SWS: your essential workshop supplier for over 50 years
09/10/2025
Trading for over 50 years, Search Workshop Supplies Ltd (SWS) in Derry / Londonderry are Ireland’s leading garage fit-out and workshop specialists with access to the world’s leading brands.
Supplying the heavy commercial transport industries, the family-run business offers complete vehicle workshop solutions, being the preferred partner of mechanics, technicians and vehicle workshop owners who value knowledgeable advice, reliable service and in-stock speed. Search Workshop Supplies’ vast range of parts, tools, consumables and skills has earned them an enviable reputation for flexibility and expertise when it comes to meeting their customers’ requirements.
To some, Search Workshop Supplies are a reliable, accurate automotive workshop consumable supplier, while others know them for their heavy-duty lift installation and equipment servicing. Whether it’s a fuse or a floor press, grease gun or bench grinder, all customers receive the same positive attitude and rock-solid reliability.
Tried, trusted and true to their word, Search Workshop Supplies have been building lasting relationships with their customers in Ireland for over half a century. They are a reliable partner, a valued expert and a trusted friend who are there for you when you need them most. For tools, consumables and for supplies, construction and calibration, they’re ‘Trusted for the Journey’.
Transport and logistics companies running their own routine servicing and maintenance operations are increasingly turning to Search Workshop Supplies to fit-out their workshops with heavy duty equipment such as brake testers, two and four-post commercial lifts and other specialist vehicle equipment which removes the need to use third-party garages for further major repairs, thereby keeping downtime to a minimum.
“With six and 12-week checks now an integral part of a transport operation, and more stringent and frequent DVA roadside inspections, workshops are finding it makes more sense to be in a position to carry out all the required servicing, repairs and maintenance to keep their vehicles on the road,” says Simon Glass, who runs the company along with his brother Lawrence.
The process begins with an in-depth site visit where the company’s expert team collaborates with you to understand your workshop’s unique requirements. This crucial step allows them to tailor their offerings to your specific needs, ensuring that the equipment and solutions provided are the perfect fit for your workspace.
Following the site visit, Search Workshop Supplies’ experienced engineers craft a custom design and proposal. This proposal encompasses a comprehensive solution that not only addresses your current needs, but also considers scalability and future growth. The focus is on optimising your workshop layout for maximum efficiency, safety and functionality.
Once you approve the design and proposal, Search Workshop Supplies initiates the delivery process. Their logistics team ensures that all equipment is transported safely and on time to your location, and that all components arrive in pristine condition and ready for installation. They understand the importance of timely delivery in keeping your workshop operations running smoothly.
Search Workshop Supplies’ skilled installation technicians then take charge of setting up the equipment, ensuring proper placement, alignment and integration. They recognise that precision in installation is key to achieving optimal performance and longevity of equipment. Their goal is to minimise downtime and disruptions, and to get your workshop up-and-running to its full potential.
The third-generation business believes that proper training is essential for the successful operation of any workshop. To this end, their expert trainers provide comprehensive hands-on training for your team to ensure they are proficient in operating the newly-installed equipment safely and effectively. Your team will gain the confidence and competence needed to utilise the technology to its fullest extent, enhancing overall productivity.
Furthermore, Search Workshop Supplies assists you in obtaining the necessary certifications and approvals for your equipment and workshop layout, guaranteeing that your facility meets industry standards and regulations. This not only boosts your workshop’s credibility, but also assures your clients of your commitment to maintaining the highest standards.
To maintain the longevity and peak performance of your workshop equipment, Search Workshop Supplies offers ongoing maintenance and support. Their technicians are readily available to address any issues, perform routine maintenance and provide upgrades as technology evolves. This proactive approach minimises downtime, allowing you to stay focused on your core operations.
Search Workshop Supplies was established as Search Equipment Sales in 1973 by Gerald Glass, who is Simon and Lawrence’s father, and is still going strong at the age of 88. The then fledgling business acquired the first Snap-On dealership in Ireland in 1976 and had six Snap-On vans operating in Northern Ireland by 1981. In 1995, the company changed its name to Search Workshop Supplies and relocated to a purpose-built premises at Altnagelvin Industrial Estate in Derry / Londonderry, close to Altnagelvin Area Hospital.
