Colm Hamrogue was just 18 years old and studying for his Leaving Cert when a serious accident, caused by a drunk driver, broke his back.
At the time, his ambition was to study nautical science and join the merchant fleet. However, the accident and the lengthy rehab that followed shattered forever his dream of helming big container ships. It also put paid to one of his other great passions in life — being an active member of the Bundoran RNLI crew.
Hamrogue’s life was changed in an instant by the hit and run and, unsurprisingly, he became demotivated and despondent. A pep talk from his Mum, whom he describes as “a very wise woman”, made him realise that he could either let the accident dictate his future or dust himself down and start over. He chose the second option moving from an active to an administration role within the RNLI, going to college to study strategic management and planning, becoming active in student politics and ending up as president of the Union of Students in Ireland.
In 2012, Hamrogue and his wife of three weeks moved to New Zealand where he had been headhunted to join the CRT agricultural co-op as chief operating officer
“I realised you have to live life while it’s in front of you. That made me seize every opportunity that came my way and I think made me more adaptable and open to change,” says Hamrogue, who started his post-college career with Rally Ireland in public affairs and commercial roles before joining Gulf Oil as marketing and communications manager.
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In 2012, Hamrogue and his wife of three weeks moved to New Zealand where he had been headhunted to join the CRT agricultural co-op as chief operating officer.
“I was at a meeting in Holland where I met the chief executive of CRT and we hit it off very well,” Hamrogue says. “He invited me to come and look at New Zealand and what the company was offering. Shortly afterwards we packed our bags and took a massive leap of faith.
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“Having grown up in rural Ireland and been around farming all my life, I loved working in the co-op. Some of the farmers I met during those early days have become our best friends. When you’re away from home with no local network and no family support, making good friends becomes really important. When someone who is not family invites you into their home for a meal or to stay, it’s very precious,” says Hamrogue who hails from north county Leitrim.
“New Zealand was certainly a big learning curve initially and I put a lot of effort into educating myself about the sector and understanding how the business of farming works here. I learned so much talking to farmers and it’s only when you really understand how something works that you can see where there’s scope for innovation.”
People don’t expect you to know everything. If you admit you don’t, they’ll respect you for it. If you try to bluff your way through, you lose credibility very fast
During his time at CRT, Hamrogue was heavily involved in its merger with the Farmlands Co-Operative Society which created the largest co-op in New Zealand, boasting 1,400 staff and a turnover equivalent to around €1.4 billion. As part of the merger, Hamrogue’s old job was scrapped and he had to reapply. He was subsequently appointed chief operating officer of the new operation and stayed in the position until he left Farmlands six years later to join the transport sector.
“I’m a big fan of the co-op model,” he says. “I think it’s one of the best business models in the world because if the business does well, the farmer does well. I had a boss once who said it doesn’t matter if you’re running a business worth €20 million or €200 billion, it’s all numbers on a day. What matters is having good people around you and being willing to learn and be vulnerable.
“People don’t expect you to know everything. If you admit you don’t, they’ll respect you for it. If you try to bluff your way through, you lose credibility very fast.”
At the end of 2018, Hamrogue joined the family-owned HW Richardson transport group as group general manager for transport and, in 2022, he took up his current role as chief executive of TDX construction equipment based in Christchurch. TDX employs 350 people at 21 branches across Australia and New Zealand and is the distributor for several brands including Volvo heavy plant, Shell lubricants and Kohler.
Hamrogue spends a lot of time on the road with a significant amount of international travel.
Moving to New Zealand to become the chief operating officer of a big agri-co-operative was a massive opportunity I would never have had at home at such a young age
“Compared to Ireland, everything is on a bigger scale although the populations are similar. People think nothing of incorporating long distances into their work schedules and when I lived in Invercargill, one of the most southerly cities in the world, I used to hop on a flight before six, do my day’s work then catch the 7pm flight which got me home around 9pm,” he says.
“Moving to New Zealand to become the chief operating officer of a big agri-co-operative was a massive opportunity I would never have had at home at such a young age. I’m grateful for this as the challenge of working in a different culture and country and a new sector tested and pushed me.
“New Zealand is like Ireland. Good people and a good sense of community. The weather is great with a choice of the beach and water sports in the summer and skiing in the winter. That’s special.
“It is also a land that is all about giving people a go. If you have the right mindset, attitude and a willingness to work hard, opportunity will open up here.”
