An agricultural machinery manufacturer is celebrating after winning a big order from an island nation in the Pacific Ocean.
The Solomon Islands have bought 13 rear-charge Vesuvius Vantage muck spreaders – each with a 12-tonne capacity – from Aberdeen-based Charles J. Marshall for use on 30,000 acres of palm plantations.
Founder Charles Marshall sen said the deal capped a successful period for the business, which between December and January 16 sold almost 300 pieces of equipment and started shipping a dozen 12-tonne trailers to Iran.
It also notched up a record number of orders at the recent Lamma machinery show in Lincolnshire.
Managing director Charles Marshall jun said the firm would be taking on 10 extra full-time staff in the coming weeks to cope with the orders and bring down delivery times. That will bring employee numbers up to 60.
He added: “Since the demise of the former substantial manufacturing capacity at Rothienorman six years ago, reducing the competition, our order book has increased year-on-year.
“Customers now expect much earlier and quicker delivery times. We have at times struggled to get our delivery times to a more respectable four or fives weeks rather than the seven to eight weeks which is often the case. The industry average is probably around 10-12 weeks. There is demand for our machinery and even though we produce on average 40-50 machines per week, it is still not enough."
Charles J. Marshall has been trading with the Solomon Islands for the last two decades after meeting the buyer from there at the Royal Smithfield Show when it used to be staged in London.
The original orders were for six-tonne trailers, but as the years have gone by the size has increased to the firm's 12 to 14-tonne Monocoque range and which have been specially adapted for the palm work.
Mr Marshall sen said new environmental legislation in the Solomon Islands had forced the purchase of the muck spreaders as palm oil manufacturers are no longer allowed to just dump the fibre that is the byproduct of the operation. They must now spread the fibre back on to the ground at the planation.
He described the order as good, saying export business had taken off for the firm because of the internet and sterling's collapse on currency markets.
But measured against that was the substantially higher cost of the components used in the machine and many of which have to be imported.
He added: “Farmers here are always bemoaning their plight at the hands of legislation, but here we have the same situation on small islands on the other side of the world."
Mr Marshall jun said the business did not appear to have been hit by the credit crunch, but then farmers proved consistent buyers of new equipment in good and bad times. “What we produce are not luxury items but machines which are required in the agricultural industry to help produce the food we all require."