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• S&A Sponsor Prize Show
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• Bob the Builder takes up residence at S&A
• Every Volcanic Cloud Has a Silver Lining...
• Merchants Divison Expands
• S&A Goes Racing
• Merchants to the Rescue
• Builders Merchants Reports Huge Rock Salt Sales
• Donation for the crime fighters
• We Are Heading South Again!
• LAMMA 2010: 20th-21st Jan
• Farmers Guardian Tells It As It Is

We Are Heading South Again!

The following piece can be seen in South West Farmer in Feb:

Northern-based agricultural builder expands into South West complimenting Nation-wide Roundhouse success

Farmers in the South West are not short on optimism for the future if their willingness to invest in new buildings is a barometer of their confidence. So says S&A Fabrications, which has previously specialised in erecting conventional agricultural buildings throughout The North of England, Borders and South Scotland, but which is now expanding rapidly into the South West.

 The company completed Phase 1 of a new dairy project at Y Farms near Shepton Mallet in the summer of 2009, and is due to start building phase 2 and 3 there this month. Phase 1 was a 3,700 m2 parlour and collecting yard for 500 cows, with Phases 2 and 3 being two 3,304 m2 buildings, each capable of housing 360 cows. After they have been completed around 800 cows will be initially housed on the farm, and up to 25,000 litres a day of milk will be produced.

 And it is not the only building activity S&A has undertaken in the region - a 2,100 m2 dairy complex, comprising four separate buildings, was also recently completed in South Cadbury and the company has had many other enquiries from beef, sheep and dairy farmers throughout the region, and which will come to fruition this year.

 S&A can offer clients a complete service from start to finish, encompassing planning, concrete panels, internal handling systems etc on both conventional & Roundhouse options. All projects incorporate the quality and value for money associated with the S&A brand.

 Fuelling the company’s expansion into the region is the interest in and success of the innovative Roundhouse round livestock building, manufactured by our Fabrications division for Roundhouse Building Solutions Ltd, as Simon Pelly, sales manager, explains:

 “Livestock farmers instinctively recognise a good livestock building when they see one, and The Roundhouse is arguably the best livestock building there is because of its excellent ventilation and welfare friendly handling system. Animals in a Roundhouse - be they beef animals, dairy cows, pigs or deer- positively thrive there, and are extremely relaxed and stress-free. But a round building is not for every farmer, as they may not have the necessary space and might want to have something more conventional instead. And this is how we are growing the S&A business, as we can also erect any type of building a farmer would want.”

 Although trading in the region is still a relatively new experience for the company, compared to other businesses who've been established in the area for a long time, Mr Pelly says he is impressed with the forward thinking attitude from livestock farmers, and in their confidence and determination to invest for the future. This, he thinks, could be because the South West has seen significant investment in recent years at sites such as Davidstow, Taw Valley, and Bridgwater Junction 24, which all have a positive impact on the livestock industries.

 “There seems to be no shortage of optimism from farmers in the region, and there is definitely a desire to try and capitalise on the growing demand for food,” he says. “We are seeing this being clearly reflected in the interest we are getting in our conventional and Roundhouse buildings”