Production was in full swing to meet Christmas orders when I visited Killbran toy trailers last week. The company has mushroomed over the last two years to now employ three full-time staff alongside Paul and Frances working full-time in the business.

Killbran Toy Trailers.

Paul, who has only come to work full-time in the business in the last 12 months, said: “It started off really simple. My nephew asked me to make him a trailer for his Rolly tractor and I made it. The trailer was seen by a few people and I was asked to make another one and so on. The stuff we made was a big hit and here we are today.”

It was a huge decision for Paul to leave his full-time job and back himself and the business. He is also branching out into light bespoke fabrication and powder-coating on request. Every year, something new is added to the collection and, this year, it was a silage wagon. It takes time and Paul says it could take five or six prototypes before an item is right. “The baler was a particular challenge but we got there in the end. We purchased a plasma cutter and a magnetic folder and this has meant we can do the intricate work a lot easier,” he said.

Frances said: “We now make everything in bulk so if we are making bale trailers we will make 40 at a time while if it is balers, we will make 12 at a time.”

Bale trailers are the most popular product alongside the three point linkage set. It tends to follow the seasons with grass machinery such as mowers and silage harvesters getting more popular in May/June. “We tend to get a lot of repeat customers who may purchase one item for a birthday and then come back the following year for something else,” Frances said.

There are now over 40 stockists of Killbran Farm Machinery around the country and the husband-and-wife team has started to look across the water for further growth potential.

“We took a stand at the Highland Show this year and got some great feedback. The next step is to turn this into orders and add to our current list of three stockists already on the mainland.

On developing new products, the team has its own in-house tester, their son Eoghan, aged nine. “It’s important to see things as a child and he offers us that opportunity. Feedback is very honest as well and if something is not right, he doesn’t hold back. That keeps us on our toes,” Frances says.