Yeah. You know, but they did a great job like. Oh yeah. Good job. Yeah. It's a good job. It's, it's it's more like look it's like everything you build a house. And or if you move into a house, there's always things that you will do different. And you also have a place into kind of, am I correct?

00:36:09:02 - 00:36:25:10
Unknown
Yeah. We've a small place in English county. It's what's called a satellite depot. So it's more of a service center. Okay. So it's a workshop there. We have a, I mean, have some automotive parts, a Marcus and John Rayner down there. They're they're they're looking after you running the show. They're running the show down there.

00:36:25:10 - 00:36:49:18
Unknown
Yeah. So good man. As a. Yeah. So, Frank, tell me a little bit about yourself. I know you're a fitness fanatic. What time do you start? Get up in the morning. I wouldn't say a fitness fanatic. No, but, I saw how I wasn't. I was a fitness fanatic. I know that, yeah. Yeah. You've got some iron Man.

00:36:49:20 - 00:37:03:07
Unknown
Yeah. No, I have, like, when I was, I would have played a lot of games when I was younger and, and I suppose one of the, the disadvantages that time of being on the road in the service van is the one even that you want to be training. Yeah. You wouldn't be there are the one even you'd have a match.

00:37:03:07 - 00:37:24:00
Unknown
It would be still, you know, and the other end of the country laying on the road or whatever you're doing. But and I suppose that kind of fell away from a little bit. So I spent, I spent most of my 20s working on a bit of drinking and very socializing, but I also suppose the good type thing about it is I always, if I preferred work to drink.

00:37:24:02 - 00:37:40:22
Unknown
Right. Okay. Yeah. Which is good, which is gorgeous. So that kind of, that kept me going. So and then, in the late 20s, I think early 30s, I don't know where it came from, but I bought a motorbike and I think actually, you know, it's it's from a race, Ireland, who had a bike at the time.

00:37:40:22 - 00:38:00:16
Unknown
And you know what, I think? Get something into his head. And he convinced yourself to like, you know, next thing, had I had a road bike and enjoy that, it was nice. But, you know, some of them go for spin. And then I suppose, you know, the spins can. We were quicker and quicker and I think I should I try to track day and do the track day and earlier before I knew it.

00:38:00:16 - 00:38:22:05
Unknown
And there's a few things in your life you kind of wonder, how did I end up here? And I remember the first race coming around the corner and mondello thinking to myself and the warm up lap like, right, okay. Thinking to myself, no, I mean nerves, like it's only like, not that you're coming around the corner and thinking how did I end up?

00:38:22:06 - 00:38:40:24
Unknown
Yeah. So what decisions in my life that the, you know, led me to this, you know, so at a couple of good seasons, I remember the race line. I mean, I remember at my 30th birthday party with a halo coming out of your head. Yeah. I remember dancing and.

00:38:41:01 - 00:38:58:05
Unknown
And, and there's a couple of nurses come over to meet us. We're having a bet on which factor variable is broken because they had that obviously had the halo. And that you broke your neck, didn't you? Yeah, I know it's broke. The big crash in 2013 on a broke, I suppose. Lucky enough, I don't think it broke up in my life up until that day.

00:38:58:05 - 00:39:24:20
Unknown
And it's a broke a lot that that kind of. But, yeah, I met some great people at that too, and one being Roddy Hayes, who actually worked for, for, for a while after was, some things, you know, and you talk about confidence and, and what you're doing and confidence in your ability. I remember we had an issue on the list and everybody was looking after me, look after the bike and setting up and and initial one day with the care box, I think I had no tour gear.

00:39:24:22 - 00:39:41:16
Unknown
I had no for I was slipping, I was tired, and I knew the, you know, motorbikes and that, you know, the last thing you want to do is your gearbox, the keys. Because if you touch it, it makes no welds, you're only going one way and that's out over time. I see I'm right. I was in, I was like, Jesus knows our gear and not.

