Nestled away in West Wales, there’s a dealership focused on importing quality, competitively-priced equipment from East and Central Europe.
Bartosz Chojnowski moved from Poland to Crymych, Wales, in 2019, where his parents have farmed since 2012. Having been involved in agriculture back in Poland, and with contacts keen for second-hand British kit, the initial plan was to set up an export business; however, the implementation of Brexit legislation meant that this was trickier than first thought.
Instead, Bartosz started to consider the reverse. He recognised that there was demand in the UK, and especially in the predominantly mixed farming areas of Wales, for strong, simple machinery.
“There are a lot of brands from Poland and the Czech Republic which aren’t well known in the UK, or have only been brought in and rebranded by other companies,” he explains. “I know these machines well; I know that they are well-built and can match up to a lot of kit available in the UK.”
As an example, he points to the Rozmital range of mowers, built in Příbram, Czech Republic. The company offers up to four years of warranty on its machines, which are developed in-house, including the cutterbar. It states that just 0.3% of machines are subject to a warranty claim, suggesting trouble-free operation.
Just as important to Bartosz is the ability to speak openly with the manufacturers he works with. “I understand that some machines might not have the exact specifications needed for the UK, but with companies like Rozmital, I can take feedback directly to them and they will work quickly to find a solution.”
This is already coming to fruition, with the company developing steel tines for its mower conditioners, which will be available as an option going forward. Similarly, he works with brands to produce kit that will meet the requirements for grant funding in the UK, which he believes will further boost interest in the range.
A full range
While Rozmital has been the focus initially, they were one of the later brands to come on board with BC Machinery. Browsing the website, you can see a wide selection of machines from companies such as Metaltech, Krukowiak, Agriwir and Agro-Tom, covering forage wagons and muckspreaders, feeder wagons and drilling technology. Bartosz has worked with each company, understanding the product and believing in the quality.
Perhaps more importantly, he believes he can price these at a level that will enable growers to take a calculated risk on a lesser-known brand.
“I’m very careful with my own costs because these are always passed on to the customer,” he says. “I only attend certain shows, and I host products for sale on the website and through social media to keep promotional costs down.”
Perhaps a little out of the ordinary for the UK market, he also avoids arranging demonstrations. “There’s a cost to these that would have to be factored into the cost of any machine,” he notes. “I work alone, so any demonstration is a significant expense due to haulage and potential wear.”
These steps enable him to keep purchase prices to just over cost, with a profit margin factored in. This has driven investment in the dealership, with Bartosz building up stock levels so that he can offer next-day delivery. The fact that he deals with simpler kit, also means that many customers can handle servicing on their own, although he’s more than happy to travel.
His own mechanical skills mean that he has refurbished some second-hand machines, keeping these on the market at a reduced price and making these brands more attractive to discerning growers in the UK.
Looking ahead
For Bartosz, the aim isn’t rapid growth but a steady continuation of what he’s done for the last few years. Money is currently being funnelled into increasing the stock of machinery and spare parts. This will enable him to cut down on waiting times for machines coming from Europe and maintain parts to keep growers working in the case of a breakdown.
Once stock levels are where he wants them to be, there’s the purchase of a telehandler and a kitted-out service van to consider. Then there’s the possibility of taking on someone to aid with sales and service.
“I’m cautious because it takes a long time to build up trust in this industry, but it doesn’t take long to ruin it,” he says. “Any hit to my reputation now would have a long-term effect on the business.”
It’s with this attitude that he also selects new brands. He notes that several companies from across Eastern and Central Europe have approached him, but he takes his time with these decisions. “I need to know that these companies understand the way I work and why I do these things to limit costs for the customer. If a company says that I need to attend certain shows or have a significant number of machines in stock, then I expect some help with the cost of this.”
Similarly, he wants to continue working with companies where he can have an honest, open discourse. He recognises that the UK has a different climate and different requirements to many areas of Europe, and if these companies want to build a market here – and, in turn, increase the success of BC Machinery – then they need to be willing to listen and adapt their machines to conditions here.
“There’s plenty of room in the market for everyone to be successful, but you have to work with the growers to make this happen,” he concludes.
‘Fantastic quality and strength’
Dylan Evans runs a 182ha dairy unit, with 25ha of arable ground near Moylgrove, Cardigan. He was already aware of the Rozmital brand, having used one of the company’s tedders since 2014. “I knew that the quality and strength of their products were fantastic,” he says.
Through a change in policy, the business brought more operations in-house, and Dylan looked for a front mower to increase the output. Bartosz, who is based nearby, offered the SC-301 from Rozmital. A non-conditioner model that Dylan believed would be an economical solution.
“This wasn’t a case of looking for the cheapest, because the quality of silage is what makes us money,” he explains. “But having had experience with Rozmital already, I was pretty confident that we were making the right decision.”
The mower was delivered ahead of the cutting season in 2025, and Dylan says that he was impressed from the start. Mounted on the front of a Valtra N Series, he says that it doesn’t require as much power as previous front mowers, and that he’s seen no difference in the cut quality when compared to more established brands.
Reseeding
Alongside the Rozmital mower, Dylan has also invested in an Agriwir seeder. “We were struggling to find something that suited our conditions for a price that would guarantee a return,” he says. “But we’ve been really impressed with it so far. The strength is second to none, and we genuinely couldn’t find a second-hand machine for the price we paid for it.”
He says that they have been able to use the machine both directly on ploughed ground and on cultivated land, with the starwheels creating just enough tilth to ensure germination.
“The cost of everything is making it difficult to turn a profit, so growers can’t be afraid to look elsewhere. There is a lot of good quality in the world that can be found for a reasonable price.”
‘No issues in lucerne’
Robert Unwin works with his family at Tuddenham, near Bury St Edmunds, rear a 70-head suckler herd and followers, and 116 breeding ewes, with turkey fattening done on contract. The business owns around 90ha, with another 60ha rented, and Robert has diversified the business with his own contracting route, primarily made up of grassland work and verge mowing.
The contracting work necessitated an increase in output, and Robert was on the lookout for a front mower to pair with his Claas offset rear mower. “We grow a lot of lucerne, which needs to be treated gently to limit leaf loss,” he says. “I was looking for a machine with a rubber roller conditioner to help with this, but was struggling to find anything within budget.”
He saw an advert for an ex-demo Rozmital SC-301R front mower on BC Machinery’s social media and enquired. “To be honest, I’d never heard of the business, so I was a little dubious at first,” he laughs. “I arranged to send half the money as a deposit, then the rest when the machine arrived in the yard, but it was here within a couple of days.”
Working well
He said that there were a few differences from other machines he’d seen. The spring suspension, instead of the hydraulic systems fitted elsewhere, as an example, but in practice, the machine has been exactly what he needed.
“I was a little concerned that it wouldn’t follow contours as well as the Claas unit, something that would be very noticeable in the field, but the Rozmital more than holds its own against the rear mower,” he says. “And just walking around the machine, you can see that it’s well-built and up to the job.”
He did make one change, removing the plate at the bottom of the machine because he found it bulldozed when working in wholecrop barley, but this has been the only issue after covering more than 600ha of mowing last year.
“I’m at the stage now where I’m considering a butterfly unit on the back, and I’ll definitely look at Rozmital when they introduced the roller conditioner on those machines. It’s incredible value for money.”