Picture: Robert Crawford senior (right) and his son Robert have taken their long-established agricultural machinery dealership Robert H Crawford & Son into the McCormick network.
• Robert H Crawford & Son awarded McCormick franchise in south east Lincs
• Mike Garwood forms new dealer business for McCormick in Hampshire
Two more dealers have joined the McCormick network to provide farmers and contractors in Lincolnshire and Hampshire with local parts and service support.
Robert H Crawford & Son has a long history in agricultural engineering – the business was formed in 1921 – and in the past has been closely associated with tracklayer tractors and the manufacture of specialist implements for farmers working the heavy clay soils of east Lincs.
Now, says Robert Crawford senior, the firm will draw on the expertise of its experienced staff at Frithville near Boston to support users of McCormick tractors and Laverda harvest products.
"The McCormick range has a solid history behind it but also benefits from the new models and features added by the factory in recent years," he points out. "We made our first visit to the Doncaster plant before signing the franchise agreement and were very impressed with the production and quality control facilities."
Crawford's trading area for McCormick and Laverda machinery extends from just south of Boston to Alford in north Lincs, roughly halfway across the county from the coast.
Michael Garwood Ltd is a new company formed to represent McCormick and Laverda in Hampshire from sales, parts and workshop premises in Holybourne north of Alton, from where Mike Garwood previously traded in partnership.
"With all the changes going on in the agricultural machinery industry it is sometimes difficult to know how best to develop a business such as ours," he says. "But it wasn't difficult to sign up with McCormick when I had the opportunity. It's an excellent product range and the company's attitude to parts and service support is very positive – that's crucial if we and our customers are to have every confidence in the products."
His McCormick territory extends across Hampshire and into northern Sussex.
McCormick Tractors International assembles four tractor ranges at its Doncaster plant: the 73-102hp McCormick CX, which now comes with XtraShift three-speed powershift and power shuttle; the 90-136hp four- and six-cylinder McCormick MC range; the McCormick MTX six-cylinder tractors with their new 115-195hp BetaPower engines; and the flagship McCormick ZTX heavy arable tractor from 216-260hp.
In addition, McCormick sells three ranges of specialist tractors with engine power outputs from 21-99hp. With numerous width and transmission options, plus open platform and cab options, these tractors are ideal for orchard and horticultural work, groundscare operations and other rural enterprises.
The new Laverda M Series combine harvester range distributed by McCormick is complemented by a line-up of big square and round balers suitable for grass silage and hay as well as straw.
Richard Bryant, McCormick's UK sales manager, welcomes Crawfords and Mike Garwood to the company's dealer network.
"We put a lot of engineering effort into producing tractors that perform reliably in the field but good service and parts back-up is still essential," he says. "I'm sure our two new dealers will provide this vital link with customers in their respective areas, and attract new users to sample what the McCormick range has to offer."
