Firstly a little bit of a Service Dealer announcement - as you can see from the lead news story today, we are launching a version of this Weekly Update for the Irish dealer sector next week.

An exciting development for the team here, we hope that an edition specifically targeted for the independent dealer sector in the Republic will prove just as valuable a resource as this one is in the UK. There will be some crossover of industry stories obviously, which are pertinent to both UK and Irish dealers - but the Service Dealer Weekly Update Ireland will feature a selection of stories sourced locally, purely aimed at the Irish readership.

Also the new edition, which will be circulated for the first time this coming Monday afternoon (May 21st) and every Monday afternoon thereafter, will benefit from the lack of my hairy mug stuck on the top of it each week! To help us identify stories on the ground over there, Liam De Paor will be our man with his ear to the ground, collating stories of interest and contributing a topical blog each week.

You can see from the announcement story today that Liam is the man for this role with his history as an Honours Ag graduate from University College Dublin and having established his own communications consultancy back in 1998. Amongst his other qualifications he's also a member of the Guild of Agri Journalists, the Public Relations Institute, the RUAS Society and an Honorary Life Member of Harper Adams Ireland.

So Liam is a great fit for Service Dealer in Ireland with just the right qualifications for the job - but of course, when looking to fill a new role, or replace a vacated position, finding a suitable person isn't always so straight-forward.

We are running a survey today on the difficulties faced by dealers involved in the whole recruitment process. We'd really appreciate it if you could take a few moments to answer a few quick questions about how your dealership is finding it at the moment - and also to leave your comments, letting us know your thoughts on the current situation.

In the May/June issue of Service Dealer magazine we spoke to several dealers who tell us that recruitment is one of the most difficult aspects of running their small business which they are having to cope with. For example, Kevin Russell of Russell Gas & Mower Centre in Stirling says of looking for new employees, "That’s a big issue round here. It’s scary really. You can’t find new people.”

George Henderson of Henderson Grass Machinery Ltd in Haddington told us, "We’ve always had luck with apprentices but even the colleges round here are struggling to find good quality students now. When we lost some staff recently, we replaced who we needed to replace – but some restructuring did take place.”

And Pete McArthur of Strathbogie Forest & Garden Limited, based in Huntly spoke about how unrealistic wage expectations in their part of the country had contributed to the difficulties surrounding recruiting. He also felt that the industry's image could benefit from being jazzed up and that "the manufacturers must stand up and show our sector as an exciting industry to work in, with great opportunities available all over the world."

Are these opinions of the sort which your dealership can relate to? We'd love for you to let us know today what your current experiences of looking for new staff have been? Are you finding it particularly tough or is it just the same as it's ever been?

We’d like to know where you are advertising your positions you are trying to fill and if you think enough is being done to promote the industry to potential employees? Also, who should be taking responsibility for this promotion?

Finally as ever, there’s space for you to leave your comments on what it’s been like for your dealership attempting to find new people and to tell us what you think could be done to aid the process.

We’ll publish the results and a selection of your opinions in the next issue of Service Dealer magazine. Thank you in advance for your help.

TAKE THE SURVEY

Service Dealer are delighted to announce the exciting launch for independent outdoor powered machinery dealers in Ireland of a specifically targeted version of Service Dealer Weekly Update.

This new edition will commence this coming Monday afternoon (May 21st 2018) and will be sent every Monday afternoon thereafter (except on Bank Holidays).

Put together by the team behind this UK edition, the Ireland version will be edited by Liam De Paor.

Service Dealer owner, Duncan Murray-Clarke, said, "I am delighted that we will be launching Service Dealer Weekly Update Ireland to just under 1,000 dealership workers in the Republic. We will be supported by Liam De Paor who will be assembling local information on dealers and the industry over there.

“It has been apparent for some time that there has been very little dedicated media supporting our colleagues in the groundcare and ag dealer sectors in Ireland and we hope that Service Dealer will be able to fulfil this role for the skilled servicing dealer community there. Like in the UK, Service Dealer Weekly Update Ireland will be distributed free of charge and rely on support from commercial partners and advertisers”.

New editor of the Ireland edition, Liam, is an Honours Ag graduate from University College Dublin and hails from West Cork. He established his own communications consultancy in March 1998. Prior to this he had been Managing Director of Volac Feeds for seven years. He is also a former chairman of the Mid West branch and served on the National Council of the Irish Marketing Institute. He is also a member of the Agri Science Association, Guild of Agri Journalists, Public Relations Institute, RUAS Society and an Honorary Life Member of Harper Adams Ireland.

