Diversification is the key to success for 150-year-old business, TNS
26th December 2024
As TNS prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2025, Sarah Kidby spoke to chairman & CEO, James Thurlow about its past and future.
As many farmers will appreciate, in the current climate, diversifying can be the key to success, and this is certainly the case for East Anglian machinery dealer Thurlow Nunn Standen Ltd (TNS).
The company is now in its sixth generation of the Thurlow family and part of the Thurlow Nunn Group. There has been extraordinary growth from these humble beginnings and the Group has more than doubled its turnover in the last decade; with revenue expected to hit £300 million in 2025.
It all started with George Thurlow, the great great grandfather of current chairman, James Thurlow. George Thurlow & Sons Ltd officially began trading in 1875 as an oil blender and belting manufacturer based in Stowmarket – this business would later go on to become Thurlow Nunn Standen Ltd.
As mechanisation came, the business moved into steam and then tractors to become one of the most recognised steam engine distributors in the UK. Incredibly, hand-written records of the c.350 steam engines sold during that period are held by Suffolk Archives in Ipswich.
The Thurlow family has a long history of working within the agricultural sector, and this is where its roots remain.
Working across sectors
Today, the company’s portfolio is diverse to say the least – TNS continues to work in the agricultural sector, as a major dealer for AGCO (Massey Ferguson, Fendt and Valtra), Kverneland, Kubota and Manitou.
Other brands include Claydon Drills, Major Equipment and Opico.
In addition to this, the Thurlow Nunn Group also works across the construction, property and automotive industries.
The Vehicle Division (Thurlow Nunn) now makes a significant contribution, turning over just shy of £200M, stocking more than 1,000 used cars and selling over 8,000 cars a year.
James Thurlow credits this diversity as the key to Thurlow Nunn Group’s success, in a time when several smaller machinery dealers have had to close their doors. “We don’t operate in one sector. I think that has given us great strength and this has been key to our business success,” he explained.
“Agriculture is an incredibly important part of our business, it’s where we started 150 years ago and we must not lose sight of that, although it’s very important that we do have additional revenue streams as this makes us a strong partner for our customers and suppliers in the future.”
Long-standing partnerships
The business has had several long-standing partnerships – James believes TNS is the longest operating distributor of Massey Ferguson (formerly Massey Harris) in the world, having become an official dealer in 1928, though it was selling Massey Harris machines as early as 1907.
The business has held similar long-term relationships with Kverneland and Kubota alike, with partnerships spanning over 50 years.
Reflecting on changes to the farming sector, James noted that with the average power of a tractor now over 200hp, compared to perhaps 35hp in his father’s time, customer demands have also changed.
With fewer people working on farms, machinery is expected to contribute more working hours over wider geographical areas. Efficiency and up time are increasingly important, and manufacturers and dealers have had to keep pace with this.
James shares the same passion for his team as his late father did. Technological advancement has meant his team is now required to have a much more in-depth product knowledge, with the diagnostic element now being a significant part of repairs, James said, and notes that the business continues to invest heavily into skills-based apprenticeship programmes.
Celebrating a life and business
James’s father John Thurlow, a stalwart in the East Anglian farming community, sadly passed away in June 2024 from dementia. This brings a poignancy to TNS’s 150th anniversary year. “We feel that in 2025, we’ll be celebrating his life as well,” James explained. It is for this reason that the business has set itself the ambitious target of raising £150,000 for Dementia UK and this will be central to the celebrations.
There will be five major fundraising events held throughout the year, starting with the inter-company conference and awards dinner in February.
James added: “Dementia is a cruel disease. The impact on our family was devastating and we want to do what we can to help other families affected, in memory of our father.”
You can donate to the cause via: www.justgiving.com/page/thurlownunngroup150
The company’s 150th anniversary comes shortly after the 45th anniversary of Farmers Guide in 2024, and the two businesses have been connected from the very origins of the magazine.
Farmers Guide founder Doug Potts shared his idea of starting a farming magazine, originally just in East Anglia, with John Thurlow, and Thurlow Nunn had the front cover advert on its very first issue in 1979. Forty-five years later, TNS continues to work closely with Farmers Guide, now a national publication.
“I think it was a very important part of our business in the early days, and we still maintain quite a few of the old copies with relevance to the changes in the business. Now the Farmers Guide puts your name across the whole of the UK,” James added, referencing the magazine’s expansion to a national readership.
The next gen
Continuing its growth strategy is important, and TNS continues to look for fresh opportunities. The most recent developments for the business are: Thurlow Nunn Ltd, the motor dealership division, opened an MG dealership in Kings Lynn and acquired a Hyundai site in Lowestoft.
TNS is also now transitioning the business into the sixth generation, with James’s nephew Will Tew, who joined eight years ago, recently being made managing director of both TNS and Thurlow Nunn.
“It’s very important for us to see that the business has longevity and it’s critical that we create that now. We are fortunate that the passion for the business continues within the family to support our succession strategy.”
Noting that just 1% of businesses make it to generation four, James added that TNS reaching the sixth generation is a credit to his father. “All he ever wanted was to hand the business on to the next generation of our family. Family was so important to my father. He was a man with strong principles and respected by all who met him.”
Timeline of celebrations
Thurlow Nunn Group has a series of celebrations planned for its 150th year, including:
- February: TNG’s annual conferences – where it celebrates with its suppliers, reviews its successes and launches initiatives for the year ahead
- May: ‘Cruise for a Cause’ – participants will team up to drive in a themed car trail around Norfolk with all entry money going to Dementia UK, The Group will also be exhibiting at the Suffolk Show, as it has done for over 100 years
- June: Charity Tractor Run & the Group’s usual stand at the Royal Norfolk Show
- July: Family Fun Day – all employees and their families will be invited to celebrate TNG’s family milestone
- September: Charity Golf Day at Barnham Broom, Norfolk
- December: Charity Christmas Ball.
The company will also auction an MF135 tractor (pictured) in October 2025 with Cheffins.
All funds raised during each activity will go towards Thurlow Nunn Group’s ambitious fundraising target.
In addition, each of TNG’s 17 sites is allocated an annual fund to help towards fundraising activities. Last year Thurlow Nunn Luton raised an impressive £15,000 for its local hospice.
Proceeds from all the fundraising activities held within the TN Group during 2025 will go to Dementia UK.
Visit the Thurlow Nunn Standen website for more information.
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