Written by John Swire
John Deere has announced that Devon and Cornwall dealer Smallridge Bros Ltd will be expanding its agricultural sales area into mid and west Cornwall, effective from 1st November 2020.
The family-owned business, which already has three outlets in Barnstaple and Holsworthy in Devon and at Callington in east Cornwall, will be replacing Cornwall Farm Machinery, who have decided to relinquish the John Deere franchise from that date. Smallridge Bros plans to open a new outlet to serve customers in the region, and details of this will be confirmed in due course.
Smallridge Brothers was established at East Collabear near Barnstaple in Devon in 1977, when brothers David and Michael Smallridge started an agricultural engineering partnership, and John Deere signed the business as an official franchise dealership in 1990. In 2011 the company moved into Cornwall for the first time with a second outlet at Callington, and in 2014 a third outlet was acquired at Holsworthy in Devon when the dealership took over the John Deere business previously managed by Robert Cole Agricultural Engineers Ltd.
Smallridge Bros currently employs over 70 staff and has established a successful new technology department specialising in John Deere’s Precision Ag and Connected Support systems. The dealership also operates a number of other franchises including Kramer telehandlers and loaders, in addition to John Deere’s full line of agricultural products and services. John Deere’s professional turf dealership managed by Masons Kings at St Columb in Cornwall is unaffected by these changes.
“We are very pleased that Smallridge Bros has been awarded the John Deere agricultural franchise for mid and west Cornwall,” said dealer principal Simon Smallridge. “We look forward to opening a new depot to extend our existing high levels of service support and sales expertise throughout the entire county.”
John Deere Limited division sales manager Joedy Ibbotson added: “I am delighted to make this announcement. Smallridge Brothers built its original business on efficient, reliable service and customer support, and this is still very much the company’s ethos 30 years later. As one of our longstanding and highest performing dealers, Smallridge Bros will ensure continuity of service and support for customers in the newly expanded trading area.”
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