The EU, recently, announced that they will extend the Stage V emissions regulation for non road mobile machines (NRMM) by another 12 months to December 31st 2021. This will be a great relief for manufacturers, as they were under pressure to comply with the original regulation, whose deadline was the 31st of December 2020. As most manufacturers were closed, due to Covid-19, time was against them to have engines meet this requirement by the December 2020 deadline when they went back into production.

Our industry is, and rightly so, under the microscope to produce cleaner and more environmentally friendly products, whether it is large agricultural tractors or walk behind lawn mowers. It is not only about fuel emissions but also the material used in manufacturing the equipment. The industry has been developing new solutions to limit the environmental impact of its products. Using recyclable materials such as plastic and metal is good for the environment and is also sustainable. Many of the customers who buy our garden care equipment are those that love their garden and nature. They will be making choices on what products to buy based on how environmentally friendly they are. Protecting the environment will protect our jobs and businesses. Keeping emissions and noise levels low is what manufacturers are aiming towards.

The development of battery powered vehicles has made great progress in recent years and it is definitely the way forward. Progress on large electric tractors is ongoing but it is still a long way off, I feel, before we will see them ploughing fields and pulling trailers.

What would make electric machines even more environmentally friendly is how the electricity is produced by the national grid to charge batteries in electric machines? Does it come from the burning of fossil fuels or from natural resources such as wind or solar power. We have a long way to go in Ireland before we can say for sure that our energy sources comes from renewable energy. Norway is doing very well in that regard.

The European Garden Machinery Federation (EGMF) recently submitted comments to the European Commission on its Inception Impact Assesment to modernise the EU legislation on batteries. They support the Commission’s objective to develop more sustainable batteries in Europe. Some of the key points the EGMF raised for consideration in the future legislation were:

1. Maintaining the existing battery categories (portable, industrial, automotive) but further clarification on the scope is necessary, particularly between portable and industrial batteries
2. Collection targets should be calculated based on the amount of batteries available for recycling instead of the amount of batteries placed on the market
3. Measures on substances used in batteries should avoid overlaps with existing chemicals legislation
4. Communicating information to waste recyclers on battery chemistry
5. Differentiating between non-reusable portable batteries e.g. D (Mono), C (Baby), AAAA, AAA (Mikro), AA (Mignon), etc
6. Supporting the reparability of garden and outdoor power equipment, including the replacement of batteries. However, attention should be drawn to the important safety risks associated with disassembly/reassembly of batteries linked to fires and overheating
7. Secondary raw materials used for recycled content in batteries should be suitable and do not pose any technical and safety risks for the end-users
8. Some of the requirements for improving the sustainability for batteries such as interoperability could stifle innovation. Competition should remain the main driver of technological progress

Century-old small engine maker Briggs & Stratton, one the industry's most iconic brands, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on Monday 20th July 2020.

A Chapter 11 filing in the United States means that a company and its creditors work out a reorganisation plan that enables the business to continue to operate.

In what's known as a 'stalking-horse' deal, it was also announced on Monday that a New York private equity firm called KPS Capital Partners, through a newly formed affiliate, has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Briggs & Stratton Corporation, under which KPS will acquire substantially all of the assets of Briggs & Stratton, including equity of foreign subsidiaries, for approximately $550 million.

In an official statement, Briggs & Stratton said they had obtained $677.5 million of debtor-in-possession financing that would help fund operations during the bankruptcy proceedings. $265 million of that figure has been committed by KPS and the remaining $412.5 from Briggs's existing group of lenders.

Briggs said this would mean that they would have sufficient liquidity to continue normal operations and to meet its financial obligations during the Chapter 11 process, including the payment of employee wages and health benefits, continued servicing of customer orders and shipments, and other obligations.

Todd Teske, Briggs & Stratton's chairman, president, and chief executive officer, released a statement saying, "Over the past several months, we have explored multiple options with our advisors to strengthen our financial position and flexibility. The challenges we have faced during the Covid-19 pandemic have made reorganisation the difficult but necessary and appropriate path forward to secure our business. It also gives us support to execute on our strategic plans to bring greater value to our customers and channel partners. Throughout this process, Briggs & Stratton products will continue to be produced, distributed, sold and fully backed by our dedicated team."

