ONE OF the largest agricultural machinery dealers in Wales – Riverlea Tractors – has joined the McCormick sales and support network.

The appointment of the former Case-IH distributor aims to strengthen McCormick‘s local parts and service support to farmers and contractors in the area using the Doncaster-based company‘s agricultural and grounds care tractors.

“We‘re delighted to welcome a dealer of Riverlea‘s stature and performance to the McCormick network,” said Richard Bryant, McCormick‘s UK sales manager.

“I know it wasn‘t a straightforward decision but again, the franchise situation in the machinery distribution trade has given us an opportunity to build McCormick‘s presence.”

Riverlea Tractors is representing McCormick in its traditional area across south and west Wales from three branches – at Crymych, north Pembrokeshire, Whitland in Carmarthenshire and Llandow in the Vale of Glamorgan.

“We‘ve watched McCormick develop with great interest and have been impressed by the company‘s refreshing willingness to listen to its customers and dealers and react quickly when required,” said Riverlea sales director Mike Hill.

“We concluded that switching to McCormick will be best for our customers and for our business in the long term.”

Riverlea is already geared up with the necessary skills and equipment to provide effective parts and service back-up for the big population of Doncaster-built tractors in the area thanks to a long association with the factory and its products.

The company is drawing on McCormick‘s growing ‘heritage‘ range of parts for past models, as well as from the contemporary range for today‘s McCormick models.

“As far as new sales are concerned, we are in a strong dairying area so the CX range, which has been improved with new engines and the XtraShift three-speed powershift and powershuttle gearbox, will be the most popular models here,” added Mike Hill.

“But we also expect demand for the more powerful MC Power6 and MTX tractors from bigger farmers and contractors.”