I hope not too many of you got badly caught up in the events surrounding the cancellation of the second day of the LAMMA show yesterday.

The roads to and from Peterborough's East Of England Showground are never the most pleasant at the best of times during LAMMA - and from what I could gather from reading through social media coverage yesterday, it sounds like many had a frustrating time of it.

However as most people are now saying, the right decision was made yesterday. The LAMMA organisers had to do right by health and safety what with all the talk lately of farming being such a dangerous business. As I saw IAgrE say in a Tweet, LAMMA has to lead by example in promoting best practice.

It's natural that some people took to social media to voice their frustrations yesterday morning when they were stuck in interminable traffic jams or trying to get out of a car park. However, now having taken a step back and a deep breath, I would imagine most would agree there was little else the organisers could have done. Especially when the extent of the damage wouldn't have been clear until the grounds were fully inspected.

It's better to have headlines this morning of cancellations and disappointment rather than ones of accidents and injuries.

Certainly the decision taken to move the show to the NEC next January will be easier to justify for the organisers now.

Anyway, moving on from the excitement of yesterday, I want to thank everyone who contributed to the debate on this Update last week surrounding the servicing or otherwise of cheap Chinese-built machinery.

We had some fascinating responses to the situation which a fellow dealer had raised - with some strong opinions being voiced. Which is exactly what we want to hear from our readers.

So much so, that we at Service Dealer would very much like to encourage any dealer who has a subject which is affecting their business and which they'd like to hear other dealer's thoughts on, to always contact us. Please email myself explaining the situation and we can see if other dealers have similar experiences - and what they do under the circumstances.

We'd also appreciate your input again today please. We are running our annual Winter Servicing Survey, as we have at a similar time the past couple of years. If you could let us know how your workshop is faring this winter, that would be great.

Last year we heard some quite positive results with 54% of respondents saying that servicing work had been up or well up on the levels it had been the previous year. But how has this winter been for you?

We also saw last year an increase in dealers telling us that marketing their service offerings had helped increase their levels. It'll be interesting to hear whether this trend has continued.

So please, if you could take a few moments to answer the quick questions and to leave any comments you have about issues currently affecting your service departments that would be much appreciated.

As ever we'll publish the results in the next issue of Service Dealer magazine along with a selection of your thoughts.

Thanks in advance for your help.

The final LAMMA taking place at the East of England Showground, Peterborough, was forced to close a day early yesterday (Thursday 18th Jan) due to high winds damaging the grounds.

STIHL's stand suffered some damage

A statement from the organisers on Twitter at around 9.40am on Thursday morning said, "Regrettably, due to the extreme winds last night and this morning has caused serious damage to stands and structures. For safety reasons we therefore regret to announce that LAMMA will NOT be open to visitors today. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused."

This had followed an earlier Tweet which had said the organisers were assessing the state of the grounds to ensure that the site was safe. They had initially announced that the show was unlikely to be open to public until at least 9.30am. Exhibitors were told they would be let onto their stands when it was safe to do so.

Following the cancellation, later in the morning on Thursday, LAMMA released a statement which confirmed the show had been unable to open to the public "due to safety reasons".

The statement said, "Hundreds of visitors who arrived early were held at the entrance to the showground as safety officers surveyed the site. However, it became obvious that the decision to close the event early had to be made."

Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, group head of events at Briefing Media, which owns LAMMA, was quoted in the first released statement, saying, "It is with great regret that we have had to close LAMMA today following an excellent day yesterday, but the safety of our visitors has to be paramount."

According to reports on social media the delay to opening and subsequent cancellation caused some considerable chaos on the roads surrounding the East Of England Showground.

Seemingly responding to people's frustrations at the cancellation, later on yesterday afternoon, around 4.30pm, Elisabeth Mork-Eidem released a further, more detailed statement. This one read, "We have received a number of questions about the decisions made this morning which regrettably led to the cancellation of Day 2 of LAMMA 2018. As you can understand, our team were faced with a very fluid situation but I hope the following will explain some of the process that was followed.

