Farol Ltd was founded in 1976, by George Vellacott an ex SCATS manager in Hampshire and former agricultural engineer with farmer financier Roland Harris in Lewknor, Oxfordshire. It started as a machinery trading and engineering centre coupled with the Fiatagri new tractor franchise.
In 1988 Farol took on 'CASE IH'. At the time it was one of the leading tractor and combine manufacturers, we gained a good market share, achieved 'Service Excellence' and expanded a very satisfied client base.
In February 2000 Farol opened for business a third CASE IH dealership in Pewsey near Marlborough in Wiltshire. Pewsey became a very successful £3.5 million turnover agricultural machinery business within 3 years.
Matthew Vellacott took over full control as the Managing Director of Farol in 2001 adding a fresh and dynamic approach to the business.
In 2003 Farol bought a local tyre supplier (RCP TYRES). It was decided to take on a tyres business to continue the diversification and to compliment the other areas in the business with retail agricultural sales and transport business. Specialising with agricultural tyre supply and repair but also construction and commercial HGV tyre supply and repair, with 24 hr callout and fitting vehicles.
Due to various changes with the aquisition of Case IH by Fiat combined with the chance of taking on the premier franchise John Deere, Farol decided to pursue this option which involved the closure of Pewsey premises and the re opening of a larger dealership 15 miles east of Pewsey near Hungerford. John Deere also gave Farol the opportunity for expansion in the north and in October opened a new JD dealership in Atherstone on the A5 with a whole new customer base in Warwickshire and Leicestershire.
With the opportunity to expand, Farol took on John Deere in Midhurst covering West Sussex and East Hampshire. The new depot was up and running by May 2009 and has been serving customers in the Sussex/Hampshire area from that summer.
With the Warwickshire and Leicestershire area increasing in business, Farol looked for larger premises and found an excellent site at Trinity Marina, Hinckley. The ex-Land Rover showroom has been turned into a one stop shop for agricultural, groundscare, tyres, parts and service in a modern building with plenty of outside space for new and used equipment to be displayed.
Farol were offered the chance to take on the John Deere Professional Groundcare account and took on a whole team of sales, service and parts team to serve customers from Milton Common, Hinckley and Shefford Woodlands. The groundcare part of Farol compliments well with the agricultural, tyre and homeowner business which was already established.
With Farol expanding to over 160 employees, 70 of which are based at head office, Milton Common, the need for a new "all in one" building at Head Office was started. The purpose built building will feature a large workshop, showroom, office space and parts storage all under one roof.
As of January 2015 the Milton Common Head Office took on the Amman & Yanmar plant franchises, enabling Farol to stock a range of 1T-10T diggers, tandem rollers, pedestrian ground compactors and tracked dumpers to supply the M40 corridor and surrounding areas.
Farol moved into their new Milton Common (Oxfordshire) head office office with a brand new open plan showroom, large new workshops and machinery display areas.
Farol take on the franchises for AS Motor, Eliet, Koppl and TS Industrie professional groundscare machinery in a deal that sees them supplying central and southern England.
Farol signs a deal to take on Kramer after John Deere announce new trade partnership to run their agricultural range of Kramer products alongside the John Deere European dealer network.
Farol are now proud dealers and stockists for the range of AVANT Tecno compact implement carriers. These articulated telescopic machines are an excellent all-round solution for applications where compactness and versatility are key.
Farol Ltd has been awarded the KUHN franchise across the group, this merges many of our existing product ranges into one new comprehensive brand.
Farol expands the business into the East Midlands with a new flagship depot opening in Newark
Farol take on a new sales area and an additional depot in Ashbourne which will servce the new sales territory in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and surrounding areas. This brings the total number depots in the group up to 7.