Liam said, "Service Dealer was established in 1988 with the sole purpose of helping join the disparate UK specialist dealer community together. The publication serves garden machinery, professional turf care, forestry, ATV and agricultural machinery dealers. Over recent years the publication has been approached to launch in Ireland and I am very pleased to now bring dealers in the Republic this new edition.

"We will publish in Ireland every Monday afternoon (except on bank holidays) free of charge to all independent machinery dealers.

"We hope recipients here will find this to be as valuable a resource as it has been to machinery dealers in Britain and Northern Ireland for over thirty years."

If you would like to opt-in to receive the Ireland edition of the Weekly Update then please visit www.servicedealer.ie/subscribe and make sure you check the Ireland version box.

If you have any news you wish to include in Service Dealer Weekly Update Ireland please send submissions to:

liam@depaor.ie

Service Dealer Weekly Update Ireland

C/o Loreto Road, Carrickane, Cavan, H12 F659, Ireland.

Tel: +353 (0) 49. 4361158 (Office Hours: Monday-Friday - 9 AM to 5 PM)

Mobile: +353 (0) 86. 2557643

Reesink Turfcare has welcomed Fineturf Machinery as its new appointed dealer for Toro golf and fine turf machinery, Toro grounds machinery, and TYM tractors in Lincolnshire and North Nottinghamshire.

Simon Hutton, managing director of Fineturf Machinery, left, with Nigel Lovatt, regional manager at Reesink

Having been carefully chosen by Reesink, Fineturf Machinery steps into the role of dealer for the area vacated by Chris Sellars Groundcare, as Nigel Lovatt, regional manager at Reesink, explains: “We looked no further than Fineturf Machinery to take on this role. It is a company that is well established with a fantastic reputation and has expanded significantly in recent years. It has the same goals and ambitions as we do for the area and has invested in new staff to ensure these are achieved.”

Simon Hutton, managing director of Fineturf Machinery, says he is delighted to become an official Reesink dealer and service centre for Toro and TYM. “We’re looking forward to our association with Toro golf, groundscare and TYM products and hope our depth of knowledge across the golf, groundscare and sports turf industry will benefit new customers, with existing customers gaining direct access to more premium turfcare brands.”

Chris Sellars Groundcare will continue to work closely with Reesink to provide warranty support throughout the transition period, as Nigel confirms: “We enjoyed a good working relationship with Chris Sellars Groundcare for many years. But 2018 sees a change in direction for them, and us. Chris Sellars Groundcare, Reesink Turfcare and Fineturf Machinery will all work together to ensure a smooth transition period for customers, and we wish the greatest success to Chris Sellars with its future endeavours.”

The Ernest Doe branch in Esher has been appointed as a new Etesia dealer and will be distributing Etesia’s complete product range throughout Surrey.

The Ernest Doe brand can be traced all the way back to June 1898. Still very much a family firm, current Managing Director Colin Doe is the fourth generation of the family to have taken the helm during the company’s 100+ years of trading.

Ernest Doe now boasts a network of branches in the South and East of England. Of the 19 branches, the Esher depot based in Surrey is the only branch purely dedicated to groundcare machinery.

General sales manager at Ernest Doe, Andy Turbin, says, “Etesia is a brand that we have known about for a number of years and we have a lot of customers who use the equipment so we thought it would be good to get the franchise and support these customers. Quite simply, it seemed a great opportunity for us.

“The Esher branch has a massive customer base including contractors and local authorities - so the Etesia equipment will be ideal for them.”

Ernest Doe’s Surrey based customers will now be able to choose from Etesia's 12 product families which includes ride-on mowers, scarifiers, brush cutters, green technology and pedestrian mowers - something which Steve is particularly excited about.

“I think the Etesia pedestrian mowers will arguably be the most popular with our customer base. They are well respected machines in the marketplace, extremely versatile and are capable of cutting and collecting in all conditions.”

STIHL has launched a website dedicated to potential new dealers, which they say highlights their commitment to its retail network and simplifying the application process for new partners.

The company says the new website has been specifically designed to showcase the benefits of becoming a STIHL dealer and offers insight into the tools dealers can access to enhance their business operations.

STIHL say these include:

Dealership development
Installation of a STIHL Shop System display, external brand signage and expert merchandising support. 

Marketing
Access to marketing tools, such as TV, press, radio, social media, digital campaigns, in-store POS, product promotions and advertising templates.

Technical support
A team of STIHL experts on hand to provide support and advice on servicing tools and replacing parts, as well as access to technical e-learning through an online learning platform.