00:39:41:16 - 00:39:58:21
Unknown
He was like, yeah. And I was like, there's no such a one. You know, one race left that we can start race. And, I says, I guess it I don't think I'll go out in the next one. He says, we changed it. He says we changed the gear and used first and second record. Okay, first, second.

00:39:58:23 - 00:40:10:21
Unknown
I said, right. So he said, this could be the difference, he said, and getting a couple of pints at the end of the year were to win the championship, not me. Okay, I said, look at the gearboxes. He said the gearbox balances. I said he sure, he said and sure, well he knew and you know what I mean.

00:40:10:21 - 00:40:27:05
Unknown
That's the car. No, he just knew because he knew because he was. So I suppose. What would you say, Rodney? Was that a long time? It was that a long time. It's experience and his confidence, you know, and I think about and I think I started for with or something that day and that and that and he didn't cease anyway didn't say no it didn't cease.

00:40:27:05 - 00:40:45:15
Unknown
And he done the gearbox after. But that was just and I met a lot of friends to that. But I remember someone saying to me that like is obviously with motorsport, I don't even that's in a it's, you know, you can spend a lot of money on motorsport. Yeah. And you know, you've set a suspension then and you know, it breaks and you're upgrading this and it's tires and it's everywhere.

00:40:45:15 - 00:41:08:17
Unknown
And someone said to me one day, you know, the biggest, the best or the biggest change you can make to make yourself go faster. And I was like, what? He said, make the change to yourself. All right okay. He said, get a bit of it, you know, get a bit fitter, you know. And so I decided so I, you know, start doing a little bit of running again, trying to get myself fitter and then it's don't focus.

00:41:08:17 - 00:41:24:20
Unknown
And the Morton sports business developed and cleared your head as well. It is always good. If it's good for your head and you know you get you get used to it and you get the the endorphins from it. But then those little incremental steps, so you do fake integers and might be able to do ten, then you do ten, then you take inches and make you do a half marathon.

00:41:24:20 - 00:41:49:01
Unknown
And then, you know, you look at that field, you're at lunch and I would then, a friend of mine, Aaron McHale, he was a member of this number one Fitness and Colon. Okay. And, he said, come over and James over. And Jane, he said, just, you know, the school community or whatever. So then start to do the bike bit of cycling, a bit more running, and then we're still in the future at lunch.

00:41:49:01 - 00:42:06:20
Unknown
And then I don't know what year was we did we decided on it, that we would try and do do do it. Yeah, we do a half Ironman I right. It's half an hour and we decided we do a half Ironman. So we trained first as best we could like. No, you know, we weren't athletes. We definitely weren't swimmers.

00:42:06:22 - 00:42:26:24
Unknown
But I remember I suppose it was I think it was the week before I meant to go to New York to do this half Ironman, which is like A2K swim, like, you know, no, I couldn't swim. And that was amazing for that. Yeah, I couldn't swim and I had done well in previous. No, no. Right. Like two well two trials.

00:42:27:01 - 00:42:47:08
Unknown
So I think it was before Christmas. It's hard to learn how to swim. Right. And got a few lessons I got going. I swam probably trying to swim every day just to get a little bit, but like swimming the same thing with arm by arm. But they had flotation devices pull wise. We had paddles. We had like similar to a submarine around the face.

00:42:47:08 - 00:43:06:18
Unknown
But and I suppose I probably swam like a cannonball as well, like I was in a great club, but I know we kept we kept that. But at the week before, we went to Clontarf Baths to kind of get acclimatized to the sea, you know, so it's, it's solid water, but it's in an enclosure. And there was a magazine was the lady's name.

00:43:06:19 - 00:43:29:24
Unknown
She's an instructor. She were just go through there the same morning, but we were going out and we're hanging on to the, you know, the ropes in the lanes. And that's how bad we was because we were sinking or stuff. Yeah. Hanging out the ropes and and we're chatting to her after and she's, talking about me asking us the aka the 70 pine tree that we were going to do.

