Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd has been awarded the Textron Turf Care & Specialty Products franchise for East and West Sussex following the withdrawal by SCATS from the groundscare sector. The company will operate from the former SCATS groundscare division premises at Frenches Corner in Billingshurst and will be operational from
2 August 2000. This move firmly establishes Ernest Doe and Sons Ltd as the largest Textron dealer in the UK with a total of 16 branches throughout East Anglia and South East England.
“In 1898 my great grandfather began his blacksmith’s business at Ulting in Essex and it is particularly pleasing that, over 100 years later, the company is still thriving with this latest expansion further strengthening our professional grass machinery division” said Colin Doe, managing director of Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd. “With a mix of new staff and former SCATS groundscare employees, the company will be able to increase its after-sales service and allow both existing and new customers to buy with confidence, safe in the knowledge that there is an established company there to support their purchasing decisions”
Moving quickly since being awarded the territory Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd have already extended their computerised systems to the new Billingshurst branch enabling access to over £980,000 of Textron parts, all accessible on a daily basis. A wide range of products and services including aeration equipment and E-Z-GO golf car hire together with a dedicated parts delivery van will also be available. The internet-based Textron Trade Route daily support service will be installed and all these factors, together with Ernest Doe & Sons commitment will ensure a continuing improvement in the service from Textron in Sussex.
Arrangements are already in hand for a major launch at a golf club in Sussex and this will be followed up with an intensive demonstration programme of the complete range of Textron equipment at customers’ premises.
T.H. White Ltd, Textron’s dealer based at Tetbury in Gloucestershire and with a branch at Reading in Berkshire, will take over the remaining SCATS territory that includes Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Peter Bell, sales director at Textron, commenting on the reallocation of territories said, “I am particularly delighted that Ernest Doe & Sons and T.H. White have been able to step in and very swiftly provide a continuity of service to our customer base in Sussex and Hampshire. These are two of our premier dealers with established reputations in all aspects of groundscare and I am confident that they will provide exceptional levels of service in their new territories.”