I recently experienced a scary incident while out and about near the coast where I live.

I noticed some smoke in the distance but didn’t take much notice of it. I was far too busy enjoying the sights of the coast. A few minutes later I heard the sound of sirens and I soon realised that it could be related to the smoke I saw and might be more serious than I thought. With curiosity getting the better of me, I decided to go back to my car and drive to where the smoke was coming from. To my horror I saw a combine harvester in a field, engulfed in flames with a good bit of the wheat field burned around it.

Immediately you think of the worse case scenario. To my relief I soon found out that the driver of the combine had escaped unharmed. With all the recent hot weather, the dry debris inside the combine had become so hot that it caught fire. Combine harvesters catching fire have been happening all over the country, due to the exceptional dry and hot weather.

The scene I recently witnessed when a combine harvester caught fire 

As this is the time of year when machines are busy with the harvest and in the garden, it is important that farm and garden safety should be to the forefront of each individual’s mind when operating such machines and equipment.

There is a major campaign within the agricultural industry for farm safety. The government has undertaken to invest over €1 million for the purchase of farm machinery simulators for agricultural colleges. These simulators will show students the safe way to operate various types of machinery, without the dangers of operating them in real life. This is a step in the right direction to help reduce machine accidents.

Dealers and distributors also have a responsibility to show and encourage their customers the safe operation and maintenance of farm and garden machines. Vehicles and machinery are the main cause of farm accidents in Ireland, accounting for approx. 50% of all farm deaths, of which approx. 55% are tractor related so we do have an important role to play when it comes to farm safety.

Safety awareness should first begin at the dealership premises, especially in the workshop area, which is the most likely place where accidents will occur. Make sure that the company safety statement is up to date. It should be revised every year where accidents and near misses that have occurred in the previous twelve months are recorded. More importantly, the actions taken to reduce the risk of these accidents happening again should be recorded in the safety statement. A designated safety officer should also be appointed.

Check that your fire extinguishers are properly maintained and that regular training is given on how to operate them. Organising first aid courses from time to time are always beneficial. 

In my previous place of work there was a sheet left on the office counter where each employee had to write their name each morning, along with their time of arrival. Initially I thought that this was management’s way of keeping an eye on our attendance and time keeping. It was actually used to ensure that, in the event of a fire or accident, a list of everyone in the building that day was at hand and could be checked for anyone that could be missing. 

Let’s make the rest of the summer a safe one

Service Dealer have announced Kress as the brand new Principal Sponsor for November's Conference & Awards.

Service Dealer owner, Duncan Murray-Clarke presenting at the 2021 Conference

Taking place on Thursday 24th November 2022 once again at the Double Tree by Hilton Oxford Belfry Hotel, Thame, Oxfordshire, UK the theme for this year's event is Sustaining Dealerships.

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "We are delighted to welcome Kress on board as our Principal Sponsor this year.

"We know as a company they share our ethos of supporting a strong, independent dealer network - so they are a perfect fit with what we want to achieve.

"We are proud that our Conference & Awards builds in stature with each edition and it's great that Kress have recognised it as the industry event of the year!"

Tony Macer, national sales manager UK & Ireland for Kress said, “Here at Kress we are proud to be the principal sponsor of the Service Dealer Conference & Awards.

"We are working closely with our dealer network to build partnerships and support our industry with market leading, fully stocked and supported products - with even more exciting market innovations arriving soon. The Kress brand is exclusive to the independent machinery market.”

Kress was established in 1928 in Lustnau, Germany by Christian Kress. Since 1966, the company says generations of professional users have trusted their power tools. All modern Kress products are designed and built to the highest standards that made them an iconic example of German quality.
 
They are a global leader in battery technology, operating in over 70 countries, with product ranges varying from domestic to full commercial use.

AriensCo has announced the appointment of Brad Stiles as its new vice president of sales for EMEAA.

Brad Stiles

In a statement the company said that Brad, who has been with them for over 11 years, brings, " . . unparalleled expertise that will help drive AriensCo’s sales throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa while also ensuring continued growth in Asia Pacific and across UK business activities."

They went on to say, "The new appointment highlights AriensCo’s continued investment in its operations and will help AriensCo continue to grow its commercial presence throughout EMEAA. This includes the acquisition of German professional mower manufacturer, AS-Motor, appointing Jochen Schneider as Executive Vice President of EMEAA and moving its CE zero-turn mower production to Oxford, United Kingdom."

Brad, whose father worked for the company for over 25 years, vacates his previous position of director of sales and ,arketing for EMEAA - which he was promoted to in 2020. It was in this post, the company says, that he demonstrated an exceptional understanding of the Ariens business in the UK, including the key differences between the UK, European and US markets, built lasting relationships within the EMEAA distributor networks and helped customers achieve their goals.

“Brad continues to be the driving force behind AriensCo’s remarkable growth throughout EMEAA,” said Jochen Schneider, executive vice president of EMEAA. “Having worked at AriensCo for over a decade he not only embodies our family values but is best placed to ensure our customers get the products and support they depend on.”

Brad, who will report to Jochen Schneider, said, “For over a decade I have witnessed AriensCo’s fast paced growth and now, in this new position, I can play an even greater role in keeping up that momentum. From strengthening current markets to reaching new ones, these truly are exciting times for AriensCo and all its customers, present and future.”

Regional sales managers in Germany, France and UK along with the export sales teams from EMEAA will report into Brad. 

The organisers of the SALTEX exhibition say Britain’s exhibition scene is back to pre-Covid levels with international exhibitors and visitors from over 40 countries now signed up to attend.

