From November, Rea Valley Tractors will be switching from Deere to New Holland. The move will see the blue brand represented for all of Shropshire, part of Staffordshire, Cheshire, parts of Lancs as well as mid and North Wales. RVT currently has four branches, employing 130 staff.

There are also changes on the JCB front, as the Sudbury depot is to become a dedicated JCB Agriculture sales, service and parts outlet for customers in Staffs, Derbyshire, Shrops and mid-Wales. From January next year Cheshire will be added to the list from a new depot – an area currently served by John Bownes at Winsford.

“During discussions on our future plans for RVT, retaining the JCB Agriculture franchise was always a key priority – after all, it’s a world-class manufacturer right on our doorstep,“ points out RVT managing director, Steve Petford. “As a large Midlands-based business ourselves, we have always been immensely proud to represent JCB and expand our relationship; transforming our Sudbury branch to a dedicated JCB hub is a clear illustration of that. We are also delighted that JCB has given us the opportunity to expand our territory. We have a very strong record in supporting our customers across our existing territory and we are thrilled to be able extend this expertise to JCB customers in Cheshire from 2023.

“In discussions concerning the long-term development of the company, the options presented by our current tractor supplier effectively involved either down-sizing or selling the business, scenarios that were emphatically opposed by RVT’s Chairman and main shareholder Simon Clarke, not least because of the impact on jobs. Instead, we have taken an alternative route, taking charge of our own destiny by successfully negotiating to take on the New Holland territory for tractors and harvest machinery across an area that is larger than the one we have today.”

The company has already submitted for planning permission to enhance the Shrewsbury site, doubling the amount of workshop space as well as providing a covered area for used machinery and space for technical training.

This is a new dawn for Rea Valley Tractors,” says RVT chairman, Simon Clarke. “After 38 years, we are really excited by the opportunity not only for our business, but customers alike by supplying and servicing machinery from world-class British manufacturers. Combined with our skilled workforce, knowledge of the area and drive to move our business forward, the future is tremendously exciting. The decision to change RVT’s main franchise has not been taken lightly; but we were determined to protect the jobs of our dedicated staff by securing a profitable long-term future for the business.”