Sales growth predicted for premium brand tractors Iseki UK & Ireland managing director David Withers (left) with Yoshiyuki Toyoda cutting the ribbon to declare the new headquarters open,

Doubling current sales numbers within five years is the ambitious target for Iseki’s new UK distribution centre. David Williams attended its official opening. Iseki tractors have been imported to the UK since the 1970s, in recent years by Ransomes Jacobsen. The Ipswich-based company has developed and maintained strong brand sales, mainly for ground care and amenity use alongside its own professional mower ranges. Now an amicable divorce has taken place and since January this

year Iseki products are being stored, backed-up and marketed from a new location, still in Ipswich and within a stone’s throw distance of Ransomes, but by Iseki UK & Ireland, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japanese manufacturer. “Ransomes Jacobsen has done well with Iseki developing a loyal customer base but mainly within

Several established agricultural dealers attended including Fentons of Bourne managing director Glen Bellamy. “I am sure these changes are positive for dealers with additional focus given to marketing and backing the Iseki range,” he explained. “It’s great that the current Iseki team is remaining with the brand for continuity and all seem very positive and enthusiastic regarding future potential sales growth. New homologated models are coming through meeting the latest design requirements and they are well finished with all the features farmers need. We supply Iseki to amenity contractors and golf courses as well as agricultural users, and typical users in our area include vegetable growers, where the tractors are the ideal size to plough in fleece. We have recently supplied two to pumpkin growers for field work and poly-tunnel operations. They are priced just right for the specification and it’s a very good range,” he concluded. Glenn is pictured (left) with John Clifford.

amenity and ground care sectors,” explained Iseki UK and Ireland UK sales manager, John Clifford. “We believe there is potential for additional sales within industries where the brand is currently underrepresented, including agriculture and horticulture and our target is to double current sales within five years.” The new company is responsible for Iseki tractor and mower distribution in the UK, Ireland, Iceland, Middle East, South Africa and Russia. Many of the Ransomes Jacobsen Iseki team transferred with the brand so customers and dealers are promised continuity within current markets. Almost all the UK dealers are being retained

too, so the transition for users is seamless.

Agricultural sales What is changing is the marketing. “We have a great dealer network but there are some areas where dealers specialise heavily in one industry such as golf courses or ground care. Where needed we will look for additional dealers catering for more general use including agriculture,” explained product and marketing manager Richard Tyrrell. “Where we have dealers with agricultural experience, for example, they already achieve high sales volumes into farms and users are delighted with the tractors’ suitability and performance. But it isn’t just the tractors that will benefit. We have a superb range of self-propelled, ride-on mowers from large-scale domestic to professional specification ideal for farms and

Yeowart Agricultural, based at Sharpthorne, West Sussex has been an Iseki main dealer for approximately seven years. “We took on Iseki as customers had requested the brand,” explained director Lewis Yeowart. “We looked at it at the Saltex show and were impressed with the product and the Iseki team so took it on. Most sales are to ground care companies and farms and we have sold a few to vegetable producers who like the narrow wheel-track which suits the crop better than typical larger farm tractors. Comfort is good when working long hours and air-conditioned cabs are popular with farms, and larger equestrian users where a lot of time is spent on paddock duties. “We have sold a number for yard scraping on livestock farms. These tend to be ROPs models with specification and price as low as possible, but they are almost all replacing typical older classic yard tractors for the improved efficiency, lower running costs and improved comfort and safety. “Generally customers like dealing with one supplier who they trust to provide excellent after-sales service and we offer a full range of tractor sizes and implements. Parts back-up from Iseki is excellent, availability of new machines is good and I believe the changes to Iseki’s UK operation will be positive for us as a dealer,” he added. Lewis is pictured (right) with sales representative Tom Moon.

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