AGRITRAC Exports has enjoyed a positive first year as Hyundai dealer in Scotland – and has set its sights on significant growth with the brand in 2020.
Since January this year, the Stirling-headquartered business – part of agricultural machinery specialist HRN Tractors – has been selling Hyundai’s heavy line models and compact equipment.
Sales executive Leigh Dalgleish told Project Plant, “The first year has been pretty good. There’s been a lot of fluctuation in the market – we’ve had really good months and some slower ones – but I think that’s typical of what’s happening across the whole industry just now. There’s not a lot of big jobs on the go so a lot of the machines we’ve sold in the first year have been to existing or previous Hyundai customers. Though we have managed to sell to some new Hyundai customers too, which is good.”
Agritrac’s plans to grow the business include a desire to target more sales in the north of Scotland. Aberdeenshire-based Dunnydeer Services recently purchased two Hyundai HX140HW high walkers, adding to a fleet which already featured three R140LCM models.
Leigh said the high walkers are becoming increasingly popular, especially with forestry contractors.
“These machines give extra ground clearance,” he explained. “They get you above the stumps. They also come with full length track guards. It’s a specialist machine; the tracks last forever.”
Leigh added that a growing number of manufacturers are producing high walker models, but he claimed Hyundai are “ahead of the game”, with Leigh having sold one as far back as 2012 to Mike Melville.
“High walkers started off very popular in Finland, but they never really sold in the UK until about 2012-13. They’ve since become really popular.”
To aid growth in the north of the country, Alan Gaul has come on board to handle sales in that part of the world.
“We’re looking to grow the business significantly next year,” Leigh added. “2020 could be a fantastic year. We’re expanding the service team and investing in parts. It’s not just about selling machines; it’s everything that goes with it. We can see the potential.
“Alan Gaul has been with HRN Tractors for ten years. He worked with Finning before that. He knows his stuff; he knows the machines mechanically as well; and he knows a lot of customers in the north.
“Having a dedicated salesperson in the north is definitely important. I cover as far as Forfar and down to the Borders. It’s a big area to cover and just not practical for me to be covering Aberdeenshire as well. Alan has been doing it for three months now and we can already see the fruits of that.”