"The weather forecast was for high winds overnight but, as is normally the case, it was not possible to know exactly the strength, duration or direction of the worst of the storm. It was also predicted that the worst of the weather would hit between about 4am and 7am before the show opened.

"Additional work was performed to provide improved resistance to the weather, particularly for the larger structures. In addition, a number of contingency plans were drawn up – which were then actioned this morning.

"The LAMMA Operations Team were on site all night and monitored the winds, and extreme gusts were recorded between about 4am and 6am. While it was very difficult to assess the initial damage in the dark, it was evident before 6am that we would not be able to open the site before the winds abated. Prior to this it was not safe for people to be on site and out of vehicles. There were also pieces of material coming off the Main Hall when the wind was at its highest.

"While it was far from perfect, we took the decision that for safety reasons, we could only let exhibitors into Halls 1 and 2 and the Conference Suites and not onto the remainder of the Site.

"Once the winds abated we performed a systematic review of the site to assess as quickly as possible the extent of the damage. Only once all of the halls and larger stands had been checked for structural integrity was it possible to enter to assess the internal damage.

"As many of you have seen, there was significant damage across the site. Due to the nature of the showground, it is not possible to section off areas and so if any of the Site was unsafe it would not be possible to open the Site to the Public. We were also aware that there were significant traffic issues due to the back up of Visitors and we therefore made the regrettable decision to close the Show.

"All decisions were made with Health & Safety in mind, and we have made all efforts possible to minimise injuries either to contractors, staff, exhibitors or the Public. We thank you for your understanding and your patience this morning.

"Our priority right now must be to clear the site safely. Be assured we will deal with all queries once this has been completed."

Reading through the posts under #LAMMA18 on Twitter this morning (Friday 19th), the consensus of opinion now appears to be that the right decision was made by the organisers because when it comes to farming matters, safety must always come first. Flicking through that hashtag also reveals further photos which illustrate the level of damage suffered across the site.

An announcement that next January's LAMMA exhibition will take place indoors at Birmingham's NEC was made last year. 

On the eve of BTME 2018, BIGGA has announced major changes that reveal how the turf management exhibition will look in coming years.

The 30th annual BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition, taking place next week from 23-25 January at the Harrogate Convention Centre, will be the final one in its current incarnation, as the organisers have announced a restructure that will see the size of the exhibition floor space grow by up to 25% for 2019.

Harrogate Convention Centre

Harrogate Convention Centre will continue to host BTME. The venue has seen significant investment made in recent years, and BIGGA has opted to take advantage, in a move that they believe will further improve the experience for visitors and exhibitors alike.

The focus of BTME will shift away from the Ripon Road end of the convention centre, to the main auditorium entrance, further down King’s Road. This opens up different exhibition spaces, creating what BIGGA describe as "an improved, structured journey for the visitor" and that they say "brings a whole host of possibilities for innovation and creativity."

Following BTME 2017, the association say they experienced an unprecedented surge in re-bookings, with additional exhibitors also eager to take part. By September 2017 all four exhibition halls were completely filled and a waiting list was established in an attempt to cope with the additional demand.

With Continue to Learn education numbers also reaching record levels, it became clear that BTME had outgrown its current configuration, and so avenues were opened to explore possibilities to allow expansion.

As such, in 2019 BTME will no longer utilise Halls A and M. Halls B and C will be retained, but the King’s Suite, Halls D and Q and Studio One will become the main exhibition spaces, with the primary entrance to the exhibition coming through the Harrogate Convention Centre’s main entrance.

The Continue to Learn education programme will remain in the Queen’s Suite, but the new layout will mean the education programme will now be situated at the centre of the entire visitor experience, rather than at the very rear of the facilities used. Meanwhile, the impressive modern auditorium will be utilised for the key educational and celebratory events during the week.

BIGGA Chief Executive Jim Croxton said, “The Harrogate Convention Centre remains the ideal location to host BTME, as not only are the facilities ideally suited to hosting such a huge event, but the North Yorkshire market town itself is integral to the success of the exhibition.

