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A LEADING Northern agricultural supplier is celebrating 25 years of doing business with one of the world’s most iconic farm machinery brands.

Carrs Agriculture was already one of the region’s largest independent agricultural suppliers by 1994, when it took over the agricultural division of County Motors based in Carlisle and Penrith, along with Bairds of Annan.

The move was a shrewd one. It forged a relationship which has lasted until the present day, because it gave the thriving company its first link with a world leading tractor manufacturer, Massey Ferguson.

Dale Shaw, machinery sales manager, said: “They knew back then that Massey Ferguson was the brand to go for, and I think they had a good idea that it would be a great business to be affiliated with. Massey were already a well-known brand and had a strong reputation.

“For their part, by joining forces with Carrs Agriculture, Massey Ferguson gained a dealer with strong connections to the communities it served, which was able to support the brand by providing very high quality sales, service, and parts coverage.”

The new partnership was immediately effective, with revenue on farm machinery increasing 25 per cent, taking overall group turnover to £54 million that year, and within a short time, more than 150 Massey Ferguson tractors had been sold.

The very first model sold was a four-wheel drive MF 3075, which went to a nearby farm. As farming changed and more powerful machinery was needed, the dealership went from selling the 122hp MF 6180 in 1995, right up to selling their very first MF 8732 in 2018, which boasts a staggering 320hp.

Throughout that quarter century, Carrs Billington grew continuously, becoming Massey Ferguson’s premier dealer in Northern England and the South West Scotland, and one of the top in the UK.

As Carrs have developed, so did Massey Ferguson, expanding its product line by introducing mowers, balers, combine harvesters, tedders, rakes, and telehandlers over the years. The full range is available to view at any of the Carrs Billington machinery depots in Annan, Barnard Castle, Carlisle, Hexham, Morpeth and Penrith.

The dealership has already marked this silver anniversary by commissioning a special silver MF 7700 series tractor, which is now hard at work for a local contractor, and further celebrations are planned.

With annual farm machinery sales now exceeding £30 million, and Carrs Billington Agriculture turning over more than £290 million, the next 25 years look as bright as the last for these two thriving brands.