Service Dealer held another of our regular calls with a panel of dealers from around the country yesterday, offering us the opportunity to take the temperature of the network at the start of the year.

Joining us were a cross-section of our readers, representing domestic, commercial and agricultural machinery dealerships of varying sizes. Once again we'll be keeping the panel anonymous to help engender an atmosphere of speaking freely and honestly. We thank those who joined us, for their valuable time and for sharing their forthright, expert opinions.

Positive start for many

We kicked off the discussion yesterday with a general chat regarding how our panelists felt business had begun this year for their dealerships. And I'm pleased to report that it was all rather positive. One dealer in fact in fact described the start of 2023 as "Phenomenal. The best start to a year for us ever."

Comments such as this were echoed with tales of workshops being busier than ever before. Several said how they had not even had to market special offers this winter season to get customers to bring their machines in for a service.

Others talked of, if not a booming start, but a healthy one - and this was across sales as well as servicing. There was a sense perhaps, that people were nervous coming back after the new year to what January and February might hold - but thankfully they had been pleasantly surprised.

Stocking situation

As has been the case for the past couple of years now, the conversation inevitably turned to how our panelists were finding the current stocking situation.

We heard that on certain tractors for example, dealers can still be given extremely long lead times - 2024-long lead times in some cases. And dealers of domestic products can find themselves with piles of batteries without tools, or tools without batteries. Also they may find themselves taking delivery of items that have been on order since the back-end of 2021!

So getting hold of stock can still be sporadic we heard, with suppliers varying in the the quality of their communications and messaging to dealers.

We then raised the subject of whether dealers at the start of 2023 are finding themselves overstocked with goods? With all we've talked about for past couple of years, it almost seems bizarre to be talking about this, but it is something that some readers have raised with us. The theory is large orders were put in when nothing was available, and now when these deliveries have finally come through, dealers are finding themselves with too much piling up in the storeroom that isn't shifting. We did actually have several manufacturers theorise to us about this during the height of the supply problems, concerned this would eventually come to pass.

However, with the dealers we spoke to this week, this didn't appear to be an area of great concern for their businesses. Some spoke about having ordered cautiously to avoid just a scenario, or in having been pleased with their accurate forecasting. Others who may have had more items stored than would be usual, we're not overly bothered by this as it was felt demand is still there amongst their customers - and it may help as we move into the season to have product to hand. Some were clearly burnt by lost sales these past couple of years, so having a level of stock in now wasn't seen as a bad thing necessarily.

Growth areas this year

Moving on, talk turned to where were our panel would be looking for growth in the dealership this year? We heard some interesting ideas around this, with the search for increased margin and profits common across them.

Interestingly, none of our panelists were talking about wild diversification into completely uncharted territories. It was concentrating more deeply on areas they were already involved with, or ones that were related to what they were already doing, but which offered opportunity for growth.

Several dealers who may have traditionally dealt more with domestic machinery, spoke of concentrating greater on professional trade customers. Selling to contractors or professional arborists for example, was seen as a more fruitful pursuit for their businesses this year. Concentrating on higher value machines, such as top-end battery goods, leaving the low-end petrol mower sales to other outlets, was a priority in 2023. Professional users and wealthy homeowners would be where online and in-store marketing would be targeted we were told.

In terms of a specific product that one dealer was convinced would be big this year, boundary-less robotic mowers were cited as an exciting and potentially profitable development. Apparently quite a pre-release buzz has generated around this new technology online ahead of them hitting stores. It was felt that these machines, which several manufacturers would be bringing to market this year, could have a big impact with customers - and with dealer profit margins.

Sustainability

Related to this area of progressive technology, the notion of sustainability was also brought up and whether our panelists were making the most of the opportunities that this highly topical and important area can offer to dealers.

A consensus certainly appeared to be that battery technology, with a particular emphasis on the higher-end machines, is an ever-increasingly crucial part of a dealership's arsenal. 

