The Farmers Mart Feb-Mar 2020 - Issue 67 | Page 76

76 ROBERT D WEBSTER FEB/MAR 2020 • farmers-mart.co.uk WE COVER SMALL FARMS, LARGE FARMS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN The UK’s leading rural insurer At NFU Mutual we offer tailored insurance and a local service. We cover all farms from arable and horticulture to sheep and poultry. For a real conversation about your insurance: call 01723 585307, email [email protected] or pop in NFU Mutual, Centenary House, 1 Manor Court, Manor Garth, Scarborough YO11 3TU New dawn for Webster’s in East Riding CHRIS Berry talks with Mike Cowell and his new management team. When I drove through Hutton Cranswick sometime last year and looked to my right as I was heading down from Driffield to Beverley, just south of the village, I was struck by something that looked like a new farm machinery business. At the time I didn’t take in which dealer it was but noticed the banners in the distance were New Holland. There were realistically only two names that might be associated with the famous combine harvester and tractor brand in this area, unless a new company had suddenly arrived from nowhere – and it was one of the two I suspected – Robert D Webster, for a long time perhaps seen by some as a somewhat dormant machinery dealership, in comparison to the other it may have been. Not so any longer! Robert D Webster has had what can only be described as a makeover! And the team that is behind that makeover is not just proving they have the dynamism in East Yorkshire – they are also proving it New Holland- wide as they picked up a Dealer of the Year Award, for medium sized dealership, in 2018; and New Holland combine deal- ership of the year for 2019 in January. Agent of The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited. Specialising in the movement of all agricultural & plant machinery movements All our drivers have a high level of experience in the safe loading and transportation of all types and size of machinery. All machinery is carried under the Road Haulage Association Conditions of Carriage. Mike Cowell is the managing director, a position he took on when Webster’s took a new direction in 2016. Mike has been involved with the company for 37 years and is the son-in-law of Tom and Jackie Thompson. It was Jackie’s father Bob Webster who founded the company at Burton Fleming in the 1960s, selling New Holland and Claas combines. ‘The company was restructured in 2016 and further changes were made in 2019,’ says Mike. ‘The board is now made up of Tom and Jackie, my wife Emma and I, Simon Berry and John (Jackson).’ ‘We’ve now got people in the right positions. We still have three depots, but one of my first decisions was to find a new depot as we wanted to move out of Kilham. Our Howden depot is ideally situated and is successful because it is on a major road and transport links are good. We wanted to model Howden with a depot that was on a major road in the northern part of East Yorkshire.’ ‘Here at Hutton Cranswick we are between the two major market towns of Beverley and Driffield. It has taken time but we finally moved in after extending the buildings in May/June last year. Continued on page 78 ‘A team of approachable accountants who care’ Proud to be associated with the team at Robert D Webster Call BGH Hull Ltd on 01964 544112 / 07971 875879 Or email [email protected] Readers Yard, Brandesburton Nr. Driffield, YO25 8RY Finnies are proud to be associated with the team at Robert D Webster. Helping Businesses Grow For over 25 years, Finnies has helped its clients through an ever-changing economic climate. Our team ensures we can cover a large range of services relevant to your business. 01482 861919 [email protected] www.finnies.org.uk