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stablished in 1990, Stronge Haulage (formerly CRJ Stronge & Sons) provides a top-class and reliable delivery and collection service for two of Ireland’s leading milk producers – Connacht Gold and Ballyrashane Creamery. Based in Castlederg, Co. Tyrone, the company covers an area which extends from Ballyrashane’s base in Coleraine, Co. Derry to Connacht Gold’s creamery in Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon. With the help of his wife Maureen, sister Eve, sons Keith and Jason as well as his long-time transport manager Harry Scott, Cecil Stronge has turned his company into a successful operation which employs 12 staff and boasts a nine-strong fleet of tractor units. “I used to work for a creamery in Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh – West Ulster Farmers – before going out on my own and doing milk runs for them,” Cecil recalls. “I started out with a 10-tonne Scania in 1990 and gradually built up the fleet after that. We had three or four rigids in the early years, but we’ve now got to the stage where we’re operating nine tractor units. We have four DAF, three MAN, one Renault and one Volvo. “We also have four collection tankers of our own, one refrigerated trailer and three that are owned by Connacht Gold. Our state-of-the-art tankers have specialised stainless steel bodies which are heavily insulated and keep milk cold during transportation,” he adds. Stronge Haulage collects milk from farms all over Ulster for production at the Ballyrashane and Connacht Gold creameries. In addition, the company has a door-to-door milk delivery run in Co. Fermanagh and operates a low-loader which transports heavy machinery. “We collect milk from farms in Derry, Coleraine, Limavady, Newtownstewart, Castlederg, Fintona and Dromore to name but a few. The milk is then brought to Connacht Gold where it is processed into a wide variety of dairy products. We also do secondary transport for Ballyrashane to Virginia, Co. Cavan and Lakeland Dairies in Killeshandra. We collect cream Stronge Haulage specialise in bulk milk haulage in Fivemiletown, Augher and other places on the return journey.” So how did Ballyrashane Creamery and Connacht Gold become Stronge Haulage’s two main customers? Cecil replies: “West Ulster Farmers was bought by Bangor Dairies which in turn was taken over by Ballyrashane. Bangor Dairies retained our services after they bought out West Ulster Farmers and Ballyrashane Creamery stayed loyal to us after their takeover of Bangor Dairies. “We had been doing a run for Donegal Creameries before they were taken over by Connacht Gold, so that’s how The fleet is made up of Volvo, MAN, DAF and Renault that connection came about. IRISH TRUCKER & LIGHT COMMERCIALS
“Ballyrashane and Connacht Gold are two great companies to work for – not least because you’re always sure of our money from them!” he jokingly remarks. Employing 150 staff at its Coleraine site, Ballyrashane Creamery has the distinction of being Northern Ireland’s oldest creamery. It produces milk for Spar, the Henderson Group, Marks & Spencer and also for its own Ballyrashane brand label. As a major manufacturer of butter in Northern Ireland, its butter is sold globally as well as locally to retail outlets. In recent years the company has been developing speciality cheeses which are currently supplied to the Greek and Italian markets. Connacht Gold was established in 2000 following the merger of the North Connacht Farmers’ Co-operative Society (NCF) and Kitoghert Co-Operative Agricultural & Dairy Society Ltd. With headquarters in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo, the co-op employs over 700 staff directly with operations extending to the UK. Last year, it purchased Donegal Creameries in deal worth over €20 million. The takeover involved Donegal Creameries’ 120 million litres milk pool, a liquid milk processing facility at Killygordon and 11 retail stores – nine in Donegal and two in Northern Ireland. Connacht Gold has over 14,000 farmer shareholders throughout Connacht and Donegal, divided into 24 electoral groups. Each electoral group elects an advisory committee, which in turn elects the board of directors. Many of its
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