KTP Graduate

Doherty Woodshavings Ltd is a leading animal bedding manufacturer and supplier with over 30 years’ experience in the agricultural industry. The company’s flagship bedding product brand is Sublime, formulated for dairy cows to inhibit the spread of mastitis-causing organisms and help to control the Somatic Cell Count (SCC) in milk, and enhance animal welfare. Other products supplied include Lasta wood pellets, poultry bedding including woodshavings and crumb, and cat litter. Doherty Woodshavings operates its business from two sites near Ballymena in Northern Ireland with distribution and stockists throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Doherty Woodshavings plans to grow its business by developing a new range of sustainable Sublime products specifically designed for various locations and environmental conditions encountered on dairy farms throughout Ireland and beyond. It also aims to develop an ‘in-house research, innovation, and advisory mini-lab’ to enhance the customer after-sales service. Doherty Woodshavings, in partnership with South West College, have secured a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) as a step to achieving these goals. The KTP Associate will be responsible for transfer of knowledge and technology between the South West College and Doherty Woodshavings by undertaking a 2-year research and innovation project.
The project will involve assisting Doherty Woodshavings in research, laboratory testing, on-farm trialling and roll-out of the new bedding products that will provide improved animal comfort, animal health and environmental benefits over existing products on the market. The project will require detailed research and scientific testing of materials, ensuring the bedding products are sustainable and perform optimally under specific environmental conditions, and enhance both animal health and welfare. The associate will work closely with the project partners (Doherty Woodshavings and SWC) and will benefit from academic supervision from SWC.