Latest News from Maxwell Concrete
April 2013
Maxwell Concrete Attending 145th Balmoral Show
Maxwell Concrete will be attending this year’s 145th Balmoral Show which will be held at Balmoral Park. 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of Maxwell Concrete who has been passionate about supplying local customers and markets around the UK and Ireland by way of first class products backed up by an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction.
We look forward to welcoming past and prospective customers to our stand which is located at Section C, stand 30.
Cancer Focus Fundraising
Maxwell Concrete has helped Cancer Focus fundraising group, Newtownstewart, raise nearly £900, by generously donating a concrete cattle drinker, worth nearly £200. As part of the fundraising efforts by group member, Ms Carol Hamilton, in aid of her ‘Biggest Loser Challenge’, raffle tickets sold in local marts to win the cattle drinker.
Graham Christy, from Claudy, Co Londonderry, was the lucky winner of the competition and was delighted to receive his prize from Mr Jonathan Maxwell, Maxwell Concrete. Special thanks from the group is also extended to Terry Millar, Newtownstewart Livestock Sales and Mr Richard Beattie, RB Livestock Sales, who allowed tickets to be sold in their premises.
March 2013
Maxwell Concrete Wins Growth Through Export Award!
Maxwell Concrete won their category ‘Growth Through Export’ at this years Strabane Business Awards. All of the local companies done extremely well, especially during the difficult trading conditions of the last twelve months.
It’s nice to get recognition for hard work and thank you to all for supporting by voting for us.
Health & Safety Roadshow Event
UFU’s Mid Tyrone Chairman John Robinson invited us to a Health & Safety Roadshow event held at the farm of well known dairy producer Reggie Alcorn just outside Omagh, Co Tyrone.
This was a well attended event and a power-point presentation highlighted the devastating after effects of farm related accidents on families and local communities. UFU President Harry Sinclair said that “Since April 2007, 43 farmers have lost their lives while carrying out work on the farm”.
We brought along an internal mixer slat to help raise awareness of some simple measures such as ensuring all sheds where possible are fitted with a mixer point and ensure that safety grills on existing mixers are repaired and fit for purpose.
This could prevent accidents or fatal injuries especially when mixing slurry.
Farmers were left with plenty of food for thought.
October 2012
Farm Focus Event
Strabane NFU kindly invited us to attend a Farm Focus event which was held at Stephen Marshall’s Farm in Ardstraw, Co Tyrone.
There was good attendance at the event with two talks held during the course of the day. Farmers who attended found it to be an informative day and they went home with their tummy’s full and their brains thinking about how they could make their farms a safer environment for them and everyone else on their farm.
There was a lot of interest in the mixing point which we brought along to hopefully highlight a simple measure which would help reduce the dangers involved when working around slurry especially during spreading periods when often farmers are working alone.
May 2012
Latest Product Offers!
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February 2012
Giving GatePosts a Good Name!
October 2011
Maxwell Concrete WINS Best Small Business Award and Female Entrepreneur of the Year!!!
Maxwell Concrete picked up Best Small Business Award and Female Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2011 Strabane Business Awards. The winners were announced at the Awards Gala Event which was held in Strabane’s Fir Tree’s Hotel on Saturday night.
The night which was hosted by Apprentice Finalist Jim Eastwood was a great success and the 280 entrepreneurs, local businesses and sponsors that attended the Gala Event weren’t disappointed.
Over the past twelve months the family business based in Castlederg demonstrated innovation, sound business solutions and business performance as well as a clear plan for growth for the future.
With a focus on innovation and quality the company are looking forward to another successful half-century.
September 2011
North Devon farmers visit Maxwell Concrete
Maxwell Concrete recently welcomed a group of North Devon farmers to their manufacturing facility at Castlederg in Co Tyrone. The group of eight farmers form part of a discussion group where each year they undertake study trips to farms in countries such as Holland, Spain, Scotland and Germany in order to share and access knowledge into various farming systems.
