A Letter from Andy Bone: A big thank you!
On February 7th I will have completed 65 years in the agricultural engineering industry, which may or may not be some kind of record.
Here’s how this wonderful life unfolded:
Growing up on a small Hampshire dairy farm in the 50’s I was always interested in the machinery we ran. I remember the day my father said I could drive the E27N Fordson Major when I could start it, (on the handle, of course), I think I was twelve when this milestone was reached.
I joined Ford Motor Company at Dagenham at the age of 18 on February 7th 1960, as a commercial trainee, and soon found myself in the Ford tractor division, as it was then called, at the Boreham House training centre, as part of the demonstration team. At 19 I was showing off the mighty Doe triple-D at various Fordson Farming Fairs, a step up indeed from the old Major.
Time moved on, and, as a career move, in 1968 I joined Massey-Ferguson as an instructor at the Stoneleigh training centre, first on combines, and then on sales, a wonderful experience, the best years imaginable. Demonstrating the new MF 1200 at various dealer launches was always a crowd-puller, as was showing the paces of the newly introduced NF 625 combine. . Somewhere in the FW photographic files there is a pic of me in 1968 harvesting the first maize to be grown in the UK as a cob crop on an MF515, at Wye College. It was December, and the cobs had over 50% moisture. After 300 yards the combine blocked solid with mushed maize. Luckily the Press had their pics by then, and I could pull up, as if planned.Up through the MF ranks I went, bringing the concept of direct drilling to fruition in 1974 with the MF 130 drill, launching the 500 tractor series in 1976, which was memorably held at the Stratfield Saye estate in Hampshire, with the Duke of Wellington serving as my right-hand man!
In 1978 I was invited to join Standen Engineering in Ely as sales and marketing director. I had never seen sugar-beet close to, but one learns on the job.
In those days British manufactured farm machinery still predominated on UK farms, and as an industry we dominated the world’s 30 to 75hp tractor market, with five manufacturers churning out over 200,000 units a year, (M-F, Ford, Case, IH and Leyland).
In 1986 I was involved in a management buy-out of Standens from the plc that owned us, and then pursued our move into potato machinery. Within not many years we had bought a number of other companies, merging their staff with our own in a lot of cases. These included KeyAg, Dowdeswell (Norfolk), Pearsons, and Deptford.
As managing-director, one had the satisfaction of seeing the company thriving in what were sometimes quite difficult years. In 2002 I retired from full-time work, and was pleased to accept the role as chairman, so still part of the team.
In all these years I have never had a day off sick, (except when I got mumps in 1975), which I put down to having a job I always enjoyed, and a healthy outdoor life to go with it. Just like farmers, really.
So, thanks to all you farmers I have met and shared a cup of tea with in your kitchens, thanks to the agricultural dealers who supported us through thick and thin, even thanks to our competitors, who were all friends, even though we fought each other for every sale.
And lastly, all the wonderful memories I have of all the export selling trips I have made around the world, over forty countries in total, from China to Chile, from Iceland to New Zealand, and most ports in-between. It’s been a great way to see the world. Britain is best, though, take my word for it.
So, on I go, till the reaper calls.
I have been very, very lucky.
Andy Bone,
Chairman, Standen Engineering Ltd