Co-founder and co-managing partner of KPS Michael Psaros released a statement saying, "KPS intends to grow the new Briggs & Stratton aggressively through strategic acquisitions."

He went on to say, "The new Briggs & Stratton will be conservatively capitalised and not encumbered by its predecessor's significant liabilities.

"We have expended an enormous amount of effort, resources and capital on this process to date. We are confident that all of the conditions necessary to create a new thriving going concern enterprise are in place."

Local paper the Milwakee Journal Sentinel, reported that KPS had also entered into an agreement in principle with the United Steelworkers of America for a new collective bargaining agreement for Briggs hourly employees represented by the union in the Milwaukee area. The agreement would become effective upon completion of the acquisition and reorganisation.

They did however also report that retirees on the other hand, are losing their supplemental health and life insurance.

The day before the Chapter 11 filing the paper writes, "Briggs' board of directors voted to terminate the group insurance plan for retirees."

Regulation (EU) 2020/1040 to amend Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 on Stage V emissions from non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) was published on the 17th of July on the Official Journal of the European Union. This final step of the legislative process confirms that the 12-months extension of certain transitional provisions is officially EU law and is applicable retroactively from the 1st of July 2020.

This amendment to the Stage V Regulation extends by 12 months the 30th of June and the 31st of December 2020 deadlines for the production and placing on the market of NRMM and tractors fitted with transition engines <56kW and ≥130kW.

The European industry associations representing NRMM manufacturers, namely CECE, CEMA, EGMF, EUnited Municipal Equipment & Cleaning, Europgen and FEM, warmly welcome the positive conclusion of this process.

This fundamental political success obtained by the united NRMM industry allows machinery manufacturers to avoid economic damage and unnecessary waste of raw materials and resources since the transition engines were already built in 2018 and would otherwise have to be scrapped.

It should be noted that NRMM and tractors fitted with transition engines between 56kW and 130kW are not affected by this extension and retain the applicable 2021 deadlines.

Therefore, the sector calls on the European Commission to continue to monitor the effect of COVID-19 on the industry and conduct a timely assessment of this impact regarding upcoming deadlines, submitting a new report to Parliament and undertaking new legislative actions as appropriate.

The amendment – brought about by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic – gives equipment manufacturers an additional year to bring their modified equipment to market (31 December 2021).

The COVID-19 outbreak caused complete interruptions in the supply of parts and components, leaving manufacturers with stocks of engines and unfinished products. The consequence of this disruption is that many engines and machinery manufacturers would not have been able to meet the December 2020 deadline without sustaining serious economic damage.

The extension of 12 months is warranted given the seasonality of the goods in which transition engines will be fitted. This is particularly the case for tractors and garden equipment.

Major Equipment Intl Ltd, the manufacturer of agricultural implements and commercial equipment, based in Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, recently announced the addition of four dealerships to its US network.

The new additions make it possible for Major Equipment to serve farming families across the American South and parts of the Midwest.

The new dealerships are:

• Don Medlin Company – Caruthersville, Missouri
• J&B Tractor Company – Waynesboro, Georgia
• Quality Equipment, LLC – Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
• Robstown Hardware Company – Robstown, Texas

The dealers will be distributing the Cyclone Rotary Cutter / Multi-Crop Shredder. As an authorised dealer of Major-branded equipment, they are also able to offer parts, service and maintenance across their respective locations.

“These businesses are deep-rooted in their communities and have established reputations for creating longstanding value for their customers, which stands for everything we do,” says Martin Walsh, US Sales Manager at Major Equipment. “I’m delighted to be working with them and showing how our products can help their customers.”

When the lock-down was announced, David Withers, md of Iseki UK & Ireland wondered how he was going to promote and sell his product range at the start of the growing season.

