Following the purchase of Southern Harvesters at Reading in 2015, CLAAS UK Ltd and Oliver Agriculture Ltd (OLIVERS) have agreed to further extend their partnership, allowing the continued long-term growth of OLIVERS and the CLAAS brand from the Home Counties to the south coast.

On 1st October 2018, OLIVERS purchased the business activities of SOUTHERN Petworth in West Sussex and WESTERN Winchester in Hampshire, including the transfer of all 26 staff members in sales, service, parts, administration and management. This acquisition expands the OLIVERS business from 3 to 5 branches.

“We are delighted to continue to grow our business with CLAAS,” said David Jarman, MD of OLIVERS, “and we hope that our new customers in Sussex and Hampshire will appreciate the long term view we take to our service-focused business.

"OLIVERS have been serving farmers for nearly 200 years, and we intend to continue doing so for many years to come. This acquisition is a key part of our plan for continued growth.”

At the same time, SOUTHERN Ashford was acquired by CLAAS Manns Ltd and will be rebranded as MANNS Kent. CLAAS says the synergies of MANNS Kent with the six other MANNS locations, particularly MANNS Essex, and the Used Machinery Centre at Saxham will help and support the further growth of the Kent operation.

CLAAS Western will continue its successful growth from the four remaining locations in the company’s historical trading area, where it commands excellent market shares together with high customer respect for its service levels.