Mark Weatherhead Ltd has been appointed by McCormick Tractors UK & Ireland to fill one of the few remaining gaps in its UK dealer network, covering the Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire area from the dealership’s Hardwick premises near Cambridge.

The appointment brings together one of the area’s most respected and long-established farm equipment suppliers and a tractor brand that is on a significant dealer recruitment drive, having made five appointments, and grown its UK business over the past year. The history of the Mark Weatherhead business stretches back to 1945, when the founding company was created by Donald Weatherhead, father of current managing director Mark.

Today the daily management of the comprehensive sales, service and spare parts operation at Hardwick is overseen by Mark and sales director Craig Footman, while Mark’s son Edward also plays an active role. The dealership has a full sales, service and parts staff, and offers a range of complementary franchises for which it has a strong following, including Krone and Pöttinger. Further products retailed and supported by the business include ATVs, garden machinery and Isuzu pick-ups, and there is also a grain handling/fixed equipment department.

“We have a long-established history of selling and supporting tractors in this area, with many longstanding customers,” says Mark Weatherhead.

“The opportunity to take on the McCormick franchise means we can offer farmers and contractors in this area models from 44-310hp, covering the main power sectors sought locally, and backed by a manufacturer whose support has already impressed me. With the capacity to manufacture 22,000 units a year, McCormick parent Argo Tractors is a major player in the business.

“Once our agreement with McCormick was signed, we commenced a demonstration programme as soon as possible, providing tractors to interested customers so they could test them thoroughly, and leaving them with forms so they could provide both us and McCormick with feedback. With the autumn weather then curtailing our demo plans, we mailed 300 key customers and invited them to attend a mid-October open day here at Hardwick, where they could examine a range of McCormick tractors and talk to the staff as well as our own team, with full catering and respect given to coronavirus safety.”

The signing of the Mark Weatherhead business to the McCormick dealer network is considered a major appointment by Ben Agar, Business Development Director at Argo Tractors UK & Ireland, the UK branch of family-owned Argo Tractors, which operates five factories across Italy producing McCormick and Landini machines and manufacturing many of the core components they require.

“This is a very well-known and high-profile dealer business in the Cambs, Herts and Beds area, with a long-established and strong reputation,” says Ben.

“We have been seeking the right dealer to cover this region for the brand for some time, and are very pleased to have signed a partner of Mark Weatherhead’s stature to the McCormick network.”