Erica works for Ross Agri Services Ltd as Sales Manager covering the area from Forfar to Huntly, and the company specialises in new and used agricultural machinery sales, spare parts and precision engineering.
“After leaving school I got a job through a family friend working with sheep at Greenburn Farm, Monikie, then went on to Milton of Blebo Farm in Fife where I completed a Modern Apprenticeship in agriculture. To be able to learn on the job and spend minimal time in a classroom really appealed to me.
Without the skills and knowledge learnt while doing the apprenticeship I wouldn’t be in the job I am today, so it heavily influenced my career, and I got paid while I was learning too.
I hadn’t always been set on a career in agriculture, but once I started on the sheep farm that really cemented my love for the outdoors and working with agricultural machinery
To do my job in sales, I need patience, good communication skills, very good product knowledge and to be organised. Each day I visit existing and new customers, providing them with new and used machinery, as they can’t do their job without the right equipment.
Being a female in a male-dominated industry is never going to be straightforward, but I like to think I can hold my own.
I’m particularly proud of having built a strong customer base, and the best thing about my job is meeting lots of different people and being able to travel the countryside.
New tractors are very technology based so I have a good understanding of what’s involved. There’s even a fully electric tractor available now from Fendt.
If anyone is thinking about doing a job like mine, I’d say go for it, the opportunities are endless and I do love it.”