MERLO telehandlers have been supporting Lowry Building & Civil Engineering on a range of projects across Northern Ireland, from confined city centre builds to major education developments.
Based in Castlederg, County Tyrone, Lowry Building boasts a history that stretches back more than 60 years. Founded in 1961 by director Ian Lowry’s father, the business began as a small, family-run operation rooted in joinery and local construction work, before steadily expanding into larger residential and public-sector projects.
“Like many companies of its time, it started very small,” Ian explained. “My father came from a farming background but trained as a joiner. He and his brother grew the business gradually, taking on private housing, farm work and community projects before moving into larger housing schemes in the early 1970s.”
Today, Lowry Building employs more than 140 people. Clients include the Education Authority, Northern Ireland Water and Health Estates along with other public bodies. Recent highlights include participation in a £375 million project to deliver a new shared education campus in Omagh and, this year, marking 50 years of continuous service to NI Water.
Supporting this work is a fleet of more than 80 units of mobile machinery. While excavators form a core part of thus, Ian Lowry admitted the ‘sweet spot’ for telehandlers is Merlo.
“We were introduced to the machines by our local dealer, DA Forgie, back in 2013,” he explained. “They suggested we try one, and it proved to be a very good decision.”
The company’s first Merlo was a compact 25.6 model with six-metre boom, chosen for confined work during the construction of the Silverbirch hotel in Omagh. “We needed something with a low profile that could work inside a basement. The operators and site managers were very happy with it, and that’s really where it started.”
Since then, Lowry Building has operated more than 10 Merlo telehandlers and the fleet has expanded to include larger fixed and rotary models. Today, the company runs several Merlo Roto machines, including 26-metre units and a recently added 35-metre model with high lift capacity at full extension.
“The versatility is their big advantage,” added Ian Lowry. “They can act as a wheel loader, a forklift and a small on-site crane – all in one machine. The rotaries, in particular, are a great addition – they’re quick to reposition and very flexible compared to self-erector cranes.”
On a recent school build, one 26-metre Roto remained on site throughout, handling everything from blockwork and material distribution to lifting roof trusses and tiles.
Reliability is said to have played a key role in the long-term relationship.
“Touch wood, they’ve been very good for us,” Lowry said. “We maintain them well and use DA Forgie for servicing. Call-outs are minimal, and you can really see how the machines have improved over the years – the controls, the smoothness, everything gets better with each new model.
“Forgie has been a very honourable and supportive dealer over the years. We’re more than happy to recommend both the machines and the dealer to other contractors – we’ve even lent out our Merlos for them to try.”
