'The Ferrari among tractors'

Machine supplier Voets has been a dealer of Belgian company Machines De Schutter (MDS) for many years. The Western Netherlands-based family business is a supplier for tractors and implements in North and South Holland. One of their most popular products? The Nibbi: an iconic two-wheeled tractor from Italy. MDS converted the machine to an electric version.

Family business Voets once started as a contracting company, but then continued as a dealer. "We supply machinery for agriculture and horticulture," Bruinen explains. The company consists of three branches and has about 70 employees. 

"We've been around for 91 years now, that's several generations of Voets," Bruinen says. "And you really notice by the atmosphere also that it is a family business. The atmosphere is extremely nice. That makes me enjoy going to work every day, for 35 years now."

That nice atmosphere is also confirmed by customers, he states. "They always feel at home with us. They are not a number, but real customers. Because that is the most important thing for us: that our customers feel heard." Bruinen is responsible for Voets' inside sales. "I deal with the small stuff. But those are still machines of fifty or sixty thousand euros. From a simple trimmer to 55-horsepower tractors."

Voets has been an official dealer of MDS machines for many years "The Nibbi has always been part of that," Bruinen explains. "With my previous employer, I already had to be at Voets if I wanted to order a Nibbi." You don't just become a dealer for MDS, he explains. "You are really the distributor for other companies in the region that are not dealers. So you do have to meet some conditions, such as having all the machines in stock."

The Nibbi is truly an icon, Brown states. The brand name has become a synonym for the product. Like Pampers, for example, or Luxaflex. "People don't talk about a two-wheeled tractor, they talk about a Nibbi. That's how well known the brand is."

Nibbi has specialized in two-wheeled tractors. Bruinen: "It is a very solid product, made in an Italian factory. The machine has a lot of applications. Not only can you mill with it, but you can also put a rotor head on it or sow with it. And all those additions MDS also supplies."

MDS also converted the standard fuel-powered Nibbi entirely in-house into an electric-powered variant. With a 48V battery and a rated output of 10-20kW, that Nibbi MAK17s E G-drive is not inferior to an 18hp diesel variant.

The only drawback to the Nibbi that Brown can think of is the price tag. "It's top quality, which comes with a higher price. Compare it to cars: you can buy a Fiat Panda, but you can also buy a Ferrari. The Nibbi is the Ferrari among tractors. In our sector, however, customers know very well what they need. People are increasingly going for quality and machines that last. That disposable society is fortunately becoming less and less." 

For Voets, the Nibbi remains a great machine to sell. "Because we know that customers are always happy with it. Of course, they don't come back as quickly because the Nibbi lasts so long. But that's only a good thing. Because that way customers know that we are honest sellers and always deliver quality."