The Burdens Group

What The Burdens Group does

The Burdens Group is described in firmographic data as a producer and distributor of agricultural, construction, horticultural, and professional groundscare machinery. The substantive operating data provided is concentrated on Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd, a closely related family-owned equipment distribution business headquartered in Ulting, Maldon, Essex, trading since 1898 and now led by fifth-generation Managing Director Angus Doe with Colin Doe as Chairman. The business operates 19 physical branches across East Anglia, East Midlands, and South East England, functioning as a major UK distributor for Case IH and New Holland agricultural equipment, alongside a multi-OEM portfolio spanning construction (CASE Construction, Thwaites, Bomag, Epiroc, Atlas Copco, New Holland Construction, Merlo), groundcare (Ransomes, Jacobsen, Husqvarna, Iseki, STIHL), specialist vegetable machinery (AVR, Ecorobotix, Samon, Wifo), viticulture (Case IH and New Holland fruit and vineyard tractors, Berthoud, Provitis, Berti), garden machinery, and Maxilift loader cranes.

The business model is a hybrid of new equipment sales (quote-based pricing by specification), aftermarket parts supply via the CNH Store and branch network, a workshop service operation including the proprietary DOE+ program, paint shop, winter service and lawnmower repair, used-machinery resale through dedicated websites (used.ernestdoe.com), and a country store retail operation (shop.ernestdoe.com) covering clothing, garden tools, equestrian supplies, hardware, and outdoor living products. Go-to-market is anchored on field sales through the branch network, supported by demonstration-based selling, an annual Doe Show exhibition event (67th edition scheduled February 2027), and an active social and email presence. The customer base is fragmented across agriculture, construction, groundcare, viticulture, vegetable production, and consumer segments, with no disclosed end-customer concentration and a dependency on a small set of core OEM relationships. Headcount is reported in the 51-100 range; no financial figures are publicly disclosed.

Note on data: firmographic identifiers reference The Burdens Group (Boston, UK, founded 1972) while the detailed operating data describes Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd; the description above reflects the available evidence and the relationship between these entities is not specified in the input.

Name

The Burdens Group

Legal name

Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd

Website

https://burdensgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Burdens Group is a UK-based producer and distributor of agricultural, construction, horticultural, and professional groundscare machinery, with operating data centred on a long-established family-owned equipment dealership operating 19 branches across East Anglia, East Midlands, and South East England as a major distributor for Case IH and New Holland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural and Construction Machinery Distribution

NAICS

Farm and Garden Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42382), Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Material Handling & Loader Attachments (Front Loaders, Telehandlers, Bale Handlers, Forks) (AFAAAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Farm Material Handling & Attachments (Loaders/Implements) (IMAHACAI)

Keywords

• Agricultural machinery distribution
• Construction equipment supply
• Horticultural machinery sales
• Groundscare equipment dealer
• Farm machinery producer

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Agricultural & Construction Equipment Sales: Sale of new and used agricultural machinery, construction equipment, groundcare equipment, and related products through branch network and online platforms.
2. Service & Maintenance: Workshop services including DOE+ program, paint shop, parts supply, winter service, and lawnmower service and repair.
3. Parts Sales: Aftermarket parts and accessories sales through CNH Store and physical branches.
4. Country Store Retail: Retail sales of country clothing, wellington boots, garden hand tools, Calor Gas, pet products, equestrian supplies, hardware, and outdoor living products through physical store and e-commerce.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Burdens Group is a producer and distributor of agricultural, construction, horticultural, and professional groundscare machinery. The company supplies equipment serving farming, construction, horticulture, and professional grounds maintenance end markets. The available source material does not specify the product mix, brand partnerships, or service offerings in further detail.

