Siromer Tractors. Proudly Family-run.
Something we don’t talk about often enough at Siromer, is how the business is and has always been entirely family-run.
Originally founded in 1999 by Jeff Howard, Siromer now spans 3 generations of the Howard family. Jeff still resides as CEO of the company whilst daughter Louise Howard works as Managing Director and Jeff’s wife Kath is Sales Director. Louise’s own son, Orion, now 14 has also been lending his helping hand since 2015 and is now even helping to build the flatpack tractors with the rest of the team!
But this brief summary in truth is the short story. Let’s take it all back to the very beginning…
How did Siromer start?
Jeff Howard, an engineer by trade, was simply just a man who needed a tractor. With a few acres and a couple of horses, the land was becoming difficult to manage without some decent machinery and it was clear it was time to finally get a tractor.
But there was one hitch…the price.
The John Deeres and Kubotas were well out of reach for Jeff, but the second-hand auctions were a mess- leaky, rusty and let’s be honest, not exactly the type of thing Mrs Howard wanted parked on the drive.
But luck was about to deal Mr Howard a very different hand…
By chance whilst working in Germany, Jeff came across the concept of Chinese import tractors. These tractors were brand new, affordable, and came with a warranty. Now that was certainly a better option than buying a lemon at the second-hand auctions! Sensing an opportunity Jeff imported 8 Chinese tractors with the plan to keep one for his own land, hopefully sell a couple, and use the rest for parts.
But remember the important detail in our story; Jeff was an engineer by trade. When the original tractors arrived Jeff was impressed, but it is fair to say that he knew that there was room for growth. So with a more ambitious plan, off Jeff went on a plane to China with a list of 50 improvements under his arm. And with an ambitious plan, some engineering knowledge and the price of 1 plane ticket to China, Siromer Tractors was born.
What's in a name?
And the name Siromer?
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Well, to be honest, there is no grand, romantic story behind the name. Jeff had this amazing business opportunity at his fingertips and he wanted to seize the day! With the speed and unexpected nature in which the business began, there simply was no time to deliberate a brand name. And so, in a true act of ‘getting down to business’ the name Siromer was chosen simply because it was available and not yet registered.
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In the words of Managing Director Louise Howard: “In a way, that practicality reflects our company's ethos. We're not about frills or fancy marketing; we're about providing reliable, hardworking tractors that get the job done. The name 'Siromer' might not be glamorous, but it's become synonymous with dependability and value.”
Proudly Made In China
But the business did not come without its own struggles. Back in the business’ infancy ‘Made in China’ came with a stigma. People assumed the tractors were bad quality and not built to last. However, as they say, ‘If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door’, and here at Siromer we took that literally.
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One day, a smallholder from Wales came in to have a look at our tractors, as when he saw the crates in which our tractors were delivered in, his eyes lit up. 'I'd love to build my own!' he said. That was our lightbulb moment. We created a construction manual, started selling them flatpack, and suddenly, everything changed.
Those flatpack tractors? They weren't just tractors; they were projects. People had tractor building parties, families worked on them together, and they really got to know their machines. Suddenly, the low price wasn't a liability; it was an opportunity. 'If I build it myself, I know it'll last,' they'd say. And they did.
And here at Siromer, we have always been proud of our Chinese roots. We always advertise the tractor's origins, and we even have Cantonese in our logo! In the words of MD Louise Howard: “It still surprises me when I hear someone say, 'I wouldn't buy that, it's Chinese,' and then I check the tags on my clothing, the back of my Samsung monitors, the list goes on, and sure enough, 'Made in China' is still there. It's a testament to the quality and efficiency of Chinese manufacturing, and something we've always stood by.”
25 Years and Onwards
Having recently celebrated our 25th anniversary last year, we are proud to say that Siromer Tractor has stood the test of time. But it is without doubt that the business has changed dramatically since 1999.
Jeff and Kath originally bought their smallholding back in 1983, and in these 16 years of owning and working with a smallholding before business even began, they both gained knowledge that would massively influence Siromer’s trajectory. The Howard’s understood the challenges and needs of individuals managing smaller plots of land and based the initial business off of their own experience.
In other words, Jeff and Kath were their own customers. They understood that there were many people out there, just like themselves, who needed reliable and powerful farming equipment that wasn’t going to break the bank.
But putting a good idea into action was not without its challenges.
