New venture a fresh start for Meningie machinery family
Bevan
and Owen Swan of Swan Farm Machinery in Meningie, SA, were heavily involved in
all forms of machinery, but in a much different role.
Having
grown up in the region, both men served their mechanic apprenticeships at local
farm machinery dealerships. During these early days both gathered valuable
experience on the needs of local farmers and their machines, whilst learning
their trade on all manner farm machinery from the Meningie region
This
has provided them with a fantastic insight into the region and its farmers, in
their current role as joint partners of the new machinery dealership.
But
it is not only farm machinery that the pair have experience with.
Talk
with them and it is soon apparent that three to four years in the gold fields of
Western Australia with CAT and Cummins have developed their skills and both
managers and businessmen.
Nowadays
though, the boys march to a different drum. Instead of toiling in the workshop,
they own it, having taken Swan Farm Machinery (formerly Meningie Sales and
Service) close to 12 months ago.
According
to Bevan and Owen, the business is starting with as clean slate, and renewing
opportunities for the local farming community to own industry leading tractors
and hay making equipment.
"While
it has been a daunting prospect to go into business for ourselves, opening the
business back on November 1 last year has opened up our ability to grow a
business that we know a hell of a lot about," they said.
In
fact, the pair bring to Swan Farm Machinery decades of experience in both the
workshop and at dealership level, and a desire to grow the business to suit the
needs of the local farming community.
Pivotal
to this business development has been the Swan's involvement in the United Agri
Group. An amalgamation of four fellow New Holland dealers in eastern SA and
western Victoria, the pair said they are excited about the opportunities the
group will bring to their local clients.
Most
important will be the ability to maximise trade-in opportunities, the chance to
take trade machines that may otherwise not suit the region's machinery needs.
"There
are four other dealers with us, and they operate in very different farming
communities. There is now a collective nouse amongst the five of us that ensures
we can sell trades to different regions if they are more suited to the size or
style of the tractor.
"This
is a great benefit for our clientele and ensures they get better value when they
come to buy a new machine," the boys said.
The
obvious strength with the new business is the service however, and Bevan is
proud of the experience he and his brother bring to the fledgling operation.
"When
a farmer comes to buy a new tractor from Swan, he can be safe in the knowledge
that we know as much about the machine as the mechanics and we can pass on that
know-how to our clients.
"Having
spent as much time in our past fixing machines in various workshops, gives us an
appreciation of what farmers need to know about the on-going maintenance of a
tractor or piece of hay making equipment."
Nowadays,
you can't wipe the smile of Bevan and Owen's faces, such is their enthusiasm for
the new business venture.
Owen
and Bevan Swan, Swan Farm machinery, are excited about the development of UAG
and its impact on their business.