It is impossible to escape the digital age. It is all around us, particularly when it comes to e-commerce. Electronic bank transfers and payments are part of business daily life. It is rare, these days, for a customer to arrive at our premises and pay for equipment with a cheque. Using social media, such as Facebook and Twitter is another way of promoting our business. However, some businesses may not be up to speed when it comes to the digital world.

How many dealers in Ireland sell online? Some businesses have been very successful in this regard, especially when it comes to selling spare parts and accessories. Help is on the way for those who want to digitally develop their business. Retailers have been encouraged to apply for funding to enhance their online presence and increase online sales. Grants of up to €25,000 are now available under the latest round of the Online Retail Scheme, funded by the Dept of Enterprise, Trade & Employment and administered by Enterprise Ireland.

The Scheme provides direct financial support to retail companies that want to develop a more competitive online business offering to complement their in-store offering. Many of those that have embraced digitalisation say that it has enhanced their business and has offered new opportunities, especially getting exposure to potential new customers around the world. 

Taking the digital plunge can be a daunting task for some. This scheme should help and encourage you to make the change. There are certain conditions that must be met such as the applicant must be an Irish based retail enterprise that has ten or more full-time employees and the business has the potential to sustain or create jobs. It must be noted, however, that the scheme does not apply to car and vehicle dealerships. If you are involved in the sale of lawnmowers and garden equipment to the domestic market then this scheme may be of some help to you.

Having said all that, I think that there are some aspects of our business which should continue having face to face contact when selling. Many of our stock items should still be sold from the dealership showrooms. Customers need to see and get a feel for the machines they are about to purchase. They need to ask direct questions to a member of our sales team. I also believe that some equipment should not be sold online such as chainsaws. These can be dangerous if sold to the wrong people. Selling these machines from the business premises means that the dealer can make sure, by demonstrating the correct and safe way of operating such equipment, that they are sold to competent customers.

Doing business online is here to stay. We need to embrace it and get the full potential of its benefits. You can get more information on the Online Retail Scheme by visiting www.enterpriseireland.com but you must hurry, the closing date for sending in applications is 12 noon 3 May 2023.

Spaldings has secured an exclusive distribution agreement for Dutch Openers tine drill coulters in Ireland and the UK.

The new management team at Spaldings (from left) Nigel Whelan, Paul Bray and David Fox with examples of the Dutch Openers drill coulters.

The Lincoln, UK based company has previously shared distribution rights for the Canadian manufacturer’s products but they say the new exclusivity agreement will enable the two operations to work closely on product enhancements and new designs.

The Dutch ‘Universal’ coulter range offers a choice of low-draft points for single- and double-row seeding, band sowing and liquid or solid fertiliser placement.

Securing the exclusivity agreement was one of the first initiatives of a new management team at Spaldings following the acquisition of a majority shareholding by British private equity firm Inspirit Capital.

Spaldings chairman David Fox, chief executive Paul Bray, and chief operations officer Nigel Whelan say they know the business inside out having previously held senior management positions in the company.

“We’ve all returned to our old desks with a lot of experience and knowledge about what makes Spaldings a successful business,” says Paul Bray. “This boils down to providing customers with an attractive product range and first-rate service, whether they order by telephone, online or through our field sales team.

“One of our first actions upon returning to Spaldings was to recruit additional field sales personnel to create geographically smaller and more manageable sales areas, because we know customers appreciate the personal interaction and service they get from our specialists on the ground.

“At the same time, we’re enhancing our digital presence for those who prefer to place orders online, with a new app for mobile devices and an updated website to come.”

As a result of the exclusive distribution agreement with Dutch Openers, supplies of genuine Dutch coulters from other outlets will be run down.

“There are non-genuine look-alikes in circulation but you have to question whether they meet Dutch Industries’ high standards for design, the quality of materials and manufacturing techniques,” says Paul Bray. “If it doesn’t say ‘Dutch’ on the part, it’s not a Dutch opener.”

Drill manufacturers Horsch and Sumo will continue to be supplied direct by Dutch Openers, with Spaldings handling replacement and conversion kit sales for drills already in service.

An important consequence of the new agreement is that the engineering development departments of Spaldings and Dutch Openers will work together with a view to enhancing existing products and developing new ones suited to European soils and establishment techniques.

According to the latest CEMA Business barometer report for March 2023, the general business climate index for the agricultural machinery industry in Europe has stopped its first significant upward trend since the sharp declines in the course of the Russian war against Ukraine. However, it still remains at a relatively good level. In March, the index decreased from 36 to 24 points (on a scale of -100 to +100).

The decline is mainly caused by a less favourable evaluation of the current business situation. Every fifth company reports that its business is not running well. Especially companies based in France are more pessimistic with regard to their current business. In line with the more critical situation, 40% of the European companies surveyed expect a decline in new orders within the coming six months, while only 16% foresee further increases. However, only 15% of the surveyed companies expect a decline in turnover, while a clear majority of 85% continue to forecast growth or at least a stable trend.

