Grinder Upgrade for Thompsons, Belfast

The Customer

Thompsons is Europe’s largest multi-species feed mill, based in Belfast. The company’s story began in the 1870s, when John Thompson ran a grocer’s shop on Donegall Quay. That small beginning has grown into a business with over 150 years’ experience feeding the animals of Ireland.

The company has weathered huge challenges along the way, including bomb damage during the Belfast Blitz in 1940, to acquisitions and a turbulent marketplace. Adaptability sits at the heart of the business, bringing together different ideas, talents and strengths to keep pace with an agricultural industry that has changed enormously over the last century. It’s why Thompsons became known as the ‘Pioneers of Better Feedingstuffs’, a title the company still lives up to today.

This project marked our first piece of work together, and we’re now underway on a second.

The Challenge

Thompsons’ factory housed four small Tietjen grinders, installed when the site was built in the 1970s. Rising production demand called for a step change in capacity; this and advances in grinder technology, alongside updated ATEX legislation, cemented their decision to upgrade their grinding process. This project delivered the first two, with the remaining pair scheduled for the future.

Our Brief

ISF took on the design and installation of the new equipment. Our team visited the site to carry out a detailed survey across the factory’s various floor levels.

We then returned to York to produce arrangement drawings, proving the installation before manufacture began. We worked alongside Altrech, Tietjen and Apex Electrical throughout the design phase. This collaboration kept the technical details on track and cleared the way for manufacture to start promptly.

Our Solution

We designed, managed and installed the full mechanical scheme. We combined Tietjen’s grinding equipment with our own conveying systems, including two under-hopper dischargers to carry ground material into the transfer route.

Our team worked carefully to design around cable trays and pipework across the factory that couldn’t be moved. We also did secondary survey checks, which kept the installation on track and helped avoid surprises once work began.

Every stage of the installation met ATEX requirements, reflecting the exacting safety standards demanded by the site.

The Result

We were able to deliver the project across two planned shutdowns. Phase one, completed within a 10-day window, covered a complete grinding route and filter units for both lines. However, limited installation space meant a second filter couldn’t be fitted at this stage; so we’ll be returning to do that. This was because one original unit blocked the access route for the second phase. So, we removed the first, then the second, installed the second, and then the first.

Phase two, completed in a five-day window, saw the second grinder plus the remaining upgrades to the AGS feeder and discharge hopper.

Each new grinder now matches the throughput of the two machines it replaces. Capacity has doubled, transforming the mill’s grinding capability.

Thompsons couldn’t be happier with how it all went, with Simon Mitchell ‘extremely satisfied’ with every stage of the project, from first enquiry to after-sales support. He added:

“Having deemed replacing our Hammermills near impossible, ISF’s experience and professionalism meant they were able to complete and deliver the installation. Communication was excellent throughout, from the design phase through to site installation and commissioning.”

Thompsons has already committed to further projects with ISF, building on the strength of this partnership. Both businesses share a pioneering approach. Thompsons has spent over 150 years finding new ways to help animals reach their potential, and ISF applies the same problem-solving mindset to engineer solutions rather than simply supplying parts. It’s a new partnership built on shared values, and one we’re proud to keep building.