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Victoria's Colac Ag imports quality European agricultural machinery to suit all aspects of farming and contracting across Australia.
Renowned for the quality and reliability of their products, general manager Jon Allan said these are really important factors for farmers and contractors when purchasing their machines.
"Some machines can attract major financial investment and the decision-making process can be made that bit easier knowing the machine they are buying will do the job required well, it will last and the reliable back-up service and support will be there," he said.
Colac Ag is the sister company to Greg Allan Farm Machinery and imports major brands, including Maschio, Samasz, Elho, Joskin, Mandam, Schuitermaker and Zocon.
After spending time at the major European field days, the decision was made to shift Colac Ag to an importing and wholesale format.
"It was evident Australia was missing out on some of the best machinery available in the world and there was a gap in the market to fill," Mr Allan said.
Over the last five years, there has been a major push to expand the business and brands.
"This year will see over 50 containers of machinery hit the wharf plus the roll on roll off machinery and airfreight," Mr Allan said.
"There has also been a focus on building quality relationships with dealers to expand our dealer network and operations across Australia."
Mr Allan said their back-up service was the backbone of the business.
"Without consistent and reliable back-up service and spare parts availability we wouldn't be able to sell the machines," he said.
As well as Mr Allan, the team at Colac Ag is made up of imports and office manager Kathryn Allan-Pearson, accounts and administration manager Lucy Allan, warranty manager and marketing assistant Maddy Vary and service and spare parts manager Greg Croft, plus several staff members working in the assembly crew.
Jon's parents Greg and Lucy Allan are the owner/operators of Greg Allan Farm Machinery and Colac Ag.
After Greg suffered a major heart attack in 2015, Jon made a return to the family business.
Prior to that, he was running a restaurant in Rye, on the Mornington Peninsula for five years.
The focus for Mr Allan since coming back has been on expanding and perfecting the operations of both businesses.
"We have spent the last two years focusing on building our dealer network throughout the eastern states of Australia," he said.
"Also during that time, we have been able to increase our staff numbers, which has allowed us to be an independent company away from Greg Allan Farm Machinery."
Prior to running the restaurant, he travelled through Europe for three years, an experience Mr Allan said gave him the skills to communicate with businesses in those countries.
"Travelling around Europe gave me a good understanding of communication with Europeans, hence why I have taken on more of the leadership and communication with managers in Europe who we purchase from," he said.
In the future, Colac Ag plans to expand its dealer network even further.
They are currently in talks with other European brands about specialised equipment for the Australian market.
Like many businesses, COVID-19 has had an impact on the way Colac Ag operates.
"It has certainly impacted the distribution side of things with border closures," Mr Allan said.
"As the sales manager, I haven't been able to see our dealers outside of Victoria, however, we are very focused on our back-up service and personalised relationships with customers, so we have taken up different styles of marketing and online services for those who require it."