A discussion was also had around electric ATVs and whether selling these would be good for the business? One expert dealer thought what is available right now in this regard, might not quite meet the demanding needs of all users quite yet - but technology is always in development with manufacturers and it's clearly the way things are going. 

They said that as dealers, they need to be aligning themselves with the right brands and right sustainable technologies, because if they don't, they will be left behind.

Again, we would like to thank the dealers who shared with us their time and their opinions this week.

The Low Carbon Agriculture Show took place this week at the National Exhibition Centre at Stoneleigh and was well attended, with seminars packed full of agricultural professionals looking to learn about the implementation of low carbon technology and best practice in both carbon and environmental land management.

Low Carbon Agriculture Show at Stoneleigh this week

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke attended the show and said how impressed he was with both the exhibitors and learning opportunities on offer.

"It was the first time I had visited the show," said Duncan, "and it was clear it was an event that's evolving and will become an increasingly important date in the industry's calendar. 

"The seminars which were standing-room-only, were offering real-life advice to the customers of our dealer readers on how they could improve their working practices to lower their carbon usage."

The seminar sessions were busy across the show

Machinery exhibitors at the event included JCB, New Holland and Reesink. However, Duncan said he found the UTV and utility vehicle exhibitors to be of particular interest.

Marc Monsarrat, director of dealership Off-Road Electric

One company that caught Duncan's eye was Off-Road Electric, an Oxfordshire-based dealership specialising solely in fully-electric off-road and utility vehicles. Duncan said, "I spoke to proprietor Marc Monsarrat and found his story about establishing a dealership to only sell electric machinery fascinating.

John Hourihan, market and dealer development at Eco Charger

"Also interesting was talking to Jon Hourihan of Eco Charger, a British manufacturer of all-electric quad bikes. He told me their utility vehicles are fully assembled here in Weston Super Mare, shipped globally and they are evolving their dealer network."

Philip Nunn, director Autonomous Agri Solutions

Duncan also said he spoke to Philip Nunn of Autonomous Agri Solutions who were displaying the Robotti technology alongside an example of the Small Robot Company's portfolio.

Rob Pearson, CEO Autospray Systems

As well as these examples of future-tech, Duncan also spent time with Rob Pearson, CEO of Autospray Systems who have recently been granted the UK's first-ever Operational Authorization from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for agricultural spraying operations.

Duncan said, "I believe that in time, progressive dealers could become an important part of the jigsaw for the distribution of advanced technologies such as these."

Duncan at the show this week

Duncan summed up his visit to the show saying, "The attendance at Stoneleigh this week demonstrated a clear appetite for knowledge and information about low-carbon solutions by farmers and professional end-users.

"The show may be relatively small-scale now, but it's definitely the future."

A reorganised layout, new focus areas, some new franchises and a broadened branch network would appear to have all helped boost visitor numbers at this week’s Doe Show, the three-day event held at the Essex HQ of Ernest Doe, the UK’s largest agricultural and groundcare machinery dealer.

Graham Parker and Angus Doe

As usual, the bulk of the visitors came through between show opening time and early afternoon, but numbers were clearly up overall, and both the dealer’s own team and manufacturers’ stand staff appeared pleased with the number of serious enquiries and sealed deals.

“We actually needed to extend the car parking area by late morning,” said Graham Parker, Ernest Doe sales director, speaking on the first day of the show.

“I think a variety of factors have helped, including more promotion, a wider coverage area with our new Ashford branch in Kent, and a new layout for the event.

“We moved the Case IH marquee into the main area to being all the new agricultural equipment together, raised the profile of our construction equipment offering with a more defined area, invited a lot of construction customers, and built on the success of the defined groundcare zone we founded last year. That included a greater focus on robotic mowers that are increasingly being bought by professional/groundscare customers. On the ag side, we also introduced a demo area for autonomous machines such as the Opico FarmDroid, and also created a full display of our viticulture equipment range, including the UK’s first New Holland self-propelled grape harvester that we sold last autumn.”

