Making life better on the land – Women in Business

Investing in a tractor with Geelong Rural means investing in a local family business

WHEN Amanda Davies took over Geelong Rural mid-2016, a nearly forty-year-old tractor and farm equipment sales and service business, she didn’t have a lot of experience in the industry or even agriculture.

Fast forward to 2020 and she’s now the number 1 Kioti Daedong dealer in the country and recently received the bronze award for third largest Australian dealer our of 85 nationwide.

But her success is built on hard work, sacrifice, her loyal customers and suppliers, the strong team at Geelong Rural, and dedication to family.

It’s a long way from growing up on a small acreage in Drysdale.

“People say you cannot have it all, I do,” Amanda said. “I love what I do, and I have a loving family, and I’m happy. What more could you want.

“I live and breathe tractors now, the joy on my customer’s faces when they drive their new Kioti for the first time is my reward.”

With her diesel mechanic husband Brian, and three kids: seven-year-old Ella, five-year-old Edward and two-year-old Vivien, Amanda also now farms at Mannerim.

Putting everything into Geelong Rural, which more than often than not means working long hours six days a week, Amanda is quick to acknowledge her parents in her success.

“My mother, Ann, helps with school runs and watches the kids when I am on farms till late in the evening handing over new tractors,” she said. “Also my dad Chris is more than happy to pop on the overalls and get dirty in my workshop.”

Amanda is also quick to praise the team at Geelong Rural. “We love, value and appreciate all of our dedicated staff, we are a family,” she said.

Buying from Geelong Rural means the customer come first and visit to the Fyansford based dealership is an exercise in honestly and respect.

The Business has a wide range of top quality new and used tractors and farm machinery and they support your plant and equipment with scheduled maintenance, parts sales and sourcing that rare spare.

Their diesel service technicians operate a fully equipped fleet that’s available for servicing, repairs and preseason maintenance, as well as 24-hour breakdown support.

“Our customers become part of the Geelong Rural family,” Amanda said. “We make our clients feel like they are at home when they pull up a bar stool at our spares counter for a chat whilst we find their parts, or discuss taking a new tractor home.

“We offer good old fashioned service the way it should be. We greet our customers by name when they walk into our shop, we pat their dogs and give them a cheeky biscuit when they are on the back of the utes.

“Above all we are so thankful for all our loyal, kind and terrific customers, we would not exist without the rural community and we hold them all in the highest regard.”