A new chapter in British agricultural manufacturing unfolded in Evesham as Weaving Machinery officially opened its state-of-the-art showroom and factory. Organised by Will of Seeded Marketing, the site visit provided direct drillers and machinery enthusiasts with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a business that has spent more than four decades championing low-disturbance crop establishment. For the Direct Driller audience, the event offered a timely reminder of how family-run grit and farmer-led feedback continue to shape the machinery running across British soils.
The business, originally founded in 1983 by Edward ‘Ted’ Weaving, is now firmly in the hands of the second generation. Following their father’s retirement, the brother-and-sister duo of Simon and Sarie Weaving lead the company, with Simon managing design and operations while Sarie directs marketing. This generational transition coincides with the move to their impressive new facility at Chadbury, Evesham, a major milestone that represents a significant step-up from their original, cramped premises.
From cabbage patches to state-of-the-art assembly
During his opening address, Simon Weaving reflected on the company’s humble beginnings. “We started on what was essentially a cabbage patch,” he recalled, describing the cramped workshop where the family worked hand-to-mouth during the early years. The business initially focused on importing and retailing machinery, securing the UK distribution rights for brands like Agrimaster flail mowers and Mammut concrete mixers.
The transition from importer to major British manufacturer was driven by a willingness to listen to the farming community. The timeline of Weaving’s key machinery milestones illustrates this steady evolution:
1983 – Weaving Machinery founded by Ted Weaving in Worcestershire.
1995 – Ted Weaving visits the US, leading to the import of the Krause disc drill.
1999 – Development of Weaving’s own tine drill systems to suit UK conditions.
2015 – Launch of the landmark Weaving GD (Gascon Disc) No-Till Drill.
2022 – Construction begins on the new Evesham showroom and factory.
2026 – Official opening of the Evesham facility and launch of the 12m Sabre Tine Drill.
The evolution of the GD Disc and Sabre Tine
For conservation farmers, the development of Weaving’s drill lineup is a story of continuous refinement. In 1995, Ted Weaving travelled to America and began importing Krause disc drills. While these machines introduced many UK growers to direct drilling, they were heavy, complex, and high maintenance. Recognising the need for a simpler, lighter solution, Weaving began designing their own tine drills in the late 1990s.
The real breakthrough came with the development of the Weaving GD (Gascon Disc) drill, launched in 2015. The concept was heavily influenced by Tony Gent, a pioneering Lincolnshire farmer and regular contributor to Direct Driller Magazine. Gent, who had worked closely with no-till pioneer Tony Reynolds, had experienced persistent bearing and hairpinning issues with traditional double-disc setups. He conceived the idea of an angled single disc that lifts a flap of soil, places the seed and lets the soil fall back into place without exposing the slot.
Weaving took Gent’s patented angled disc design and spent years refining it into a commercial reality. The resulting GD coulter system runs at a double angle (25 degrees vertical and 5 degrees horizontal), reducing draft requirements and minimising soil disturbance.
The success of this design is evident on The Farming Forum, where the Weaving GD User Thread has run continuously since 2016, spanning over 80 pages of practical, farmer-to-farmer advice. Rather than ignoring online criticism, Simon Weaving credits this very thread as a vital research and development tool. “We read the forum to see what farmers don’t like and what we need to improve,” Weaving admitted. This feedback loop has directly influenced the latest iterations of both the GD Disc and the Sabre Tine drills, including the massive new 12-metre Sabre drill showcased on the factory floor.
The new Evesham site itself is designed to showcase this breadth of engineering. Visitors entering the modern, two-story office block are greeted by an unusual sight: a classic blue Mini pickup truck parked on the first floor, suspended some 20 feet above the main showroom floor. It stands as a quirky testament to the family’s mechanical passion and unconventional engineering spirit.
During the opening tour, prominent Lincolnshire farmer Andrew Ward MBE questioned Simon Weaving on how the family’s own local farming operations influence their machinery designs. Weaving explained that they actively farm land locally, testing new cover crop mixes, companion cropping, and direct drilling techniques firsthand. This hands-on experience ensures that the machinery built in Evesham is designed by farmers, for farmers.
A diversified Worcestershire business
While seed drills remain the flagship products for conservation growers, Weaving’s new facility highlights a surprisingly diverse business. Beyond tillage, the company continues to do a brisk trade in Mammut tractor-mounted concrete mixers and their own line of commercial and agricultural sliding electric gates.
As the agricultural sector faces ongoing economic and environmental pressures, Weaving’s massive investment in British manufacturing is a bold vote of confidence. By keeping assembly local, maintaining a massive stock of over 7,000 spare parts and keeping their pricing transparently listed online, the Weaving family has built a business that feels uniquely aligned with the practical realities of modern British farming.