They say this overseas support with 12 weeks to go before the show opens its doors on 2 November shows the strength of this event, now in its 76th year, and is an indication that Britain is back to being fully open for business as exhibitors and visitors travel to the event from as far afield as Australia. 

As an example of this international interest, SALTEX points out that Francesco Dotto, president of GrAssMed, the Mediterranean Groundsman Association, recently tweeted: “[SALTEX] is the most important green fair in Europe, for real professionals, but also for those who to approach sustainable and serious green.” He is referring to the show’s focus on sustainability and the environment, key topics featuring in the Learning LIVE seminars.

This also is a view shared by SGL, manufacturers of grass growth products such as grow lighting systems and data monitoring tools, based in The Netherlands - one of many international businesses exhibiting this year. Derk Pelle, content marketeer at SGL, confirms the reason they attend is because “SALTEX is an inspiring, international event where turf professionals come together to exchange knowledge and learn about the latest innovations in the industry and engage with turf professionals face-to-face.” 

Geoff Webb, CEO of the Grounds Management Association, said of the show's international interest, “There promises to be a diverse visitor profile this year, we know there are visitors from over 26 countries already. We had a good show last year with our post-show visitor survey, showing that 83 percent of attendees rated SALTEX 2021 overall as excellent, very good or good, and 67 percent of those saying they attended specifically to purchase new products or services, and 84 percent either had full purchasing responsibility or contributed to the process.

"These are great stats, but we knew that it was post pandemic and people were longing to get out and meet up again but to continue this momentum is really encouraging.”

A specialist in the field of land-based machinery recruitment has been confirmed as one of the speakers at November's Service Dealer Conference.

Stuart Goodinson, group managing director of De Lacy Executive Recruitment, will be sharing with our dealer delegates his expertise in regard to finding and retaining quality staff members for the dealership.

Service Dealer owner, Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "We know only too well from conversations we've held with our dealer readers that recruitment and retention of staff is one of the principal concerns out there in the network.

"Stuart will be bringing his years of experience to our Conference, offering practical and actionable advice that dealers can take back to their businesses."

Stuart was born and bred in rural Northumberland. After leaving Seale Hayne, he started his career as an agronomist, selling arable input supplies to farmers in Devon. He then moved on to sales management, sales director, business and project management across the arable, machinery, horticulture and dairy sector. His last role before moving to De Lacy was as country manager UK, Ireland and South Africa for a global animal nutrition business.

Stuart says his passion has always been for people and people development within business. "I am really looking forward to supporting and being part of the Service Dealer Conference & Awards," he confirmed. 

"I'm excited to meet new people, learn more about the great businesses in this sector and share knowledge about how it is the right people who in businesses, can make all the difference."

Taking place on Thursday 24th November 2022 once again at the Double Tree by Hilton Oxford Belfry Hotel, Thame, Oxfordshire, UK the theme for this year's Service Dealer Conference is Sustaining Dealerships.

Additional details, including further speakers, will be announced soon.

Now in its 31st year Tillage-Live, the national crop establishment demonstration, returns to Scotland next month.

Organised by the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) on behalf of the industry, the event is heading to Dunbar, East Lothian.
 
The event, which is taking place on Wednesday 28th September, will showcase machinery with demonstrations of crop establishment technology including ploughs, cultivators, sprayers, conventional, strip tillage and direct drills.
 
In the live demonstration arena, the AEA say there will be an opportunity to see machinery working not only in stubble but also in several different cover crops. This area will also give visitors the chance to get up close and a see a selection of sprayers which will also be running throughout the day.
 
The AEA says Tillage-Live remains the sole national annual working crop establishment event, and this year’s demo at Dunbar will be the first chance for growers to see many of this year’s new machines in action, in real post-harvest conditions.
 
Working demonstrations are promised from manufacturers including: Amazone, Horsch, KRM, Kuhn, Kverneland, John Deere, McCormick, Ovlac, SUMO, Opico and Vaderstad.
 
The event also includes sprayer demonstrations and a static exhibition area. This year’s knowledge trail includes a look at soils and cover crops as well as tyres and soil protection.
 
Kayleigh Holden, event organiser, said, "The site, which was previously used in 2018, offers excellent facilities for manufacturers to showcase their machinery to potential customers and visitors - and we would like to thank Eweford Farm for hosting the event once again."

The Equip Exposition, which takes place in Louisville, Kentucky from October 18th-21st, say they have partnered with Bob Clements International to put on a series of sessions for dealer attendees on hiring, parts department management, future-proofing, and pricing best practices.

A spokesperson for the show said, "With inflation at record highs, supply chains still roiling, and labour an ongoing challenge, Equip Exposition offers the best education for dealers who want to expand their business."

The sessions that Bob Clements International will be running are:

Wednesday, October 19:

• 8:00am - 8:50am: Unconventional Hiring Strategies for Your Dealership
• 1:00pm - 1:50pm: Pricing Service Jobs to Make Obscene Amounts of Money

Thursday, October 20:

• 8:00am - 8:50am: What is the Dealership of the Future? 
• 1:00pm - 1:50pm: So, You’re Running a Parts Department

This October, travel to Louisville, Kentucky, and make your mark at Equip Exposition; the outdoor living, landscape, and power equipment industry's international trade show.

Equip Expo, formerly GIE+EXPO, is the proving ground—the one trade show where you can “test before you invest” in new products, innovations and even ideas for your business.

• See the Latest Products and Manufacturer Lines
• Entertainment Includes Trace Adkins Performance on October 20
• Learn from Industry Experts Bob Clements and Sara Hey
• 3 Days and Nearly 30 Acres to Demo
• Enroll in our Dealer Management Education

To book discounted lodging and to learn more about Equip Expo on October 18-21 go to equipexposition.com