Welcome! WINTERSTEIGER in the UK
TRIALS Equipment is the market leader in field trial technology in the UK, and in 2019, the company became part of the WINTERSTEIGER Group through a majority stake. The team in southeastern England develops, manufactures, and distributes machinery and equipment for private plant breeders, official testing agencies, universities, and service providers, primarily for the United Kingdom market.
Even before this move, TRIALS Equipment was an important distribution partner for WINTERSTEIGER. After more than 40 years, founder and owner Colin Coleman retired and handed his company over to WINTERSTEIGER.
From Coleman Engineering to TRIALS equipment
- In 1986, Coleman Engineering converted its first conventional combine for seed breeding using agricultural machinery, thereby launching a new line of business.
- In 1989, the seed production company Sampo approached Coleman Engineering to offer them their combines on a franchise basis.
- In 1991, a comprehensive range of WINTERSTEIGER trial machines was added to the Sampo lineup.
- In the late 1990s, WINTERSTEIGER acquired the German company HEGE, and Coleman Engineering became the exclusive distributor of these machines.
- In 2001, Coleman Engineering was ultimately transformed into the company TRIALS Equipment, with a focus on equipment for seed breeding.
TRIALS equipment is not only an important distribution partner—since 2018, the team has also been developing specialized solutions for WINTERSTEIGER, such as the tool carrier and the straw scales for the Quantum plot combine: The 2019 merger further strengthened WINTERSTEIGER’s market position in the UK and integrated a highly flexible development partner with extensive experience in small-batch production for seed breeding into the WINTERSTEIGER Group.