“We’re delighted that BTME has grown to the extent that it can no longer be contained within the four traditional exhibition halls that we have utilised. The move to alternative facilities within the centre enables us to retain all that is good about BTME, while presenting an improved visitor experience and allowing all our exhibitor base to take the space they need to show their wares. It is critical that all events evolve to suit the needs of their stakeholders and I’m thrilled we have the opportunity to do so with BTME 2019.”

BIGGA Chairman Les Howkins MG, course manager at The Richmond Golf Club in London, said, "Following 2017 and with the huge excitement that we’ve experienced building towards BTME 2018, it has become clear the exhibition has outgrown its current shell, and we’re delighted to announce the next evolution of BTME for 2019.

“As a consumer of the show myself, I’m excited about the possibilities these changes present, with the result being a brighter, more exciting and more engaging exhibition for everyone.”

BIGGA has now engaged the services of JR Exhibitions, led by Jill Rodham, who has substantial experience of BTME, to manage the exhibition sales process.

During the exhibition next week on Monday 22, Tuesday 23, Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 January there will be tours of the new layout available for current and potential exhibitors.

Returning to the Oxford Belfrey Hotel this November, the Service Dealer Conference & Awards will once again benefit from STIHL GB as its Platinum Sponsor.

The date of this year's event has been confirmed as Thursday November 15th. 

Simon Hewitt, Head of Marketing at STIHL GB said, "STIHL has sponsored the Service Dealer Conference since its inception and we are excited to renew our partnership for 2018.

"With a wealth of educational content, discussion and time to catch up with contacts, the Service Dealer Conference and Awards is a date that everyone in the industry should have in their diary. We’re hoping to see an even fuller house than last year!”

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "We are delighted to welcome back STIHL GB once again to the Service Dealer's Conference & Awards.

"As it's the magazine's 30th anniversary this year the day is promising to be a very special event. So to have STIHL involved again is excellent news."

Further details about this year's Service Dealer Conference & Awards will be announced in due course.

The AEA 2018 AGM Conference & Luncheon takes place on Tuesday April 10th at One Great George Street, London.

The association has now finalised the speaker line-up for the day. Addressing the delegates will be:

Anthea McIntyre MEP - Member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands (Conservative): Anthea is a politician and businesswoman and devotes spare time to a range of voluntary-service roles. As Conservative MEP for the West Midlands since 2011, Anthea is the Party’s Employment spokesman in Europe and sits on the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee and Employment and Social Affairs Committee.

Dr Simon Moores - Cybersecurity & Technology Adviser: Simon is a leading futurist and an information risk consultant. A Vice President of the Conservative Science & Technology Forum, he is a Guardian newspaper contributor, and a co-author of 'A Digital Plan for Britain.'

Derrick Wilkinson - Economist: Derrick is an economist specialising in food and agriculture. Derrick has previously held the role of Chief Economist at the NFU and later at the CLA. He has a wide international experience, having lived and worked in Canada for 25 years before returning to the UK.

After Lunch Speaker, Alfie Moore - Comedian & Former Police Officer: Alfie Moore was a serving police sergeant with the Humberside Constabulary for 18 years. He is now a professional stand-up comedian with four sell-out Edinburgh Fringe shows under his belt as well as his own Radio 4 series.

Early Bird Ticket prices are available at £180 + VAT and Sponsorship packages available from £480 + VAT.

Should you wish to attend, the booking form (which includes details of the Sponsorship Packages available) is available from the AEA's website.

Double A have recently been appointed as the authorised dealer for the full range of professional battery powered tools by Pellenc, in the North East of Scotland.

Double A is a family run business owned by Sandy Armit and his wife Aileen. They started the business working from home in 1996 and have since seen it grow into one of the largest turf dealerships in the UK.

The company now operates from two depots, situated in Cupar and Aberdeen, and has built up a complete portfolio of products and services for customers covering all aspects of the business, including service contracts, repair and maintenance plans, detailed estimates, overnight parts delivery and finance options.

