The purchase includes 13 dealerships, bringing the number of agricultural outlets in the RDO Australia Group to 22.
The purchase of Chesterfield Australia includes 13 dealerships. Of these, 11 dealerships will be retained by RDO Australia Group as part of Vanderfield, while the dealerships in Warren and Dubbo (both in New South Wales) will transition to John Deere dealership business Hutcheon & Pearce.
RDO finalised its purchase of Vanderfield late last year and RDO Australia Group chief executive officer Julie Whitcombe says the most recent purchase means branches established by Chesterfield across New South Wales and Queensland can continue to serve their local customers and support the continuing growth of the agricultural industry in new ways.
"Chesterfield Australia was looking for the right buyer and RDO Australia Group was looking for the right opportunity to strengthen our support base in regional areas for both our agricultural and construction businesses," Whitcombe said.
"The opportunity to build in these areas from an established John Deere dealership that shared similar values to our own made perfect sense for us.
"In bringing 11 Chesterfield branches under the Vanderfield banner, we want our customers to know that we are here for the long-term and ready to support them through their challenges as well as their growth opportunities. We are confident in the future of Australian agriculture and we're pleased to have this opportunity to work with the Chesterfield teams into the future."
Whitcombe said Chesterfield and Vanderfield have a lot in common, and RDO Australia Group is expecting a smooth transition that will be straightforward for customers.
"The local salespeople, service technicians and parts staff have years of experience and will continue to be there to support our customers. Customers can be confident in continuing to deal with the same teams they know and respect, with the added benefit of RDO's growing support network behind them. We're delighted to welcome these teams and customers into our RDO family," she said.
Chesterfield Australia CEO Damien Effeney said Chesterfield Australia and Vanderfield are an ideal fit.
"Chesterfield Australia's inclusion into the Vanderfield business further establishes it as one of the leading agricultural machinery dealerships in Australia," Effeney said.
"Outgoing owners the Pennefather family have endorsed this purchase as the best way to ensure the legacy of the business they have nurtured for over 50 years."
The RDO Australia Group encompasses Vermeer Australia, Vanderfield and RDO Equipment. Once the Chesterfield purchase is finalised, the group will employ over 700 staff across 29 branches.
