Laois garden machinery business set to snap up €1.8 million site in Portlaoise
Multi-million Portlaoise expansion on the cards for homegrown Laois family business
A Laois company that specialises in distributing outdoor power tool equipment is about to make a major investment in the county and their business.
Camsaw Distributors, based in Portarlington, is preparing to buy a site in Laois County Council’s own J17 National Enterprise Park in Portlaoise, next to the M7 motorway.
The decision to sell the 3.71 hectare site will be made by county councillors at their monthly meeting this Monday, July 27. The agreed price is €1.8million plus VAT.
The family run company was established in 1987 by Philip and Rose Carney and is now run by directors Paul Carney and Frances Quinn.
It doubled its capacity of “pick and pack operations” a decade ago and now employs 42 people.
In 2025 the business welcomed garden designer Diarmuid Gavin on board as brand ambassador.
Ms Quinn said at the time that it was one of many exciting new initiatives.
“Diarmuid brings a passion and energy to the gardening world that’s truly inspiring. We are delighted to welcome him as our new brand ambassador. His creativity, experience, and longstanding dedication to garden design align perfectly with our values. This collaboration reflects our continued commitment to providing customers with reliable products and expert guidance. This partnership is just the beginning of exciting new initiatives from Camsaw as it continues to expand its presence and impact.”
They are based in Unit 12, Portarlington Business Park, on Canal Road.
Camsaw is described as Ireland's leading distributor of garden, forestry & outdoor power equipment across Ireland and Northern Ireland
It has expanded over the years from garden machinery, to a wide range of brands, including Weibang garden machinery, Oleo-Mac garden and forest machinery, Solo by Al-ko garden care products, Efco garden machines, NorthStar sprayers, Legacy garden machines, Oregon and Navimow robotic lawnmowers.
Laois County Council bought the land for its park from Supermac’s founder Pat McDonagh, with the proactive aim of attracting both international and expanding local companies to create Laois jobs. The county has over 10,000 workers leaving daily to work elsewhere, mainly Dublin.
So far, the serviced sites they built have been sold to many companies that built large plants, including Midland Steel, Alpha Drives, Lebrino Foods and Kirby Group. They also rent out preconstructed business units in the park.
The park consists of 270 acres of enterprise/industrial zoned lands, which include lands owned by Laois County Council, IDA and private ownership.