Unrelenting economic headwinds have seen to the demise of several well-known machinery dealerships.

Oliver Mark rounds them up, and shares some cheerier expansion and acquisition news from the past few months.

See also: Turnover stats reveal Britain’s biggest machinery dealers

Collings Bros and Suffolk Agri Centre close their doors

Cashflow-savaging interest rates, reduced demand, and a shortage of staff have conspired to kill off several respected dealerships.

Among those to buckle under the unabating economic challenges is Collings Brothers of Abbotsley, which ceased trading with immediate effect on 28 March.

The announcement came just a week after it hosted an open day at its St Neots depot, and despite the company apparently being solvent.

Staff are being supported and have continued to complete existing workshop jobs. No new contracts will be taken on, and customers will be directed to neighbouring dealerships for future machinery sales and service.

A company statement said: “The current economic situation has put a lot of pressure on the business with high stocking charges and a reduction of sales due to the state of the market.

Together with staff shortages, this has made it impossible to continue.”

The decision to close its two depots, at Abbotsley, Cambridgeshire, and Brigstock, Northamptonshire, ends 94 years of business.

Some 29 of those were spent selling Case IH tractors, a relationship that ended in 2020 following widespread dealership upheaval. Collings Bros replaced that franchise with Deutz-Fahr, which it sold alongside Kuhn, Merlo and Claydon equipment.

The same fate has befallen Suffolk Agri Centre, the Bury St Edmunds-based dealer of McCormick tractors and Krone, Cousins and Amazone implements. The three-decade-old business, ran by David Eley from its Pakenham site, went into receivership in February.

But Aberdeen outfit Balgownie has risen from the ashes, just a month after calling in administrators due to cashflow problems.

The 117-year-old company, and assets including the Inverurie and Turriff trading sites, were sold to MacGregor Industrial Supplies, preserving 15 jobs.  

Hosplant opens second depot

Kubota dealer Hosplant has opened a second depot for farmers in Suffolk and Norfolk.

The site at Wattisfield, near Diss, is 45 miles north of its headquarters at Peldon, Essex, and provides workshop facilities, parts and sales for customers in the northern portion of its territory. This also provides a second base for mobile engineers, allowing for quicker reactions to callouts in the area.

Elsewhere, Major Owen, based in Penrhyndeudraeth on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, has expanded into the agricultural sector, having previously specialised in groundscare machinery.

It will be offering Kubota’s 104-175hp M-series tractors to customers across north Wales and Anglesey, alongside its existing range of M4 and M5 models.

TR joins AVR dealer network

Potato machinery from Belgian firm AVR is now available through Shropshire outfit TR machinery.

Established in 2021 as part of the RVW Pugh group, the dealership also holds the Fendt franchise for its home county, as well as Cheshire, Mid Wales and parts of Staffordshire.

It is headquartered in Market Drayton, with service backup from workshops in Holmes Chapel and Churchstoke, but plans are in place for a move to a new purpose-built site in Newport later this year. This will put sales, service and parts under one roof.

Fife Tractors appointed McCormick dealer

The start of the year saw Fife Tractors pen a deal to sell McCormick’s full range of machinery across Fife and Kinross, from its base in Cupar.

Wiltshires takes on Deutz

Wiltshires, based in Dunsfold, Surrey, took on the Deutz-Fahr tractor franchise in January, following spells with Landini and McCormick.

The 50-year-old business, a long-standing main dealer for Merlo, covers Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire.

Wise becomes sole Arrowquip distributor

North Yorkshire firm Wise Agriculture has been given sole distribution rights in England, Scotland and Wales for Arrowquip’s cattle handling equipment portfolio.

The business, run by livestock farmers Edward and Laura Wise, has been selling the Canadian company’s manual squeeze crushes since 2018, and is also the UK distributor for Advantage Feeders and Landquip NZ’s Porta-Yards mobile sheep handling range.

