Susan Forgie, After Sales Manager of DAForgie

Since joining DAForgie, I have been on a massive journey and learning curve. My role has developed since I joined the business and I feel it is evolving every day. I am actively involved with managing staff on a daily basis and in particular our After Sales and Stores team.

Monday 10 January 2022

Susan Forgie, After Sales Manager of DAForgie

My parents started DAForgie over 40 years ago. We retail and service agricultural, gardening and construction equipment over 2 depots in Limavady and Lisburn. During this time the business has grown substantially using a flexible approach focused on customer service and adapting to the changing needs of the market. We are the main dealers of many well-known brands including Kubota, Honda, Merlo and Kverneland.

I joined my family business in October 2020 after working for 12 years in private practice as a solicitor. I completed my law degree at the University of Ulster Jordanstown in 2004 and also a Masters at Queens, before I moved to England where I completed my solicitor exams at Cardiff University. Once I qualified as a solicitor in 2009, I moved to London where I stayed for 4 years before moving back to practice as a family lawyer in Northern Ireland. I really enjoyed my time as a solicitor, however when my parents approached me about their succession planning, I was delighted that they would consider me.

Although it may be seen as a natural progression to join your family business, it still took me a great deal of consideration to ensure it was the best move for me and that I was the right person for the job. My parents had always encouraged, myself and my 3 sisters to pursue our own careers. My mother always wanted joining the family business to be a choice and not something we felt pressurised into. As an adult reflecting back, I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to have my own career away from DAForgie. I do believe my mother is right and having a career separate from your family business is a positive move, as you develop so many more transferable skills and new ideas you can bring to the business. Succession planning is something that we talked about as a family. However, I have found that succession planning is not something that is often talked about in Northern Ireland, even though it is very important. To other people in this situation, I would say, have the conversations and ask about the future plans for the business.

Since joining DAForgie, I have been on a massive journey and learning curve. My role has developed since I joined the business and I feel it is evolving every day. I am actively involved with managing staff on a daily basis and in particular our After Sales and Stores team.

Throughout the years of trading DA Forgie has built a reputation for providing an excellent quality and highly reliable service to customers. As a solicitor I realise how important customer care and managing customer’s expectations is. I want DAForgie to continue to provide excellent customer care to our valued customers so that DAForgie can continue to grow as a company.

Personally, I am married with 3 young children, twins Lily and Ria who are 5 and David who is 2 years old, and so working full time in a family business can be demanding, especially when dividing my time between work life and family life. I hope that my children will enjoy growing up and helping out in the family business as much as I did and that DAForgie will become engrained in them the way it is to me.

Keep up to date with the DAForgie team on Facebook & Instagram and online at: www.forgie.com

Monday 10 January 2022