One of Australia's major agricultural and construction equipment distributors recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and is gearing up for many more to come.
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McIntosh Distribution has been the name behind the rise of a number of popular brands across the industry, including Morris tillage and seeding rigs, Miller sprayers, Weedseeker and Bilberry spot spraying systems, the Harrington Seed Destructor and LiuGong construction equipment.
Cam McIntosh started the business and was the early architect of Morris' growth in the seeding sector. Today it commands a significant market share and is continuing to deliver for Australian growers, the latest being a new 24-metre version of its revered Quantum air drill arriving in time for next season.
It's a similar story with Miller, which has just launched its Intelligence range of 7000 series sprayers that break new ground in spraying application and machine data control, offering significant operational and servicing efficiencies for growers.
The spot spraying systems include WeedSeeker 2, which offers some unique advantages to growers for summer spraying, as well the first commercially-available green-on-green spot spraying technology developed by Bilberry.
Meanwhile, LiuGong equipment, which celebrates its 20th year in Australia in 2024, continues to strike a chord with operators across the country, so much so that, to keep up with demand, McIntosh Distribution had to hire several bulk carriers to maintain supply.
McIntosh Distribution general manager Digby Moullin said the company wasn't about to slow down either.
"We have more product releases in the pipeline, as we are always looking at ways to support our dealer network and end customers," he said.
Two key areas that have underpinned the success of McIntosh Distribution and its associated brands have been its core focus on product support through to dealers and grower customers and the local research and development of products to suit Australian conditions.
"We have a dedicated team working on product improvements to suit local requirements, of which many have then been incorporated by the manufacturers into the original designs to improve their performance in the global market," Mr Moullin said.
The product support team based around the country has grown to more than a dozen and is expected to continue to grow.
"We believe it is extremely important to ensure there are key representatives in each state who can assist with ongoing product improvements, as well as being on-hand and facilitating training for dealers and growers," Mr Moullin said.
The team is also backed by facilities, including parts warehouses, in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and at Tamworth in northern New South Wales.
Production, parts and administration areas in Perth have continued to expand and further dedicated facilities are planned for this site and through eastern Australia.
The recent 30th anniversary celebrations in Perth brought together the 100-strong McIntosh Distribution team from around the country to acknowledge its journey so far and chart the pathway ahead, while it also recognised the contributions of several members who have played key roles throughout its history.
"We have staff here that started with Cam McIntosh 28 years ago, so it was great to be able to acknowledge their tenure in front of the team," Mr Moullin said.
Along with the business growth, dealer groups for the equipment brands have continued to evolve and Mr Moullin said McIntosh Distribution looked forward to strengthening these networks and welcoming more dealers aboard to support grower customers.
