Dealer appoints new managing director
James Gordon Limited has appointed Ian Brydson as Managing Director, succeeding William Montgomerie, who becomes Chairman of the family’s holding company, Montgomerie Holdings.
Brydson, who has been General Manager since 2023, will lead both Gordons Agricultural Equipment and Gordons Construction Equipment. His appointment was announced on 7 October.
The business, owned by the Montgomerie family since 1922, distributes agricultural machinery across south-west Scotland and the central belt, while its construction equipment operation covers Scotland and Cumbria.
The management change follows continued investment in the construction division, including the recent opening of a new £1m depot at Blairgowrie. The site provides a permanent base in the northern part of the company’s territory. Gordons took on the Develon construction equipment franchise in 2017 and has since expanded its coverage across Scotland and Cumbria.
However, Brydson emphasised that the expansion of construction activities would not diminish the company’s commitment to agricultural machinery. Gordons has supported Claas equipment since the 1960s, serving dairy, beef and mixed livestock farms, as well as agricultural contractors.
He said changes in farm structure and machinery use were increasing the importance of after-sales support. As farms consolidate and invest in fewer, higher-output machines, a breakdown can have a greater impact on overall output, placing additional demands on dealer service teams.
“We’re no less enthusiastic about agriculture than we ever were,” Brydson said. “If a customer used to run three machines and now runs one high-capacity unit, a breakdown costs them all of their output, not a third of it. That puts real demand on service, and we have to be ready to react whenever customers need us.”
Brydson brings experience spanning agricultural machinery, construction equipment and business management. The son of a farmer and agricultural contractor, he held product and sales management roles with Claas and Krone UK before spending two years with whisky producer William Grant & Sons. He completed an MBA at the University of Strathclyde in 2013.
He identified recruitment, career development and succession planning as priorities for the business, which employs around 100 people. Its apprenticeship programme is being extended beyond agricultural and construction engineering to include parts apprenticeships, alongside the appointment of its first IT apprentice.
Technology is another area of opportunity, with automation, digital information and operator assistance increasingly important to customers facing labour constraints. Brydson said the company would continue investing in its technical capability while retaining the personal relationships that have underpinned its business.
Montgomerie said Brydson had made a strong contribution to the company’s growth since joining as General Manager and was well placed to lead its next stage of development.
Montgomerie began working for James Gordon Limited in 1975 and became Managing Director in the late 1980s. The business was founded in 1865 and remains family-owned, with its agricultural machinery operation continuing to serve some customers across generations.
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