Last year, with no BTME in February, the show appeared to attract a larger groundscare crowd, noted Hayley Hill, Ernest Doe marketing manager.

“Many people from the east and south perhaps realised they can see many of their industry’s new developments here, rather than having to travel a long way north, and I think that has had a knock-on effect this year.”

Managing director Angus Doe also acknowledged the effect of an increased marketing effort for the event.

“Hayley has done a great job in promoting the show, and Graham has been brave enough to be filmed a lot for pre-show online publicity. In our 125th anniversary year, I’ve been really pleased with the success of this year’s Doe Show.”

A well-known industry name will be taking the reins at the British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association (BAGMA), as they have announced Nick Darking as their new general manager.

Nick Darking

Effective from 13th March 2023, the Association say Nick will be building on the legacy of departing director Keith Christian, bringing with him more than 30 years of industry knowledge and experience to the role.

Nick joins BAGMA on the back of more than three decades in the land-based engineering sector working with a cross section of customers and dealers in both the agricultural and ground care sectors. The majority of Nick’s career has been with machinery supplier Redexim, where he began in a hands-on role in the workshop, before a long and illustrious track record in a sales and support roles. It is also here that Nick forged many strong and longstanding relationships with partners across the Redexim dealer network.

In addition to Redexim partners, Nick has also had the pleasure of working closely alongside industry associations including BIGGA and the Grounds Management Association (GMA), and has sat on the AEA’s ‘Outdoor Power Equipment Council’ for the last 10 years.

Commenting on his appointment, Nick said, “I am delighted to be joining the BAGMA team, working with a fantastic group of industry professionals and using my knowledge to further the aims and objectives that BAGMA work so passionately to achieve. Having worked with a number of BAGMA members in my previous roles, I look forward to re-connecting and developing these relationships and taking the next step of my career in the industry which I love.”

Keith Christian said, “I am pleased to be handing over BAGMA to a person that has a similar industry background to myself and an understanding of the UK dealer network and their needs in today’s ever changing business world.”

Ruth Bailey, CEO AEA, added, “This is a superb appointment for us and for the industry. We are absolutely thrilled that someone of Nick’s standing and experience will be taking the helm at BAGMA and carrying on with the dedicated and passionate path as set by Keith. I very much look forward to working with Nick in the years to come.”

Chandlers Farm Equipment is to extend its newly-acquired JCB franchise into the Cotswolds from the beginning of December this year, investing in a JCB depot at Cirencester in Gloucestershire.

The move follows the merger of JCB dealer Ross Farm Machinery into the Chandlers group, effective February 2023, with the new Chandlers RFM JCB operation continuing to work out of existing branches at Raglan for Monmouthshire, Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire and Martley in Worcestershire.

The Martley and new Cirencester depots will become specialist hubs for managing JCB sales, service and parts.

JCB Agriculture managing director John Smith said, “We look forward to working with the team at Chandlers RFM JCB and take this opportunity to thank Cotswold Farm Machinery for their many years of dedication to JCB customers.

“Until the end of November, Cotswold Farm Machinery will continue to provide sales, parts, service and repairs from Fosse Cross, and the change of distribution arrangements will have no impact on JCB dealers neighbouring the Cotswolds territory or elsewhere.”

Paddy Kennedy, JCB manager at Chandlers RFM JCB said, “Our team is ready to put their years of JCB experience to good use in the Cotswolds area from December. The region is a natural fit for the business, and the continuity and experience of the staff here at Chandlers RFM JCB will ensure professional and prompt support for all JCB customers.”

John Deere has informed dealers and customers that they will not be attending the next SIMA show in November 2024 in Paris.  

One of the main reasons they cite for this decision is to allow "..greater focus on country specific dealer and customer events throughout 2024."