Learning and development
Access to a comprehensive training programme giving businesses the knowledge and know-how needed to sell and service STIHL and VIKING products.

Wayne Stone, National Sales Manager at STIHL GB, said: “Our network of dealers is the lifeblood of the STIHL business and plays a pivotal role in not only delivering the highest levels of customer service and aftersales support, but also sustaining our position as a first-class machinery provider.

“The launch of the new website is aimed at businesses that share our passion and commitment to providing customers with a great buying experience and highlights how a STIHL partnership can help drive business operations to the next level as a STIHL Approved Dealer.”

For more information or to apply to become a STIHL Approved Dealer, visit https://becomeastihldealer.co.uk/.

Users of CLAAS products fitted with Telematics as standard will be able to benefit from a completely new, free, function – Remote Service as from June 2018.

The manufacturer says a high level of service and support has always been an important element in the relationship that CLAAS has with its customers. Through the intelligent networking between machine and dealer, the new Remote Service package will enable CLAAS dealers to take this to a new level and provide an even higher level of service to customers, so helping reduce downtime especially during peak periods.

The new Remote Service function has been incorporated as standard on all CLAAS LEXION, TUCANO, JAGUAR, XERION and AXION models from October 1st, 2017, and the system will go live with dealers by the end of June 2018, so that its fully ready for this year’s cereals harvest.

The service will be free-of-charge and applies for the first five years of the machine’s life, irrespective of whether the owner decides to subscribe to the full Telematics machine monitoring package. All they have to do is register the machine when purchased and agree to the use of Remote Service with their machine.

Using Remote Service, the dealer will be able to continuously monitor the machine to ensure that it is functioning correctly. In the event of a problem, the machine will initially alert the operator and simultaneously send an error message to the dealer.

When they receive the alert, the dealer will be able to assess the severity of the problem and remotely diagnose the fault, establish whether any parts will be required and arrange for the fault to be quickly rectified.

A further benefit of Remote Service according to the manufacturer, is that it will enable routine service and maintenance to be planned and carried out. Ahead of time, the machine will flag up with the dealer any upcoming routine maintenance requirements. This ensures that routine maintenance is not only carried out when required, but can also be planned in advance, saving time particularly during the crucial harvesting windows.

Ibcos Computers Ltd has announced that Mike Jones is taking charge of its software development team as the new Development Manager.

Mike’s primary responsibility, the company says, is to ensure the team has the skills, knowledge and ability to make Ibcos Gold, the company’s dealership management software, the best product it can be.

“I am very excited at this opportunity,” said Mike. “I look forward to being part of the next chapter of Ibcos and the Gold product.”

Since joining Ibcos in 2016, he has been heavily involved with the mobile and web components of Ibcos Gold, which are recent software initiatives.

Over the course of his 20-year career, Mike has worked with plenty of blue-chip customers, delivering high-quality software with great user experience. He’s held leadership roles at software companies, including Abel Learning and Chevin Fleet Solutions, in addition to working as a software engineer for several other organizations.

“Mike has a long history of success across a wide variety of businesses,” said Collette Convery, the Managing Director at Ibcos. “I think we’ll be seeing a lot of interesting product developments in the near future, which will hopefully excite and delight our customers.”

Budding young gardeners visiting the RHS Garden Wisley Family Gardening Festival between 26 May and 3 June 2018 will be challenged with finding Miimo for a chance to grab a pair of Honda sunglasses.

Miimo ‘Junior’

This activity marks the launch of the company's new Miimo ‘Junior’ robotic mower which is available to purchase now.

As part of a programme of half-term activities at the Wisley event, Honda (UK) is sponsoring the garden adventure trail, with four Miimo’s dotted around for explorers to seek out. The Family Gardening Festival will also offer garden themed arts and craft activities for the children to get hands-on with, including sow and grow workshops, potato and spoon races, face painting, tree climbing, puppet shows and storytelling sessions.

Honda (UK)’s support of the Family Gardening Festival comes as it marks the introduction of the newest member of its premium robotic lawnmower range, Miimo Junior. Priced at £1,499, the entry-level model can handle lawns of up to 1,500m².

Steve Morris, Head of Power Products for Honda (UK) said, “We have supported the RHS for many years and are delighted to continue to do so with the Wisley Festival. It promises plenty of fun for all of the family and a perfect opportunity to introduce Miimo Junior, which aims to extend the appeal of robotic lawn mowers to a wider audience.”