Group leader Andrew Hockridge, who runs a dairy farm in Bideford, Devon recently invested in a new cubicle house and underground slurry tank where Maxwell Concrete supplied the complete agricultural precast requirements. The group found the farm visits arranged though Maxwell Concrete as extremely informative and found the Northern Irish farmers to be extremely helpful and knowledgeable and were impressed on the whole with the farming systems they inspected.
Shown below is Mr Hockridges slatted cubicle house in North Devon.
August 2011
June 2011
Its Silage Season again!
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Precast tanks designed to manage your farmyard run-off
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Some successful employees who recently completed their Level 2 NVQ in Performing Manufacturing Operations with the help of Ian Fulton, Fulton Business Solutions and the Engineering Training Council.
April 2011
Are your cows getting enough water? List of your local Drinker Dealers...
January 2011
Maxwell’s provide silage pit demo area
Farmers and agricultural merchants alike should take the opportunity to carefully consider the options available for the year ahead by visiting Maxwell Concrete’s 
exhibition stand at H13 – H16, adjacent to the main entrance at this years Spring Farm Machinery Show. The stand is based on various demonstrations providing a varied range of agricultural products including a silage pit area, silage effluent tanks and livestock drinkers ranging in sizes from 15G – 600G
“This year we have developed a model silage pit using our 6” pre-stress paneling system and farmers will get to see first hand the components involved in the construction of a silo pit including the vertical and horizontal joint sealants and the technique used to fit the panels to the steel work”
“Also over the last year we have continued to research and develop a new range of field drinkers modeled on our fast flow range, they can cater for smaller water requirements for both sheep and cows. Since last year we have taken on board suggestions from farmers with regard to developing practical agricultural products as well as other innovative ideas which we’re sure to be of interest to many”.
Over the three-day show sales and technical representatives will be on hand to advise you on the full range of products to include slats, singles, silage barrier walls, and storage dividers.
September 2010
Maxwell Concrete recently visited a number of dairy units in North Devon with the trip beginning with a well known dairy farmer based in Littleham near Bideford, North Devon. The farmer’s aim of the project was to find a modern housing system while reducing costs and increasing productivity for a 200 herd of cows.
After completion of a one million underground storage tank, Maxwell Concrete were selected to supply the comprehensive agricultural flooring requirements needed to complete the dairy unit by using a combination of cattle slats, slurry mixing points and cubicle bases. The new cow-shed consists of single, head-to-head cubicles bases and mixing points placed both internally and externally.
The visit finished with a tour of Rodney Hooper’s new cowshed in Crediton, near Exeter. Rodney and his lovely wife Clara (who milks every morning, sorry Rodney!) gave us a tour of their new slatted cubicle house and parlour. The Hooper’s will be winter housing in the new unit for the second year in November.
To view these projects in more detail please click on UK and Ireland Projects
Summer Fundraising Events a Huge Success!
Maxwell Concrete helped raise £390 for Livability Ireland’s over-seas programme. A fast flow drinker was put up for raffle at Fintona Show earlier this year and congratulations to Desmond Knox from Co Fermanagh whose lucky ticket was pulled out of the hat. All money raised will go to assisting disabled people in the developing world. Download the Livability Newsletter by clicking here 
Maxwell Concrete was pleased to hear that their donation of some small agricultural precast helped raise £3229 for Marie Curie Cancer Care at Bushmills British Blue Cattle Breeder Victor Chestnutt’s farm walk. The money raised from the Charity Auction will help Marie Curie provide nursing care to cancer patients and those with othe terminal illnesses in their own homes.
And finally, a huge amount of respect to Gareth Donnelly who completed the Ironman Triathlon in Zurich, Switzerland in 13hrs and 3mins! The Ironman Triathlon involved a 2.4mile swim in Lake Zurich, a 112mile cycle and finally a full marathon of 26.2miles!
