The Burdens Group
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1898
- HeadquartersBoston, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
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.
The Burdens Group firmographics
Firmographics- 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
The Burdens Group industry classification
Industry- 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
Where The Burdens Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Burdens Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Agricultural & Construction Equipment Sales: Sale of new and used agricultural machinery, construction equipment, groundcare equipment, and related products through branch network and online platforms.
- Service & Maintenance: Workshop services including DOE+ program, paint shop, parts supply, winter service, and lawnmower service and repair.
- Parts Sales: Aftermarket parts and accessories sales through CNH Store and physical branches.
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | New equipment sales |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Burdens Group product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use The Burdens Group
Customer profileSegments7 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Burdens Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Burdens Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Case IHcoreMajor UK distributor for Case IH agricultural equipment including tractors, combines, balers, telehandlers, and front loaders.
- New Holland AgriculturecoreMajor UK distributor for New Holland agricultural equipment including tractors, combines, balers, telehandlers, and forage harvesters.
- CASE Construction EquipmentcoreAuthorized CASE Construction Equipment dealer appointed April 2026 for excavators and construction equipment.
- Ransomes Turf EquipmentminorAuthorized dealer for Ransomes professional turf equipment serving golf courses and sports grounds.
- JacobsenminorAuthorized dealer for Jacobsen turf equipment including mowers and grounds care products.
- MerlominorDealer for Merlo telehandlers and material handling equipment.
- LEMKENminorDealer for LEMKEN agricultural implements and soil cultivation equipment.
- DalBominorDealer for DalBo rollers and agricultural machinery.
- Thwaites DumpersminorAuthorized dealer for Thwaites dumpers and construction site equipment.
- BomagminorDealer for Bomag compaction equipment including rollers and compactors.
- HusqvarnaminorDealer for Husqvarna Automowers, chainsaws, and outdoor power equipment.
- STIHLminorAuthorized STIHL dealer for professional and consumer outdoor power equipment.
- EpirocminorDealer for Epiroc hydraulic attachments for construction and demolition equipment.
- Atlas CopcominorDealer for Atlas Copco compressors and generators.
- New Holland ConstructionminorDealer for New Holland construction equipment including backhoes and compactors.
- Maxilift Loader CranesminorDedicated loader crane business (ernestdoeloadercranes.com) for Maxilift loader crane sales.
- YANA (You Are Not Alone)minorCorporate Social Responsibility partnership supporting YANA mental health support charity for the farming community.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Burdens Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
The Burdens Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Burdens Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Burdens Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Burdens Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Burdens Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Burdens Group
What does The Burdens Group do?
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.
Is The Burdens Group a public or private company?
The Burdens Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Burdens Group founded?
The Burdens Group was founded in 1898. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Burdens Group based?
The Burdens Group is headquartered in Boston, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Burdens Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Agricultural & Construction Equipment Sales are the primary driver. The others are service & Maintenance, parts Sales and country Store Retail.
Who are The Burdens Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lister Wilder, Chandlers Farm Equipment, Hunt Forest Group, Tuckwells, Ripon Farm Services, Balmers Garden Machinery, Ben Burgess & Co and Cornthwaite Group. Broad incumbents are Case IH (CNH Industrial) and New Holland Agriculture (CNH Industrial).
Does The Burdens Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Burdens Group.
What industry is The Burdens Group in?
The Burdens Group's product category is Agricultural and Construction Machinery Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAAAAAC, Material Handling & Loader Attachments (Front Loaders, Telehandlers, Bale Handlers, Forks), with a secondary code of IMAHACAI, Farm Material Handling & Attachments (Loaders/Implements). Its NAICS code is 42382 and its SIC code is 3523.