[BORRIS, Ireland] – Hot on the heels of revealing its manufacturing collaboration with Storti, KEENAN is proud to announce the appointment of Michael Carbery as head of innovation. Carbery has worked for KEENAN for more than six years as group service development manager, and he brings to the role a wealth of experience as well as unique market and customer insights, having held the position of general manager in a number of engineering companies prior to joining KEENAN. Since joining the Alltech family of companies, KEENAN has introduced a number of engineering and product developments that underpin its superb design, focus on quality and innovative offerings.

KEENAN is also proud to welcome professor Gerald Byrne to the team. Byrne and Carbery will work alongside each other to ensure KEENAN continues to be an innovator in the farm machinery sector. Byrne will join KEENAN after spending five years as dean of engineering at University College Dublin (UCD). Byrne brings with him a considerable breadth of knowledge, creativity and experience to spearhead KEENAN’s latest innovation initiatives and will focus on streamlining production, fast-tracking efficiency and optimising plant configuration. Among Bryne’s many credentials are his honorary professorship at Tianjin University in China, being the first and only Irish member of the International Academy for Production Engineering and a membership in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

“Bringing innovation into the heart of everything we do will be my focus during my time as chairman of the KEENAN Innovation and R&D Board,” said Byrne. “There are a lot of exciting new technologies out there, and we want to ensure that KEENAN stays at the forefront of such developments.

“On a global scale, manufacturing is becoming increasingly digital and connected,” he continued. “More than merely keeping up with this rapid pace of change, KEENAN needs to lead the way. The KEENAN team has a wealth of experience and ideas, and our R&D and innovation platform will tap into these to keep KEENAN on top.”

The KEENAN name has long been associated with quality and reliability. Moving forward in an ever-changing marketplace, the innovation team, led by Byrne and Carbery, will ensure the KEENAN machine remains synonymous with technology, optimisation, efficiency and innovation.

“Byrne and Carbery’s appointments represent KEENAN’s continued commitment to bring the very latest in innovation and technology to the agriculture industry,” said Robert Walker, CEO of KEENAN. “We have looked both internally and externally to bolster our innovation culture here at KEENAN, and we are delighted to retain the very best Irish talent. I am confident this pairing will prove to be an unparalleled resource as KEENAN moves forward.”

The new appointments uphold the integrity of KEENAN engineering and the company’s commitment to efficiency and profitability for the farmer.