Parnells celebrates 75 years in business 

Parnells, the castor, wheel and tyre specialist, is celebrating 75 years in business this year.

Parnells started in the castor and wheel business back 1951 in Capel Street, Dublin when George and Muriel Parnell took on the agency for Flexello castors in Ireland.

It has been onwards and upwards ever since for this third generation-family business.

Down through the years, Parnells has built an enviable business supplying quality Castor, Wheel and Tyre products backed up by excellent customer service. It has been a winning formula for eight decades.

When George and Muriel’s son Leslie took over the helm in 1981, the company embarked on an upward trajectory while adding a large range of component parts and trailer parts to its already extensive range.

Leslie’s strong work ethic meant that the company continued to thrive and the customer base continued to grow throughout the ’80s and ’90s.

In the early 2000s, the company added ‘specialist tyres’ to its product portfolio. This large and diverse product group consisted of tyres for wheelbarrows, grass care equipment, quads and utility vehicles and trailers.

Working closely with the manufacturers, Parnells quickly gained a foothold in the market and this range has developed into one of the company’s strongest performing product groups.

In 2010, Richard Parnell, Leslie’s son took over the running of the company, the third generation of the Parnell family to take the reins.

With strong investment in office and warehouse space, increased stockholding, enhanced IT and EPR systems along with a strong corporate structure, Richard has ensured the company has a solid foundation to build into the future.

Parnells has a large presence in the OEM and Aftermarket sectors right across Europe and Scandinavia, offering a large range of quality products at competitive prices and unbeatable service to all customers.

Parnells has a long-standing partnership with many of the best manufacturers in the industry and the company works alongside its partners to ensure it gives the best service and high-quality products to its clients.

In July 2024, the company moved to its current location just off the M50 motorway in Dublin, at Parkway Business Centre in Ballymount.

“We now have 24,000 sq-foot of storage, which is double the size of the previous premises (in Tallaght). We are situated at the end of a Cul-de-Sac, with plenty of space for loading and unloading, which is a real game changer,” Richard enthused.

The move from Tallaght to Ballymount meant the company was able to retain most of its staff, which was an important consideration in planning the move.

The company also tweaked its opening hours to facilitate staff traveling on the busy M50.

“We changed our opening hours to 7.30am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday, to facilitate staff getting to and from work,” said Richard.

The move to Ballymount has seen an increase in business at the trade counter. “We have seen a big increase in business at the trade counter. We are located in a busy industrial area, and that has seen an increase in traffic at the trade counter,” Richard remarked.

Richard elaborated on the range of tyres that the company carries. “The range of tyres that we stock include lawn and garden, grasscare machinery, quad bikes, utility vehicles, Trailer,  hand trucks and wheel barrows.”

Parnells has a strong customer base in the tyre trade including tyre retailers and mobile fitters.

The company also benefits from significant OEM business on small agri-tyres up to 12-inch diameter, and has a significant online presence with platforms such as Amazon and eBay, shipping tyres all over Europe.

However, looking at the Irish market, he feels many tyre retailers are “missing a trick”.

He explained: “There are opportunities for tyre retailers. A person looking for a set of tyres for a quad or a lawn mower etc is going to go to the local tyre dealer, and not to us, because at the end of the day, they will want to get the tyres fitted. And the margin on that type of product is better than the margin on a car tyre. ”

“There are so many different sizes and patterns across the various different ranges and we have them all in stock. So orders that come in today, are shipped today and delivered to the retailer tomorrow. So there is no need for the tyre retailer to carry stock,” he elaborated.

Parnells’ Irish customers can log on to the company’s B2B portal, access the company’s vast stockholding and avail of trade pricing.

“Once we set you up with a trade account, you can log on to our B2B portal, access our stock at trade prices, and we’ll ship the items the same day,” he said.

Parnells deals exclusively with Wanda in China, distributing its Journey and Obor brands in the Irish market. It is a relationship that has been running successfully for more than 20 years.

“I went out to China in 2004 and met with our suppliers. We’ve had a relationship with Wanda since then and it is working really well. They know it’s not going to be their biggest account because of the size of the Irish market, but they are happy that we do it well.

“We are steadily growing the business every year, so they realise that we are representing them well in the Irish market.”

With three sales representatives on the road, the company is continuing to develop and grow the business. Richard elaborated: “Our Representatives are out there calling on existing customers and seeking out new customers.”

The company is operating on a lead-in time (from order to arrival) of five months, so its stockholding is key to the company’s continued growth.

Richard explained: “We are committed to growing our stockholding so that we have the stock here in the warehouse, when it is needed.”

With a full-time staff of 23, Richard is fulsome in his praise of the team and says staffing is not an issue for the company.

“We have a great team here, and no issues with staffing. If you treat your staff well, they will stay with you and take ownership of their roles,” Richard noted. “We hear from many of our customers that they struggle to get and retain staff, but that isn’t the case here.”

Facing competition from within the Irish market, and in the UK where the company has a thriving OEM market for small tyres, Parnells doesn’t rest on its laurels.

“We get the business based on the high levels of customer service that we offer and the quality of the products that we sell, “ Richard concluded.

It’s been a winning combination for the past 75 years and no doubt it will endure into the future.