Whatever Wheels to sell Yamaha ATVs

Blackburn-based Whatever Wheels has added Yamaha’s utility ATVs to its product range, having previously focused on sports and leisure products. These include Kodiak 450 and 750 ATVs, and the Viking UTV.

AL Agri seals Claydon deal

Claydon has appointed Case IH dealer AL Agri at Haughs of Ballinshoe, Forfar, to sell and support its range of drills, harrows and hoes.

Its territory extends from Dundee (Angus) to Stonehaven (Aberdeenshire) on the east coast, and west to Killin (Perthshire) and Strathmashie (Highlands).

Standen pairs with Turners

McCormick franchisee Turners Agricultural Engineers, of Bromyard, Herefordshire, has joined the Standen Engineering network, giving the family-run business access to an array of potato, root crop and salad machines.

It will sell products and parts, and offer service support, for both Standen and Standen Imports implements. These include Baselier, VHM, Forigo, Ferrari, Brettmeister, Ortomec, ARC, Simon, Imants, Bassi, Vegniek, Hoaf and MOM.

Prior Power Solutions

Great Yarmouth-based Prior Power Solutions is now the sole UK dealer for FPT Industrial engines. As well as managing sales and service support, it will carry stock of hundreds of genuine spares and accessories.

Oilfast Express delivers fuel to fields

Fuel supplier Oilfast has launched a new Express division for small-volume diesel and AdBlue deliveries direct to work sites.

Up to 900 litres of derv or HVO can be dispatched to outlying fields to keep machines moving in locations where bulk tanks aren’t installed.

Bobcat dealers grow

Existing Bobcat dealer Versatile Equipment is to cover the counties of Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire, following last year’s expansion into East Anglia.

The move into Suffolk and Norfolk saw it open a new depot in Lakenheath, just six miles from the Cambridgeshire border and well-placed to serve its new territory.

For the past three years, the business has also taken care of Greater London, Essex, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent and Surrey.

And changes in the South West have seen Hamblys appointed to sell Bobcat kit in Cornwall and Devon.

As well as its Launceston headquarters, the dealership has another Cornish branch in Redruth, two in Devon, at Honiton and Torrington, and a fifth at Bishops Lydeard in Somerset.

Rea Valley Tractors completes TVT acquisition

Late January saw Rea Valley Tractors complete its acquisition of neighbouring Teme Valley Tractors (TVT), strengthening its territory in south Shropshire and Mid Wales.

The company says it will be business as usual across all branches, with TVT’s Welshpool and Knighton sites continuing to trade from their current locations while they are integrated.

Longer-term, the company says the changes will give customers in the region better access to a bigger range of New Holland and Kuhn equipment. RVT also holds the franchises for JCB handlers and Bailey Trailers.

The deal concludes a busy 18 months for Rea Valley Tractors, which has substantially expanded its sales territory by opening three new branches in Middlewich (Cheshire), Ormskirk (Lancashire) and Denbigh (North Wales), making for a total of nine.

This follows its appointment as a New Holland dealer in late 2022, and the expansion of its JCB territory into Cheshire.

Chapmans Agricultural changes hands

Private investment group GIL Investments has completed a management buy-out of Chapmans Agricultural, supported by a new funding facility from Praetura Commercial Finance.

The Sheffield-based firm manufactures wearing parts for ploughs, cultivators and harvesters, having started out in 1925 producing leaf springs for the automotive sector.

Thorncliffe takes on Can-Am

Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) has added Rhyl-based Thorncliffe to its dealer roster, as it looks to grow its market share across Wales.

The firm will sell the full range of Can-Am ATVs and UTVs, which complement its recent acquisition of a local groundscare and machinery business.

Brazilian fert spreader maker joins Amazone

Amazone has acquired MP Agro, which manufacturers fertiliser spreaders in Brazil. The merger will see the companies work together on research and development of technology to improve spreading accuracy.