Our Fats Of The Land – How We Support The Agriculture Industry
Witham Group has been delivering lubricant technology to farmers, landowners and agriculturally linked Businesses ever since the very first combustion engine tractors rolled off the production lines. Here, we take a look at how our oils and business have changed with the times…
The history of the tractor then began in the late 1880s, when petrol engines provided an alternative to steam, which had driven the power farming revolution for almost 100 years. Britain was the world leader in developing agricultural steam power, and the earliest record of steam working on a farm was in Wales in 1798, when a stationary engine was employed to drive a threshing machine. High costs and the limited number of uses meant few stationary steam engines were installed, but this all changed when portable steam engines pulled by horses, and self-propelled traction engines, started to arrive in the 1840s.
Their mobility meant much greater versatility, attracting contractors and large farms while providing a worldwide growth opportunity for British industry. While Britain was focused on steam power, tractors with petrol engines were starting to arrive on American farms. Whatever and whoever was ultimately responsible for the expansion in the agricultural industry, there is one thing that is certain, the improvements in farming methods, machinery innovation and transportation infrastructure, has helped farmers increase their capacities and output exponentially and are continuing with technology to do so today.
As the demand for machinery and industrialisation grew and transport evolved from horse and cart to vans, ploughs and steam engines to tractors and combines, so too our Witham business expanded. Our product range changed with the times, from making cycle oils, candles and carbide to making lubricants and greases suitable for a growing number of agricultural engines and a wide variety of new machinery and equipment being used across the farming industry.
Supporting Farmers for over 100 Years
Since then, supporting farmers and related agricultural industries has been at the forefront of our business for many years. Witham’s heartland of East Anglia is known for its high food producing land and in turn, a whole variety of machinery and vehicles are used to work and harvest the crops, all needing lubricants to keep them turning. However, it’s not just in the East of England that Witham’s reputation and agricultural expertise is prevalent.
Today , we are proud to be preferred suppliers of award winning oils, greases and other essential products to all the leading agricultural buying groups across the country, We supply work extensively with farms, estates and food crop production companies as well as national and international agricultural distributors.
From helping with Agricultural colleges and their engineering lubricant syllabus, to carrying out factory tours and visits to young farmers groups, clubs and societies, Witham continually support the farming community in their quest for efficiency, protection and performance from all their farm machinery. We help customers understand the importance of how lubricants work and their vital role in the longevity of machinery and vehicles. Witham is passionate about putting the right oil for the right application and spends a lot of time with customers and farming groups, explaining how the correct oil can avoid breakdowns in the field, costly repairs, and improved efficiencies of their expensive assets.
Sustainable Support For Agriculture
Now venturing into the latest product developments of environmentally sensitive and biodegradable products, Witham are innovating outside the box, using new alternative food safe and water safe lubricants, such as the bestselling and award winning Prolan lubricant range made from sheep’s lanolin. Witham are keen to work with all their customers to help them become more sustainable and improve their own environmental credentials. Nigel Bottom MD. explains:
“Offsetting our carbon footprints is not enough – we shouldn’t be creating them in the first place.” Being maybe the first global lubricant manufacturer to make lubricants in a carbon neutral blending procedure has helped push our business’s environmental credibility further. This new technology is helping landowners and farmers, as well as many other business owners find a supplier who is genuinely producing some of the first carbon neutral made lubricants in the world.
Our growing and unique range of biodegradable and non-toxic lubricating solutions are catching the eye of customers across the country and we are proud to be leading the way in finding innovative ways to reduce the chemical impact on our land”
The Witham Group are also proud that its partnership with agriculture continues to develop, from the single-family farmer to large estates and buying groups, agricultural suppliers and online distributors, Witham will always put people and farmers first. Nigel adds:
“There have been many occasions over the past century where we have gone to a farmer in the middle of the night to help with an oil leak or problem, without a thought, as we know the pressure they are under at certain times of the year. Many of our farming customers have relationships with our business spanning over several generations and we look forward to looking after all our agricultural partners and their families over the next 100 years’.
IT’S ALL ABOUT RELIABILITY
Adverse weather, heavy loads and long hours of work can all take its toll on machinery exposed to these elements in outside environments. These days lubricants not only need to protect assets working in these tough conditions, but they need to ensure performance is maintained for maximum productivity so break downs and repairs are kept to a minimum.
With a huge range of quality and reliable products, we use only the highest quality raw materials, and ensuring we meet only the very latest original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and industry requirements and specification.
Here is a simple summary of what we offer to the agricultural sector– all under one roof – with the full back up of a friendly service and technical support.
Designed to enhance the performance and longevity of engines working hard in tough operating conditions and to reduce heat, wear and tear.
Provide reliability and compatibility to the modern farmer whatever the age and size of the vehicles and machinery
Today’s transmissions need to cope with a huge variety of driving conditions. Our range of UTTO’s are designed for use within tractor transmissions, oil immersed (wet) brake and clutches, power take-off, torque converters, gear boxes and final drive assemblies.
Manual or automatic vehicles need protection to prolong relevant components and keep breakdowns to a minimum
We offer a popular range of Multi-Functional and Automatic TF for use in powered steering and manual gear boxes.
Blended with specific bases and additives, our brake fluids are essential to help the braking process and keep vehicles safe and reliable whatever the conditions.
With an extensive, market leading range of oils for hydraulics and industrial machinery, our products provide anti-foaming, anti-rust and anti-wearing properties, each designed to ensure reliable performance under heavy and stressful loads and wide variations of temperature.
Environmentally Sensitive Agricultural Oils
Our award-winning range of biodegradable and low impact products are ideal for the countryside, food production and waterways and yet offer unique and high quality lubricating qualities.
Correct grease lubrication is vital to extend the life of vehicle and machinery components and we offer a huge range of greases for high temperatures, heavy and shock loads, vibration, high speed and wet and saturated conditions.
These are vital to protect your engines from frost damage, overheating and corrosion in both older and new vehicles.
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