Ian Denton's Story

This week we journey to South Australia and catch up with one of Australia's longest serving Ford Dealers. Although now retired, you can't talk about the machinery industry of South Australia's Mid North without mentioning Ian Denton or the business his father started in the twenties.

Here is Ian's Story: 

 

J.O. Denton, ( Joe ) left school at 11 years of age, to work in his father’s grocery store and from an early age he was interested in all things technical. The beginning of the technical revolution was perfect timing for a lad with his interests.

He started in his own business in 1923, J.O.DENTON, carrying out mechanical repairs and experimenting with Marconi’s new invention the wirelesses. Soon he was building his own receivers and transmitters. In fact he was transmitting radio signals before any of commercial stations had started broadcasting in South Australia.

In 1923 his focus shifted to sales when he acquired an agency to distribute Douglas ‘Belt-Drive’ Motorcycles in his area this proved to be another good decision for the young Joe Denton. Building a name as a fair trader and reliable source of spare parts with an excellent set of mechanical skills built his reputation as and astute businessman. Such attributes are reported widely and he soon caught the attention of other manufactures wanting to engage him to sell their products.

In early 1926, and not long after the Ford Motor Company had started building Model T Fords in Geelong, he saw an opportunity in selling an Australian built motor car and applied for a Ford Franchise. This was the beginning of a long term business relationship when the appropriate forms were completed and the official Ford Motor Company Dealership Agreement with JO Denton of Farrell Flat commenced on May 1^st 1926.

Although not an official dealer at the time, Joe sold his first T-Model Ford on February 17^th 1926 two and a half months before the official start-up date. Joe was an eager and capable salesman. Tractors were beginning to replace horses in the twenties and an ever increasing number of farmers were asking Joe about the Fordson range of tractors. He saw yet another opportunity and sold his first ‘F’ Model Fordson Tractor on October 17^th 1926.

During this time other agencies formed the wide range of products Joe sold to his customers. Although Ford went on to the main part of the business, these products included Caterpillar, Lanz Bulldog, H.V. McKay, Massey Harris, Atwater-Kent Wireless. Although electricity was being laid out over an increasing number of households in towns and cities, for families on farms candles and lanterns were still commonplace but Joe had an answer. As a dealer for Freelite and Delco Lighting Plants, he helped illuminate many a farmhouse and outbuilding. Something as simple as electricity drastically changed the lives of people in Joe’s area.

With the introduction of the new‘E27N’ model Fordson Joe decided that he could discontinue his representation of other brands and concentrate his efforts on this modern and reliable newcomer. Fordson Tractors were sold in large numbers and Joe retained a healthy market share of around seventy percent at the time. Market shares of these percentages always come under threat as many other tractor manufactures responded to the E27N’s success and as they came on stream during the fifties the market share waned. However the introduction of the New Majors, Power Majors, and Super Majors continued to offer the business a first class product keeping sales high and a market share which could be envied by other dealers of all persuasion.

Ian Denton began his career with the family firm in 1954 continuing the first class reputation for supplying parts and accessories to customers throughout the Mid North. Handling the spare parts side of any business is sometimes a thankless task but Ian was up to the challenge and in retirement today he still dabbles in parts as a hobby.

Ian progressed to the Tractor and Equipment sales side of the business in the early sixties. When Joe retired in the mid seventies, Ian assumed control and became responsible for the myriad of tasks concerned with the day to day management of the business.

This short statement somewhat sells Ian’s story short as during this time Ford Tractors and Equipment were outsold in most markets across Australia and without an alternative to the new quite cabins being offered by Chamberlain and John Deere, Ford Dealers were losing interest. Some leaving to find other products more suited to their clients demands. Jo Denton and Sons however maintained market share and flew a proud but lonely Ford flag.

Early in the sixties the Ford Motor Company had segregated the tractor division, forming a new entity called Ford Tractor and Equipment. Dealers who had been able to sell cars and tractors had two companies to deal with and choices were made. A new vibrancy fuelled this young company. Ford wasted little time and they began in earnest to recruit some of the brightest minds and skilled technicians across Australia. The Tractor and Equipment Division now had the right mix of people to complete the successful launch of a new range of farm tractors from twenty eight to one hundred and eight horsepower.

Ian Denton was at the forefront of this surge and the number of blue tractors multiplied through the territory he commanded. The new company’s management could rely on J O Denton and Sons to achieve market leadership monthly.

By ninety seventy eight a new more powerful and modern range of tractors complete with a quiet cabin option was offered by Ford T&E. The Arrival of these tractors created a new energy within the dealer network, particularly in broad-acre farming areas. Ian’s leadership at Dealer Council meetings and his effervescent personality was contagious and his peers responded and many took up the challenge to push for a greater market share. During the Eighties, Ford dealers across Australia achieved market leadership. In Farrell Flat Ian maintained his sales dominance with Ford’s 7700 and TW Models.

The arrival of a range of 30 and 40 Series tractors gave Ford Dealers a formidable tractor offering from a machinery supplier at the top of its game. The arrival of the Australian Designed Ford 8401 Tractor generated even more sales. This was a tractor researched and built to meet the unique needs of the majority of Australia’s cereal farmers. Tractors were being financed in many different ways and in the eighties Ford Credit Acceptance Company designed an innovative range of purchase and leasing plans to support the dealers quest for improved sales figures.

The 8401 was unique to Australia, and a tractor JO Denton and Sons sold in large numbers. An Australian tractor to suit Australia’s farming needs the timing of the 8401 tractor’s introduction was perfect and it made a big sales impact for the few short years it was produced.

Ian Denton’s story would not be complete without the mention of Yamaha Motorcycles and in some ways the motorbikes completed a circle back to the origins of the business Joe started back in the twenties. Agriculture and pastoral pursuits took a major leap in efficiency when Yamaha introduced its first Ag bike the Ag100. This was a 100cc unit complete with handle bar guards and wide carrier. A couple of years later farmers were looking for more power and Yamaha followed up the 100 with the Ag175.      Denton’s sold hundreds.

By the early nineties Ford Tractors and Equipment had morphed into Ford New Holland after Ford bought the North American New Holland Company in the late eighties. Subsequently the new company was purchased by FIAT to become New Holland. This was a time of great upheaval for many loyal Ford Dealers and neither the dealer network nor the Ford T&E staff would ever be the same again, the magic was gone.        Even today some of these loyal people hold a grudge resulting from the manner in which they were dismissed.

Ian Denton however maintained a good relationship with the new company and only wound up this continuous relationship in 2000.

Ian was presented with an award in recognition of the 75 years unbroken involvement with the Company by the Denton Family business. At that time the business had been directly involved with Fordson / Ford Tractors for seventy five years of the eighty two years that Ford Tractors had been selling in Australia.

In fact Denton’s had sold, serviced, and cared for the needs of Ford tractor owners for seventy five years of the complete eighty four year history of Ford Tractor production across the globe.

Not many of today’s companies can boast a more enviable record.