Britain’s biggest machinery dealers ranked by turnover
Scot Agri's Muir of Ord branch © Scot Agri Several common threads run through the annual reports filed by agricultural equipment dealers covering the 2023 trading period.
Higher interest rates had a significant impact on stocking finance charges, which in some cases tripled from the previous year’s figures.
There were general cost increases, and as inflation took its toll, dealers were obliged to increase wages to keep staff on board.
See also: Tractors: where are they made?
A freeing-up of product supply was a double-edged sword; while dealers that could not meet demand in 2022 had their sales turnover boosted by orders carried over, others found themselves with unwelcome and costly stock.
The resulting used equipment sell-off spree had the inevitable consequence – exacerbated by cooling demand – of depressing prices as dealers scrapped over any business going.
Still, the majority managed to increase annual turnover and remain profitable for the most part.
Oliver Group, comprising AT Oliver and Oliver Landpower, fared best with a more than 50% increase in turnover.
The group was helped by a first full-year contribution from the former LQG Agri operation in Warwickshire, and combine deliveries that also drove turnover at dealer subsidiaries of Claas UK by a combined 47%.
Carr’s Billington’s Stranraer site © Scarlett Visuals
Tallis Amos grew most among Deere dealers, while a larger Massey Ferguson territory and a determined sales campaign saw turnover increase by 31% in Carr’s Billington’s machinery division.
RW Crawford’s acquisition of Agwood contributed to 28% group sales growth, while the Deere trio Frank Sutton, Cornthwaite Group and Ben Burgess, together with New Holland and JCB dealer Haynes Brothers, achieved 24-25% gains.
Full-line Kubota dealer Lister Wilder continued to grow with a similar turnover increase, while at the head of the table, Scot JCB made further gains with its construction and Massey Ferguson agricultural outlets.
Scoring 19-20% increased turnover were Agco and JCB dealer Chandlers, Claas-focused Riverlea in south Wales, and Skipton-based Townson Tractors, a New Holland and JCB dealership.
Dealer turnover rankings – 2023 top 30 |
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| Rank 2023 (2022) | Dealer | Principal franchises 2023 | Turnover 2023* | Change from 2022 |
| 1 (1) | Scot JCB* | JCB, Massey Ferguson | £249.4m | 21.8% |
| 2 (4) | Claas UK* | Claas | £237.9m | 47.4% |
| 3 (2) | Farol | John Deere | £190.6m | 5.3% |
| 4 (7) | Chandlers | Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Valtra, JCB | £184.8m | 20.4% |
| 5 (5) | Ripon Farm Services | John Deere | £184.6m | 14.6% |
| 6 (8) | Ben Burgess | John Deere | £177.5m | 24.1% |
| 7 (3) | TH White Holdings* | New Holland | £173.2m | 0.1% |
| 8 (6) | Ernest Doe & Sons | New Holland, Case IH | £151.2m | -1.6% |
| 9 (9) | Lloyd | New Holland | £146m | 8.9% |
| 10 (14) | Haynes Brothers* | New Holland, JCB | £130.8m | 24.8% |
| 11 (10) | Hunt Forest Group | John Deere | £126.1m | 8.2% |
| 12 (11) | P Tuckwell | John Deere | £119.4m | 11.5% |
| 13 (15) | Cornthwaite | John Deere | £110.4m | 24.5% |
| 14 (14) | Russell’s | New Holland | £105.6m | 14.5% |
| 15 (19) | Tallis Amos Group | John Deere | £96.3m | 35.4% |
| 16 (12) | Rea Valley Tractors* | New Holland, JCB | £96.1m | 5.8% |
| 17 (17) | Thurlow Nunn Standen | Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Valtra | £90.2m | 12.5% |
| 18 (18) | Lister Wilder | Kubota | £89m | 23.6% |
| 19 (21) | Oliver Group* | Claas, JCB | £88.5m | 51.3% |
| 20 (16) | Peacock & Binnington | Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Valtra, JCB | £83.6m | -5.3% |
| 21 (20) | Rickerby | Claas | £72.2m | 15.9% |
| 22 (24) | RW Crawford | Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Valtra | £68.1m | 28.2% |
| 23 (25) | Sharmans Agricultural | Case IH, JCB | £63.1m | 17.7% |
| 24 (32) | Carr’s Billington* | Massey Ferguson | £62.2m | 31.2% |
| 25 (27) | G&J Peck | New Holland, JCB | £57m | 11.8% |
| 26 (25) | Thomas Sherriff & Co | John Deere | £56.3m | 5.2% |
| 27 (23) | James Gordon | Claas | £55.2m | 2.2% |
| 28 (29) | Hamilton Ross Group | Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Valtra, JCB | £55m | 14.3% |
| 29 (31) | Netherton Tractors | John Deere | £54.7m | 14.7% |
| 30 (28) | B&B Tractors | Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Valtra | £54.2m | 8.6% |
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Notes: Turnover period covers September 2023 to April 2024 year ends.
