Maidstone-based Haynes Bros has bought the trade and assets of neighbouring dealer Oakes Bros, established in 1825 at Hungerford, Berkshire

This acquisition brings together two long-established businesses holding key franchises for New Holland and JCB, along with Kuhn Farm Machinery, McConnel, Honda, Krone, and Stewart.

Haynes acquire three Oakes agricultural branches covering parts of Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Sussex and Wiltshire and this will double the size of the Haynes agricultural business. These branches will be re-branded by Haynes Agricultural shortly.

Oakes had previously operated from East Ilsley, Micheldever and Horsham, but a smaller branch at Coombe Bissett near Salisbury will close. 

These branches will be added to the 3 Haynes branches at Uckfield, Wrotham and Ashford holding the New Holland and JCB  franchises, plus the branch at Birchington, Kent  holding Case IH and JCB franchises.

Established in 1790 in London, Haynes Bros Ltd is now the holding company for a group of subsidiary companies operating throughout the South East. Moving to Kent in 1832, the Company was the first in the county to take on the Ford Motor Company franchise in 1911 and then sell and distribute the complete range of Ford cars, trucks and agricultural machinery.

“We believe this expansion is a natural fit for our agricultural business giving us increased scale in this key area of our operations,” comments Andrew Haynes, chairman and CEO of Haynes Bros. “The Oakes business is well known to us and we have been neighbouring dealers for many years following our expansion into Sussex in 2004. This move will provide us now with greater economies of scale and resources which we believe over time will be of considerable benefit to our mutual customers, staff and manufacturers.”