Iseki UK & Ireland has announced that Ian Bridges is joining the team as Regional Sales Manager for Scotland and the North of England.

Ian Bridges

Ian, an industry stalwart who has worked for various manufacturers in the Industry over the years is perhaps best known for the 30 years that he spent with Jacobsen and then Ransomes Jacobsen that ended with his retirement from the Ipswich based manufacturer earlier this year.

“When Ian became available earlier this year we started talking about the possibility of him joining our new team and continuing the great work he has done looking after ISEKI whilst RJ were the distributors,” said David Withers, managing director of ISEKI UK.

“Ian has a real depth of knowledge of the product line and is probably the best-known figure in the Industry in Scotland so it made sense for us to welcome him to our organisation.”

Ian’s contact details are 07850 086 314 and e-mail ibridges@iseki.co.uk

Simon Richard Ltd have confirmed the appointment of Broadway, Worcestershire based Heming Engineering as dealers for the Woods rotary cutter and Muthing flail ranges.

L-R: Mark Bayliss (Heming Eng Operations Director), Donna Goode Business Development for Heming Eng and Brian Marshall for Simon Richard Ltd

Heming Operations Director (Engineering) Mark Bayliss said, “Our aim is to offer the agricultural sector end-user both the right equipment and also an advisory service to ensure the best result. This is particularly applicable where agricultural stubble management is concerned when the need is to introduce more organic matter in place of fertilisers and chemicals and we are already demonstrating to interested clients.”

Simon Richard added, “The appointment of Heming is an excellent addition to our national dealership network. They are keen to work with the customer to ensure the best performance outcome."

John Deere is confirmed as a partner to The Solheim Cup which is taking place at Gleneagles from 9th-15th September 2019.

John Deere will be the Official Golf Course and Turf Maintenance Machinery Event Partner at Gleneagles for the 16th edition of the biennial match. Machinery and back-up will be provided by Sandy Armit and his team at Double A in Cupar, Fife.

John Deere has a long association with professional golf having been a title sponsor on the PGA Tour, Official Supplier to the PGA Tour for 25 years, Official Supplier to the Ladies European Tour and a partner at numerous Solheim Cup events.

In addition, John Deere is also the partner of choice for Gleneagles, where the company exclusively provides golf course maintenance machinery and equipment for use across all three golf courses.

John Deere’s partnership at The 2019 Solheim Cup will include on course branding, a display of John Deere products in the Spectator Village and utilising the association and event collateral for customer promotions and incentives at dealerships worldwide.

Carlos Aragones, John Deere European turf sales & marketing manager, said, “The Solheim Cup is one of the biggest events on the 2019 sporting calendar and we are delighted to be a part of it. We are very proud of our history of collaborating with major golf events and our association with both The Solheim Cup and Gleneagles is very important to our brand. The countdown is now on and we are very much looking forward to next year’s event.”

Ross Hallett, IMG Executive Tournament Director, added, “As we build towards The 2019 Solheim Cup, we have been overwhelmed with interest from within the golf industry. Announcing John Deere’s support today is another important step as we work alongside VisitScotland in fulfilling their ambition of hosting the best Solheim Cup to date.”

The recently appointed European Captain and VisitScotland Ambassador, Catriona Matthew, will be looking to return the trophy to Europe in 2019 after an inspired USA team retained the trophy by 16½ to 11½ points, in front of record crowds in Iowa. Organisers are now aiming to set a new record for a European edition in 2019.

E P Barrus Ltd is looking for a Marketing Executive to specialise across our Lawn and Garden Machinery portfolio.

Working across a comprehensive range of premium quality lawnmowers, powered garden equipment and accessories from leading brands including Cub Cadet, Lawnflite and Agri-Fab.

Responsibilities to include the development and co-ordination of marketing communication materials across all channels including: print, digital, events, dealership POS and advertising. Working with the PR team to expand product and brand profile pieces across all types of trade and consumer media along with the development of all social media marketing and writing content for ecommerce and brand websites.

The successful candidate will be marketing degree qualified (or equivalent) with at least five years’ experience, either client or agency based. You will have multi-channel experience incorporating print, digital, social, POS and events and excellent eye for copy editing. Experience in the lawn and garden industry would be favourable. You will be a competent and proactive communicator and have the ability to develop and build relationships at all levels.

A competitive salary will be offered to the right candidate.

Please apply enclosing your full CV to: Recruitment, E.P. Barrus Ltd, Glen Way, Launton Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 4UR or email: recruitment@barrus.co.uk

www.barrus.co.uk

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