Fane Valley acquire Connon General Merchants.
17th November 2020
Fane Valley and Francis Connon have confirmed that the Co-op’s agricultural retail business, Fane Valley Stores has acquired Connon General Merchants based near Ballymena, effective from 16th November 2020. Established in 1991, Connon General Merchants is a prominent retailer of animal feed, fertiliser, farm requisites and hardware products serving a wide catchment area in County Antrim.
Trevor Lockhart, Fane Valley Group Chief Executive commented, “We are delighted to have acquired Connon General Merchants. Francis Connon has devoted many years to the growth and development of this successful business and we wish him every success as he devotes more time to his farming activities. Over recent years Fane Valley has been gradually extending the geographic reach of its retail stores business. The acquisition of Connon’s will strengthen our presences in County Antrim and will complement our store at Ballymena Livestock Sales. We are hugely excited by the prospect of extending the scope of our services to the farming community in this prime agricultural area.
Trevor Lockhart continued, “Fane Valley Stores has a tried and tested model of investing in people, premises and products while delivering a comprehensive range of technical advice and support.
This strategy is being underpinned by an on-going expansion of our central warehouse and distribution facility at Moira. The objective of this on-going investment is to deliver even higher standards of customer service and to differentiate ourselves from our competitors in this sector.”
Francis Connon from Connon General Merchants commented, “Over the past 30 years, Connon’s has grown into a highly trusted and respected retailer serving farmers and tradesmen over a wide area. Everything we have achieved would not have been possible without the hard work of our staff and the amazing loyalty of our customers. I would like to put on record my deep gratitude and appreciation for the all of the support I have received from the community over three decades. Fane Valley is a trusted, locally owned business with a strong and growing reputation in the supply of a wide range of farm supplies. I wish them every success as they seek to further develop the business.”
