2025 at Lely Center Longtown

A new base at Sandysikes

One of our biggest milestones this year was moving into our new office at Sandysikes. This is something we have been working towards for a long time and we are already seeing the benefits. The move has strengthened our ability to support customers across our service area and build for the future, with a base designed around the way a modern Lely Center needs to operate.

There are still a few finishing touches to complete, but once everything is in place we will be welcoming everyone to an official opening in 2026.

Award winning at the Great Yorkshire Show

A standout moment for the team was winning Best Agricultural Trade Stand at the Great Yorkshire Show. It was a proud result, not only because of the award, but because of the conversations we had and the relationships we strengthened.

Events like the Great Yorkshire Show matter because farming is built on trust and shared experience. We value every farmer who took the time to stop, ask questions and share ideas with us.

Smashing our targets

We are proud to say we smashed our targets in 2025, with particularly strong momentum in barn equipment installs, including the Lely Discovery Collector. Behind that headline is a huge amount of planning, project management and teamwork. Every install represents a farm investing in its future, and we take that responsibility seriously.

One point that surprised many farmers this year was that a large proportion of these installs were retrofits. In other words, we were able to work around the system you already have, upgrading routines and results without the assumption that you need a brand new shed to move forward.

Thank you to our customers for trusting our team to deliver, install and support these systems on farm.

A Lely Journey, shared with our customers

This year we had the opportunity to travel with customers on a Lely Journey to the international Lely factory in Maassluis. Seeing the innovation behind Lely technology and experiencing how the wider Lely network operates is always valuable, but the best part is sharing that experience with farmers.

The conversations on these trips often continue back home, shaping the questions we ask and the improvements we work towards together.

Open days and on farm conversations

We hosted multiple open days this year, creating time and space for farmers to explore automation in a practical, real world way. A big thank you to our host farmers for opening their gates and sharing their experience of using Lely automation on farm.

Hearing directly from other farmers is one of the best ways to dispel myths, share best practice and talk honestly about what changes in day to day routines, from cows and labour through to performance.

Thank you to everyone who attended, contributed and asked the questions that matter.

Launching the next generation: Vector Next and Astronaut A5 Next

Two major highlights for 2025 were the launches of the Vector Next and the Astronaut A5 Next.

The Vector Next represents the next step in automated feeding, delivering fresh rations throughout the day while supporting better control of feed routines, labour and efficiency.

The Astronaut A5 Next builds on proven robotic milking performance, with improvements designed to support cow comfort, smooth cow flow and data driven management that helps every cow perform efficiently in her own way.

For farms thinking about the next stage of automation, these launches are an exciting step forward.

Investing in our team for the long term

To meet growing demand across our service area, we have continued to strengthen the Lely Center Longtown team. As automation becomes an even bigger part of day to day farming, we believe the future will rely on skilled robotic engineers who understand both technology and livestock systems.

That is why, in 2026, we plan to launch an engineering apprenticeship scheme, helping develop the next generation of talent and ensuring we can keep delivering the high standard of service and support our customers expect. We are proud to be investing in people as well as technology.

Thank you, and looking ahead to 2026

To every farmer, customer, supplier and partner who worked with us in 2025, thank you. Your trust drives everything we do.

As we look ahead to 2026, our aim is simple: keep raising the standard of support, keep delivering practical technology that works on real farms, and keep building long term partnerships across Northern England.

If you are planning changes for 2026, whether you are exploring automation for the first time or optimising what you already have, we are here to help.

Call 01228 792 735 or email info@lclongtown.co.uk.