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Notable newcomers
Cumbria-based Fendt, Massey Ferguson and Manitou dealer PV Dobson, incorporated in November 2021, is included in the turnover rankings for the first time.
With a 2023 figure of £53.6m, this puts it just outside the top 30.
The business operates out of four locations across Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Lancashire and Tyne & Wear, with light construction kit from Kubota and Mecalac also in the mix.
Reco JCB is another first-timer, recording £24.4m turnover in 2023 from its Somerset base, with Compass and Redlynch branches providing sales, parts and service support in Dorset and Wiltshire.
The 2023 figures for Burdens Group, Balgownie, Malpas Tractors and Robert D Webster have not been filed – see Dealers feel the heat.
Up and coming
Having previously profiled the biggest farm machinery dealers, this time we’re focusing on those further down the pecking order.
Henton & Chattell £37.2m
Wholesaling and retailing garden machinery is big business for Henton & Chattell, but the Nottingham-based dealership.
that moved into capital equipment sales as a John Deere turfcare dealer in 2021 has ambitions to grow its Kubota groundcare and agricultural equipment sales and territory taken on in 2023.
RVW Pugh + TR Machinery £35.9m
Long-time Massey Ferguson dealer RVW Pugh operates from branches at Churchstoke, Powys; Holmes Chapel, Cheshire; and Market Drayton, Shropshire.
Subsidiary TR Machinery is set up for the Fendt franchise based in a new depot at Newport, Shropshire.
Riverlea £35.3m
With a team of about 70 people working out of four branches, Riverlea represents Claas across south and west Wales, with Manitou also part of the brand mix alongside Case construction equipment.
George Browns £34.7m
Sales benefited from the October 2022 opening of an additional branch in Witney.
This takes the George Browns network for Kubota to five locations across Oxfordshire, Northants, Bedfordshire and Essex with a team of 130 staff.
However, the Leighton Buzzard headquarters has since been closed.
Clarke & Pulman Group £33.9m
At £32.5m, the Fendt, Massey Ferguson and JCB dealership at Burscough and Garstang in Lancashire contributes the major share of Clarke & Pulman Group’s turnover.
There are additional contributions from Garstang Tyre Services and two consumer retail stores.
Hamblys £32.5m
From its Launceston headquarters, Hamblys employs 64 people to service the Claas franchise across Devon and Cornwall, supported by branches in Bishops Lydeard, Honiton, Redruth and Torrington.
Further growth is anticipated from the early 2024 appointment by Bobcat for the two counties.
C&O Tractors £27.1m
Now with six depots covering an area from east Devon to West Sussex, C&O Tractors expanded its Massey Ferguson territory in 2023.
It established a branch at South Petherton for south and central Somerset and later a new Devon branch at Willand near Uffculme.
Reco JCB £24.4m
JCB Agriculture is the exclusive franchise for Reco JCB, operating throughout Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire from Radstock, Somerset.
with parts and other support available at the branches of Compass Tractors and Redlynch Agricultural Engineering.
Frank Sutton Holdings £24.5m
This John Deere dealer covering south Wales into neighbouring areas of England operates from refurbished and refreshed branches at Raglan and near Bridgend, employing a team of 28.
Compass Tractors £23.1m
With almost 30 staff at North Petherton near Bridgwater, Somerset, Compass Tractors holds the Fendt franchise and provides a sales, parts and service location for Reco JCB.
G&R Pykett £23.1m
A quarter of turnover comes from sales to Europe, and there is a hire fleet to bolster G&R Pykett’s Fendt dealership and its 14 employees working out of premises near Ilkeston, Derbyshire.
J&S Montgomery £23.1m
With 60 or so employees working across three branches – at Ayr and Beith in Ayrshire and Stranraer in Dumfries & Galloway.
