Looking Back / Looking Ahead

Since joining Bateman in 1999, Jonathan Hardy outlasted three Archbishops of Canterbury, three Popes and eight Prime Ministers. However, after 26 years as Technical Sales Manager for the North, Jonathan decided that March 2025 was the right time to call it a day.

We sat down with Jonathan and his successor David Main to reminisce and look ahead.

Twenty-six years is a long time to work for the same company, especially in sales and certainly by today’s standards. So how did Jonathan feel about closing his chapter with Bateman?
“Working for Bateman has been a big part of my life. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s been a real pleasure to work with everyone from the Bateman family to the team in the office, the guys in the factory and the service support team. It might be the sales person who sells the first machine, but it’s the team behind the product which sells the next one. However, as much as I have enjoyed my time, I feel now is the right time to pull up stumps.”

Looking back over the last 26 years what would Jonathan say is the biggest development within spraying?
“I would say the majority of machines are now are a lot bigger. Twenty-six years ago, everything was a 24-metre boom with a 3000-litre tank. We were punching them out of the factory, all very similar in spec. Now, boom widths are over 40 metres, tank capacities have doubled and the technology has evolved. It’s just been a continuous evolution, moving from boutmarkers to G.P.S, then G.P.S to pulse width modulation and looking ahead green on green with the likes of Carbon Bee.”

Just as spraying has evolved, so has farming. How does Jonathan view the industry now versus when he started? “We are working more closely with farm managers and operators rather than the person who signs the cheque. It depends on what area of the country you’re in. In parts of the country where you’ve got a thousand, to 1500-acre farms, you’re still dealing with the farmer. However, in the larger areas you’re dealing with the farm manager and the accounts manager.”

And what of Bateman? Jonathan has not only seen the products change but the company itself has also moved on.
“We’ve become more efficient. Not only the machines but the way in which we do things. The beauty of Bateman is that whilst things move on, you’ve got a group of people who have been at the company for as long as me, or in some cases even longer. There’s so much knowledge and also a willingness to embrace new ways of doing things.

“The ethos of Bateman is knowledge. When I first started, Richard Bateman said to me: ‘I don’t want a salesman, it’s not a foot in the door sort of thing. It’s about advising a customer of how we can make their work more efficient.’ That basically sums up Bateman, always looking to make things better.”

As Jonathan looks forward to visiting new and familiar parts of the world, along with picking up where he left off learning to fly a light aircraft, what will he miss most? “There’s a lot I’m going to miss. Meeting and seeing customers, that’s the biggest thing. The support and everything I’ve received from the Bateman family. I’ve made some good friends in the industry over the years.”

David Main will assume the role of Technical Sales Manager for Northern England, Scotland, and Wales. David has worked at Bateman for the past three years but has over 37 years’ experience in the sprayer industry.

Having spent his entire working life in sprayers and spraying, was it always going to be agriculture for David?
“When I was eight, my uncle bought a farm and my father worked there. During school holidays I’d go to the farm, all I wanted to do was drive a tractor. Throughout my entire education as soon as I arrived home I’d go to the local farm and help them milk the cows.

“I attended the local College of Agriculture and Horticulture and completed a three-year course in agricultural engineering. Within a week of the end of college, a notice was posted on the board recruiting assembly fitters for a sprayer company. I applied and after an interview was offered a job.

“In over 30 years at the same company, the roles I undertook included sandblasting, painting and fabrication, to service and sales. I became sales manager and ended up as managing director.”

What would David say is the most important lesson he has learned which is still pertinent today?
“I think I would say listening to farmers. To understand what they want and extract the information you need in order to help them, you have to listen carefully to every word.”

Since joining Bateman in 2022, David has worked at the factory, initially on a sub assembly and components project, followed by a stint in boom assembly, moving onto an options project.

Why does David think farmers choose Bateman?
“I’d always looked at Bateman with a bit of envy during my time as a competitor. It was Bateman’s reputation in terms of machine reliability, proven technology backed by in-house support and the fact that you can get spare parts the next day. This is why farmers choose Bateman, it must be the only sprayer company that can offer that level of confidence.

“You sometimes hear people in the market for a new sprayer say they’re not bothered about the residual value. It’s only when they’ve lost a huge chunk of money on something else that it suddenly becomes important. No other sprayer retains such high a residual value as a Bateman.”

Three years in and what does being part of Team Bateman mean to David?
“I had no reason to disbelieve the excellent reputation that Bateman have in the market. What’s nice is to know that it’s even better than I could have imagined. We stand by our products. In the unlikely event of an issue, the team come together, determined to turn a negative into a positive outcome. The customer is left in no doubt as to how much they are valued.

“It’s a family company, you’re made to feel like part of the family. This extends beyond the factory, our customers and industry partners are treated likewise, it’s very unique and quite special actually.”

So, what is David looking forward to the most as he assumes his new role at Bateman?
“Apart from attending the shows, I’ve missed being out of the sales side of the job and I’m looking forward to getting back out there and meeting the farmers again. We have a fantastic range of sprayers which can fulfil pretty much all needs. I can’t wait to get started!”

We hope that Jonathan will be guest of honour during the Bateman BBQ on the first day of Cereals 2025. 

Contact details for David Main are as follows…
Mobile: 07971 966734
Email: david.main@batemansprayers.com