Andreas Jess, John Deere marketing director for Region 2 explained further, “COVID 19 has changed the event landscape and the way customers want to interact with us is also evolving.

"Ag and Turf trade shows are a long-established way of engaging with farmers and contractors, but we are also exploring alternative communication channels that combine both digital and face-to-face activities. These will allow us to better demonstrate our innovative technologies and production system-based solutions and, at the same time, reach a wider audience.”  

He added, “customers are increasingly interested in how Precision Ag can support their operations across the entire agricultural production cycle, and this requires a different approach to share ideas and demonstrate solutions.”

Deere went on to explain that increased focus on in-country customer events will also support the company's transition to " . .a more streamlined business that puts the customer at the center." They also said, "It is also a question of utilising resources in the most efficient way over the mid- to long-term."

Looking ahead to other exhibitions, Tilmann Köller, responsible for John Deere public relations and shows & events for Region 2 added, “We are currently planning our European dealer and customer events for 2024 which require synchronization with our markets in North America. The first announcements will be in March 2024, and we are very excited about the news we will share.”

John Deere say they " . .still see an important role for trade shows in the future but would welcome international trade fair organisations to review their current timetables to allow greater flexibility for other promotional activities."

Väderstad has acquired parts of the Danish company Thyregod that produces a full product range of inter-row cultivators.

Henrik Gilstring, CEO of Väderstad Group and Peter Erik Hansen, chairman of the board at Thyregod A/S

The acquisition includes all intellectual property rights to Thyregod’s inter-row cultivator product area; the TRV range including the Swingking. 

Thyregod A/S is a Danish agricultural brand with roots that go back to 1918. For more than 25 years, it has worked to develop, produce and sell inter-row cultivators. The spring of 2023 will be a transition period and Väderstad will take over the responsibility for the inter-row cultivator business June 1st.

Vaderstad UK’s sales and marketing manager Andy Gamble said, “Our new and existing farmer customers will increasingly use inter-row crop cultivators and it is essential that we include them in our product range.

"We have already identified that in the future many of our Tempo farmers will move to more mechanical solutions for weed control. 

“As there is usually a challenge to match an inter-row cultivator to a seeding machine, Väderstad can now offer farmers a complete solution,” he says. “Adding an inter-row cultivator to our product range also optimizes our future Proceed concept in cereals.”

Initially, the inter-row cultivators will be sold under the Thyregod brand, and manufactured in Thyregod’s production facilities in Denmark. From June 2024, they will carry the Väderstad brand and the company says more details about this will be announced prior to Agritechnica 2023.

According to figures released by the AEA, the number of agricultural tractors (over 50hp) registered in the UK in January was 644 machines.

That is nearly 30% higher than the figure for the same month last year and the highest total for the opening month of the year since 2019.

Agricultural economist at the Association, Stephen Howarth, said, "Despite a relatively low figure in December, that means registrations over the last four months were 10% higher than a year before.

"The recent growth is perhaps an indication that the disruptions to supply chains which led to longer lead times for tractors and other machinery are starting to ease."

Doosan Bobcat have announced they will provide equipment worth around $1 million for relief and recovery activities in the earthquake-stricken areas of Turkey.

The company says construction equipment will be promptly delivered through their dealer network to be of practical help in lifesaving activities in affected areas and to help restore critical infrastructure such as collapsed buildings and roads. The equipment being supplied includes skid-steer loaders and excavators to remove and clean debris, and portable generators and lighting towers to be used at sites with power supply issues. 

By providing equipment that can be used immediately for relief and recovery efforts, Doosan Bobcat say they hope to help residents of the affected areas in Turkey to begin to recover their daily lives as soon as possible.

The donation will be financed in cooperation with Doosan Bobcat’s mother company, Doosan Group, which has supported previous major disasters with equipment and donations, such as hurricanes and earthquakes in the U.S., China, Haiti, Japan and Nepal over the past 20-plus years.

