Kerry Stokes is striking out on his own in the lucrative NSW...

Kerry Stokes is striking out on his own in the lucrative NSW tractor business after abandoning talks to buy out a competitor. Mr Stokes's private business, Westrac, which earns him more money than his 37 per cent stake in the Seven Network, said yesterday it would assume the authorised Caterpillar dealerships for NSW and the ACT from April next year.

Kerry Stokes's Caterpillar dealer WesTrac said it was on track for its NSW launch next month, with the group to leverage off its recent investment in the National Hire Group.

Kerry Stokes's private business, Westrac, says it will have 15 sites ready to go when it opens its NSW tractor business next month, and is not concerned about facing its main competitor - which will have a new guise as an ``unofficial" Caterpillar dealer. But the company from which Mr Stokes earns more money than is generated by his 43 per cent stake in the Seven Network admits it has been a tough job finding suitable sites and hiring staff in the competitive market.

Kerry Stokes's $1 billion Caterpillar dealership, Westrac, said its new NSW operation could become bigger than its West Australian home market within years.

Equipment hire group National Hire has emerged from a long period of struggle and there may be substantial changes ahead in the business structure, with several possible acquisitions likely to be considered. The emergence in December of mini media mogul Kerry Stokes as controlling shareholder of National Hire raises some interesting possibilities.

Kerry Stokes has gone Father Christmas to shareholders in the micro-cap National Hire Group