Case IH dealership O’Connors has marked a new chapter in its almost 60-year history with the recent opening of new premises for its Shepparton dealership.
Shepparton is one of 15 locations in the O’Connors’ network, and a key broadacre farming region, with the company embarking on the establishment of a new site to accommodate the demands of local customers and the workplace needs of its staff.
“The former location served us very well for many years, but we got to the point where we outgrew it,” O’Connors’ chief executive officer Gareth Webb said.
“Shepparton is a rapidly-growing customer base for us, and with the size of the machinery we wanted to accommodate and wanting to deliver the level of service our customers expect and deserve, we needed to make a move,” he said.
“This new premises also has a state-of-the-art workshop, which is so important in this current labour market.
“When you want to reach and employ the best technicians, and ultimately retain them, they want the opportunity to work in great facilities, and this is what this new workshop offers.”
O’Connors Shepparton staff have been working from the new location for the past month, as they start looking towards, and preparing for, what is expected to be another bumper harvest season.
Mr Webb said it was an exciting time to be part of the agriculture industry, and while there were still certain challenges for the sector and customers, the short-term outlook was currently a good one.
For O’Connors, it’s about managing existing industry pressures to keep customer businesses productive and profitable, and their machinery where it needs to be — in the paddock and on the job.
“I’m really proud of our staff, who always go that extra mile, and we’re in a really good position, with the ability to deliver great outcomes for our customers long-term,” Mr Webb said.
“The tough years will inevitably come again but having that financial strength and large network means we can still deliver great outcomes even when times are more challenging.
“When you buy a piece of machinery as a long-term investment, you want a dealer you know is going to be there, is strong, and is going to back you up when you need it.
“I feel we can do that now better than we ever have.”
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