And when that pattern became regular, company chairman David Hamilton knew he had to find a solution and fast. 

Following extensive research the company invested in Merlo’s eWorker 25.5 telehandler taking delivery of the machine supplied by Limavady based dealer DA Forgie at the end of 2022. 

Since that time the Merlo eWorker 25.5 has proved itself invaluable to Martin & Hamilton Ltd becoming very popular with the company site workers. 

David Hamilton has been working in construction for 55 years, and says the Merlo eWorker 25.5 allows them to move with the times. 

David said: “We operate over ten sites at any one time around the country and found we needed a compact telehandler to work in the more confined spaces. 

“One of the sites we currently operate involves constructing a brand new bespoke building for Buckna Presbyterian Church as the existing one has come to the end of its lifetime. 

“We started building the new church at the beginning of January 2023 and are scheduled to have the first phase completed by July. 

“Due to the nature of this building with its central mall and smaller rooms we found our Merlo eWorker 25.5 was perfect for this site to gain much needed access to those more confined spaces. 

“In fact, since we purchased the eWorker this is the fourth site we have used it on. It really becomes useful once the main building frame is up and we can service the various trades transporting blocks, timber, tiles, etc, to exactly where they are required.” he said. 

Once the word got out that Martin & Hamilton Ltd had purchased the eWorker 25.5, both the company workers and new customers were requesting it. 

David said: “Once our workers knew we had the Merlo eWorker they were requesting it on different sites to help out in the confined areas. 

“Also, with the machine being electric we have had new requests for work because it has zero emissions. We carry out a lot of work within the food industry, mainly the dairy sector, where emissions are not acceptable within those environments. Therefore, the Merlo eWorker 25.5 is a big advantage for us,” he added. 

Chris Ward, one of the machinery operators with Martin & Hamilton Ltd, found the Merlo eWorker very easy to master. 

Chris said: “The Merlo eWorker 25.5 is very easily handled and operates well in tight, confined spaces. With it being electric there are no emissions, which is extra piece of mind for site operators. 

“It didn’t take me long to master the controls, which can easily be picked up by anybody. With the eWorker being four wheel drive this gives the machine an extra advantage on rough terrain sites,” Chris said. 

The Merlo eWorker 25.5 is 4WD, with a maximum lift capacity of 2.5 tonnes and a maximum reach of 5m. An overnight charge of the machine’s battery provides an operating time of around eight hours. 

Owen Buttle, Merlo UK Ltd national sales manager, outlined more benefits of the Merlo eWorker 25.5. 

“The machine itself is very unique as it was built from the ground up to be an electric machine,” Owen said. “We haven’t just taken a diesel engine out of a machine and shoe-horned a battery pack in. 

“The main advantage of that is that we can design the chassis around the battery pack allowing us to get the biggest one in the machine. This one is a 960 amp battery pack weighing 1.5 tonnes which is essentially gives us the true eight hours of working time on an eight to nine hours charge overnight. 

“The machine itself has a lead acid battery, opposed to a lithium one, which has a number of advantages including the cost to maintain and the cost of replacement. 

“The battery consists of 24 individual cells so if there is a problem of reduced battery performance after a number of years, then individual cells can be replaced which is more cost effective than replacing an entire battery. The battery is also fully recyclable,” he said. 

The Merlo eWorker 25.5 is 4WD incorporating two front fixed axles with a motor on each side. On the rear axle there is a system patented to Merlo where there is a vertical mounted motor which splines into the rear axle providing the four wheel drive. 

David Hamilton added: “The only problem we have now is that the Merlo eWorker 25.5 is big in demand by a number of our teams across the country. 

“We are very well pleased with how it has performed for us and are now seriously looking into investing in a few more for the company,” he said. 

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This affordable package includes low monthly payments of only £987.00 per month with 0% finance* plus a 5year/3000 hours Kubota Care extended warranty, providing complete peace of mind for the hours you work. Powerful and fuel efficient, the M7003 series is packed with intelligent technology, class-leading comfort and smart features for precision farming.

†See below for monthly cost example *Business users only. Terms and conditions apply – see below for details.

*Terms and conditions: Finance for business purposes only. Subject to acceptance and affordability checks. Applicant must be 18 or over. 5-year/3000 hour extended warranty. Promotion valid until 31st December 2022. 0% finance available on new equipment only. The equivalent of 5 monthly rentals due in advance followed by 55 monthly rentals. Finance is available on up to 50% of the RRP. The finance product offered under this promotion is Hire Purchase. First payment, full VAT and a documentation fee of £50 / €60 are due on signing. An option-to-purchase fee of £50 / €60 (plus VAT) will be collected with the final payment. You will own the machine when all payments have been made. Alternative finance options are available. Terms and Conditions apply. Images are for illustrative purposes only. As funder we may pay a commission, fee or other remuneration to credit brokers who introduce business to us, please contact them if you require more information. Kubota Finance is a trading style of BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions Limited. Finance provided by BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions Limited, Northern Cross, Basing View, Basingstoke RG21 4HL. Registered in England No. 901225.

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I joined my family business in October 2020 after working for 12 years in private practice as a solicitor. I completed my law degree at the University of Ulster Jordanstown in 2004 and also a Masters at Queens, before I moved to England where I completed my solicitor exams at Cardiff University. Once I qualified as a solicitor in 2009, I moved to London where I stayed for 4 years before moving back to practice as a family lawyer in Northern Ireland.

I really enjoyed my time as a solicitor, however when my parents approached me about their succession planning, I was delighted that they would consider me. Although it may be seen as a natural progression to join your family business, it still took me a great deal of consideration to ensure it was the best move for me and that I was the right person for the job. My parents had always encouraged, myself and my 3 sisters to pursue our own careers. My mother always wanted joining the family business to be a choice and not something we felt pressurised into. As an adult reflecting back, I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to have my own career away from DAForgie. I do believe my mother is right and having a career separate from your family business is a positive move, as you develop so many more transferable skills and new ideas you can bring to the business. Succession planning is something that we talked about as a family. However, I have found that succession planning is not something that is often talked about in Northern Ireland, even though it is very important. To other people in this situation, I would say, have the conversations and ask about the future plans for the business.

Since joining DAForgie, I have been on a massive journey and learning curve. My role has developed since I joined the business and I feel it is evolving every day. I am actively involved with managing staff on a daily basis and in particular our After Sales and Stores team.

Throughout the years of trading DA Forgie has built a reputation for providing an excellent quality and highly reliable service to customers. As a solicitor I realise how important customer care and managing customer’s expectations is. I want DAForgie to continue to provide excellent customer care to our valued customers so that DAForgie can continue to grow as a company.

Personally, I am married with 3 young children, twins Lily and Ria who are 5 and David who is 2 years old, and so working full time in a family business can be demanding, especially when dividing my time between work life and family life. I hope that my children will enjoy growing up and helping out in the family business as much as I did and that DAForgie will become engrained in them the way it is to me.

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