Businesswoman Martina McHale, who cofounded a Mayo machinery business that now serves as a big employer in the West of Ireland, has died.

The Galway native, who established McHale Engineering in 1986 alongside her husband Padraic and brother-in-law Martin, served as a director of the company for more than 40 years. She was 71.

“From the early days, Martina always worked hard across the business,” McHale Engineering wrote in a statement on Monday, “doing whatever needed to be done to make the business successful.

“Her attention to detail was immense and she often picked up on things that no one else would have seen and made sure those details were addressed.”

The company employs about 250 people in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo.

McHale died on Sunday, according to her death notice on RIP.ie, “in the loving care of her family and the wonderful staff at Galway Hospice.” Her funeral is to be held on Thursday.

She was originally from Clonbur in Co Galway and later of Kilmaine in Co Mayo.

McHale is survived by her husband Padraic, sons Paul and Pat and her six “adored grandchildren” and other family members.

McHale Engineering continued in its statement that “she was involved in every important decision and her input was invaluable, especially in the early years where she was involved in the selection of key personnel”.

Her “influence is seen across the team who built McHale into the company it is today. She treated everyone as part of the family and made sure they were all looked after, like one of her own”, the company added.

McHale Engineering is a global leader in the manufacture of grassland equipment and machinery such as bailers, wrappers, feeders and handlers.

Over 90 per cent of its machines are exported through a dealer-importer network across 55 countries, according to its website.

Under a Facebook post announcing McHale’s death, a Normandy-based agricultural equipment retailer, ETC Guérard, wrote “it is with great sadness that we learned of this news” and shared its condolences.

A north Wales farm machinery supplier, Emyr Evans Tractors, also offered its condolences to the McHale family and company, as did a contractor based in Christ Church, New Zealand.