SCATS closures halted
SCATS closures halted
A SHUTDOWN of the three main machinery sites owned by SCATS has been avoided following successful talks with local dealers.
The firm announced in May it was pulling out of the market, and marked the end of October as the deadline on deals. "Things have gone much better than expected," says managing director Tim Pollock. The Marden, Kent, depot has been leased to Renault Agriculture, and part of the Alton, Hants, site to William Wheatley, a local Case distributor.
The Billingshurst site in West Sussex is being redeveloped by the farmer-owned co-op, and Harper and Eede of Hurstpierpoint – also a Case dealership – has taken on the service facilities.
Further parts operations, including Canterbury and Romsey, have been shut. Most staff have been taken on by the new companies, or have found work elsewhere in the industry.