00:43:30:01 - 00:43:48:00
Unknown
And she's like, all right. So anyway, the following weekend we were in Mallorca. We happened to meet Maxine on the beach, and she came to us kind of, what are we doing here? And I said, we're going to we're going to do that. You know, we're actually on tomorrow. She's like, you're doing it tomorrow. She said, I got you.

00:43:48:02 - 00:44:05:24
Unknown
Should I talk to you? Were talking for next year, I self yeah. And we've got to get into the sea in the Friday evening. I remember like, if you look out I said look, you ever done that. An Iron Man or half Iron Man's. When you look out and you see how far out I'm then blazer and you're thinking like I you all the gear like I do.

00:44:05:24 - 00:44:21:13
Unknown
So obviously the hat I goggles I the off your nose do that the closer the ears and I was ready for action so guns the see in the Friday. Just to get a bit of a warm up swim. I'd say by the time the first wave hit the the thing for laughing off the table, our New Year's goggles filled up with water.

00:44:21:15 - 00:44:38:04
Unknown
And it's like. And I remember standing on the beach, I got out and I remember standing on the beach looking, they're not going to be able to do this. And jeez, how are we going to tell everyone know that I actually failed here? And Chair Kelly, actually, Sheriff GB's engineer he said was walking on the beach. He says, what's wrong with you?

00:44:38:06 - 00:44:52:24
Unknown
So just yeah, I don't think I can, I don't think I could do this. And he said, just relax. You said that and try and get out to the forest by. Yes, I think there's 10 or 12 bikes, whatever it is, just so you can get out as far as the first point. So I did. Then I got some that, you know, I got into the forest by.

00:44:53:05 - 00:45:12:05
Unknown
Right. And how did I get on. Yeah. He got out there too. Yeah. And obviously there's a cut off. There's a swim cut off at the time. You know, there's a time you have to do the swimming. Right? Okay. And I honestly don't know how we managed to get through that. Like I don't know. So here we are.

00:45:12:05 - 00:45:27:22
Unknown
Yeah, I was just I don't know I suppose salt water doesn't have to be said about of what he thought. And the sea was calm and I suppose and then things didn't add up, we would have never got you. But that's the field, I suppose, to get to know the water in the first one of them particular, no matter what happens after this, she she would swim.

00:45:28:00 - 00:45:45:11
Unknown
Oh yeah. So let's go ahead and swim. Then you do cycle. Oh cycle and bike after. And then it's like Everton, you know you do have it. See, she's a wonder. Could I ever to have a full on. You're still at home now. Yeah. Well yeah. Look it takes time you know. And it's like I like getting up early in the morning and I like doing my training in the morning.

00:45:45:15 - 00:46:05:16
Unknown
Yeah. And because I. Yeah that's a little. Yeah. It involves football and rugby and and heavily involved was saying cabinet. Yeah. Yeah. And great. So you have to whatever you're going to do you try and do it early in the morning because when you come home in the evening and that's just for me. Everyone's different. Like when you come home in the evening, it's very hard to get motivated.

00:46:05:18 - 00:46:22:01
Unknown
Why don't you sit down? It's very, very hard to get going again. And that doesn't make any worse or any better than anyone. That's just the fact that you're in a routine. You're in a routine? Yeah. And I like I like routine now, I didn't always like routine, but I like routine in my life now. And I think that's one of the that's one of the things I kind of like, I go to bed early and I get up early.

00:46:22:05 - 00:46:44:10
Unknown
Yeah. And, I suppose for me as well, it's it's such a kid. See you. Don't you know what I mean? And that's important, you know, like they say there's. And in our house there's, there's a good culture of health and fitness and lands on the the Americans as well. Yeah. I don't know, like a to under the vagina or whatever.

