The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Gortatlea putting mart at the heart of business for over three decades…
SPEND a day at Gortatlea Mart and you’ll soon discover what it is that makes it tick… its farmers, its suppliers and its buyers all weave together to make it a place where business is not just done, but appreciated.
Gortatlea Mart Manager, Maurice Brosnan, is a man who keeps mart at the heart of everything he does and he has developed the mart into more than just a place of business; for it is now a venue where people come to have a cup of tea and a quick bite to eat in familiar and friendly surroundings while discussing the fine detail of cattle prices.
Gortatlea Mart is a world where weight, price, scope and many months of hard work are measured - not just in kgs - but also in care and efficiency. Gortatlea has earned a solid reputation for good prices and quality sales, all of which reflects the hard work and priority given by each farmer in the care of their animals.
But while the key ingredient of success is hard work, Maurice believes the customer is number one and once that proviso is in place, success is never far behind in business. Gortatlea Mart has maintained a consistently high operating standard and is held in high esteem by sellers and buyers for the premium quality of livestock on sale.
“Our reputation has certainly spread by the increase in buyers and sellers travelling from all over the country. But it’s the people that make Gortatlea Mart what it is today and they are the heart of the business,” said Maurice.
“Many of our buyers now come from Northern Ireland and all across the Republic with many live cattle exporters sure to be at ringside with no shortage of euro and sterling in their pockets. Of course it helps if you have top class stock available week in week out,” he added.
Due to the high numbers attending Gortatlea Mart, Maurice had no option but to invest a large amount of money revamping facilities in recent years, thereby doubling the mart’s capacity.
“All our outdoor pens are covered and extra two cattle crushes for easy access entering and exiting. These changes are extremely necessary for increasing numbers of customers which is now paying off, as the movement of animals is now free flow, for our current and new customers” Maurice said.
There’s an old quote made famous from the movie world which says ‘build it and they will come’. The team at Gortatlea have certainly ‘built it’ and they are pleased to report that customers are most certainly coming in their droves to the mart. Among the many changes are new scales - which are calibrated and certified regularly - new TV screens, CCTV and new computer systems. The result of investing in such technology and attention to detail is that business now runs more smoothly and efficiently, as Maurice explains.
“What’s clear for everyone to see is the new addresses on the boards. Names that were never seen in Kerry before are now showing weekly on our large TV screens. North, South, East and West Kerry, over to Clare, Cork and all of Limerick. Gortatlea Mart is becoming a household name in Ireland. It is now regarded as one of the leading marts, not just in Kerry, but in Munster and we intend to work hard to keep it that way.”