The success of the company has been based on providing their customers with quality products along with a first class after sales service. To achieve this Double A has always aimed to source quality equipment franchises, and it is for this reason that managing director Sandy was keen to work with the Pellenc brand.

“I first saw Pellenc at a show in France in 2015 and was instantly impressed,” he says. “We have customers who are looking for this type of product so I made enquiries at SALTEX and it was obvious that they had advanced even further since I last saw them.

“A meeting with Etesia, (the exclusive distributor of Pellenc in the UK) ensued and we are now delighted to be promoting the brand in the North East of Scotland.

“We sell high end professional equipment and there are alternatives in the lower price bracket but it is always lower quality,” Sandy continued. “We prefer to sell higher quality products to high end users and Pellenc fits that bill because they are extremely well made and I’m a believer that you always get what you pay for.”

ISEKI UK has been announced as title sponsor of GolfBIC, the Golf Business & Industry Convention.

The Japanese tractor manufacturer has recently announced the launch of a dedicated UK & Ireland business from 1 January 2018 and in addition to hosting GolfBIC, ISEKI UK has also pledged to join BIGGA’s Education Supporter programme.

GolfBIC 2018 takes place in Harrogate Convention Centre’s Royal Hall on Wednesday 24 January and will be hosted by the BBC's Naga Munchetty.

Produced in partnership by BIGGA, the UKGCOA and OGRO, GolfBIC is described as an opportunity for golf club owners and operators to gain access to some of the best education and networking opportunities available within the industry.

ISEKI UK Managing Director David Withers said: “While ISEKI UK is a brand-new venture, we already know and understand the philosophy and attitude that we will bring to the market. Part of our approach is a respect for and commitment to education.

“There is no doubt that while the golf industry can be a tough challenge, those people who learn from others, invest in their own education and strive to deliver year-on-year improvements tend to thrive, despite difficult conditions.

“Attending GolfBIC is one of the ways people can help themselves achieve these goals and we are delighted to be able to participate in what will no doubt be a great event.”

Charterhouse Turf Machinery have announced the appointment of Ian Lauder as Northern Territory Manager.

Ian Lauder

This role will see Ian providing machinery, service and sales support to the dealer and customer network in Northern England, Scotland and Ireland.

Ian brings with him a wealth of knowledge on the golf and groundcare sectors, joining Charterhouse from over a decade spent with a large, established dealership in Scotland. Here he gained experience with a range of leading industry brands, including products from the Redexim Charterhouse stable, and built relationships with a range of customers including golf clubs, local authorities, bowls clubs, contractors and more.

Commenting on his appointment Ian said, “Having been in the role now for a few months I’m really enjoying getting to grips with the complete product range and helping to further develop Charterhouse’s presence and service in the Northern region. It was great to meet lots of new faces at Saltex and I now look forward to seeing more customers, both old and new, at BTME.”

Following a successful two days at last year's SALTEX exhibition, the newly formed Walker Mowers UK company have confirmed their attendance at the 2018 exhibition with a 44% increase in stand space.

The company has said that working with the IOG show organisers a new central location has been secured on Stand F030. 

A spokesman for Walker Mowers UK told Service Dealer, "We were pleasantly surprised with the response from the trade and both existing and new potential customers at last year's exhibition - at one point we struggled to speak to everyone visiting the stand. This larger stand space will assist us with the display of current and new models".

To improve the sales coverage and respond to the high demand in demonstration requests Walker Mowers UK are reviewing their sales areas and advertising for new Area Sales Managers - see advertisement in this week's Service Dealer Update.

Massey Ferguson, through its finance partner, AGCO Finance, say they are further supporting the new generation of farmers with the offer of a special finance package.

The new package is open to those agricultural businesses where a member of the young farmers’ clubs of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland plays an integral role. The role could be one of an owner, a partner, a director or a key individual working within that business.

This scheme is offered through AGCO Finance and can be claimed when an agricultural business is purchasing a new or demonstration Massey Ferguson tractor.

