Fullwood JOZ has made its name with a unique combination of innovative thinking, service agility and intelligent design. This has resulted in healthy and productive cows for the company’s core customer: the dairy farmer.
“We are known for our superior ability,” Martin Eistrup, Sales Director. “We go the extra mile to achieve the best results on a farm. Fullwood JOZ has demonstrated proven results since the beginning of the dairy milking equipment era and, with the M²erlin milking robot, we now offer the most advanced milking robot among competitors.”
The company works on the philosophy that improving standards in welfare and well-being will benefit both herd and
farmer. This understanding is combined with a strong appreciation of the value of data as a vital aspect for any profitable modern dairy farm.
“Every cow is individual,” said Mr Eistrup. “Therefore, any possible data resource from the animal consolidated in solid farm management software enables the farmer to achieve higher results per animal and improve overall farm performances. Data is a key driver for our company and must be for dairy farms too.”
Going Dutch
Fullwood JOZ began active operations in the summer of 2022. It is the result of an acquisition by Dutch company JOZ, known for stable-cleaning machines, of Fullwood LTD the milking equipment business based in Ellesmere, UK.
“Although we may seem a quite young company, both segments already had a very long history in the market,” said Mr Eistrup. “The Fullwood segment, in particular, belongs
to one of the oldest milking equipment companies worldwide.”
Indeed, the company has been innovating in the dairy sector in some form for over 200 years: Fullwood was founded back in 1785 and became one of the pioneers of milking robots, with its first milking machine launched in 1948.
Nowadays, Fullwood JOZ is known for its highly modern-approach, offering famers a wide range of a products to achieve the highest level of automation on a farm. This is especially demonstrated by its flagship product, the innovative M²erlin milking robot machine.
By 2024, Fullwood JOZ revenue had reached the €100 million mark. Headquar ters are split between two sites north of Amsterdam: one in Middemer for Fullwood JOZ, and a separate location in Westwoud, for JOZ. The total number of employees now exceeds 250.
Happy cows, happy farmers
According to Mr Eistrup, Fullwood JOZ has seen a significant growth in interest from farmers wanting to invest in milking robots and the
smart solutions of tomorrow. “Younger farmers are especially strongly committed,” he said.
The milking robot concept is highly adaptable and can be designed for both small and larger farms. Typically, Fullwood JOZ recommends voluntary milking for smaller and medium-sized family farms. Voluntary milking systems allow cows to decide when to be milked, using automated technology with minimal human intervention.
views suppliers as business partners, and as a result, they are treated with respect and trust. This feeds into the overall goal of working together to provide the best services and maintain product supply to a farm.
“We trust in our suppliers to deliver high-end quality products to us,” said Mr Eistrup. “There is a regular and constant exchange of product improvement with our R&D team and purchase department. We ensure that quality matters and have established several procedures, alongside our suppliers, to achieve the highest level.”
With such a long history of success, the company has lasted in the market much longer than competitors. This has meant that, over time, Fullwood JOZ has been able to build robust business partnerships and to provide excellent local service.
“Overall, the consumers of milk and milk products are quite a consistent group,” Mr Eistrup reflected. “However, the overall impact of customers wishing to see a reduction in carbon footprint will put further pressure on local authorities to implement
environmental aspects to reduce emissions. This has an impact in terms of cost drivers on farm.
“More fundamentally, the shortage of foreign labour is having the biggest impact. It is quite hard to find people willing to work on dairy farms. That is why robotisation has enormous growth potential.”
There is no doubt that the dairy industry plays a significant role in the European agriculture sector. This means there is plenty of room for the profitable and progressive commercial dairy farms of the future. The future of Fullwood JOZ therefore looks largely positive too. Plus, when it comes to employees like Mr Eistrup, it is hard to imagine him doing anything else.
“I was born on a dairy farm in Germany,” he concluded. “I am passionate about cows, and I understand dairy farmers’ challenges, but also see the opportunities. Working around the globe, having direct contact with farmers in different countries and continents excites me a lot, especially showing them the potential of a sustainable dairy business.”
