CHANGES AT THE TOP

PICTURED ABOVE: Dan Crowe and Joe Bell

With effect from 01 August 2023, Dan Crowe has taken over as managing director of the Kverneland Group UK Ltd, from retiring md Joe Bell. 

Dan Crowe’s career spans over 26 years with the company, and he takes over his new role after 21 years as a product manager, latterly responsible for all feeding and forage equipment.

“I’m looking forward to taking the business forward, and building on what Joe has achieved in his time at the top,” said Dan. “After almost 40 years in the industry - and the last 20 as managing director of the Kverneland Group UK - Joe is taking a well-earned retirement.” 

Joe Bell started his agricultural career with Ferrag in 1984 as financial controller. The business was sold to Kverneland in 1998 and eventually merged with Vicon to form Kverneland Group UK, based at its current location in St Helens, Merseyside.

In that time, Joe has guided the UK operation and its dealer network through many changes including the subsequent take-over in 2012 by Kubota Holdings.

Joe said, “It’s been a tremendous period of change and evolution, and I’m now looking forward to spending more time with my family and grandchildren.”

Coinciding with the change of managing director are a series of team changes that have arisen from internal promotion.

The first is David Perry, who is replacing Dan Crowe as the product manager responsible for feeding and forage equipment. David started his career at Kverneland in 2014 as a product demonstrator and has been an area sales manager for the last six years.

The second is Simon Wills, who takes on the role of crop care product manager responsible for sprayers, fertiliser spreaders and control terminals. Simon has been with the Kverneland Group since 2012, having started as a product support engineer. His appointment enables existing product manager Graham Owen to focus on seeding equipment.

Dan said: “Our goal is to enhance the product management team, and to continue to build on the successes already achieved in supporting our dealers and our customers. And to be able to do this through internal promotion shows the strength of the team and the depth of product knowledge already in place.”