Christmas 2019 is something Rob Caroline never wants to experience again, but one good outcome made a big difference to how he coped.
Just a few days before Christmas, Rob had a new Kioti PX1052 tractor delivered. He needed it to help him maintain 76 acres at Eurobodalla where he runs cattle.
He bought the tractor under a tailored finance package from PFG Credit, arranged through his local Kioti dealer, James Peel of JTP Machinery.
By the end of December, the tractor was a pile of melted metal amongst the devastation of the still-burning Currowan bushfires. Rob lost everything on the property except his house, which he stayed to defend.
The Currowan fire began on November 26 and burned for 74 days, destroying almost 500,000 hectares and 312 homes. Another 173 properties were damaged before the fires were finally extinguished by heavy rains in early February 2020.
It was Christmas. Rob had been busy and hadn’t had time to think about insurance for the tractor. Anxious about losing the tractor and being out of pocket for it as well, he rang James Peel.
James got straight onto Scott Maxwell at PFG Credit. Scott confirmed one of the great features of a PFG Credit finance package: Protecsure insurance cover applies automatically from the time of settlement unless the client decides to opt out.
Protecsure is a specialised equipment insurance provider. For Rob Caroline, the relief was enormous.
“JTP Machinery, Kioti Tractors, PFG Credit and Protecsure just made it so, so easy for me,” he said.
James Peel, who himself had to evacuate five times during the bushfire crisis, said it was extremely satisfying to be able to give Rob the good news and follow up so quickly with a brand new replacement Kioti PX1052 tractor.
“It was a pretty hectic time. Many businesses were still closed for the Christmas holidays too, but Scott at PFG Credit was there for us. He’s a real asset to our business and to the community.
“The customers like dealing with him. He’ll take the time to explain the finance and help streamline their purchases with good interest rates and affordable monthly repayments.
“In any community, it all comes down to trust and people doing the best they can for others right down the line, and that’s what we have here.”
Rob Caroline said the turnaround from the burnt wreckage to delivery of the new replacement tractor was one of the most impressive things he’s ever seen.
“I really needed the tractor and the whole insurance process was so fast it was amazing.
“I put the Kioti PX to work straight away, clearing rubble, making burn piles, moving trees, fencing, restoring the driveway, moving hay bales and so on. I couldn’t have managed without it. It’s a good, strong, stable tractor with plenty of power for the hills, and the 4-in-1 loader is brilliant.
“I’m a pretty positive person but getting through the fire season was hard and painful at times. Having that one essential thing go so well because of my Protecsure insurance made a vital difference and helped me feel more in control.
“Finance and insurance companies don’t always have a good name but when they build the kind of trust and loyalty I experienced, you turn to them without blinking. It was a great experience,” he said.
