Innovation helps Simba achieve a record turnover

18 May 2001




Innovation helps Simba achieve a record turnover

Increasing sales of disc

cultivators and drills,

together with a growing

export market has led to

Simba International

achieving a record turnover

and profits last year.

Andy Moore spoke to the

companys sales director

Guy Leversha

SEEMINGLY untouched by the depressed UK farming industry, Simba International has emerged into the 21st century as a successful cultivation equipment manufacturer by announcing record financial results for 2000.

The company reports a turnover of £12.3m for the first 10 months of last year, comparing favourably with the £8.1m for the same period in 1999.

Simbas sales director, Guy Leversha, says the increased turnover is down to his companys innovative approach for product development – and introduction of new implements such as the C-Series disc harrows and Double Disc (DD) press rings.

Replacing conventional cast rings, the Double Discs were introduced in 1998 and have improved the cultivation and consolidation performance of presses, says Mr Leversha.

The Double Discs comprise two discs pressed together to form a thin cutting edge and a wide profile shoulder.

"In 1998 we sold 173 presses and only three were fitted with DD rings. This contrasts starkly with the 217 we sold in 2000, all but five of them had DD rings," he says.

"The discs have proved most effective when used as a press in combination with the Solo cultivator for working in a variety of soil types."

After soil has been worked by the disc harrow and sub-soiling legs, the DD rings consolidate the ground to ensure moisture is retained before drilling, leaving the ground in a weatherproof state.

In addition to the DD rings, Simba claims to have achieved encouraging results with its latest Aqueel press roll, which is designed to replace conventional rollers fitted to implements such as power harrows and subsoilers.

Developed by Yorks inventor Charles Creyke, the Aqueel disc is made of a flexible material with lugs which make intentions in the soil surface to trap water.

Costing £1000/m, the Aqueel disc is not cheap, but Mr Leversha says it can significantly reduce water run-off and soil erosion, while achieving better germination and more even crop emergence. The Aqueel disc can be used behind the Solo cultivator to create a weatherproof seed-bed in a single pass.

"With last autumn one of the wettest on record, many growers were forced to evaluate the merits of a one-pass weatherproof cultivation system," he adds. "The Solo has proved very popular with over 40 models sold in 4.5m and 6m builds. There should be some 20 of the 3m models working on farms this autumn."

While initial momentum behind minimal and Eco-Tillage systems was driven by industry economics, Mr Leversha says a second environmental pressure is becoming apparent.

"The Eco-Tillage system originally focused on economic benefits, but there is now enough evidence to highlight environmental advantages. EU payments are increasingly being switched from production support and into green schemes so we will continue to develop equipment like the Solo.

"Being a successful manufacturer is all about anticipating the demands of the grower and industry at least three years in advance."

Using the Solo cultivator as an Eco-Tillage implement also confirms Simbas commitment to produce equipment capable of achieving maximum yield at the lowest unit cost per acre, says Mr Leversha.

Although the company made its name building cultivators, harrows and subsoilers, the Simba FreeFlow and Horsch drills contributed £3.75m to last years turnover.

"The reciprocal marketing agreement with the German manufacturer Horsch has allowed us to penetrate a wider and more varied market in the UK and overseas," says Mr Leversha. "We sold 110 Horsch drills in the UK last year, while Horsch sold 25 Simba drills in Germany."

Simba has also enjoyed sales of its Solo cultivators and DD ring presses in Germany where Horsch are used to selling tine harrow cultivators.

"The strength of the £ is inhibiting export sales, and Germanys lighter soils mean we may never sell as much Simba kit over there as Horsch can in the UK. The marketing agreement enables both companies to supply a complete range of cultivation systems to suit a wide range of markets," explains Mr Leversha.

The agreement, he insists, enables both partners to respond to individual farmer needs in a way that large multi-brand manufacturers, which depend on volume production, do not.

"Buyers of Simba and Horsch kit can specify an implement to suit their farms cropping and soil type."

Simba grew up as an exporting company, and is tapping into further markets in addition to the 90 countries it deals in.

Although the company was originally geared up for selling wide and heavy duty implements in Africa and the Middle East, Simba reports increasing sales in countries such as Hungary and New Zealand. &#42

Guy Leversha says Simbas turnover growth is mainly down to the sales success of its C-Series disc harrows and DD press rings.

Selling the Horsch drills in the UK has enabled Simba to open up a wider market alongside its FreeFlow models.

Simba results


Year Turnover* Profits

1999 £8.1m £564,000

2000 £12.3m £908,000

*First 10 months each year.

Simbas DD press rings, with their thin cutting edge and wide profile shoulder, are considered effective at consolidating soils and keeping in moisture.


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