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21 Mar 2023
Meet Craig Norrie: Our Huntly Sales Engineer
Scot Agri is delighted to welcome Craig Norrie to the company as our Agricultural Sales Engineer based at our Huntly depot and covering the surrounding region. Having grown up around agriculture, Craig has over 40 years of experience in and around the farm and has been a welcome addition to the Scot Agri team. We sat down with Craig to speak about his new role and experience so far.
Experience and New Role
Craig spent most of his years being a farm manager in Fife with remarkable success, having started helping on the farm when he was only 10 years old. Craig was looking for a change while remaining in the industry which his new role provides. “I really enjoyed my time, but I was looking for a change. I met with Steven [Mitchell], Will [Fleming], and some of the guys, and it started from there. The opportunity came up at Huntly and I was really interested in coming up. The change from farmer to working with and selling machinery has been a welcome one. One farmer said to me that I’m a Gamekeeper turned Poacher! I found that very amusing.” He admitted to being a big Massey Ferguson fan and how this was also a contributing factor to joining the business.
In his new role, Craig told us he is looking forward to meeting the farmers in his area, listening to their experiences, and understanding their ways of operation, “I’m really excited about getting around and speaking to the farmers. Hearing about their experiences and what they’re going through at the minute. I feel comfortable as I’ve used a lot of the equipment, and I’ll enjoy working with that again. Plus seeing the countryside is great too.” He told us the best part of his new role is that no two farms are the same. “It's very interesting to one farm to another and how to do everything differently. I’m from Fife, and even seeing the difference between the two parts of Scotland has been incredible.”
In the Headlines
His experience in Agriculture means this isn’t the first time he has sat down to do an interview. Craig previously had huge success in 2017 with wheat production catching the eye of the Dundee Courier and seed companies. Having had impressive results with their trial plots on the farm, breaking an unofficial record held in the area. He worked for 16 years while the farm owner lived elsewhere, meaning it was close to being his own place. Craig’s experience in the industry has already seen him settle in easily and helps him to connect with the farmers in the area.
Excitement, Challenges, and Outside of Work
He explained to us his excitement about starting in his new role, as it keeps him within the agricultural world offering a different perspective. Working with machinery he has spent many years with Craig hopes this will put him in a good position for working with his customers.
Craig however did speak of the difficulties which are affecting the industry now, especially with changes to funding from the government for Single Farm Payments. “One of the biggest challenges will be the end of Single Farm Payments, which ends in a few years. It’s been really important to hear some of their views. Things are getting tight, and we want to make sure we are helping them as much as we can.”
When he’s not at work, Craig likes to relax with his collie dog at home. A keen collector of his 1960s classic Corgi collection and the owner of a classic car too, he enjoys relaxing at home or tinkering with his car. We asked Craig if he has any bands or singers that he would recommend everyone to listen to, and he said “Well, I think maybe going back a year or two. But I do have a soft spot for Deacon blue. I love them, Scottish as well! “A lover of classic western films which was passed on to him by his dad, he said, “I think everyone should watch The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. It’s fantastic!”
As we like to ask all our new members, we asked Craig for his favourite Scot Agri machine. “I’d say the Massey Ferguson 8S, especially the 305. I think it's fantastic and they’ve really hit the nail with it. It’s right up there with the best of the market. We’re getting inquiries from guys that have got different brands, which we're finding incredibly positive.”
The Massey Ferguson 8S: Read about how it has performance improved one customers farming capability here
On Craig joining the Huntly team, Area manager Steven Mitchell said “it’s great to have someone with the wealth of Craig’s experience join the team in Huntly. He’s already become a real asset and I’m sure he will continue building his successful relationships with our customers.”
Craig can be contacted on 07827351042 or at craig.norrie@scotagri.co.uk.
