DEALER 'TAKES CHARGE OF OWN DESTINY'

Rea Valley Tractors, the West-Midlands and mid-Wales farm machinery business, will become a New Holland dealer from 1st November 2022, while continuing to supply products from JCB, Kuhn and a number of other manufacturers - meaning they will separate from their current main franchise, John Deere.

The appointment as a New Holland dealer for agricultural tractors and harvest machinery throughout Shropshire, part of Staffordshire, Cheshire, part of Lancashire, mid and North Wales, marks a significant change for Rea Valley Tractors, which currently operates four branches and employs 130 staff as the largest business of its kind in the region and one of the biggest in Britain.

Steve Petford, managing director, said, “In discussions concerning the long-term development of the company, the options presented by our current tractor supplier effectively involved either downsizing or selling the business, scenarios that were emphatically opposed by RVT’s Chairman and main shareholder Simon Clarke, not least because of the impact on jobs.

“Instead, we have taken an alternative route, taking charge of our own destiny by successfully negotiating to take on the New Holland territory for tractors and harvest machinery across an area that is larger than the one we have today, and also an extended JCB territory that will include Cheshire from 1st January 2023”. 

RVT say they will continue to support customers with repairs, routine servicing and parts for the John Deere products they have been selling, and are convinced that the combination of New Holland, JCB and Kuhn, together with Bailey, Grimme, Joskin, Ag Leader and other franchises, will be a long-term success.

The dealership has depots at Shrewsbury and Newport in Shropshire, Welshpool in Powys, and Sudbury in Derbyshire, with new branch locations to be announced in due course. 

The company has applied for planning permission to substantially enhance the Shrewsbury depot with new buildings that will double the amount of workshop space and improve working conditions, provide a technical training facility and covered storage for used machinery.

The development will also enhance presentation of the Isuzu commercial vehicles supplied exclusively from the Shrewsbury branch.

There are also plans to significantly expand the workshop facility at the Sudbury depot, where the focus will be on JCB and Kuhn sales and support, to increase servicing and repairs capacity and improve working conditions.

RVT Chairman, Simon Clarke added, “This is a new dawn for Rea Valley Tractors. After 38 years, we are really excited by the opportunity not only for our business, but customers alike by supplying and servicing machinery from world-class British manufacturers. Combined with our skilled workforce, knowledge of the area and drive to move our business forward, the future is tremendously exciting”. 

He continued, “The decision to change RVT’s main franchise has not been taken lightly; but we were determined to protect the jobs of our dedicated staff by securing a profitable long-term future for the business. We look forward to sharing our plans with you in the coming months.”