The Farmers Mart Oct-Nov 2018 - Issue 59 | Page 70

70 SIROMER TRACTORS
OCT/NOV 2018 • farmers-mart.co.uk
A FLOURISHING FAMILY BUSINESS
AND A VERSATILE TRACTOR
MANY times, these days we hear about
the advance of the global corporations
swallowing up so many business’s and, in
the UK, so many household names either
don’t exist “Terry’s” or belong to someone
else “Cadbury”.
Yet one area of British industry and life
flourishes even though the march of the
mighty corporations is there for all to see.
Farming never ceases to surprise and de-
light myself

and many others. I would wager there are
more family business’s in Farming than any
other sector.
Friday the 30th September amidst won-
derful countryside and autumnal sunshine
in the village of Pilling near Lancaster I had
the pleasure of visiting an amazing family
business which began by accident some 20
years ago.
This is the home of SIROMER tractors run
by the Howard family, Husband and wife
team Jeff and Kath and Daughter Louise
who already at the age of 34 is taking over
the running of this thriving Agricultural deal-
ership. There are some traditionalists who
would still say Nay to a female running
Tractor business? Well before we look
at what is so unique and special about
the SIROMER range and business let go
back to the beginning.
In 1999 Jeff Howard was already an
accomplished Electronics engineer
and indeed had worked on such pres-
tigious projects as the MIR space sta-
tion. Kath a long-term professional had the
prestigious post as development manager
at a local college and Louise was a diligent
15-year-old with sights set on university.
The family already had a certain amount
of land close to the family home. They had
a flourishing small holding that now needed
a tractor to help with the land manage-
ment. Jeff looked around and was faced
with expensive and pretty complicated
choices wherever he looked ranging from
£15,000 for a new tractor down to £4500 for
a 15-year-old tractor. At that time, he was
working in Germany and just happened to
come across a SIROMER. Jeff was im-
pressed with its simplicity and the price. Jeff
struck the deal with the Chinese suggesting
several spec improvements to make it suita-
ble for the European market.
Initially they imported 8 tractors, al-
though they only wanted one, they knew
of other smallholders that were looking
for something similar. Interestingly enough
the tractors and the smallholding were
supposed to be a hobby only venture.
When the first Tractors arrived, there was
strong interest locally. However, Jeff quickly
realised that there would need to be some
significant improvements in both finish and
fittings and application to really fit the bill
over here to have a versatile, strong and
reliable tractor. Already the hobby was
no more. Jeff travelled to China regularly
to discuss improvements and was joined
on some trips by both Kath and Louise,
who was already showing a keen interest.
Together they instigated some 50 improve-
ments culminating in them bringing in a
further 16 units.
One of the unique features about
SIROMER’S is that they come in kit form.
At the factory which is situated north of
Shanghai they’re manufactured, complet-
ed, run and tested on their own special
track, fully approved, then promptly driven
to another part of the factory and part
dismantled placed on a Skid along with all
the main parts fully wrapped, packed and
then crated up. The crates are then shipped
to Ipswich and then by Train to Manchester
with the final journey by road to Pilling.