Dealers have taken up new machine franchises throughout the country as a challenging market throws up opportunities. 

We round-up some of the latest changes across the UK, from expansions and takeovers to branch consolidation.

See also: Dealers feel the heat as kit sales plummet and costs rocket

George Browns powers up with Deutz-Fahr

A desire to sell more powerful tractors suited to its larger arable customers prompted dealer George Browns to accept the offer of a Deutz-Fahr franchise to complement its Kubota line-up, which currently peaks at 175hp from four-cylinder engines.

The new additions include four series with six-pot power up to 340hp, capable of operating the top-end implements from George Browns’ other franchises, such as Kverneland.

The dealership is selling its original Leighton Buzzard home to raise shareholder funds, so now has four branches: Great Dunmow, Essex; Chesham, Bucks; Witney, Oxfordshire; and Daventry, Northants.

Three of these will provide Deutz-Fahr sales, service and parts across a territory effectively stretching from London to Birmingham.

Kubota supports dealer expansion

Plans by Yorkshire-based dealer Farmstar to close its Newark branch and relinquish sales of higher-horsepower Kubota tractors in the area took a new twist early this year when neighbouring dealership Henton & Chattell put in a bid for the premises.

As a result the branch has remained open as the Nottingham business, which joined Kubota’s agricultural and groundcare equipment network in 2023, seized the opportunity to expand its East Midlands territory.

Further west, Kubota groundcare dealer Hunts Engineering near Shipston-on-Stour has been awarded the agricultural portfolio, including all M-series tractors up to 175hp, in a territory that, in addition to Warwickshire, takes in parts of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.

Similarly, Lister Wilder’s Kubota patch has extended into the Cotswolds, where it adjoins that of Hunts, and Pallisers of Hereford has gained ground towards Tewkesbury and Bromsgrove.

Meanwhile, South Wales-based Hopkins Machinery is now selling orange-liveried groundcare and M-series tractors through its Kilcot depot near Newent, Gloucestershire, as well as its St Brides Wentloog headquarters and second facility in Brecon, Powys.

New JCB dealer for south Lincs

With G&J Peck set to close its Spalding depot, JCB has appointed Thorncliffs to cover the south Lincolnshire territory from Sleaford, starting in May.

Formed in 2018 as a business refurbishing JCB Loadalls, wheeled loaders and Fastrac tractors for re-sale, Thorncliffs will be a JCB-only retailer of agricultural equipment, adding machine and parts sales, servicing and repairs to its refurbishment and hire fleet operations.

Pecks, meanwhile, plans to replace its Ely headquarters and Ramsey branches with a new location at Chatteris to serve its Cambridgeshire territory, while continuing to cover Suffolk from the Rendlesham branch near Woodbridge, and Norfolk from Dereham.

RSM Beare expands in Cornwall

West Country dealer RSM Beare has expanded its JCB and McCormick presence in Cornwall, taking on the territories that had been served by Truro Farm Machinery until its owner Bob Jones’ retirement earlier this year.

The dealership has three depots, at Stoke Canon near Exeter serving south Devon, and all of Cornwall from Coad’s Green close to Launceston, and now the TFM premises at Mitchell, between Truro and Newquay, where the entire team has transferred to the Beares business.

Buglers for Keenan

Alltech’s Keenan division, which manufactures total mixed ration feeders, has appointed South West dealer Francis Bugler for sales, parts and service.

Its four branches, at Axminster, Beaminster, Blandford Forum and Yeovil, are now the exclusive Keenan outlets for west Dorset, east Devon and south Somerset.

Merlo adds more dealers

Merlo has appointed Clwyd Agricultural, at Dyserth in Denbighshire, to cover that county and a wider territory encompassing Gwynedd, Anglesey, Conwy and Flintshire.

Over in East Anglia, Chris Coleman Agricultural Engineering at Stoke Ferry near King’s Lynn has also joined the network, providing farm businesses in north and west Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and south Lincolnshire with Merlo telehandler sales, parts and service support.

Despite being a young company, formed in 2021, CC Agri already has four highly-trained technicians and a full-time salesman.

Further north, the Merlo franchise has been taken on by Carr’s Billington branches at Carlisle, Hexham and Morpeth for sales and support in Cumbria and north-east England.