The agriculture and groundcare machinery sectors are experiencing a skill shortage, not least in dealer aftersales technical and parts areas. To meet the demand for more skilled workers, the Kubota Apprenticeship Scheme is an opportunity for dealers to develop a motivated, skilled, and qualified workforce, combining on-the-job experience with education in a partnership between Kubota and Coleg Cambria Llysfasi in Denbighshire.

The scheme's industry-approved training content is designed to enable engineer and parts apprentices to progress into positions within Kubota dealerships across the UK. Each course provides Kubota-led technical training at Kubota's dedicated training facility - Kubota University, and block release at Coleg Cambria Llysfasi, where apprentices will train in purpose-built facilities with the latest digital, information technology, and diagnostic equipment. Additional training and course visits are provided by agricultural machinery sister company Kverneland, mower experts Baroness or parts logistics partner Unipart (dependent upon the course and sector).

Students have the opportunity to ‘earn while they learn’ during their apprenticeship, with a course that includes both practical and theory delivered by Kubota’s factory-trained product experts, working with the latest technology, machinery and IT systems within industry-standard facilities. By completing a Kubota apprenticeship, an apprentice will achieve an industry-approved City and Guilds qualification while gaining hands-on practical skills through a manufacturer-backed scheme. 

Kubota's Apprenticeship Scheme has been running for over five years, with Kubota dealers from Scotland to Cornwall successfully taking on apprentices to become skilled and qualified service technicians or parts professionals for their businesses. 

"The apprenticeship scheme from Llysfasi and Kubota has benefitted me really well; it's helped me immensely with progressing my skills to fulfil the job that I need to do." Richard Smith, Service Technician Apprentice. Hughes Brothers.

For more information or to apply for the Kubota Apprenticeship Scheme – contact Kubota UK 01844 268100 or visit www.kubota.co.uk

Webb Supreme’s range of lawn mowers boasts numerous features and resilient design at an excellent price point. 

Available with high-quality steel cutter decks, ball bearing wheels and premium Briggs & Stratton engines, Webb Supreme Lawnmowers are built to last.  There are three models in the range: an 18” with 450e engine; an 18” with 500e engine; and the top of the range 21” with an EXI725 engine.   

For maximum flexibility and convenience, Webb Supreme Lawn mowers come with 8 heights of cut settings, from 25mm to 80mm, which are quickly and easily adjusted through a single lever movement. Clippings are gathered in up to a large 65-litre easy-fit collector fabric bag with a hardtop or can be discharged to the side or rear, or mulched, using an innovative 4-in-1 function. 

This 4-in-1 function is just one of a host of premium features that you wouldn’t necessarily expect to find on lawn mowers at this price point. Further features of note include clearly visible red OPC and drive levers, an integrated grass full indicator, easy-to-access throttle control, and a quick-release lever to fold handles for storage; all of which make for exceptional ease of use. 

Host of Premium Features 

• Clear controls - clearly visible red OPC and drive levers
• Full indicator - integrated grass full indicator
• Large collector - large easy-fit collector with a fabric bag and hard top 
• In- 1 Function - Collection, Mulch, Rear Discharge, Side Discharge 
• Quick release levers - fold away handles for storage
• Briggs and Stratton engine - across the whole range  

All Webb Supreme Lawn mowers come with a two-year warranty and are compatible with E5 and E10 fuel, although Webb always recommends the use of fuel stabilisers with the latter to extend the life of the fuel and protect the engine.  A full range of spares, including blades and collection bags, are held in stock. 

Become a Webb Stockist 

• Increase your business profit margins
• Various point-of-sale solutions 
• Regular special offers
• Sales and marketing support
• An ever-evolving range - covering petrol, electric and cordless.  

For further information click here: Webb Brochure or email sales@handys.co.uk, telephone 01793 333220

or visit the manufactures website: Handy  

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