RALPH Yates & Sons, the Malton agricultural goods specialist, has opened a £500,000 lawnmowers and garden machinery centre in Pickering.

The 10,000 sq ft purpose-built shop, behind the firm's Ralph Yates Steam and Moorland Garden Centre on Malton Road, Pickering, has been developed to handle growing customer demand for sales, servicing and repairs.

Called Mowers 'n' More, it replaces a centre in Castlegate, Malton, which was too small to service some garden machinery, such as "ride on" lawnmowers operated by its big land owner customers. The new facility will offer sales and servicing and machinery rentals, while maintaining its customer base which includes Castle Howard and Scampston Hall estate near Rillington. Directors plan also to appeal to the landscaping teams of local authorities throughout York and North Yorkshire.

A hire facility is to open shortly.

Charles Hopkinson, director responsible for the Pickering operations, said: "The aim is to provide everything for the gardener - a real centre of gardening excellence to complement our existing garden centre. It's a big investment and has been planned to meet the growing needs of both our rural and urban customers. We choose to sell only the leading brands, which we can service and maintain with our existing team of highly trained staff."

The centre will offer leading brands such as Husqvarna, Izeki and the JCB range of mini-diggers as well as general garden implements such as strimmers, chainsaws and garden cultivators.

Ralph Yates & Sons, started in 1845, has its main base - an agricultural department store - in Railway Street, Malton, which sells everything from wellies to wax jackets.

Updated: 10:30 Thursday, January 19, 2006