Reekie Ltd, a leading supplier of agricultural, construction and groundcare machinery, is all set to rejuvenate sales, service and parts back-up as a newly-appointed official dealer for Bauer’s premium range of crop irrigation equipment.
The main focus of the new partnership is on the group’s depots at Perth and Cupar, which cover some of the largest potato and vegetable growing areas in Scotland.
Reekie Ltd has already supplied a Bauer Rainstar E31 to a long-standing customer and to underscore its commitment to the new partnership has taken a second E31 into stock and placed a substantial order for critical parts to support future customers for the machines.
Sam Mercer, general manager at Cupar and Perth, said: “We have a long-standing involvement with irrigation equipment and wanted to get back to supplying new irrigators again with a premium brand that would sit well alongside our agricultural machinery franchises.
“In Bauer, we have that premium brand; the company has a well-deserved reputation for its engineering and manufacturing quality, and the performance and durability of its irrigators.”
Rob Jackson of Bauer UK & Ireland said: “We’re delighted to have reached this agreement with Reekie Ltd, an established and well-respected dealership with people in sales, service and parts who know and understand irrigation equipment and the crucial part it plays in growing high-quality, high-value potato and vegetable crops.
“We are already taking orders and securing build slots at the factory for irrigation reels to be delivered in time for next year’s growing season, so it’s important for growers to look ahead and plan their requirements now for next year and beyond.”
Bauer has been at the forefront of irrigation equipment design and technology for more than 50 years as a leading supplier worldwide.
The group’s integrated manufacturing facilities at the factory in Voitsberg, Austria produces original Bauer couplings, rigid pipe and flexible PE pipe, precision components and the Rainstar units with their fully galvanised chassis and hose reel structures.
Key features of the Rainstar E family of irrigators include the high pulling force – up to 40% greater than some reels – generated by Bauer’s highly efficient radial water turbines, which are designed and precision-assembled to ensure minimal water pressure loss.
At the same time, the unique Vario variable output nozzle exploits what pressure is available by delivering full stream flow over the turbine’s impeller at all settings.
In combination with the Ecostar 6000 controller – now fitted as standard for the UK and Ireland – this maintains a constant hose retraction speed from the beginning to the end of every strip.
The Ecostar 6000 controller with its simple touch screen settings input provides a number of helpful text message communications, including time remaining to finish and notification of completed runs, interruptions and faults.
For growers operating multiple reel irrigators, Bauer’s SmartRain telematics system provides notifications to designated managers and operators for streamlined management, and a comprehensive record of all irrigation events, including water consumption, with access via a mobile device app or farm office computer.
Steven Player, Cupar area sales manager, is enthusiastic about the new partnership with Bauer: “There’s a fair few Bauer irrigation reels operating across our area and the fact that many of them are as much as 20 years old illustrates how well built they are.
“But many are ripe for replacement, and we can maintain continuity for growers – or replace other makes – by supplying a new top-class Bauer reel. Just as importantly, because our service technicians and parts department staff are all familiar with this type of equipment, we can also look after the irrigators properly when put to work.”