Product overview

Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd is a major agricultural, construction, and groundcare equipment distributor operating 19 branches across East Anglia, East Midlands, and South East England. As a family-owned business trading since 1898 (127+ years), the company represents major equipment brands including Case IH and New Holland as a major UK distributor. The product portfolio spans agricultural machinery (tractors, combines, balers, telehandlers, implements, precision farming), construction equipment (dumpers, compactors, attachments), groundcare (turf equipment, utility vehicles), specialist vegetable and viticulture machinery, garden machinery, and loader cranes. The company complements its equipment sales with comprehensive service offerings (DOE+ program, parts, repair), a country store retail operation, and hosts the annual Doe Show exhibition. Ernest Doe is a fifth-generation family business led by Managing Director Angus Doe, representing one of the UK's longest-established equipment dealers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Case IHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor UK distributor for Case IH agricultural equipment including tractors, combines, balers, telehandlers, and front loaders.
• New Holland AgriculturecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor UK distributor for New Holland agricultural equipment including tractors, combines, balers, telehandlers, and forage harvesters.
• CASE Construction EquipmentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized CASE Construction Equipment dealer appointed April 2026 for excavators and construction equipment.
• Ransomes Turf EquipmentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Ransomes professional turf equipment serving golf courses and sports grounds.
• JacobsenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Jacobsen turf equipment including mowers and grounds care products.
• MerlominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDealer for Merlo telehandlers and material handling equipment.
• LEMKENminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDealer for LEMKEN agricultural implements and soil cultivation equipment.
• DalBominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDealer for DalBo rollers and agricultural machinery.
• Thwaites DumpersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Thwaites dumpers and construction site equipment.
• BomagminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDealer for Bomag compaction equipment including rollers and compactors.
• HusqvarnaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDealer for Husqvarna Automowers, chainsaws, and outdoor power equipment.
• STIHLminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized STIHL dealer for professional and consumer outdoor power equipment.
• EpirocminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDealer for Epiroc hydraulic attachments for construction and demolition equipment.
• Atlas CopcominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDealer for Atlas Copco compressors and generators.
• New Holland ConstructionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDealer for New Holland construction equipment including backhoes and compactors.
• Maxilift Loader CranesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDedicated loader crane business (ernestdoeloadercranes.com) for Maxilift loader crane sales.
• YANA (You Are Not Alone)minorOthersCorporate Social Responsibility partnership supporting YANA mental health support charity for the farming community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lister Wilder: UK agricultural and groundcare equipment dealer distributing Kubota, JCB, and complementary brands through a multi-branch network across southern England. Comparable as a multi-vertical machinery dealer serving farmers, groundskeepers, and construction customers with similar OEM distribution relationships.
• Chandlers Farm Equipment: Major UK Case IH and Massey Ferguson agricultural equipment dealer with branches across central and southern England. A direct peer because it distributes the same Case IH brand as the subject and operates the same multi-branch full-service dealer model.
• Hunt Forest Group: Multi-branch agricultural, groundcare, and construction equipment dealer covering southern England with John Deere and complementary brand relationships. Direct comparable in dealer scale, vertical diversification, and customer base.
• Tuckwells: Family-owned John Deere agricultural machinery dealer covering Essex, Suffolk, and surrounding East Anglia territories. Directly comparable as a multi-branch farm equipment distributor with overlapping geographic reach and similar family-business heritage.
• Ripon Farm Services: John Deere agricultural machinery dealer group operating across Yorkshire, Teesside, and northern England. A direct peer running the same multi-branch full-line farm equipment model under different John Deere-aligned OEM relationships.
• Balmers Garden Machinery: John Deere groundcare and turf equipment dealer with multiple branches across northern England. Comparable as a multi-branch distributor of professional groundscare and agricultural equipment serving similar end customers.
• Ben Burgess & Co: Long-established John Deere agricultural equipment dealer operating multiple branches across East Anglia and the Midlands — directly mirroring the subject's branch-network model and customer base. Closest regional head-to-head competitor given overlapping East Anglia footprint and full-line farm machinery offering.
• Cornthwaite Group: Family-run agricultural and groundcare machinery dealer operating across Lancashire, Cumbria, and north-west England. Comparable as a multi-branch family-owned dealer of premium agricultural and groundcare brands serving a similar farming customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Case IH (CNH Industrial): Global agricultural machinery OEM and the subject's flagship brand partner. Included as a broad incumbent because CNH's direct-dealer strategy, brand-level commercial terms, and potential shift toward direct sales materially shape the subject's economics and strategic options.
• New Holland Agriculture (CNH Industrial): Global agricultural equipment manufacturer and the subject's second flagship brand. Included as a broad incumbent because New Holland's UK go-to-market decisions — pricing, model allocation, dealer rationalisation — directly influence the subject's competitive positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/burdens_group
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2BciFSGKdhEs46XZlp3oLQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/EDUlting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ernest-doe-&-sons-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/ernestdoeagriculture/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Burdens Group