J&S Montgomery represents John Deere, Kramer and others in south-west Scotland, with growth set to come from acquiring DKR Agri Services at Biggar.
Turney Group £21.2m
A team of 64 is kept busy at PA Turney branches near Bicester, Oxfordshire and Princes Risborough, Bucks.
They are focused on New Holland agricultural and light construction machinery, and on professional and domestic groundcare equipment sales.
These are set to grow thanks to additional Ransomes Jacobsen territory.
Townson Tractors £21.2m
New Holland and JCB are the main machinery franchises at Townson Tractors, operating a team of 24 out of premises at Hellifield near Skipton, North Yorkshire.
New Holland dealer Francis Bugler is active in Devon, Somerset and Dorset © Francis Bugler
Francis Bugler £20.3m
A four-branch operation with a staff of 50, this New Holland dealership operates from Axminster, Devon and Yeovil, Somerset.
As well as the Beaminster head office and the most recently opened Blandford Forum branch in Dorset.
John Bownes £18.8m
Despite the setback of losing JCB to Rea Valley Tractors two months into the 2023 financial year.
Winsford, Cheshire-based Valtra dealer John Bownes has added a branch in Mold to better serve its north Wales customers.
Startin Tractors £18.5m
From a base near Atherstone, Warwickshire, Startin Tractors looks after its Case IH, Weidemann and other equipment customers with a team of 36.
Dealer turnover rankings – 31-60 |
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| Rank 2023 (2022) | Dealer | Principal franchises 2023 | Turnover 2023* | Change from 2022 |
| 31 (-) | PV Dobson | Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Manitou | £53.6m | 5.0% |
| 32 (22) | HRN Tractors + Agritrac Exports | Kubota | £52.6m | -5.6% |
| 33 (30) | Masons Kings* | John Deere | £48m | Unchanged |
| 34 (38) | Sellars Agriculture | Claas | £44.3m | 10.5% |
| 35 (36) | Smallridge Brothers | John Deere | £43.5m | 6.4% |
| 36 (39) | JG Paxton & Sons | Case IH, JCB | £41.9m | 12.9% |
| 37 (43) | Ravenhill | New Holland | £40.8m | 13.6% |
| 38 (34) | Farmstar | Case IH | £40.7m | -4.5% |
| 39 (37) | Morris Corfield | Claas | £37.5m | -7.9% |
| 40 (45) | Agricar | New Holland | £37.4m | 10.3% |
| 41 (44) | Henton & Chattell | Kubota | £37.2m | 6.0% |
| 42 (40) | Redlynch* | Fendt, Valtra | £36.9m | -0.3% |
| 43 (33) | JE Lawrence & Son | New Holland, JCB | £36.8m | -18.8% |
| 44 (34) | RVW Pugh + TR Machinery* | Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Merlo | £35.9m | -19.7% |
| 45 (48) | Riverlea | Claas, Manitou | £35.3m | 20.1% |
| 46 (47) | George Browns | Kubota | £34.7m | 15.7% |
| 47 (42) | Wilfred Scruton | Fendt, Valtra, JCB | £34.2m | -5.0% |
| 48 (46) | Clarke & Pulman Group* | Fendt, Massey Ferguson, JCB | £33.9m | 12.6% |
| 49 (49) | Hamblys | Claas, Bobcat | £32.5m | 14.8% |
| 50 (50) | C&O Tractors | Massey Ferguson | £27.1m | 1.9% |
| 51 (-) | Reco JCB | JCB | £24.4m | -15.9% |
| 52 (59) | Frank Sutton Holdings | John Deere | £24.4m | 25.1% |
| 53 (56) | Compass Tractors* | Fendt | £23.1m | -4.9% |
| 54 (56) | G&R Pykett | Fendt | £23.1m | -0.4% |
| 55 (57) | J&S Montgomery | John Deere, Kramer | £23.1m | 10.0% |
| 56 (64) | Turney Group | New Holland, Manitou | £21.2m | 18.4% |
| 57 (-) | Townson Tractors | New Holland, JCB | £21.2m | 19.1% |
| 58 (60) | Francis Bugler | New Holland | £20.3m | 5.7% |
| 59 (58) | John Bownes | Valtra | £18.8m | -4.6% |
| 60 (61) | Startin Tractors | Case IH, Weidemann | £18.5m | 1.1% |
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Notes: Turnover period covers September 2023 to April 2024 year ends.
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