00:46:44:10 - 00:47:01:06
Unknown
But I think it's just she says it's just easier just to go away but like yes like and then enjoying it I that she's, she's very motivated as well you know and she's like she'll train every day, every day or every second day as well. So and the kids see that, you know, let's see Dan and and Lucy sees that as well.

00:47:01:08 - 00:47:21:24
Unknown
And they're getting older, you know, Adam, he sees, he said, nearly 16. Now, do you think Adam will go down the plant rows or. I don't know, I tell you, it's it have they've got interest in that, you know, they've got interest in the, likes machine. He's actually doing he's in transition here now. So, he's, he's actually doing is working today.

00:47:22:00 - 00:47:36:11
Unknown
But you know, he's a, he's for young lad of 15 and I suppose like a lot of know lads and girls growing up. Now if they grow up in a, you know they can do a lot by the time of 15 or 16, you know, they can drive, they can, you know, he can, well they can use gas bottles, they can, you know, he can.

00:47:36:11 - 00:47:54:01
Unknown
It's brilliant. Like, you know, I cannot be far behind them like, you know, and Lucy as well as she's, she's, she's nine now, but you can you can see it's there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well she's I'd say Lucy could be one. She could be one for the Spanish. She knows enough not to go near payroll. And it that's clever for them.

00:47:54:01 - 00:48:22:19
Unknown
Yeah. That's like I'd say like I think it's that kind of culture helps. You know, the lads like to to love football and the love and the love of rugby in the same Lucy. And she sees them as well and they're going quite well, you know, at it. So but yeah. So outside of work, on a day to day basis, what do you think keeps you motivated?

00:48:22:21 - 00:48:43:13
Unknown
So what, I be a great motivator? I don't know, to be honest. I never really would like. Obviously, I have to have motivation, and you have to, like, you know, you want to succeed and you want to do well, and no matter what you're trying to do as a father, you so say do the job to the best of your ability.

00:48:43:15 - 00:49:05:09
Unknown
And when you have it, don't don't think you're the only one that can do it. And it's very important. But I suppose for me, like, even more of it, like it's easy to be motivated in the plant and machinery industry because it's busy. You're always wants to put out fires, but you are always busy. You're out. There's always problems, always challenges.

00:49:05:09 - 00:49:20:14
Unknown
You're solving them when you've won, done. As everyone knows, it's in business. You find problem mode away. You're met with another one. You have to solve that, you have to move on, and you have to try and sell stuff and you have to train, obviously. But I suppose that's the motivation, the motivation for me, there's not one single thing that motivates me.

00:49:20:14 - 00:49:36:17
Unknown
I just, I just like as opposed to what I've done, you know, and that's if you like doing what you're doing, it's half the battle. It's definitely and all you not everything. As I was just saying, the car last night, everyone jumps out of bed every morning thinking about, oh, it's work, you know, for that. And you have to do to love.

00:49:36:22 - 00:50:06:23
Unknown
Yeah, yeah, it makes it definitely makes it easier. You know, if I was to say to you, if there was a young lad or young Lassie out there today and they, let's say were considering getting into the plants game, what would you suggest? But don't do. There's easier ways to hustle, easier. Yeah, I don't know. As I said before, it's a great it is a great industry to be involved.

00:50:06:23 - 00:50:27:05
Unknown
And it's a cool crack. You know, it definitely. You can have a laugh now. Every day is a laugh. But like, some days are really, really good. One thing I have to say is that I obviously I'm in it a lifetime, but I feel like it's the best industry in the world when it comes to people. You make great friends every day.

00:50:27:07 - 00:50:52:03
Unknown
Lifelong friends. Yeah. Very, very few people in this industry you could say a bad word about. No. And characters like, characters, unbelievably, just you could tell a few stories, definitely tell stories and, you know, and the sort of different, you know, throughout the country, the difference in people would call it that. Some characters over the years, like, you know, and Eddie stand out.

