But this wasn’t always so as Dusty literally grew into the world of motorised sales and service the hard way, starting at the very bottom, as he recalls.
“After finishing high school in Potchefstroom, I joined a franchise of a German motor company and started work as a picker in that company’s parts department,” he says. “Tough as the job certainly was, I kept at it until after eleven years I ended up as the parts manager for a large motor dealership in Gauteng’s Midrand.”
Dusty, however, always had the urge to be self-employed and when the opportunity arose, he started buying old agricultural tractors and repairing them, with the help of a mechanic, before selling them on.
“We worked off a piece of rented land which ironically is part of the property we now own. We’d started off with only four agricultural tractors that got us going. From then on, I would visit auctions and farmers to source old tractors that we’d repair. Our favourites were Massey Ferguson machines in the 135, 165, 188 and 290 model ranges.”
According to Dusty, they still sell used and refurbished tractors as any sale means a profit margin can be had, although his company Tractors Giants, has been Landini franchise holders since 2022. “During 2022 we sold the most Landini Solis tractors in South Africa and we’re proud to say that no less than 200 of these blue liveried Italian-built machines passed through our hands here in Pretoria and at our branch in Polokwane.”
“A major target market of ours is the emerging farmer market, especially in Gauteng and Limpopo, as we’re able to supply these farmers with a wide range of tractors and implements such as ploughs, planters, rippers, boom sprayers and feed mixers,” Dusty explains. “We also import and sell smaller earthmoving equipment such as wheel loaders and miniature excavators.”
While dealing with established commercial farmers, Tractor Giants’ sales team, which now numbers four in the Pretoria head office, has over time fielded numerous enquiries about whether they could supply both backhoe loaders and telehandlers for a variety of purposes any large commercial farm can demand.
“I first met Charles Inggs, Bell Equipment’s Dealer Development Manager: Forestry & Agriculture for South Africa at the 2023 Nampo show near Bothaville and we started having discussions about Tractor Giants becoming a dealer for Bell and JCB products in the forestry and agricultural space,” Dusty explains. “Our negotiations bore real fruit as we’ve been appointed dealers for Bell Equipment and JCB forestry and agricultural equipment and have the distribution rights for these fine products in Pretoria and working in a wide circle north to Brits, east to Delmas and west to Potchefstroom, and anywhere in between.”
Dusty is keen to add these distinctive yellow machines to his already impressive product offering at the company’s premises in the north of Pretoria, close to Wonderboom Airport.
“We’ve ordered two JCB 3DX Pro Backhoe Loaders and one JCB 530-70 Loadall as stock items and we believe that when they are on display here, they’ll be snapped up quickly by an eager farming market,” he enthuses. “Both these models of machines are already known to make any commercial farmer’s life easier with the multitude of tasks they can be used for, and we’re excited at being able to offer them for sale and with Bell Equipment’s support and wide footprint as backup.”
Dusty adds that he made online bookings for training dates for the four mechanics they employ along with six workshop assistants and another four people working in their comprehensive parts department to all undergo training in the rudiments of servicing, repairing, and selecting spare parts for especially the JCB models they’ll be dealing with.
“Bell Equipment is such a household name in South Africa and we’re proud to be associated with the brand. As a bonus we get to relate to the JCB brand as well and considering that it is advertised on the steering wheel of a Formula 1 racing car, it must surely rank as a worthwhile product that will enhance our own reputation.”
