An important two-way technical communications role between the Argo Tractors factory and independent dealers supplying Landini and McCormick products has been taken on by Andrew Starbuck, a new recruit to the growing team covering the UK and Ireland.
“As product manager, my principal role is to communicate technical information to our dealers about the features and benefits of the tractors so they are fully informed when talking to customers,” he said. “But I will also be referring any constructive comments and observations from users back to our team at Harworth and also to the product managers and engineers at the Argo Tractors factory.”
The managing director of Argo Tractors operations in the UK and Ireland, Adrian Winnett, said that effective two-way communication wss essential to help with Argo’s philosophy of continuous development as current products are refined and improved while new tractors are planned for the future.
“This is an important role in our expanding team, so I’m delighted to welcome Andrew, whose past experience working for dealers and for Europe’s leading potato and sugar beet equipment manufacturer will be invaluable,” he added.
Andrew takes over from product specialist Paul Wade, who has retired after a long career in agricultural engineering, first with International Harvester in the UK, then with the merged IH and Case operation before the Doncaster factory became part of the Argo Tractors group as McCormick.
“It’s 44 years since I made the journey from Bourne in Lincolnshire to Doncaster to work temporarily for IH on a programme of overseas market training,” Mr Wade said. “That temporary position later became a permanent one, and ever since then I’ve worked in product sales and technical training, and liaison with product management at various tractor factories in Europe and North America.”
“For years, Paul has been the go-to man for anything technical, for when product features needed explaining and putting into an on-farm context,” Mr Winnett added.” He’s made a tremendous contribution to the uptake of tractor technology in general, as well as to the Argo Tractors business and others he’s worked for during that time. We wish him a happy and relaxed retirement.”
As the new product manager, Andrew Starbuck is realising an ambition to work with tractors again after 10 years with Grimme in area and national sales roles within the UK, which followed three years in farm management and two years with a dealership in his home county of Nottinghamshire demonstrating tractors and harvest machinery.
“This new role combines elements of all the jobs I’ve had in the past – product technical detail, technical and sales training, and liaison between all parties in the process of supplying machinery to end users,” he said. “I was well aware of the Landini and McCormick ranges, of course, but not so knowledgeable about the Argo Tractors organisation behind the products – and it’s been a real eye-opener.
“My first visit to the factories in northern Italy emphasised that Argo is a manufacturer, not just an assembler, of tractors; machining and assembly of all transaxles, hydraulics and front axles for all models from 43hp to 140hp is carried out in-house and Argo also makes the cabs for all its tractors.
“And when you consider how the entire range has been transformed during the past six years with new and improved tractors that now go to 310hp, it’s quite astounding for a family-owned business.”
For more information visit: www.landini.it or www.mccormick.it/en/.