The current standard finance scheme is 1+2 annual payments at 0% interest which would require the business to pay a third of the amount financed immediately, followed by a further third in 12 months’ time and the remaining third in month 24.

The new special scheme allows the business a pause of 12 months before paying the first payment of a third. This special scheme is only applicable up to a maximum of 50% of the tractor’s RRP (Recommended Retail Price).

Example – New tractor:
RRP £120,000
Dealer invoice value £90,000
Part Exchange £30,000
Balance to Finance £60,000

Thus, under the special finance scheme the first repayment of £20,000 would fall due in month 12, second payment of £20,000 in month 24 and the final payment of £20,000 is due in month 36.

If annual payments are not suitable, AGCO Finance can adapt the repayments to reflect the cash flow of a customer’s business. This may or may not impact on the amount of interest charged.

“Access to credit is one of the key issues facing all agribusinesses and we are very pleased to be able to offer this extra support in partnership with AGCO Finance to assist their business ambitions,” says Lindsay Haddon, Massey Ferguson Advertising and Sales Promotion Manager UK and Ireland. “We are already major sponsors of the young farmers’ movement across the five nations and this new scheme is a further demonstration of our commitment to the future of young people in agriculture.”

Qualifying young farmers for the scheme are members of one of the following: the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (NFYFC), the Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC), the Young Farmers Clubs of Ulster and Macra ne Feirme. The young farmers must be involved within the business purchasing the tractor - for example a partner/director, son/daughter, grandchild of the owners or a key individual within the business.

In what must be a highly competitive category (?!) a man has set a Guinness World Record for 'farthest distance walked balancing a lawnmower on the chin (powered)'.

Ashrita Furman, who is described as a 'serial record breaker' walked a distance of 71.50m (232ft 6.96 in) in Jamaica, New York, USA. Ashrita beat his previous record by more than 50m with the lawnmower, placed handle down, plugged into a generator being pushed behind him.

The official Guinness World Records site says that at no point during the 2min 13sec walk did Ashrita's hands or arms touch the 7.5kg lawnmower as he used his balance alone to keep it perfectly weighted on his chin.

Ashrita has also previously held the title for the farthest distance walked balancing a lawnmower on the chin (not powered).

However his distance of 122.92m (403.28 ft) was beaten in April 2017 at Boise High School in Boise, Idaho, USA, by David Rush who walked 200m (656 ft 2 in) to help promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) education.

It sounds like Ashrita and David's ever escalating rivalry will soon have Hollywood knocking at their doors, desperate to turn their thrilling competition into a blockbuster movie. Dream casting would be Schwarzenegger and Stallone obviously. 

We are looking to recruit an additional Sales Representative for our Groundcare machinery business based at Redditch, Worcestershire.

The ideal candidate will have an understanding of professional groundcare machinery and associated markets, with a proven track record of excellent strategic and planning skills. It is essential that you are self-motivated and target driven with the capacity to work independently as part of a highly successful, diverse business.

The successful candidate will possess excellent communication skills and a good knowledge of IT packages such as Microsoft Word. A full clean driving licence is also required for this role.

Find out more and apply today at www.thwhite.co.uk/our-vacancies

A vacancy has arisen for two experienced sales professionals to join Walker Mowers UK at an exciting time in the development of the Walker Mowers brand in the UK.

Experience in sales and new business development within the outdoor power equipment industry to both trade customers and commercial users is essential.

The roles will involve:

• New business development to commercial users and dealers
• Ability to undertake effective machine demonstrations to individuals and groups
• Building strong and profitable relationships with commercial end users and the dealer network
• Customer account management
• Participation at exhibitions for Walker Mowers UK and dealers
• Your ability to be sales driven and proactive to close the sale
• Regionally located to maximise effective sales and demonstration opportunities

Benefits for these roles:

• Competitive salary and commission
• Fully expensed company vehicle
• Contributory pension
• Full product training in Europe
• Support and benefit of highly experienced and knowledgeable European management team

Send CV to: careers@walkermowers.co.uk

www.walkermowers.co.uk