Richard Bryant - UK Sales Manager
• A T Houghton takes on McCormick franchise in the north Midlands
• Difuria joins McCormick network covering South Yorkshire and North Lincs
The appointment of new McCormick dealers A T Houghton and Difuria further strengthens the Doncaster-based tractor manufacturer's ability to provide farmers, contractors and others using the company's agricultural and groundscare tractors with local parts and service support.
"Continued changes in the farm machinery distribution trade have presented us with some great opportunities to expand our dealer network," says Richard Bryant, McCormick's UK sales manager. "We recognise that farmers and contractors prefer to buy tractors from dealers who can supply back-up locally, not from many miles away. Our network reflects that preference while ensuring dealers have territories of economic size."
Alwyn Houghton's family dealership at Shearsby, near Lutterworth has impressive parts and workshop facilities to service the new McCormick franchise, covering Leicestershire and north Northamptonshire.
"Our business is based on service and building good relationships with customers," says Mr Houghton. "We're going to get on well with McCormick because they seem to have a similar outlook – they are clearly as enthusiastic and energetic about tractors as we are."
While AT Houghton will continue to look after customers with products from its previous franchises, the focus as far as sales are concerned, is now firmly on McCormick.
"It's a proven and well developed range of tractors," says Mr Houghton. "With models from a 21hp groundscare machine to a 280hp tillage giant, it's clear McCormick has something for everyone."
The machinery retailing operation of Difuria Group gets its first tractor franchise with McCormick. The company will cover North Lincs and South Yorkshire.
Difuria has retailing experience from some leading compact construction machinery franchises, operating from its a base at Beckingham. But its operations as a whole-farm agricultural and railway maintenance contractor have given the company and its staff a clear understanding of the need for good service back-up.
"We have good workshop facilities, two full time parts storesmen and a dozen service staff, most of whom previously worked with agricultural dealers," says sales director Philip Douce, whose background is also in agricultural engineering. "We'll be drawing on their expertise and experience to provide McCormick customers with a prompt and efficient service."
