THE round robin of mainline machinery franchise changes in Scotland has continued with the news that Fendt has appointed Johnston Tractors as a new dealer in North-west England and South-west Scotland.

This will see Johnston’s become official Fendt stockists and service support dealers from three branches in Carlisle, Dumfries and Penrith. It also sells Valtra, which, like Fendt, is another brand from the AGCO stable.

Established in 1962, Johnston Tractors has always been a family run business. Howard Johnston and sister, Lorna, lead an experienced team that is excited by the new relationship with Fendt. “We welcome the opportunity to work with and represent Fendt in our territories.

"We believe the Fendt brand will be popular with our customers and we are looking forward to introducing them to the wide range of machines available,” said managing director, Mr Johnston. “At the same time, we are able to offer existing Fendt customers the wealth of experience and customer support that we deliver on a daily basis."

Martin Hamer, Fendt's UK sales manager, added: “It is a pleasure to welcome Johnstons to the Fendt dealer family. This long-established business has the experience and knowledge to represent Fendt and offer excellent customer service and support. We are looking forward to a long and successful partnership that will see Johnston’s work with us to offer a broad range of Fendt products.”

Johnston Tractors became a Fendt dealer on October 1, joining more than 30 dealerships throughout the UK. This change to the dealer network is set to be fully effective by April, 2021 and to allow for a period of transition. Johnston’s are now preparing to take on responsibility for the brand with the necessary staff training and are working with Fendt to make it a smooth transition for existing and potential Fendt customers.

Johnston Tractors was formerly a John Deere dealership.