Next month’s Royal Cornwall Show will be the scene of celebrations for South-West farm machinery distributor Alan Snow, as he reaches 35 years of trading and the quarter century as an authorised Fendt dealer – one of the earliest to have been established in the UK.
Alan has been involved with agricultural machinery all his life. Coming from a farming family, at an early age he decided milking cows wasn’t for him. His real passion was tractors and, after leaving school, he took on an apprenticeship with agricultural engineers Fulford Trumps. At the age of 25, he elected to go it alone and set up a small repair business from home in Thornbury. Three years later he was appointed service agent for Fendt tractors, and in 1992 was awarded the full Fendt distribution franchise.
Initially operating out of the back of a van in 1982, today Alan Snow Agricultural Engineers Ltd employs 40 staff and operates from premises in Holsworthy, Launceston and Truro. In addition to being a Fendt dealer in Devon and Cornwall, the business also handles Massey Ferguson (Cornwall and West Devon), Valtra (Cornwall and West and South Devon), and is a dealer for Merlo, Kuhn, Stewart trailers, Pichon tankers and muck spreaders and BVL diet feeders.
The first Fendt tractor he supplied as a dealership was a 312 model, bought by a local contractor. “He’s still going strong, still a good customer and currently runs three Fendts,” says Alan. His second, third and fourth purchasers after starting with the franchise are all still customers, and still operating Fendt tractors.
“Things have altered a lot in the last 34 years including my waist line and hair style,” said Alan, “but I still get a buzz out of seeing a quality machine being operated properly and the sound of a tractor working hard, especially if it’s one we supplied. A big thank you to all our staff, customers and suppliers who have made these last 30 odd years possible, it has been very much appreciated.”
Picture: Alan and Di Snow.