Gareth raised £2900 for Helping Hand – Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and is photographed passing the finishing line.
Panelling system provides the flexible silo option
Kevin Timoney milks 90 dairy cows at Leglands, near Omagh in Co Tyrone. The herd is predominantly spring calving with the emphasis placed on producing as much milk as possible from grazed grass and forage.
“The cows are currently averaging around 6,000 litres per year from one tonne of meal,” he explained.
“This has been a tremendous grass year and cows have performed well since turnout. We breed our own replacements. But since our ground is quite heavy, the emphasis has always been on producing a robust, durable cow that will thrive under these conditions.
“In the past I have looked at the feasibility of cross breeding as a means of allowing us to produce milk in the most cost efficient way possible. And it has worked to the extent that we intend increasing the amount of Jersey semen used on the cows.”
Given the unpredictability of the weather in this part of the world Kevin has also recognised the need to produce as much high quality silage for the herd as possible. Given this requirement he decided to build a new silo on the farm earlier this year.
“I opted to convert an existing slurry store that was not in use,” he commented.
“By taking this option the floor was already in place. It was then a case of deciding which walling system to go for.”
After some consideration, Kevin decided to select the precast panelling option available from Maxwell Concrete.
“I approached a local engineering company, who produced the RSJs for me,” Kevin commented.
“Once they were in place the team at Maxwell Concrete came down and put wall panels in place. It took no more than 2 days for them to complete the job, including the sealing of the panel joints.
“The completed silo has an 80’ by 40’ base and is 11 feet high. I was well pleased with the job and have already started filling it.”
Kirstin Maxwell, from Maxwell Concrete, recently visited the new silo, which is now half full.
“We have a standard wall panel range. However, in Kevin’s case we had to manufacture the panels to a length of 14’ 9’’. They are 5’ in height,” she explained.
“All our wall panels are manufactured to a very high specification. They are pre cured, which means that the farmer can put his new silo into use as soon as we leave the site. We will also erect the panels to customers’ specification.
Kirstin continued: “We also manufacture a 4” wall panel suitable for stock and cattle sheds. With the housing season fast approaching, we keep a large stock of these panels for farmers wishing to carry out new builds or repairs.”
Kevin also agreed that the pre curing of the panels was a big attraction, from a convenience point of view.
“There are also tax advantages to be gained by using panels, rather than a poured wall. The RSJs are 18’ in height, so I have the option of putting another row of all panels in place and roofing the silo.
“I am delighted with the new silo. It gives me the option of producing all the silage I need while also giving me a degree of flexibility for the future.”
Field Drinkers – launched August 2010
Prestressed Panels – Launching September 2010
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July 2010
Where do you place your drinking troughs?
Providing cows with ample supplies of fresh drinking water is a key requirement on every dairy farm. Traditionally drinkers have been placed beside fences or boundary hedges. However with the size of local dairy herds continuing to increase, milk producers are faced with the challenge of providing cows with the opportunity to drink regularly without the stress of waiting in a queue while herd mates take their turn.
Water is just as important as feed when it comes to realising a cow’s milk production potential. The secret is to ensure that she can get as much as she wants as quickly as possible, after which she can take the weight off her feet and rest up accordingly.
Keith Russell milks 230 dairy cows near Dromore in Co Tyrone. He is ably assisted by his two sons Dylan and Dale. Cows are fed to maximise milk output. However, getting as much milk from forage, including grazed grass, is an equally important objective for the herd.
“The fresh calvers are kept in at this time for the year,” Keith explained.
“However, those cows in mid lactation and beyond are put into the paddocks as soon as the weather permits. Turnout this year was at the end of the April and we had the cows out night and day by the end of May.”
The Russell farm features a series of well laid out and well fenced paddocks. Grassland management is also good with significant quantities of clover featuring in all of the grazing swards. However, Keith’s mind had been turning to the challenge of providing the cows with sufficient water while at grass.
