History

Jolly and Sons: over 40 years of reliability and service

FROM its humble beginning as a small hardware and agency in Ballidu, Jolly & Sons has grown into a multi-million dollar business in vehicles, farm machinery and transport.

In 1963, after years on a farm in Nungarin and six years with the Shell Oil Co., John Jolly moved his wife Val and sons Ken, Haydn and Craig to the small town of Ballidu and began a hardware, agency and school bus run from the old Dalgety store. Around this time, John began work as an agent for Wigmores as a spotter, finding out who needed a new tractor, or where a harvester was needed and getting a good deal for the farmer and for the company. He was so good, that in 1966 when John Deere moved to Australia and set up shop at Bankstown, they offered John a John Deere dealership, the first one in the country.

John & Val then went into partnership with Ron & Joy Kittler and set up JK Sales & Co and stayed in Ballidu until 1972, when the partners moved the business to Dalwallinu and bought the R & M Machinery Business on Johnston Street in Dalwallinu, continuing to provide farm machinery and repairs for producers in the district. In 1982 Ron & Joy’s share of the business was purchased and the name was changed to Jolly & Sons.

Son, Ken started working in Ballidu in 1970, driving the school bus, delivering fuel and the general administrative work, soon growing to become a Wesfarmers agent and a Shell fuel supplier. Ken stayed in Ballidu until 1982, when he moved to Dalwallinu, shifting into spare parts before taking on an administrative role and taking over the business with his two brothers in 1984, when John Jolly retired from the business.

In 1993, the Jolly sons sold the Ballidu store and Craig bought the transport business from his family, which has grown from three trucks into 33, with over 160 staff looking after them.

Jolly & Sons continued to prosper and in July 2001, the business bought the John Deere dealership from Agro Machinery, in Wongan Hills.

In 2004, Haydn moved to Perth to concentrate on the transport business, which has prospered under his care.

In late 2005, after 34 years in their office on Johnston Street, the Jolly & Sons business moved to their new premises on Great Northern Highway, giving them more room to grow and prosper.

Today the third generation of Jolly sons are now part of the business. Ken’s sons, Dan & Kirk have commenced roles within the Dalwallinu dealership. Dan has moved into sales for the John Deere machinery, Nissan and Ford vehicles they continue to sell and Kirk is now the AG Workshop Foreman. While Haydn’s son Steele has a role in the Transport Business

So, after a 40 plus year association with John Deere, Jolly & Sons partnership with the WA Wheatbelt continues to prosper and grow.