INNOVATION WITH AN EDGE

Today this family owned County Tyrone, Northern Ireland based company has grown to become one of the world’s biggest manufacturers and exporters of sophisticated equipment for the quarrying, material handling and recycling sectors.

Today, as it increasingly focuses on the growing environmental sector, EDGE Innovate employs around 170 people directly. The company currently exports more than 99% of its products from its state-of-theart manufacturing facility, having developed a strong presence throughout overseas markets such as North America, Australia and the Middle East.

Its ever developing product portfolio includes a wide range of mobile stockpilers, tracked stackers, tracked and mobile feeders, trommels, slow speed waste shredders, and picking stations , allowing customers to shred, screen, separate, stockpile and size a vast array of materials.

“There are many things that have come together to make the company what it is today, not least our staff and employees – from the shop floor to our sales people, to our marketing department and to our management team,” says Managing Director Darragh Cullen.

“We have some excellent managers here, some have been with us for a long time, others are relatively new, providing us with an excellent mix of management skills. It is good to bring in new people with expertise in different sectors who can provide a fresh outlook.

EDGE Innovate relies on global customer base as a sounding board in terms of new ideas and new products…

“Our workforce is very loyal and everyone is proud to work here. We have a lot of committed people who believe strongly in the company and the brand we have created. They will go the extra mile for us and for our customers. We are not afraid of change. We don’t stand still, we are always moving forward, questioning our processes and procedures, always open to fresh ideas and suggestions, always flexible in our approach. We have a strong marketing team both locally and internationally and consequently our brand is known and respected in many countries.”

EDGE Innovate relies on its vast global customer base as a sounding board in terms of new ideas and new products. “We are customer driven in everything we do,” says Darragh. “We develop products to meet individual customer requirements. Sometimes it can be challenging but we view it as an opportunity to help our customers. We are problem solvers with a ‘can do’ attitude, which is why we are constantly developing products and solutions to meet the needs of our diverse customer base. What suits one client in one country may not necessarily do so in another, so being able to ‘tweak’ our equipment designs makes it a lot more efficient and cost effective for both us and the customer.”

Indeed, one of the big selling points for EDGE is the versatility of the machines it has in its portfolio, with the ability to focus on a wide range of applications, especially in the waste and recycling sector. From small operations to multi-nationals, it offers equipment that can perform in a variety of different environments and tasks and meet different regional levels of legislation and standards.

EDGE Innovate has successfully increased its sales volume year on year which in turn has led to significant expansions within the company. “With increase sales volumes comes an enhanced capability to carry out research and development to suit the needs of our customers throughout the world. Different markets require different types of equipment, which means that the demand for our machines is very diverse.

“It is evident that waste regulations are becoming more and more stringent, which encourages the EDGE brand to innovate more advanced technology and create more technically challenging and complicated machines for the global market demands.”

In 2022, the company was presented with the Queens Award for Enterprise recognising its excellence in International Trade for the second time, having won its first Queen’s Award in 2019, becoming only one of seven companies to achieve two such Queen’s Awards. “Given the sad passing of Her Majesty the Queen, the awards will always be treasured,” says Darragh. “We view them as recognition of the hard work and resilience of all our stakeholders, especially during the time of the pandemic.”

More recently, EDGE Innovate won the “Technology of the Year” award at the MEWAR awards. This prize recognises outstanding individuals and organisations that have demonstrated leadership and innovation in their respective fields and have significantly contributed to environmental sustainability along with economic viability, ultimately contributing to a greener future.

Capturing the judging panel’s eye in the “Technology of the Year” category was EDGE Innovate’s electric powered twin shaft high torque waste shredder. The judging panel was hugely impressed with its remarkable environmental benefits, energy efficiency, noise reduction, versatility whilst noting its significant contribution to the waste management sector in the region. Its positive impact on sustainability and the environment positions it as a game-changer in various industries, making it an outstanding choice for recognition and accolades.

The EDGE electric shredder has the ability to finely shred difficult materials allowing for better recycling and waste reduction, contributing to circular economy principles.

Steven Conway, EDGE Innovate’s Middle Eastern Territory Sales Manager, comments: “It is a great honour to receive this prestigious award. EDGE Innovate stands out as a uniquely innovative and environmentally conscious brand that continues to serve the ever-growing waste recycling industry in the Middle East and further afield. The company has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to leveraging cutting-edge environmental technology that addresses specific environmental challenges.”

"Focusing on integrating telematics and GPS technology into the company’s products and on the electrification of equipment.."

This new product, like all the equipment manufactured by EDGE Innovate, is the result of having a very proactive R&D department, which is constantly working on new designs and innovations, utilising latest technologies to do so.

At the moment, there is a big focus not only on integrating telematics and GPS technology into the company’s products, but on the electrification of equipment.

“Requirements differ from one country to another in terms of recycling needs and demand for carbon neutral products, so it is always a balancing act. Ultimately, I look forward to the day when there is no diesel-powered equipment leaving our facilities,” says Darragh.

Recently named as one of Ireland’s Best Managed companies for the sixth year running, in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards programme, EDGE Innovate’s dealer network is recognised as the lifeblood of the business. It has over 70 dealers and partners around the world and it maintains and fosters a strong positive relationship with all of them, working as a team to ensure continued success.

Several years ago, EDGE Innovate embarked on an £8m investment plan to cope with growing demand for its products. A new paint shop and stores facilities have been added, increasing production capacity by 30% and a new Customer Welcome Centre is being established to house its ever-expanding sales, marketing and aftersales departments.

The new centre will be well utilised as the company is constantly welcoming customers to the County Tyrone facility from all over the world, sometimes for product training, other times to let them see the production processes and to get to know them on a more personal basis.

So, what does the future hold for EDGE Innovate? “We are an ambitious company, and we want to continue to grow at a controlled level, placing strong focus on product development, product support and service excellence. We have a growth strategy in place, to further expand our facilities to enable us to double our current turnover.”