“As a company we were only two years old, and the blanket restrictions were obviously going to have a negative impact,” he says. “So with my wife and family as film crew and with a paddock alongside my house, we immediately set about making product videos, model by model.

“The response was almost immediate, people were ringing up saying ‘Yes, just what I want’ and placing an order there and then.

“Because they had a rather home-made feel to them, and because we could focus on the features that mattered and show the machine at work in typical UK conditions, I think they had more authenticity than slicker corporate videos.

“I think they were also impressed when they rang up and discovered that it was the MD doing the demonstrating!” He adds, “Also feedback from dealers has been terrific, they feel that it really helps their sales team and their customers”.

The success of the product videos and their likely future place in marketing by dealers is part of a wide-ranging conversation, David had recently with TurfPro founder Chris Biddle for his new series of podcasts, Inside Agri-Turf. 

During the podcast, David also talks about the cultural differences between the UK and US dealers and suppliers gained from his 6-year term as President of Jacobsen based in Charlotte, North Carolina; about future of robotics in the commercial turfcare market and the advantages of selling a single brand rather than a ‘stable of brands’.

You can listen to the full podcast here.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and continued regulatory uncertainty, GIE/OPEI, LLC have announced that the 2020 GIE+EXPO show scheduled to take place in October in Louisville, Kentucky, will be postponed until next year.

Kris Kiser, President and CEO of OPEI, and managing partner of GIE+EXPO sent Service Dealer a special video message explaining the decision which you can watch below.

Show ownership and management (GIE/OPEI, LLC) of GIE+EXPO, the Green Industry and Equipment Exposition, say they have been monitoring the situation closely, and have been working with state and local authorities to put on the safest show possible. Unfortunately, they say, the unpredictable nature of such a rapidly evolving environment prohibited this year’s show from taking place safely.

“The health and safety of our attendees and exhibitors is critical, and it is with profound regret that we announce the cancellation of our 2020 event,” said Kris Kiser.

“We’re looking forward to 2021 and already gearing up to make our next show a dynamic and engaging experience for the entire industry. I encourage exhibitors and attendees that have already registered or secured exhibit space to roll those monies forward to the 2021 show.”

Next autumn, the organisers say that attendees and exhibitors will experience several updates to the Kentucky Exposition Center grounds. The facility is undertaking $8 million in outdoor improvements and enhancements, including:

• Replacing the main entry gates to improve ingress and egress.
• Expanding paved areas on the north side of the building to increase exhibit space opportunities.
• Relocating more than 126,000 cubic yards of soil, to the Outdoor Demonstration Area to improve drainage and irrigation to the grounds.
• Adding permanent driving lanes to the Demo Area.
• Improving pedestrian access from nearby hotels

Despite the need to postpone this year’s show, the Kris Kiser says the industry in the U.S continues to thrive. “Manufacturers, landscapers, and outdoor power equipment dealers have been deemed essential during this ongoing pandemic, and the industry continues to play a major role in keeping greenspaces around the country safe and accessible,” he said.

“What we’ve learned during this period is the extraordinary importance of the living landscape to our mental and physical health, especially for homeowners who have a yard."

GreenMech say their new EVO 165P SUB-750 retains many of the key features of the series including a wide infeed chute, twin horizontal rollers, all-steel bonnet and heavy-duty flywheel combined with a 37hp Briggs & Stratton Vanguard petrol engine.

The new GreenMech EVO 165P SUB-750

To bring the machine into the sub-750kg bracket, the new model features a redesigned chassis and alterations to its construction and specification.

Also as standard is the company's patented disc blade technology, providing up to 200 hours of chipping before re-sharpening is required, and a three year parts and labour warranty.

Commenting on the newest addition, sales director Martin Lucas said, “From the off, the EVO collection was very much driven by what the market demands and this is again the case with the sub 750kg EVO 165P SUB-750. The EVO has really established itself as providing more aggressive torque, bite and throughput than most other machines in its category and by incorporating this performance in a lighter weight package, we can meet the requirements of even more of today’s arborists.”