Sean Flynn is aiming to launch his first machine onto the market in January 2022 and sell 250 of his Flynn Combe loaders in the first year, followed by 50% more in 2023.
First there are at least four or five months of product testing and certification to complete at his premises in Omagh and Donegal, on either side of the UK/Ireland border.
Three prototypes are nearing completion: a 25hp remote controlled diesel model; a 37hp manual controlled (stand-on) diesel model; and a fully electric, battery-powered model with extending chassis.
“I am very excited to show to the world how our machines help can bring your working project in on time and on budget,” says Sean Flynn. “There is nothing to compare to our Flynn Combe Loaders and I couldn't be more proud.”
The story begins six years when he was visiting his brother, Gerard Flynn, owner of Eastside Flooring and New York Flooring in New York, USA. Gerard had a job lifting a 20,000 sq ft ash floor and used a mini loader, imported from Germany. Sean Flynn, with a background in civil engineering himself, was impressed that this small machine was doing the work of six people lifting the floor but no so impressed that the battery only lasted a few hours. He realised there was a market for a battery-powered mini loader that could go the distance.
Battery technology has improved in the past six years and the Flynn Combe Loader promises a 7.5 to 8-hour full working time. While the batteries installed on the prototype are expensive, he acknowledges, the cost of the batteries is expected to come down in time. The Flynn Combe Loaders prototype will run four drive motors rather than the two motors installed on most mini loaders, allowing more actual working time.
Sean Flynn says that he already has potential customers lined up as soon as his machines become available, with 95% of the initial production for export to North America.
Flynn Combe Loaders has two workshops at present: the main workshop is a 22,000 sq ft factory in County Donegal in the far north of the Republic of Ireland; the other is across the Northern Irish border in County Tyrone, near Omagh, where the engineers and technicians live and are based. Sean Flynn has also acquired premisses in New York via his brother.
Expect to hear more about Flynn Combe Loaders in the months ahead as the product launch gets nearer.
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