German Engineering Students on a company visit to McHale

Ten days into their stay here at Atlantic, the group of budding engineers from the Johann Bierwirth Schule Memmingen travelled to Ballinrobe on a company visit to world-renowned farm machinery producer McHale. The students were given a comprehensive tour of the manufacturing area at the firm. With a staff count of 100, McHale employees fulfil various tasks on the production line, including product innovation, welding, engineering, assembly, and much more.

McHale is still a family business despite considerable innovation and growth since its inception in the 1980s. The two brothers, Padraic and Martin McHale, set out to produce and deliver top-quality farming equipment and today, the company is among the global leaders. 90 per cent of its products are destined for export to over 55 countries as far afield as New Zealand. For the JBS student, the visit is among the strong trip highlights, as team leaders Katrin Brandt and Stefan Wendtlandt told me during a brief chat.

Stefan began with a whole-hearted endorsement:

It was really great. We got a look at the entire manufacturing area, the whole production line, from where the steel comes in to the finished product. Coating and all the processes were explained. The staff gave everyone headsets, so everybody could understand what the guide was telling us. Before going to the manufacturing area, we got a presentation about the history of the company in a huge cinema-like area. They also showcased the products they have developed from the early days until now.

A quick internet search had listed McHale as a possible location for a company visit to complement the group’s tailored language programme. And with its headquarters in Ballinrobe, only a short distance from Galway, Atlantic’s John Daly gladly approached McHale management. Katrin explained that they had indeed been aware of the company, which is hardly surprising, considering that Germany is one of its export markets. As Stefan explained:

I think they’re one of the upmarket manufacturers of these products. They sell worldwide and make state-of-the-art top-quality products.

The two team leaders went on to describe how valuable and engaging the company visit had been for the students:

They liked this tour a lot, especially thanks to both our guides in sales and marketing. They knew almost everything about the production line and could tell us about how to proceed with every part and where each part belongs. So, yes, it was great. In their work, the students operate a lot of machinery on a daily basis.

As both Stefan and Katrin possess extensive knowledge on machine construction, I wanted to ask them if any element of the production process had come as a surprise.

Katrin was amazed when learning how the company coats the equipment in McHale’s trademark green:

Some steps of the production were surprising, especially the coating of the parts. This was interesting because they have purchased a new coating system, and they immerse all the parts into the paint several times. They start with an undercoat and then a polish on top. This was interesting.

It was also fascinating to discover that McHale partners with German firms when sourcing equipment. As Katrin explained:

McHale Company has a lot of German equipment in use. For example laser cutting equipment and similar.

With the visit such a resounding success, we would like to thank the team at McHale for so generously sharing their time, insights, and expertise.