"We are extremely pleased to have been awarded the Lemken franchise for all five Hamblys branches, as it fits in very well with the CLAAS product range. By having that exclusivity it will enable us to concentrate fully on Lemken in order to provide our customers with the best possible service and support," comments Steve Perryman of Hamblys.

"For us, the attraction of Lemken is that it's a name that is recognised to be at the forefront of tillage equipment and the range includes many products that will be ideal for the wide type of farms that we serve."

"Reliability and the quality of product that we sell is also very important for us and in this respect Lemken certainly comes with that badge."

For Lemken, by awarding the franchise to all five of Hamblys branches, it enables them to plug a large gap in their dealership coverage within south west England.

"In the past couple of years we have been undergoing a period of strengthening our dealership network and identifying dealers that can help us in those areas, that in the past have not been well covered, such as Devon and Somerset," explains Lemken UK General Manager, Mark Ormond.

"Hamblys were recommended to us as being a very professional and efficient dealer. We are looking to create exclusive agreements with professional dealerships, and having approached them, it was quickly apparent to both Clive Roberts, the area manager, and myself that Hamblys were indeed exactly the right type of dealer that we are looking to appoint."

"The five branches offered a large geographical area, but more importantly Hamblys is a very well managed company, that is well financed and extremely professional, and is also very committed to the future of the agricultural industry in the south west."

Established by Wilhelmus Lemken in 1870, the roots of the family owned company lie in the design and manufacture of ploughs, and these still play an important part in the business, with over 3,000 plough being manufactured each year.

However in recent years the company has expanded its product range considerably to the extent that ploughs only account for about 26% of the business, with disc harrows, powerharrows and drills now accounting for a substantial proportion of turnover.

Looking at the product range, Steve Perryman identifies the EurOpal plough, Zirkon powerharrow and Solitair drill ranges as being particularly suited to farmers in the south-west, and will form the core of Hamblys expansion plans for Lemken.

In preparation for taking on the Lemken range, aside for extensive sales and service support training for Hamblys staff, all five Hamblys branches have taken delivery of a range of stock machines to ensure product is immediately available for customers, and is building up a high level of competitively priced fast moving parts to ensure that they can provide the high level of service that Hamblys are well known for.

For further information on the wide range of Lemken ploughs, cultivators, drills, and sprayers please contact your nearest Hamblys branch.