Forfar firm takes on new franchise

Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK has announced the appointment of agricultural specialist AM Agri (Alan Mackay Machinery), which also operates a second branch in Aberdeen, which will add the 4x4s to its existing portfolio of farm equipment brands.

The company is owned and managed jointly by Alan Mackay and Ross Anderson, who, as service director, is also directly responsible for the smooth running of the workshop.

Ross Paterson, head of special trucks at Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK, said: “As a highly experienced and trusted supplier to the agricultural community, our new point of representation in Scotland is well placed to grow the Unimog’s share of a key market.

“We now look forward to working with the company team to develop opportunities in some of the other sectors in which the multi-talented Unimog also excels. There will certainly be a focus on forestry, but the Unimog is also ideally suited, for example, to utilities operations, highways management, and special emergency services applications.”

The Unimog complements the array of tractors, cultivators, hay, grass and potato equipment, silage wagons, diet feeders and other miscellaneous farming machinery that AM Agri (Alan Mackay Machinery) already sells and supports.

Initially, AM Agri will run the Mercedes-Benz franchise from its head office although development plans are in hand.

Mr Mackay said: “We plan within the next year or so to open at a third location, to the south of Forfar – this will be our Unimog hub, and the base for our dedicated sales executive.”

He approached Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK after being invited to put a customer’s Unimog through its paces.

Mr Mackay continued: “I was mightily impressed and quickly realised the vehicle’s commercial potential. If you stand still in business then you’re actually going backwards, so I was keen to grasp the opportunity and contacted the Unimog team to enquire about franchise opportunities.

“We’re now a fully-fledged Unimog Dealer and very much looking forward to the next, exciting chapter in the story of our business.”