Sam Monk’s farming and contracting business has a huge network, which is why the reliability and backup of JCB’s Fastrac tractors is crucial
By any measure, Sam Monk is a major player in the Australian agricultural space.
He admits he could not immediately list his entire machinery fleet, such is the volume of the operation, but with new equipment frequently being added, he has a clear idea of what he needs.
JCB machinery has proven to meet those criteria, so much so that his fleet of the manufacturer’s flagship Fastrac 8330 tractors totals not one or two – but a staggering 19.
To describe Sam as a dairy and cropping farmer plus a silage contractor would be barely scratching the surface.
Based at Cobden in south-western Victoria, Sam started his business – Monk and Son – at the age of just 16.
Having now ticked into his thirties, and married with three young children, the business has grown exponentially to the point he is employing about 130 people during peak season.
His fleet of tractors alone is estimated at around 75, plus there is every other piece of machinery required to maintain his 1,100-hectare dairy and fodder farm plus the 1,140 hectares of cropping land which he leases.
Add in the contracting business and it clear that Monk and Son is an intense operation which needs to run like a well-oiled machine.
With so many machines, the possibility of having an issue to deal with is always there.
Backup service is crucial to Sam, which is why even reliable machines like his JCB Fastrac tractors need to be well supported.
Through his local dealer Michael’s Group, plus the national head office JCB CEA, Sam is getting the combination of products he likes along with the benefits of strong relationships.
“A new product comes down to service – that’s number one,” Sam says.
“It can be as good a machine as you want, but you’ve got to have the backup on the machine.
“The backup service out of Michael’s Group is fantastic and their warranty is a big attraction as well with the way they set up their extended warranty.
“What’s also important is the reliability of the machine. Then, obviously, the people that you’ve got to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Both JCB CEA and Michael’s are fantastic.
“Michael’s Group is the main one we deal with – Brad and Terry – but I do deal with [national product manager] Andrew Hacker at JCB CEA a little bit as well.”
Daily work
JCB’s Fastrac 8330 is the largest tractor offered by the manufacturer, boasting a maximum engine power of 348hp (260kW) combined with a fully suspended chassis providing unrivalled operator comfort and productivity.
Another major selling feature of the Fastrac is its top speed of 70km/h – something which Sam says is one of its biggest benefits to his operation.
Largely used for haulage work such as towing trailers and doing silage, he says the speed which his Fastrac tractors can reach is a “massive advantage” during the day-to-day tasks required.
JCB has also recently overhauled its Fastrac range, adding the technology-packed iCON control suite.
A new armrest console and touch-screen display forms the basis of this, along with fully integrated ISOBUS connectivity and simplified operation on the joystick.
Bolstering the technological capabilities of the tractor while remaining simple for operators to use has been the ambition for JCB since bringing the iCON concept to the local market about two years ago.
It is a concept which the manufacturer is proud of, but its product offering – and Monk and Son’s fleet – is not solely restricted to tractors.
Sam’s association with JCB began with the 435S Agri wheel loaders, which has grown to a fleet of nine, along with a brand new 20-tonne flagship 457S Agri wheel loader, for ultimate loading performance and silage productivity.
For a large-scale operator who is familiar with a wide range of brands and can easily jump to another familiar product if he is dissatisfied, Sam’s continued investment in JCB machinery is telling.
Keeping things moving
The growth of Monk and Son is even more remarkable when you consider it started with just a single tractor and baler.
During peak silage season, Monk and Son contracts across four states and has become a go-to for various requirements across the agricultural spectrum.
Cultivation and tillage, sowing, bulk silage, hay and silage baling, hay transport and sales, effluent and fertiliser spreading, spraying and excavation are all jobs which Monk and Son has the machinery to offer contracting services for, along with a “fully elite” service for corn that includes strip tilling, planting, spreading and chopping.
This depth of service shows the need for tractors which can pull the heavy weights of the accompanying machinery required while also getting the job done quickly.
When a farmer puts their needs into the hands of a contractor like Monk and Son, the need for reliability is even more paramount – hence Sam’s faith in the fleet of JCB Fastracs.
With such a large number of staff members spread across the country, Sam’s day-to-day job varies but includes a lot of time ensuring the wider operations are running smoothly.
“An average day is that I’m on the ground organising a lot,” he says.
“At the moment there’s a workshop manager, he looks after the fleet and he deals with the mechanic side, so I talk to him everyday.
“I talk to the office every day and then I’ll also take a lot of the calls from the farmers, booking in their work. I’m still on the ground doing a lot of that.
“Dealing with the customers is the bit that I love most.
“The customers and our staff are what has helped to build it, so it’s the people in the business I enjoy the most.”
The growth since Monk and Son’s inception has been impressive, but Sam also believes his business is at a point where further major expansion is unlikely.
This does, however, show an even greater endorsement of his JCB tractor fleet as it is not something he is planning to replace any time soon.
“Machinery wise, we’ll probably just run with what we’ve got,” he says.
“We’re always having a little expansion here with another combine or another forage harvester or something, but it won’t be massive growth.
“Hopefully, one day, the kids come back and want to take over. That’s the aim, to run it until then and hopefully they’re interested and want to take over or at least be a part of it.”
Fastrac iCON tractors are distributed nationwide by JCB CEA’s extensive dealer network. For more information, visit www.jcbcea.com.au