About Us

CTM Root Crop Systems has a proud history rooted in British agricultural engineering. Like many great rural enterprises, the story began in a village forge. Charles Thomas Mountain, a blacksmith and farrier in the Norfolk hamlet of Harpley, started by crafting harrows and other implements to meet the growing demand for tractor-powered farming equipment.

In 1950, Charles built his first sugar beet cleaner loader—an innovation that led to the founding of Harpley Engineering and eventually CTM Root Crop Systems. As the company grew, Charles was joined by his sons David and Michael. Today, the business remains in the family and is run by Charles’ grandsons: Nigel, Adrian, Andrew, and James.

For more than 60 years, CTM has been at the forefront of designing and manufacturing sugar beet cleaner loaders, while also offering subcontract manufacturing services to other machinery producers. In a fast-moving and competitive industry, CTM has remained ahead through a continued focus on innovation, diversification, and collaboration with global machinery leaders.

Expanding into New Markets

In 2010, CTM applied its expertise in soil and stone separation to the potato sector, launching the Rockstar range of field de-stoners. The success of this venture led to the introduction of the Ridgestar series of field ridgers shortly after.

One of the standout developments is the Rockstar2 de-stoner, featuring a combination of web and star separation, advanced depth control, and simplified ‘one push’ button operation.

“From the customer’s point of view, the running costs will be greatly reduced due to the configuration of webs and stars which ensure greater productivity,” explains Potato Machinery Sales Manager Karl Arndt. “ROCKSTAR2 is truly an operator’s machine.”

Working with Global Machinery Specialists

CTM is proud to represent ROPA, the world’s largest manufacturer of self-propelled beet machinery. The German company’s beet harvesters and Maus cleaner loaders are renowned for their quality and innovation.

The ROPA Tiger 6, the most powerful sugar beet harvester on the market, made its debut at the Agrosalon trade fair where it earned a prestigious gold medal for innovation.

In 2016, CTM welcomed Simon Peacock to the beet machinery sales team. With decades of experience in beet harvesting and handling, Simon now also leads the promotion of CTM’s exclusive line of Bergmann Beet Chasers.

These high-capacity trailers offer intelligent features such as crab steering, allowing seamless parallel operation alongside ROPA machines in the field. A 2m-wide, 3-stage elevator—identical to that used on the ROPA Tiger—enables rapid offloading of 30-tonne loads in just 55 seconds, reducing clamp time and minimising ground damage.

Looking Ahead

With over seven decades of experience and a continued drive for progress, CTM Root Crop Systems is proud to remain a trusted name in British agriculture—offering high-performance machinery and dependable service for the challenges of today and tomorrow.