Case IH dealer O’Connors has claimed a hat-trick of wins after being named Case IH Dealer of the Year 2019 (three branches or more) at the annual awards ceremony on the Gold Coast last night.
The family-owned business was started in Birchip, Victoria, in 1964, and has since expanded to become the largest dealer in the Case IH network, with branches in Birchip, Warracknabeal, Horsham and Shepparton in Victoria; Corowa, Forbes, West Wyalong, Grenfell and Condobolin in NSW; and Bordertown in South Australia. Employing 200 staff, O’Connors has won the same award three years in a row.
O’Connors’ Chief Executive Officer Gareth Webb said it was an honour to receive the title and was a credit to everyone within the business.
“This is definitely something we didn’t see coming but we’re thrilled to take this award home again this year, and it’s a privilege to win this in the company of some terrific dealers. This is also recognition of the passion, dedication and excellence of our team and the belief of our customers who have ensured our ongoing growth. This is the culimination of what has been a huge year for all of us at O’Connors and we’re excited for the future and what it holds,” Gareth said.
Pete McCann, Case IH General Manager for Australia/New Zealand, praised the efforts of O’Connor’s.
“What an amazing achievement by O’Connors, which in the past 12 months has gone from strength to strength with the expansion into the NSW Central West, making it our biggest dealer in Australia. This award proves though that the team hasn’t taken its eyes off the core values of the business: customer service, industry knowledge and after-sales support,” Pete said.
“They continue to raise the bar for our whole network and strive for improved service, efficiencies and productivity. This award is well-deserved and isn’t based on any one part of the business. It takes into account the results in every department and proves O’Connors are not only doing it right, they’re doing it well.”
Other top performers in the Dealer of the Year (three branches or more) included Farmers Centre 1978 in Western Australia (Albany, Katanning and Lake Grace), Kenway & Clark in NSW (Moree, Goondiwindi, Inverell and Wee Waa) and South Australian dealer Ramsey Bros (Cleve, Cummins, Kimba, Murray Bridge, Riverton and Wudinna).
The winner of the Dealer of the Year (two branches or less) was Larwoods Ag Services in Kadina, South Australia, with the business also taking home the award for Dealer of the Year – Service.
Special mentions in the Dealer of the Year (two branches or less) category went to TTMI (Trafalgar in Victoria and Longford, Tasmania),, NSW-based Intersales (Leeton and Temora) and Farmers Centre in Western Australia (Esperance and Ravensthorpe).
The Dealer of the Year results rely on an objective ranking, based on factors including finance and business management, performance in sales and marketing, and parts and servicing, Advanced Farming Systems (AFS) Certification and total market share.
Other awards
Days Machinery Centre in Casino NSW was named Dealer of the Year – Most Improved; Boekeman Machinery in Western Australia (Dalwallinu, Dowerin, Northam and Wongan Hills) was Dealer of the Year – Parts; Farmers Centre in WA was Dealer of the Year – Wholegoods; Agnorth in Ayr, Queensland, was Dealer of the Year – CNH Industrial Capital (two branches or less); and Ramsey Bros in South Australia was crowned Dealer of the Year – CNH Industrial Capital (three branches or more).