Annual Bedfordshire open day includes new products and franchises

A very successful early April open day by Oliver Agriculture at its main Wandon End, Luton depot provided a great opportunity for customers to view all the main brands, and find out about services on offer from the long-established dealer.

The original trading company AT Oliver & Sons Ltd has been in business since 1823, became one of the first UK Claas dealers in 1947, and now operates from five depots – Luton, Beds; Tingewick, Bucks; and Reading, Berks as well as new depots at Winchester, Hants and Petworth, Sussex – both to cover new southern sales areas to which it was appointed by Claas in October last year.

Quality brands

Along with the full range of Claas equipment including combines, tractors, Scorpion telehandlers, Jaguar forage harvesters, square and round balers, mowers, rakes and tedders, complementary franchises include Horsch; Dal-Bo; Opico; Maschio; Strautmann;  He-Va; Samson; Spread-a-Bale; Grange Machinery; Richard Western; KRM; Teagle; Lynx; Samson; Tanco; Philip Watkins; Bunning; Maidwell Molers; Martin Lishman; Cherry Products; StocksAg and Techneat Engineering.

The annual open days are a popular event in the local farming calendar and always well attended. The regional Martin Lishman moisture meter grain clinic is an attraction for growers in the area offering quick and convenient testing and certification of grain moisture and temperature measuring equipment.

“It’s always a pleasure to be invited to Oliver Agriculture’s Luton open day,” commented Teagle area sales manager Chris White. “Holding the grain clinic at the event is a great idea, and with the wide range of tractors and other products displayed it makes it a useful and interesting day out for farmers.

“We have an excellent relationship with the dealer and enjoy spending time with the sales team and directors.”

New at this year’s event for the first time was Grange Machinery with its range of cultivation and fertiliser application products for which Oliver Agriculture has recently been appointed the company’s first UK dealer.

Opico equipment displayed included grassland maintenance products, Maschio power harrows and drills, and a Strautmann VertiMix feeder wagon. “We were delighted to support Oliver Agriculture at what has become a well organised and supported event in the local calendar,” said Opico He-Va product specialist Glenn Bootman. “As one of our longest-established dealers it is always good to see customers new and old, and to agree deals on the day for products stocked by the dealer. We very much look forward to supporting the company again at its 2020 event.” Pictured are Glenn (left) and Maschio product manager David Day.

A Samson PG11 20 tanker fitted with an 18m drip hose boom mounted on an 8t rear linkage and with hydraulic suspension and a rear steering axle also had unique injector filling which requires no vacuum pump. With the impressive machine are (l-r) Oliver’s sales director Russell Hallam and field sales managers based at Petworth – Gavin Elliott and Aaron Dadswell.

Horsch UK regional sales manager looking after drills and cultivation equipment, Ross Gregg and Horsch Leeb regional sales manager responsible for application systems, Matt Smith were on-hand to talk visitors through the range of Horsch products on offer through Oliver’s dealer network. “The event is always well attended and provides a great opportunity to meet with long-standing and new customers,” commented Matt. Pictured with a Horsch Leeb trailed sprayer are (l-r) Ross, Matt and Oliver’s Petworth depot service manager Jeremy Uren.