The premises, which consists of office and warehousing facilities, has grown from 3,000 sq. ft. to over 34,000 sq. ft. in floor space, having undergone a number of extensions over the years. Search Workshop Supplies became a limited company in 2016, rebranded in 2019 and launched a new website with many features, including live pricing and stock availability, two years ago.
Twenty people are employed, including Simon’s children Gavin, Fiona and Barry who are involved in sales, finance and service respectively. Lawrence, meanwhile, is focused on workshop installations.
The company boasts a nationwide customer-base which includes Irish Commercials, Murphy Commercials, Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus, Aircoach, Mullen Coaches, Translink, McBurney Transport, V Fraser & Sons, Terberg MPM Ireland, James Kernohan & Sons, Dan O’Hare Commercials, Mulgrew Haulage, Manfreight, Wilson McCurdy Haulage, Blair Transport and several local authorities in Northern Ireland.
Completed workshops include: John McGinley Coach Travel, Gortnahork; Nicholl Oils, Derry / Londonderry; Causeway Coast & Glens Council, Coleraine; R Barkley & Sons, Ballymoney; Frylite Solutions, Strabane; Heron Brothers, Draperstown; P Keenan Quarries, Magherafelt; HAJ Repairs, Magherafelt; Wrightbus, Ballymena; Stewart Commercials, Antrim; AT&T Rentals, Newtownabbey; MB Truck & Van, Newtownabbey; TJ Hood Transport, Crumlin; Translink, Belfast; Ian Hayes Haulage, Cookstown; Donnell & Ellis Heavy Haulage, Omagh; NG Bell & Sons, Ballywalter; Loane Transport, Kesh; Fleet Maintenance, Craigavon;
Sloan Transport, Dromore; NR Trucks, Dungannon; T-Met, Dungannon; Cormac Leonard, Armagh; Fegan Transport, Craigavon; Stewart International Haulage, Banbridge; B Connell, Mayobridge; Quinn Group, Derrylin; B McCaffrey & Sons, Derrylin; A1 Transport (NI), Derrylin; Shannon Valley Plant Hire, Dublin; Irish Commercials, Santry; DG McArdle International, Mulhuddart; TTW, Swords; McGuire Haulage, Thomastown; Quality Recycling Ltd, Carrick-on-Suir; United Metals, Limerick; O’Callaghan Transport, Newcastle-West; and McCarthy Commercials, Cork.
Search Workshop Supplies represent all the leading brands, including VL Brake Test Systems, Stertil Koni Heavy-Duty Lifts, Majorlift Hydraulic Equipment, Mazzola Hydraulic Floor Presses, Samoa Lubrication and Fluid Handling Equipment, and FASEP Wheel Balancers and Tyre Changers.
They have quality procedures in place to ensure customers receive the best possible service. A vast product range, which includes everything from consumables to heavy duty equipment, enables Search Workshop Supplies to provide a unique service, including an in-house repair facility and on-site service engineers. The company's mission statement is to be “a vital support key to our customer’s prosperity, through a team committed to achieving excellence in our industry.”
Simon Glass explains: “We carry a very large range of European manufactured products in stock.
“Our father was the first Irish dealer to secure the franchise for Snap-On tools back in 1976, something we held until 1997. We’ve become main Ireland and UK distributors for several other top brands since then.”
The large range of products from Search Workshop Supplies can be viewed on the company’s easy-to-navigate website www.swsni.com which features a fully interactive brochure of its equipment as well as sections dedicated to commercial vehicle equipment, car and van equipment, workshop tools and consumables in addition to special offers and its range of bespoke merchandising pre-pac stands.
“We have an energetic and highly-qualified team who adopt an industrious approach to provide a reliable and flexible service – from initial site survey to project completion – to meet the demands of busy commercial workshops.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers and suppliers for their loyalty and support down through the years. We look forward to working with them for many more years to come,” Simon concludes.
Search Workshop Supplies Ltd
Altnagelvin Industrial Estate,
Trench Road,
Derry / Londonderry,
BT47 2ED.
Telephone: +44 (0)28 71312225
Web: www.swsni.com
First published in Irish Trucker magazine September/October 2025, Vol 28-5
