text: Having been awarded UK and Ireland Dealer of the Year for 2019, Dorset Valtra dealer CJ Cox is big on customer service. It’s why the firm enjoys repeat business with long-standing customers, and continues to chip away at other tractor makes in the area, replacing them with the venerable Finnish brand.
  “We’ve always stuck to one tractor brand,” explains sales manager Martin Spicer, who started with the firm as a Saturday helper around 24 years ago.
  “A single tractor brand gives us focus, and avoids muddying the waters when it comes to sales.”
  The business was started by Chris Cox in 1982, before adding the Valtra brand in the early 1990s. Since then, the firm has evolved and continues to grow, adding complimentary grassland and arable brands into the mix, to meet the needs of local farmers.
  “When Valtra’s T4 Series arrived, we all agreed that if we couldn’t sell it, we may as well close the gates,” he recalls.
  “It’s proving an incredible tractor range, and the subsequent arrival of SmartTouch has made it the best on the market.”
  A team of 10 mobile technicians compliment office staff, the sales team, plus parts and service personnel. And while Chris remains the boss, he’s not your average gaffer.
  “Chris can often be found in his overalls, somewhere in the workshop, with oily hands – doing what he loves,” says Martin.
  “He trusts the rest of the team to deliver in those areas that they know well, and actively encourages anyone in the business to enjoy continuous professional development.”
  “It’s a process that has helped to make the business what it is today – and receiving the Dealer of the Year Award is further proof of that.”