The Later Years

The 1970s started with great misfortunes with our tractor cabs project and gaming machines project. And I sold all my shares in Wildkat, Australia; and our business involvement in India ended (though my personal connections did not).


A visit to Wildkat in Melbourne, Australia.

 Things looked up again with a new international venture in 1972 when we started Tractor Spares (Undercarriage) Limited.

The company was set up to handle the sole UK agency for the I.T.M. products of Italtractor of Modena, Italy. The new company was soon flourishing.

The company now settled into a period of continued consolidation and prosperity. On 10th October, 1989 all the associated companies ceased trading and their business was transferred to Tractor Spares; thereafter all business was transacted through that one company.

In 1990 my twin sons, Charlie and Peter, took control of the running of Tractor Spares. I remained as Chairman, a position I still hold today.

At I.T.M., at Modena, Italy. Keeping the family involved.

Maintaining the family tradition. Not all parts of our works are open to public inspection. You never know when something might be needed.		 One of our tenant companies erected an overhead crane in their industrial unit. Once they had got it up they did considerable damage with it, wrecking the lighting and destroying the central office block and the toilets. Then they went bankrupt, owing us considerable sums of money.

During the early 1990s, although there were the usual ups and downs of business, we had record profits to record in most years. In the second part of the decade trading conditions became more difficult, and while the company remains very healthy, it seems to me to be time once again to look for new opportunities.


An aerial view of Strawberry Lane industrial estate.

 
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