“It was my intention to buy a number of new drinkers this year,” Keith continued.
“But I wanted to ensure that, once in place, the cows would have the best possible access to the water available. The most obvious way of achieving this was to place the drinkers in the centre of each paddock. In this way the cows could come at the water from all directions, while walking the least possible distance.”
The next challenge facing Keith was to find the trough that best met this need. He quickly settled on the 300 gallon design manufactured by Maxwell Concrete, which includes high rate ball valves.
“It’s a precast, rectangular drinker with a large perimeter. This means that groups of cows can drink in comfort together,” he confirmed.
“The troughs are manufactured to an extremely high standard and they really are built to last. I am happy that there is now a water supply into the [paddocks which really does meet the needs of the cows in full.”
A spokesperson for Maxwell Concrete confirmed that Keith is able to position his drinkers in the middle of his paddocks because of their centre core pipe protection system. As a result farmers can avail of a reliable and dependable water supply shielded from livestock and frost. The pipe comes up from underneath the drinker rather than the side entrance which, in many cases, is why farmers are tied to butting up against a wire fence or hedge.
Maxwell Concrete now manufactures a range of 15, 30 and 75 gallon drinkers, for both sheep and cows. The company’s full fast flow range includes 100, 190, 300, and 600 gallon options. All of these products are available from stockists province wide.
June 2010
Demand for slats on the increase?
Castlederg-based Maxwell Concrete has confirmed that demand for its slat range is on the increase as farmers seek to invest in the future of their businesses.
“The significant turnaround in the fortunes of dairy farming over the past number of months has been a key factor in bringing this about,” explained Maxwell Concrete Sales Manager Padhraic ----“
“Good flooring systems go to the very heart of good livestock farming practice. Animals need a reliable surface on which to stand and walk, one that will provide support while, at the same time, reducing the issues associated with lameness and other foot related problems.”
Padhraic continued:
“There is an ongoing requirement for slats and flooring systems in new sheds. However, a key factor in the market at present is the growing demand for replacement slats, both singles and gangs.
“With cattle currently out at grass, now is an appropriate time for farmers to look at purchasing the replacement slats they will need prior to next winter.”
Maxwell Concrete manufactures a comprehensive range of single and gang slat options. Gangs range in length from 7’ to 13’ with half sizes available. The standard width is 3’6”. A slat surface of 5½” provides maximum comfort for animals with a 1½” spacing providing adequate opening for manure to be pushed through. Single slats range in length form 7’ to 10½’
“Our slats have a brush finish as standard,” continued Padhraic.
“This provides livestock with a confident footing, thus reducing the likelihood of injury during housing. Smooth, tapered sides prevent a build up of manure, thereby ensuring that cattle are kept clean.”
Padhraic concluded:
“We also manufacture slatted mixing points, which are growing in popularity with farmers across Northern Ireland. These are produced to depths of 6” and 7 ½” to run in with existing products.”
January 2010
Maxwell Concrete promises product choice
Farmers and agricultural merchants alike should take the opportunity to carefully consider the options available for the year ahead by visiting Maxwell Concrete’s exhibition stand at H13, adjacent to the main entrance at this years Spring Farm Machinery Show. Available to view is a varied range of agricultural products including agricultural stock walls, retaining walls, counterbalance weights and fast flow drinkers from 100G to 600G.
“Year on year we try to develop and expand new and existing agricultural products and Fintona Show is the perfect location to show-case these products. We find that local farmers are more inclined to give an honest opinion on what’s right and what’s not!” commented a company spokesperson. “Since last year we have taken on board suggestions from farmers with regard to developing practical agricultural products as well as other innovative ideas which we’re sure to be of interest to many”
Storage Divider Solutions
One new and improved product which will make a re-appearance on the company’s stand promises to provide farmers with an easy solution to accessing their silage face. Also re-emerging is your answer to portable dividing walls; engaging the need for moveability and durability the APEX Wall which as been developed in response to customer recommendations is a simple response to storage dividers for grain, feed or seed.
