Cowra Branch: Looking After Your Tractor And Your Community

Since taking over the John Deere dealership in Cowra in 1998, Hutcheon & Pearce has become a well-known part of the community. Here we talk to Branch Manager Matt Newham about his team, and their focus for the coming months.

Cowra born and bred Branch Manager Matt Newham leads a team of 16 staff looking after a wide range of customers.

“We’re lucky here in Cowra. It’s quite a diverse area, so we get to deal with the whole range of ag, from small acreage/Mum and Dad type farms, through the large-scale broadacre properties.

“In the past 20 years, the Hutcheon & Pearce team here has doubled in size and today we have a  a combined wealth of industry experience and range of backgrounds.

“Some are from Cowra and the wider area like Cargo, Cudal, Canowindra and Young. We’ve also got a couple of South African guys on the team, including our Service Manager, Carel. And we also have a Service Foreman, Jake, who is from the UK.
He’s been with Hutchies for about 18 months but in that role for just a few weeks. Having another very capable technician to look after the hour-to-hour running of the workshop allows Carel to focus on servicing our clients’ needs.”

One thing the Cowra team will be focused on coming weeks are pre-season checks.

“It’s a fairly optimistic outlook for the season, and we’re lucky in the Cowra area in that, yes, there’s a drought going on, but we have not been affected to the extent that a lot of other places have. 

“Still, our main focus is our preventative maintenance program to keep our customers running the best they can within their tighter budgets.  This means going over each machine with our comprehensive pre-season check and developing a repair plan and quote for what needs to be done ahead of the season.

“It is the best way to alert customers to issues with their equipment before it’s out in the field, breaking down, and it saves both time and money.”

Apart from preparing their customers for harvest, the Cowra team is also busy throwing their support behind the community, supporting Agricultural shows and smaller community events.

“There’s half a dozen small local shows and we get behind them with sponsorship, tractors for the tractor pull events and prizes for the guys that bring the equipment or bring their vintage tractors out. We also get behind the local Sheepdog Trials.

 “We do this because these types of events are key to building community. It’s a really good chance for people to come together and have a day out with their family, and we’re all for supporting that. 

“And the Group level, we also support the Australian Red Cross Blood Service and Ronald McDonald House because at Hutcheon & Pearce, it’s not just about servicing your tractor when it’s broken. It’s about supporting our people when the chips are down.
We pride ourselves on it.”