Teamwork Key To Lloyd Ltd Success
As one of the UK’s largest agricultural machinery dealers, Lloyd Ltd sells a wide range of products from leading manufacturers including New Holland, Manitou, Bobcat and Honda to its customers across the north of England and south of Scotland, and beyond. For every sale there is corresponding maintenance required, which is why Lloyd Ltd is particularly proud of its Service Departments whose skills and expertise are a key part of the company’s success. Lloyd Ltd’s Agricultural Engineers develop important relationships with the customers they support as they are an essential part of keeping their operations working smoothly. The team at Lloyd Ltd Carlisle comprises Apprentices, qualified Engineers and Master Technicians to ensure a wide range of experience is available to the company’s customers both now and for decades to come.
The most recently-qualified Engineer is Adam Dixon who completed his apprenticeship last year after a three-year course. Combining classroom-based lessons at an agricultural college with hands-on training at Lloyd Ltd supported by a more experienced mentor, Agricultural Engineering Apprenticeships are the ideal way to enter into the field so the places Lloyd Ltd has available each year are usually filled quickly. It is not essential to come from a farming background, but in most cases those who do come into these roles have some experience of rural life either through their family or helping on friends’ farms. Adam’s family run a farm near Armathwaite and he has always wanted to work around machinery. “I enjoy fixing problems and working out solutions”, he commented. “I’m mostly workshop-based but I do get out and about in the van with Joe Nichol and Joe Dixon to fix breakdowns, as well as doing maintenance and warranty work. I also go on training courses and get support through our manufacturers, which add to my skills. Lloyd Ltd has been really good to work for and has provided me with the opportunity to grow and develop my knowledge
Joe Nichol, whom Adam mentioned, joined Lloyd Ltd in 2012 from school as did his friend and colleague Joe Dixon. Both Joes had done some work experience with the company during school holidays and then went into Apprenticeships. Having been fully qualified for several years, they are both experienced Agricultural Engineers who enjoy the variety of work that each day brings. Joe Nichol observed, “I always wanted to have the chance to be involved in agriculture and to work with machines. Getting out and about to support our customers is what I really enjoy – the opportunity to learn in a challenging environment and apply the skills I’ve learned over the years to solve new problems.” Joe Dixon added, “The summer months are the best as we get out in the field in a true farming environment. It’s nice when we fix any issues and our customers appreciate it – we’ve built great relationships with our customers and work closely with them to keep them farming. While some diagnostics and fixes can be done on the computer, nothing beats getting hands-on and using our experience to solve a problem. That’s what is most satisfying about the job.”
The ultimate acknowledgement of experience is the achievement of Master Technician status, which is the culmination of many years of work and development. Lloyd Ltd Carlisle and its customers benefit from two Master Tractor Technicians, Jimmy Little and Jamie Fleming, who achieved that in 2019 and 2020 respectively. This is the highest, most competent accreditation a technician can achieve within the New Holland network, which reflects the exceptional levels of expertise and knowledge both Jimmy and Jamie have reached. As befits this level of accreditation, it is not easy to achieve. It requires not only having reached professional status, but also factors in the technician’s reputation with customers. New Holland then undertakes a professional review with their Aftersales Manager, the Training Department and the Technical Support team to assess the technician’s ability against the requirements of the standard.
In 2023 Jimmy was also awarded New Holland Master Combine Technician status. Holding both qualifications is a rare feat in New Holland’s dealer network, but Jimmy has worked for Lloyd Ltd for 33 years so it is no surprise that his extensive experience and dedication to the role have resulted in this impressive achievement. Lloyd Ltd is also the only dealer in the UK to have Master Technicians for Bobcat, with their Carlisle branch’s Paul Elliot having attained that accolade working on their skidsteers and excavators. However, being a Master Technician does not mean that there is only technical work to do. Jamie Fleming has recently extended his job specification, becoming the branch’s Agricultural Foreman through which he has added improvements to the workshop progression which has helped the whole team. It is this teamwork which really helps Lloyd Ltd deliver on its promises to its customers with the engineers working together to support them and each other.
From those already mentioned to Murray Cotgrave who has been with Lloyd Ltd as an engineer for 48 years with an incredible bank of knowledge to another product of Lloyd Ltd, qualified engineer Adam Burton, who specialises in Manitou machines and Honda ATVs, and the three new apprentices who are all doing well in both college and the workshop environment, the whole team shares knowledge and experience for everyone’s benefit.
Stephen Waite, Service Manager at Lloyd Ltd Carlisle, added, “We are lucky to have so many dedicated engineers here at our branch and across the Lloyd Ltd group. From our apprentices to our Master Technicians we are always looking to develop our staff and help them to progress to whatever level they want to achieve. With the support of the company and our manufacturers we put our customers first, and building the skills across our team is the best way to deliver what they need. We have a positive reputation with our customers for the support we provide and it is our investment in our engineers, their training and our facilities which is a key part of achieving that. We look forward to continuing to train our staff for decades to come.”