1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200 
The personal touch is synonymous with Barry Express. Orla Barry
Page 51
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
is at the helm as transport manager, and her brother Gerard is a driver who meets customers face to face every day. Several other drivers have been with the company since it was founded in 1989.
"Customer service is about the personal touch more than anything. Just being involved in the business completely you are dealing with the customers everyday yourself from day one," says Oda Barry who is also a director of the company. "That is the most important part— you build up the base and keep it going. You keep the personal relationships going."
This formula must be working as the company moved to new premises in 2000. There are plans to further expand the office, yard and warehousing to include a garage. Employing a mechanic to maintain the fleet of 11 Scania artics has paid off in terms of reducing towing costs and downtime.
Likewise, the warehousing is in demand and in the longer term it will be expanded.
"I built the warehouse initially just for off loading and then customers started to enquire about it. Now it pays its way and I could do with more space," says Barry.
Used trucks are bought at around three years old and replaced at six. New trailers come from Tough Line, Naas, and SDC (Derry).
Experienced drivers, who are thoroughly trained in safety and all other aspects of the business, are employed and Barry says that ensuring each does a fair share of work contributes to good employee relations.
Barry Express Longford is involved in the IRHA and Orla Barry has written to the government about relieving excise on diesel because of current high prices.
She believes that being part of the local community is a twoway thing and involves the company in supporting charities as well as benefiting from their custom.