The regional breakdown on the market side indicates that some of the large markets such as Germany, France and Italy are losing some momentum. The representatives of the European industry look nonetheless forward with confidence to the full year of 2023: the survey participants expect for their company on average still an increase in turnover of +5%.

The Claas Group Shareholders' Committee has appointed Jan-Hendrik Mohr as the new CEO with effect from 1 April 2023.

Jan-Hendrik Mohr

The incumbent CEO Thomas Böck had decided to step down and to pursue new endeavors. Shareholders and the Group Executive Board have acknowledged this decision with deep regret. They say they were able to find an experienced successor in Jan-Hendrik Mohr.  
 
Cathrina Claas-Mühlhäuser, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of the Claas Group, said, "Jan Hendrik Mohr is highly respected at Claas and in our industry. He knows Claas like no one else and has proven his worth. He shaped the company during his many years in various management positions. Together with his colleagues in the Group Executive Board and all employees, he will build on the successful work of his predecessor and lead Claas boldly into the future."
 
Jan-Hendrik Mohr, a graduate engineer, has been with the Group since 1984 continuously taking on increasing responsibilities. He has been a member of the Group Executive Board since 2008. He is currently responsible for the Business Unit Grain, which he will continue to lead in a personal capacity.

CEO-designate Jan-Hendrik Mohr said, "I look forward to continuing our success story together with my colleagues in the Group Executive Board and all employees. Claas stands for a high level of technological expertise, products that excite and a corporate culture that unites us. We think long-term and have a clear vision: to make our customers the best in their field." 

2023 sees the team at GreenMech celebrating 30 years in business.

While much may have changed in terms of products and features, the company have called The Mill Industrial Park in Warwickshire their home since the company was founded in 1993 by, now chairman, Tony Turner. From here, over 14,000 products have been designed and manufactured, with more than half of the total product exported to customers globally. Success around central Europe, say the manufacturer, has also seen the establishment of GreenMech France and GreenMech Germany, to facilitate tailored sales and support in these markets. 

Jonathan Turner, son of Tony and current GreenMech managing director said, “We are incredibly proud of our achievements but are even more positive and excited about our future. We look forward to supporting our existing customers while continuing to develop industry-leading new products, designed to perform without compromise.” 

The team will be commemorating the occasion with colleagues, customers and friends at events across the calendar, starting with their attendance at The Arb Show, at Westonbirt in May. GreenMech at 30 also forms part of wider celebrations for Turner R&D Ltd, for whom 2023 marks 60 years of trading. 

On 14 April 2023, Pöttinger officially opened the second hall at the new rake and baler plant in St. Georgen near Grieskirchen, Austria.

Following almost 1.5 years of construction, the agricultural machinery manufacturer has started up a modern cathodic dip priming (CDP) and powder coating line in this second expansion phase. 

With an investment of EUR 25 million, the first expansion phase of the St. Georgen plant was completed and production began in June 2021. The company says the good order situation, combined with a large number of new products and the resulting need for increased capacity made the next step necessary: an additional hall for a sustainable priming and coating line.

The additional building with an area of 7,900 m2 including the new paint shop represents an investment volume of approximately EUR 33 million. The total production area has therefore been more than doubled. 

The new priming and coating line now gives the parts for rakes and round balers their colourful coat of paint. These parts were previously delivered from the painting line at the headquarters in Grieskirchen. In addition, state-of-the-art methods attract contract orders from external firms requiring high-quality coatings. Industrial customers in particular, who have the same high corrosion protection specifications as Pöttinger, for example. Due to the advanced layout of the paint line, orders can be carried out in black CDP with high wall thicknesses and heavy unit weights. The maximum suspended load is 1,200 kg.

The manufacturer says the automotive quality paint finish using cathodic dip priming (CDP) and powder coating is an environmentally friendly process. No solvent is used in the mixing and application of the coatings. The painting process achieves excellent hardness and therefore a longer service life.

Homeowners can now have the ultimate flexibility and control over all parts of the garden with and interchangeable battery system from Hayter® and Toro®. 

These two ranges share the same technology and 60V MAX*  lithium-ion battery, which is interchangeable between products, to offer maximum flexibility. Simply remove the 60V battery and transfer to one of the other compatible machines – so there’s no need to purchase any additional batteries if you already own a product from either range.

If your customer’s desire is to mow your lawn and leave it with a perfectly striped finish, then one of the battery-powered Harrier® or Hawk 60V mowers are the perfect machines to achieve this with the integrated ribbed rear roller. If you then need to trim those lawn edges, then the Toro Flex-Force range offers a cordless string trimmer, that is focused on tackling those big jobs in less time. Together, the Hayter and Toro ranges provide complementary products to span the seasons. 

   
Other products in the Flex-Force Power® System range include the eMulticycler, eRecycler and eSuper Recycler mowers, a leaf blower, hedge trimmer, chainsaw and pole saw.

 
For more information on Hayter, please visit www.hayter.co.uk and on Toro, please visit www.toro.com/en-gb  

or to become a dealer of Toro U.K. Limited, please email our sales team: sales-uk@toro.com today.

*Battery manufacturer rating = 60V maximum and 54V typical usage. Actual voltage varies with load.