One hundred years of experience and expertise in agricultural and horticultural machinery

Last year, Machines De Schutter (MDS) blew out one hundred candles. What started modestly as a forge in 1922 has grown today into a leading supplier of machines and accessories for agricultural and horticultural professionals. Thanks to a solid dealer network in the Benelux, MDS is a trusted partner for the sector. In this article, account manager Marco Luyten highlights the relationship with Italian manufacturer BlueBird.

For over a century, MDS - located in Reet - has been the address for professionals looking for high-quality machinery and accessories for the construction and maintenance of gardens, parks and other green areas. 

“Even though our team consists of just five people, we have years of experience and solid technical knowledge that we use to advise our customers expertly,” says Marco Luyten. “Our compact team is a real asset, as it allows us to communicate quickly and personally with our dealers, brand manufacturers and end users. They appreciate those short lines of communication and our close involvement with the market.”

Wide range of local brands

MDS is not only synonymous with experience and technical expertise, but of course also with top products for agriculture and horticulture. 

“We only work with the best brands and with manufacturers with whom we have built close relationships,” Luyten confirms. “We are very proud of the wide range of products we offer. That list is too long to list, but we supply hand-operated machines, a wide range of two-wheeled tractors (‘motoculteur’ in popular parlance) and associated attachments, and a large range of attachments for four-wheeled tractors. In the market, we are best known as the specialist in shredders and in two-wheel tractors, which are often used in lawn renovation. In addition, our customers can come to us for numerous unique accessories and attachments, with Gamo in the lead.”

“One of the strengths of our wide range is the focus on European - and therefore locally produced - brands,” says Luyten. “More to the point: our catalogue consists of 95 per cent high-end Italian products. Our primary target group is and remains the professional craftsman, but we are also happy to help private customers - who are looking for lighter machines.”

Exclusive distributor for BlueBird

For the professional user, the following brands certainly appeal to the imagination: Nibbi, Ortolan, CARONI, Negri, Gamo and BlueBird. All of these are brands that offer powerful tools to tackle the toughest jobs smoothly. 

Luyten would like to highlight the collaboration with Italian manufacturer BlueBird. “We are very proud of the fact that MDS has recently become the exclusive distributor for the entire product range of BlueBird Industries, and this for the entire Benelux! This partnership gives us the opportunity to take our existing brand range and associated customer service one level higher.”

Organically grown cooperation

How did this collaboration come about? Luyten: “Originally, Italian BlueBird is a manufacturer of two-stroke engines. The company was founded in December 1978 as a manufacturer of brushcutters and trimmers with its own designed internal combustion engine, specialising in vines and olives. Over the years, the manufacturer has expanded this offering to include a very wide range of powerful garden machinery and four-wheel tractors. The partnership between MDS and BlueBird has existed for many years for one specific product, specifically the two-wheeled windrow mower, more popularly known as the ‘BUSH BOY’.”

“In 2022, they knocked on our door to come and present a new range of machines, including battery-powered branch and pruning shears and all-purpose mowers. Currently, they also have a tele-guided roadside mower in their range, which is not only more compact than competing models, but also offers excellent value for money. We were quickly convinced by this great offer, so we decided to become exclusive distributors. Our cooperation has grown in a healthy, organic way.”

Investing in innovation

“The cooperation with BlueBird offers us many great opportunities to further conquer the market with compact, battery-powered machines for agriculture and horticulture. From our dealer network, we clearly notice how the demand for electric machines is increasing. In this area, we at MDS are not sitting still either. I can already reveal that we are working hard on our own battery-powered innovations, in close cooperation with our dealer network. So definitely to be continued!”