00:50:52:05 - 00:50:57:22
Unknown
You'd have to do a podcast on. I don't think you could you could do you could do it all in the one hour, like.

00:50:57:22 - 00:51:15:06
Unknown
Yeah, maybe it's got to be. But I think you to get some of the characters on it. I think, you know, maybe more entertaining than I am. You know, but that. Yeah, definitely gets it. There is some characters on and it would be great to get some some of them on because it would make for some great listening, you know.

00:51:15:08 - 00:51:33:20
Unknown
But no, it's, it is it is a great industry. There's no question about it. And the variety, there's definitely not always the same, you know, and that's, you know, and that's regardless of what works, you know, what often you decide to get out, whether it's in sales or whether it's in service or whether it's in pirates.

00:51:33:22 - 00:51:55:00
Unknown
And there is so many avenues over. There's the marketing side of it, you know, there's so much it's so there's so many, there's so many avenues and there's so much variety. And and that's for me, that's that's what makes it so good, you know. Right. I suppose is, is the Ice Expo podcast. What how did you get out of Ice Expo last year with a great show there?

00:51:55:00 - 00:52:17:01
Unknown
Really did. I think, what I did notice and, you know, within the shark space, the time that people were there to buy. Yeah. You know, and that doesn't happen. And, you know, probably would have happened, as everyone says. It would have happened a lot, you know, years ago, you know, and I even remember growing up, spring show.

00:52:17:01 - 00:52:35:08
Unknown
Yeah. You know, you probably remember the spring. So I know I don't I can't remember that right now. I'm not remember the fall out from it like so, you know, I remember if I'd have been you know, they've been a little boy for the week. It's spring show and my mother and you know, obviously different day, different events that went around the spring show and the socializing around it.

00:52:35:10 - 00:52:56:07
Unknown
But a lot of business was on there, like, there's no question about it. And I think what I find, which I find our customers to generally know what they want and when they're buying something, they know, you know, a lot of cases, a lot more than you know, evolution to know what it's capable of doing. Well, I think people went to that show and definitely to try and support the people that were exhibiting that.

00:52:56:09 - 00:53:11:08
Unknown
Yeah, you know, so if they went with the intention of of buying to show a little bit of support for the people that were there and that did happen, you know, it definitely did happen. We had a great show, you know, and I like, I do I, I, you know, you've taken the lead not to these shows.

00:53:11:08 - 00:53:25:05
Unknown
You're taking Joseph to do this. And there's so many Laurie, lots to go here. And we have to get this stuff in and you have to get in the boat. If you have a good show at the end of it, you're thinking, you know, it was all worth it. It's all worth it. It's all worth it. And will I be back 100%?

00:53:25:05 - 00:53:43:24
Unknown
I'll be back and there's some shows you kind of leave thinking she's the one will ever go back to her. But that was that was one in particular that we had to say. Yeah, it was a really good show for us. That's great. And still getting some stuff out of it, you know, and I think, but maybe distinguish it from other order.

00:53:44:04 - 00:54:12:23
Unknown
And we do loads of events, you know, we do a lot of smaller shows, we do a lot bigger ones, you know. But I thought for an exhibitors point of view and I'm not just saying that because you're sitting here because, you know, the from an exhibitors point of view was like nothing seemed to be a problem, you know, and if you wanted something changed, if it could be done, it was done and it wasn't a hassle or if you wanted, you know, he had different ideas about how things for you were listened to.

00:54:12:24 - 00:54:40:03
Unknown
And I think that's that's important, you know, and that's a credit to you, you know, and your team as well. They did the pull it off the way you don't. And when you said it to me at the start, I was thinking actually mental. Should we know that you know, established that on here but I did I did think actually that that's someone to take and like I'm not bigger now than I paid and I kind I thought, you know, at the time thinking, I wonder, should I try and even talk it over like, you know.