Over the three-day show sales and technical representatives will be on hand to advise you on the full range of products.
Also at the show visitors to the stand will have the opportunity to win a 190G fast flow drinker by entering our draw with all ticket proceeds being donated to Livability? The money raised will be used to assist in the provision of rehabilitation services for wheelchair bound patients in Bangladesh and Nepal.
September 2009
Are you prepared for winter housing?
With the increasingly bad weather we have experienced this summer many farmers are already reluctantly housing a large majority of their herd during the night while still being turned out to grass during the day. Dairy cows can have a longer productive life and a better quality life in well-managed farms based on grazing at pasture when the weather allows, and a combination solid and slatted flooring system for housing when needed.
With this in mind Maxwell Concrete are stocking single slats in 6” increments from 7’ to 10’6” in length in both 6” and 7” deep. A company spokesperson noted “However much we tried to encourage our customers to use gang slats they never listened! The single slat is still undoubtedly a very essential product to make accessible to the farmer, so in conjunction with this we are now producing our inside safety slats 6” deep in order to support existing tanks laid with 6” products.
A company spokesperson further commented “now is an ideal time to inspect winter housing areas, paying particular attention to slats that may present a likelihood of slipping, causing possible leg injuries or where the gaps between the slats have become damaged potentially resulting in foot injuries. Water troughs should also be checked for damage to ensure that winter housed livestock have appropriate access to fresh water at all times. Our 19G and 30G drinkers are compact enough to provide water in the smallest of pens while our larger capacity drinkers can facilitate up to fourteen cows at any given time”.
If you require any advice on replacement slats or water troughs please contact Kirstin at Maxwell Concrete on 028 816 71326
August 2009
600G MEGA Drinker showcased at Fermanagh County Show 2009.
Castlederg based Maxwell Concrete launched their 600G MEGA Drinker on its stand at Fermanagh County Show. Its large capacity is purposefully designed to accommodate demands for water whether it is for large herd numbers or where grazing areas are situated some distance from mains supply.
It may also be positioned near or at exits to parlours where it can facilitate up to fourteen cows at any given time. With MEGA drinker purchases you can expect a fully galvanised pipe protection system, fibre reinforcement and all necessary fittings for immediate use.
Prize draw with Derek Thornton see’s two local farmers scoop the cash!
The much anticipated prize draws for £500 and £1000 also took place during the days entertainment with Fermanagh’s very own local farmer Derek Thornton pulling out the two lucky winners, Mr Hugh McGowan from Fintona and Mr Tommy Colton from Drumquin. A company spokesperson said “We are delighted to announce Hugh and Tommy as our lucky competition winners for 2008. Last year we celebrated our 45th year in the business and we decided to offer the cash prizes in celebration of that. The draw covered the UK and Ireland so to have two local men win it is great”.
Maxwell Concrete are winners for Best Trade Stand at Fermanagh County Show 2009!
Maxwell Concrete also won first place for Best Trade Stand for Manufacturing at Fermanagh County Show.
July 2009
Local farmer Derek Thornton to pull out the two lucky cash prize winners at Fermanagh County Show on 5th August 2009 as well has the unveiling of the new 600G MEGA Drinker – not for the faint hearted!
June 2009
Fermanagh County Show will be the location for Maxwell Concrete’s much awaited cash prize draws for £500 and £1000.
May 2009
New range of cattle troughs help you get more for your money
April 2009
Product Launch of Silage Season Products
February 2009
Maxwell Concrete appear in latest edition of the Scottish Farmer - article titled "High Speed Concrete laying from Maxwell" - read the article in PDF Format by clicking the graphic below:
Maxwell Concrete attend the Scottish Farm Machinery Show at Ecclesmachen, East Lothian.