John Colgan, Kverneland Group Ireland’s Demonstrator and one of the Farm Machinery Trade’s best known and respected representatives, has decided to retire after more than fifty years in the business. It is a sad day as we bid farewell to a colleague and friend but a happy day as John and his wife Mag begin a new chapter in their journey together. We would like to wish both John and Mag many years of health, happiness and many a good day either golfing or fishing together as they write this next long chapter in their life together.
To detail John’s life in Farm Machinery is beyond the scope of this article, we would need a book! But to go back to see the highlights of his time we need to go back to the late 70’s when John began his career with I.A.M, Irish Agricultural Machinery. He joined the company in Jan 1977 after being interviewed by Mr I.P. Jones, the founder of I.A.M. He took up a role in service and was involved in looking after Deutz Fahr tractors and combines, Welger balers and both Taarup and McConnel brands.
By the early 80’s, John was out on the road providing both service and training to dealers and farmers for the full range of machines offered by I.A.M. Adding the Kverneland products, brought a different requirement to the distribution and demonstrating of this now much broader range of machinery. A new company, Kverneland Taarup was set up in Kilkenny, running along-side I.A.M. John’s role in this new structure became largely a teaching and demonstrating one- keeping Dealer staff aware of new models and showing them and their customers how the machinery operated. .
John has always had the capacity to get to the heart of the issue, to see the problems and blessed with the technical ability to solve them he became a link for Kverneland Group factories in supporting research & development projects and in developing new machines. This link is still very strong to this day and Kverneland factory personnel hold John in very high esteem as a result of the years of feedback which he provided to them. Much of this feedback was incorporated into the next generations of machines.
John also showed the dedication to move with the times and incorporated into his repertoire new technologies over the years , including the many SMART farming precision features which are now part and parcel of today’s product offering. He quietly went about becoming an expert on all machines in the Kverneland, Vicon, Siloking and McConnel ranges. One day demonstrating an I-plough or U drill the next day it could be a T3 sprayer or an McConnel Agribuggy and the day after it could be Siloking feeder or a 53100MT Butterfly mower, the range was vast and the man with the knowledge on all these machines was John.
We finish, by thanking John for the help and support given over a lifetime of service to this industry and especially for his professionalism and service to I.A.M and Kverneland Group Ireland over the past 44 years. On behalf of all Kverneland Group colleagues both present and past who worked with John a grateful thanks and best wishes for long, healthy and happy retirement with Mag.
A quite man, one with all the jokes, many friends and a true gentleman - he will be much missed.
May 2020