Let’s set the stage. It is 1999, the Millenium Dome is being built, and frankly the practicalities of doing business between the UK and China were downright tricky. With only dial-up internet, weeklong faxes and crackling overseas phone calls to help with confirming specifications, sending drawings or addressing quality control issues it is safe to say getting the business rolling was a challenge. And that is of course not to mention cultural and language barriers between two nations worlds apart.
But with determination, a lot of patience, and a lot of factory visits to China, Siromer Tractor got the ball rolling, and it hasn’t stopped since then!
Just as the Howard family grew, so did the needs of our customer, and in turn the business went from strength to strength. Many customers who started with our 20-30HP tractors have grown alongside our business. Our customer acquired more land, needed help with larger projects, and wanted to become more ambitious in what they were able to do with their own land. In response to the evolving needs of customers like you, Siromer also developed and over the years we began offering a really robust range of tractors (all the way up to 80HP) and a comprehensive line of high-quality Chinese-imported equipment so that everyone can find the tractor to fit their lifestyle! (We even offer part-exchange for those looking to upgrade!).
Our tagline ‘Siromer: With you every turn of the wheel’ is not just empty words. We’re truly driven by a genuine passion for providing practical, reliable solutions so that we can become your one-stop-shop for every need of your farm or smallholding.
And looking at 2025 and beyond, we aim to continue to expand our product range, especially in larger horsepower tractors, and to continue our research and development in the electric sphere of tractors and machinery. We cannot wait to be with you as we see what the future brings.
Growing Better, Not Bigger
We know it sounds like a cheesy line, but each of our customers truly matters to us at Siromer. This whole thing is not just about selling tractors, it's about cultivating lasting relationships and providing genuine value. Remaining a family-run business and maintaining a smaller scale have both been very intentional and purposeful choices here at Siromer. We knew that we never wanted our key values- reliability, affordability, and exceptional service- to be compromised in exchange for expanding the business. By maintaining our close-knit structure we’ve made room to nurture those long-term, personal connections with both our suppliers and customers.
This isn't just a business transaction; it's a partnership. We're not just selling tractors; we're building a community, and that's something we're immensely proud of.
Louise recalls “I'll always remember one Christmas Eve, Dad and I were delivering a flatpack tractor. It was freezing, late at night and we were exhausted, but the customer was so excited. He told us he was planning a tractor-building party with the whole village after Christmas. That sense of community, of bringing people together, that's something we're really proud of.”
Siromer. A Real Business For Real People.
Here at Siromer, we are a business made up of real people for real people like you. We understand not everyone has infinite resources, this is why we also keep our machines as affordable as possible. We understand that everyone’s needs are different, this is why we offer such a broad range of machinery. And we understand that we are all human, that is why we make our tractors with incredible reliability and forgiveness, because we understand that accidents happen.​
Take one customer who, quite unintentionally, drove his tractor straight into a lake. Completely submerged. Most would have written it off, but after a thorough drying and a new set of injectors, that Siromer machine roared back to life.
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Or there's the story of the stolen tractor. The owner had it partially disassembled for servicing, no oil filter, no oil, when thieves took it for a joyride. They didn't get far before the engine seized. Abandoned at the end of the drive, the customer, with a sigh and a fresh oil filter and fill, got it running again. And it's still going strong!
And who could forget the customer who, while checking his oil, accidentally left the water tap running? The tractor overheated and ground to a halt. A quick refill, and it was back to work, as if nothing had happened.
These aren't just funny stories; they're proof of quite how amazing our humble Siromer Tractors are. The Siromer is designed for real-world use, for people who need a tractor that can handle anything, even the occasional mishap. It's a point of real pride for us. (And with our UK parts centre that will deliver in 24 hours and our free over the phone advice we are only a phone call away!)
What Keeps The Wheel Turning Today
To conclude there felt no better way than to let MD Louise speak for herself about the family’s motivations for Siromer: “What really drove Dad, and what still drives us, is that we're our own customers. We understand the need for a reliable, hardworking tractor that doesn't break the bank. We know what it's like to need a machine to get the job done right. Mum and Dad were always so keen on providing real value for money. Seeing a customer drive away, knowing their lives were about to get so much easier because of our tractor, that was incredibly satisfying. And those core values – value, reliability, and understanding the customer's needs – they're still the heart of Siromer. We've got customers who still call for parts for those first original eight tractors that were sold. These are tractors with over 20,000 hours on the clock! And that original Siromer? It's still working at Mum and Dad's place. It wasn't just about selling tractors. It was about listening to people, adapting, and building something that lasted. And that's what we still do today. It's in our DNA.”