Norfolk dealer converts to McCormick

As part of its policy to focus on the McCormick product range in Britain, AgriArgo has enabled Landini dealer Cranworth Farm Services to switch to the 57-313hp red tractor line-up.

In doing so, the dealership, based at Cranworth near Thetford, has secured a sales and service territory encompassing all of Norfolk, as well as parts of Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

West Country outlet for Yamaha ATVs

Groundcare equipment specialist Devon Garden Machinery (DGM) is a newly appointed outlet for Yamaha all-terrain vehicles – both quads and buggies.

Based just outside Torquay, the dealer’s territory extends to Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

Boss ORV adds Yanmar tractors

Compact tractor maker Yanmar Agri has appointed Boss ORV to distribute its 22-60hp models in the UK and Ireland, and dealer recruitment is under way.

The deal comes hot on the heels of the distributor’s appointment to handle Aodes quads and buggies from China to complement the Powerland Agro electric quads from India and Corvus side-by-side machines built in Spain.

Recent Corvus dealer appointments are Chantry Engineers at Gainsborough, Lincs; DJS Hydraulics Agricultural & Plant Repairs at Amlwch, Anglesey; and Used 4 Turf, based in Colchester, Essex.

Yorkshire dealers for Ifor Williams

Stock trailer stalwart Ifor Williams has appointed a clutch of new dealers in Yorkshire, including Yorkshire Trailers, covering North Yorkshire from its base in Scarborough, and Sam Turner & Sons, which has branches at Northallerton, Piercebridge, Stokesley and Leyburn.

The third newcomer, AEG York at Barmby Moor near the city, provides specialist transport services to the agricultural and construction industries, so adding a complementary sales franchise is seen as a logical fit.

Vegetable kit distribution

Ernest Doe & Sons has taken on the Burdens Group’s specialist vegetable equipment franchises after it acquired the failed dealership’s Lincolnshire operations last year.

The portfolio of precision spraying, planting, harvesting and processing equipment from manufacturers Agrator, Agriplanter, Ecorobotix, Samon, Sieger, Struik, Tumoba, Verhoest and Wifo is available through Doe’s specialist team throughout the UK and Ireland.

The Lincolnshire branches also retained the local dealer franchises for Bauer irrigation and Tong handling equipment.

Tong Engineering, meanwhile, has teamed up with Dutch manufacturer VHM Machinery to distribute the firm’s automated pallet box and big bag handling equipment.

These systems complement Tong’s filling and tipping equipment to provide broad options to growers with grading and packing system.

Deere dealers join forces

Two of Scotland’s John Deere dealers are coming together with the purchase of DKR Agricultural Services, at Coulter, near Biggar, by neighbour J&S Montgomery.

The acquisition will add a fourth branch to the Montgomery business, covering Lanarkshire, south Stirlingshire and West Lothian, to complement the existing Ayrshire outlets at Beith, Stranraer and Ayr down the south-west coast of Scotland.

Kverneland goes with Netherton Tractors

On the other side of Scotland, Netherton Tractors has been awarded the full Kverneland franchise previously held by HRN Tractors, including grassland and arable implements.

These will be available throughout the eastern areas covered by Netherton’s five branches, at Tollmuir near Forfar; Glenrothes; Perth; Turriff in Aberdeenshire; and Nairn near Inverness.

MacArthur BDC adds crop colour sorting

Food processing equipment specialist Buhler has teamed up with MacArthur BDC to make grain sorting by colour available to all arable farms throughout the UK and Ireland, not just the biggest growers.

Said to be timely because of high levels of ergot last year, the partnership will see grain storage, drying and handling firm MacArthur BDC providing expertise to incorporate Buhler’s Spark Pro colour sorting technology into farm facilities to optimise the value of grain crops.

Lloyd and Ripon Group hitch with Nugent

Northern Ireland road trailer maker Nugent has secured the multi-branch dealerships Lloyd and Ripon Farm Services to add to its existing dealer network in Britain.

Lloyd has made Nugent stock and general-purpose trailers available from its Bishop Auckland, Carlisle, Dumfries, Kelso, Lothians, Newcastle and Penrith branches, while all 13 of Ripon Group’s facilities covering Yorkshire, Teesside, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire will stock and support the comprehensive trailer range.