It was announced yesterday (29 August) that Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd has purchased the business of Bartram Mowers. The company will trade from Bartam’s Norwich premises for three months before being incorporated into Doe’s North Walsham branch. The Ipswich branch has already been moved to Doe’s Framlingham branch. 

As part of the deal, Ernest Doe has also acquired Bartram’s established lawnmowersdirect e-commerce platform

It appears that Mark Bartram approached Ernest Doe to buy the Bartram Mowers business following notification that Ransomes Jacobsen were expanding Ernest Doe’s territory for their franchise to incorporate Suffolk and Norfolk. 

Ernest Doe’s Managing Director, Colin Doe, said: “The Bartram Mowers business is a good fit for Ernest Doe. We have three branches in Norfolk and three in Suffolk from which to support customers in the area. With our network of established branches in Norfolk and Suffolk, we are focussed on building on the high level of service Bartram have provided to their customers and are looking forward to fresh challenges as we enter this exciting new phase of our business.”

Bartram Mowers was founded in 1972 by Barry Bartram with an initial staff of of four. In the early days, the business focussed strongly on the distribution of Flymo products, but in recent years has added a wide range of domestic and professional turfcare machinery franchises.  In 1979, the company acquired its present 20-acre site in Norwich, and in 1988 added a branch sited on the Ransomes Industrial Park at Ipswich.  In 1999, Bartrams added a direct selling division, Lawnmowers Direct.

Founded in 1898, Ernest Doe claims to be the UK's largest groundcare, agricultural and construction equipment dealer operating out of 19 sites. Current managing director Colin Doe is the fourth generation of the family to run the business with his son, Angus, the current Service Director.