00:54:40:06 - 00:54:55:24
Unknown
Yeah, you know what I mean. Yeah. And, but credit to you and credit to the whole team here has pulled it off on those. Great. But it was the support track off the likes of yourself and all the exhibitors. And I have to say we're going again obviously. In May. Yeah, I'm going to be every two years after that.

00:54:55:24 - 00:55:14:08
Unknown
Yeah. But already the outside stands really sold out. But it's the support from the industry. Yeah. And you know, it's it's all about support in the industry. That is what it's all about. So I definitely walk there you know and and punch time is a good venue is amazing. And I have to say it's a credit to all the team in town.

00:55:14:11 - 00:55:29:02
Unknown
Again nothing was a problem. And like I know they do like the shows that are in the quarries. You know, there's a place for definitely, definitely a place for that kind of a show too as well. It's a it's a different kind of dynamic, but from, you know, when you're bringing machines to there, yeah, you get to a quarry event.

00:55:29:04 - 00:55:37:23
Unknown
You have to, you know, obviously you're going to have to work. They're going to ask about you know, they could come up with punches, how it's staying. People can walk around. It's it's friendly, friendly.

00:55:38:20 - 00:56:04:05
Unknown
Here's one question, Frank. What would you say has been your biggest failure or setback? And what did you learn from it? That's a good question. I suppose I don't have one that spring to mind. I'll just jump out in the boat. I think, as a as I say it a lot. And then five and coaches, underrated players.

00:56:04:05 - 00:56:27:01
Unknown
Yeah. You know, being a little bit of hard and recently and I've done minor teams and this are actually going to do it on the 23 team in, in Saint Kevin's. But I but to realize that that I coach which, you know it's a good team but it's like after you know, I think when things go well, you and you win, you don't congratulate yourself too much.

00:56:27:03 - 00:56:48:02
Unknown
And when things go bad and you don't and it doesn't work out, you don't be too hard on yourself either. And I think that's important because they can business in the life. Things that go really well and people get carried away celebrating and it's going to last forever. It doesn't, you know, so definitely enjoy the things that go well here.

00:56:48:04 - 00:57:07:05
Unknown
Take the time to enjoy it. Which I don't think a lot of people do. Yeah. But don't over celebrate them. Yeah. And and it's the same when things don't go well, like you have to. There's no question about what you have to learn for what you do wrong, that it doesn't happen again. You don't want to be repeating the same mistakes, but you can't be too hard on yourself either.

00:57:07:07 - 00:57:24:15
Unknown
And you can't, you know, dwell on it too much because a lot of things would have went wrong. I know over the years and a lot of things what went wrong with me over the years. But I suppose you have to move on for and you can't let it define you either. You know, if it goes wrong, it goes wrong.

00:57:24:15 - 00:57:52:19
Unknown
Learn from it, put it behind you. You know, move on to the next thing. And you know, I know what everyone says about, you know, say what? As soon as one door closes, another one opens. But it is true. And so why does that happen? Because I suppose straight away when you lose something, or if you lose a a job or you lose a game or you lose whatever it is, you lose, you have to look to the next one and then your focus becomes on the next thing, one thing.

00:57:52:19 - 00:58:10:04
Unknown
So it's not it's always say to me was, have a meeting with yourself. Let it go. Well, move on. Yeah, yeah, I'm a better man to than to give you a bit of advice. Time can give good advice. All right. I'm allowed to that. Yeah. He gave me some good nuggets. And they tell you more. So he doesn't hold back any punches.

00:58:10:04 - 00:58:13:08
Unknown
No no definitely not. No no no

00:58:13:10 - 00:58:38:10
Unknown
Frank, what would you say are the biggest challenges facing dealers today? Would it be like staff and rising costs? Yeah, I said rising costs is something that's affecting everyone, you know? And hunters, contractors are dealers. It's the price of everything. It's like people have to get a wage to live and have to get a good wage to be able to afford a house.

