The Doubleday family, owners of Lincolnshire/Norfolk based John Deere dealership group, JW Doubleday, have today announced they have completed the sale of the business to the Ben Burgess Group in a deal led by Springboard Corporate Finance.
In line with John Deere’s dealer of tomorrow strategy the deal will lead to the creation of a £150m turnover enlarged group.
Founded in the early 1970s by John Doubleday the business has remained family owned, successfully growing for over 50 years and becoming a core part of the agricultural community. In 1982, the business became a main dealer for John Deere– as Deere was first growing its UK presence. JW Doubleday operates from locations in Swineshead; Holbeach, Kings Lynn and Old Leake. The company employs 54 staff and has built an enviable reputation serving customers across Lincolnshire and Norfolk.
Ian Doubleday-Collishaw, grandson of the founder, commented “This decision has not been taken lightly, but we the Doubleday family were determined to protect the future of our loyal team and the longevity of a reputable John Deere dealer across our trading area. Ben Burgess share Doubleday’s values for providing premium brands backed by expertise and excellent standards of customer service. The combination of our joint processes, dedicated staff and the infrastructure already in place at Ben Burgess will deliver the best value to both our team and customers. We are confident the level of service you our customers are accustomed to will continue undisrupted. My family and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated team and our loyal customers, many of whom we consider our friends who have supported us throughout our 40 years as a John Deere dealer.”
Ben B Turner of Ben Burgess commented “The Doubleday family have built a highly successful, strong and customer focused business over the past 50 years and were adamant that they wanted to pass their legacy over to a family business that shared the same values. We are enormously proud that they have chosen Ben Burgess to continue their outstanding work.”
The shareholders of JW Doubleday were advised by Springboard Partner Simon Ward, Director Matthew Guest and Executive Claudia Haywood. Matthew commented “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the Doubleday family. They have built an extremely impressive business and we look forward to seeing it flourish as a key part of the Burgess Group.”
The shareholders of JW Doubleday were also advised by Buckles and Claritas Tax. Ben Burgess Group was advised by Howes Percival and Larking Gowen.
Ian Doubleday - Collishaw, JW Doubleday
“For my family and I this was a daunting and unfamiliar process. The team at Springboard were with us at every stage and ensured we got the right outcome with the right partner for our business. Springboard promised us an experienced yet empathetic and committed service – I am pleased to say they lived up to that promise.”
