Meet the Team – Ian Davies

Ian Davies 
Area Sales Manager – Groundcare

One of the world’s best manufacturers and one of the UK’s best dealers, you cannot go wrong really 

 A long-serving cog in our Groundcare Sales team is Ian Davies, based from our Cirencester depot. Recently we celebrated his impressive 27 years’ service with Lister Wilder, starting his career when we were Lister Farm Sales back in 1994. Ian’s career hasn’t always been in machinery sales and if we take you back to the days before Lister Wilder, Ian actually served for a period of time in the Merchant Navy. When he decided to get into a sales role, Ian accepted a position with Spaldings Ltd, Agricultural Parts and Groundcare company. This was a role that Ian thrived in for just under 10 years, building up skills, experience and relationships around the area of Swindon.  
 
‘I really enjoyed working with Spaldings, I loved the sales aspect of the role but started to look towards machinery sales as something that I wanted to explore, that is when I saw an advertisement in the Farmers Weekly for Lister Wilder.’ 
 
27 years later and Ian is a valued member of the Lister Wilder team. Through Ian’s earlier years with the company, he moved from Agricultural sales to parts roles before settling firmly in the ground care division in 2006 and where he continues to be today. Lister Wilder have been supplying the highest quality Groundcare equipment for over 25 years, with brands such as Kubota, Baroness, Roberine and Trimax to name a few.  
 
‘Having a very good product to go out and sell is such a benefit to the job. The franchises that we surround ourselves with are the best in the industry. We have a focus on our key brands that we confidently know suit our customer base’, explains Ian.  

A resident Swindonian, Ian covers a varied area for ground care and deals with a vast range of customers from football clubs to zoos and even on occasion royalty! With plenty of businesses requiring quality machines with reliable service, Lister Wilder has certainly made ground in the areas that Ian covers.  

‘I just love the variation of people I get to deal with, some think a city such as Bristol may not have a high demand for machinery but it is quite the opposite. It certainly keeps me busy and I really do look forward to going to work each day.’  
 
Recently Lister Wilder became the first full-line Kubota dealer in Europe after acquiring the Agricultural and Engines business. Part of this progression of the business will mean a new depot at Cirencester, where Ian is based. These new depots will set the standard for the future of Lister Wilder.  
 
‘I think the future is very exciting, to be a main Kubota dealer for everything is simply fantastic. One of the worlds best manufacturers and one of the UK’s best dealers, you cannot go wrong really!’ With retirement just around the corner, Ian reflected on his time with Lister Wilder and what his plans are for his future.  
 
’27 years is a long time with a company and I think it speaks volumes of employee satisfaction. It is a family business and I have been lucky enough to see the company grow and change from where it was in 1994. They have been very good to me, as they are with all their employees. In short, they are decent and honest people and I really enjoy working with the whole team.’