00:58:38:10 - 00:58:58:01
Unknown
And it is it is tough. And it's one of the big things that's been that's always been about is the housing crisis that we're in. So like, people have to get the money to be able to buy the for to live in, we have to pay them to make sure that we get them. And unfortunately, you have to pass them, pass to pass it on.

00:58:58:01 - 00:59:24:11
Unknown
And and it's just it's role. And so the people that used to charge, they have to charge more because you're charging more insurance is more fuel is more it's harder it's harder. It's hard to recruit the right people. It's not impossible, but it is. You know, it is hard to get the right people. And we're we are lucky with the people that we have, you know, and good people bring on good people, you know, that's important.

00:59:24:14 - 00:59:42:22
Unknown
It's a culture. You know, you try and have to create a good culture. But I suppose it is the cost of doing business now, which is probably and the margins, like in Ireland, it's so difficult, no matter what you're doing, you know, and you, it's, it's yourself and your side of it. You see it, you see in a grown up.

00:59:42:24 - 01:00:05:17
Unknown
It's so competitive here. It's a such a small market. And if such could like there's some really, really good machinery dealers in Ireland and everyone is trying to do everything right. Yeah. You know, we won't always get it right all the time. So like, you're not competing with, you know, you're competing with brands and you're also competing with other dealers that have excellent after sales service as well.

01:00:05:21 - 01:00:36:13
Unknown
You know, so a lot of it does come down the price in a lot of cases when when people are buying and sometimes it doesn't. It can be a relationship. But you're you're like the level of people doing business in this country is really, really good, you know? And I think if in a lot of cases, if decile in the small and you can, as I said, go back to earlier on, you can see how a lot of people when, when, when they would go abroad and you can see the attraction to go abroad because there is opportunities out there.

01:00:36:15 - 01:00:52:14
Unknown
But like, you know, and I've worked with a lot of people and a lot of people that work for me that did go abroad, you know, understood. Yeah. Strategy in America. And it's definitely one of the challenges that we face because you're you're training up really good people. And they are, you know, they feel like they have to go to do the Australian thing or to have to go there.

01:00:52:14 - 01:01:11:11
Unknown
I'm on the ground there like they can, you know, to realize that it's, you know, it can be good. But I think a lot of that still Ireland is Ireland, isn't it? And people love the love Ireland and delight to come. They do like to come back to do what they would not be going if, you know, things are different here.

01:01:11:11 - 01:01:29:22
Unknown
Yeah. But I think people like, you know, some people feel like maybe they have to go. It's like a rite of passage. When I went, and I couldn't even get a job in the coffee shop. Really? Hire me. I found it so difficult. And we're looking at a cup of tea, and that I would be surprised.

01:01:29:24 - 01:01:47:17
Unknown
That's so. I don't know that you can see it, but it's like, I know what it's like. I know what it's like to in it. So obviously that's where the coffee shop went wrong. But, No, I think it's I think it's it's great to travel like that, but there is some there is some brilliant opportunities here for, for young people in Ireland.

01:01:47:19 - 01:02:10:06
Unknown
There are some brilliant opportunities. There's not like if you want to, if you want to work here and if you, you know, if you want to get on your way, get on 100% because, you know, we have some really, really and I know it's all the young people are gone. So, you know, and it's a generational thing because my father was probably looking at me because I had an air gun and he only had the bar and a socket, like I was probably soft, you know what I mean?

01:02:10:06 - 01:02:39:24
Unknown
And so it's it's development. And to say that, you know, hire people, create easy times and easy times create weak people and weak people create our times again. So you just don't want to fall into that cycle, you know? But there is some really, really there's some really, really good young people in Ireland at the moment and we have to try and support them, support them and and keep them here and, you know, try and I suppose that's to try, try and develop who we have here.

01:02:40:03 - 01:03:04:10
Unknown
And given the career path for the people that want to move on in the industry to to move on in the industry, and I suppose, you know, I see it myself and it's definitely not it's definitely not something we have in our home. But you know, we can't be too soft on our kids. You know, they have to they have to know what it's like, not have to know what it's tough like, because, you know, if you never got it hard, you never know when you're getting it easy.

01:03:04:14 - 01:03:23:03
Unknown
That's the truth. And, you know, and we have we have to make sure we count as much as you want to protect your kids and protect them forever. And I think it's very important that they see, you know, that they're able to face their own challenges. Yeah. And to realize that it is tough, like, you know, because everyone gets a wakeup call some day, you know, and you can't protect everyone.

01:03:23:05 - 01:03:46:15
Unknown
But I don't know how around the last act when you come back to the, the costs, but, yeah, I suppose it's, it's getting it's going back to getting, getting good staff as well. You know, get, get good people. And I mean this rank is so okay, let's say I know you and my brother Dion used it. You went fast and you did your apprenticeship and like at that time there was a lot of attendee attendance, in your course at that time.

01:03:46:15 - 01:04:16:02
Unknown
Right. So what was your plan? Fair. Yeah. Because there's a plan for the construction plan there. Is that there today? And what are the numbers like? The numbers what we the numbers are back to back from what the would have been at at that stage. I think we've still got the three classes there. The thing. Yeah. But like I would have known like obviously you get to know lads very well because you're, you're with them and in a couple of years and I suppose many of them are involved in the industry at the moment.

01:04:16:02 - 01:04:44:14
Unknown
A lot are still involved in the industry. They might be on the tools, but they're they're involved in the industry. So like an apprenticeship is definitely one of the best stepping stones are does not like there's absolutely nothing wrong with walking. You know another thing wrong physically walking. I love it like, you know I and there's days it loves to be but it's it's just it's just a it can be a starting point or it can be a finishing point and you can bring yourself up to be like, if you're a really good technician, like you will be earning a lot of money.

01:04:44:14 - 01:05:19:08
Unknown
There's no question about it. And it's well deserved, you know, because it's tough. It's a tough job. But it's also if you feel that at a certain point your, your life that it's, it's hard and you need to move on. It's a great it's a great starting point. You know, so you can can move into management. You can, you can move into, you know, supervised supervision, technical role sales, anything once you have that background and once you have that level from start and the things that an apprenticeship teaches you as you go, and it's not just in this trade, it's in a lot of trade.

01:05:19:08 - 01:05:49:24
Unknown
It's only it's only it's a brilliant platform to start a life off. And you can always and if you feel that's, you know, you want a more hands off role. You know you'll see now. But most companies and including ourselves, we'd also we'd always try and support someone that wants different training or that wants to maybe slightly change the trade, specialize in something, or maybe change the career slightly, you know, if it's if you're a good person is a good person.

01:05:50:00 - 01:05:59:03
Unknown
Yeah. You know, and you have to try and support that. And I think that's that's where we need to be. But I suppose for younger people listening that,

01:05:59:03 - 01:06:07:09
Unknown
you have to be patient in your career path. You know, it does not happen the one day you have to be patient. And again it's all little steps along along the way.

01:06:07:09 - 01:06:28:24
Unknown
So finally, Frank, if you could suggest one person that you think should come on to the Ice Expo podcast with myself, who would you recommend? Who do you think I should be? I could probably just 21. And I think you and I, maybe I might and say, you know, a name, but I think it might be good to get a couple of people together if he can.

01:06:29:04 - 01:06:43:09
Unknown
I don't know what way that works. Yeah, but like, if you got a couple of people together to have a bit of history together and a bit of crack, I think it would be good, like, you know, but, we'll organize that. Yeah, I think it'd be brilliant. Look, thank you very much for coming on today. Thanks for your time.

01:06:43:11 - 01:06:48:20
Unknown
No problem. And, I will look forward to seeing you at Ice Expo next year. Thank you very much.