Just when things were moving in the right direction, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said, in their press conference last Monday, that the worst is yet to come.

This is on foot of the increased number of corana virus cases reported in some countries, especially in the southern and western states of America. Last week Leicester City in the UK was forced to lockdown again, which brings the seriousness of the situation very close to home. It would be unthinkable if we were to return to lockdown again and have our businesses shut down. It is true that, as the easing of restrictions continue, we may have become a bit more relaxed on the social distancing rule and the wearing of masks advice. This could lead to a second wave of the corona virus, so we shouldn’t lift our foot off the pedal just yet.

The social distancing rule of 2 meters apart still applies but is not always easy or practical to follow. For example when travelling on public transport or being in a small shop you will inevitably brush past someone. The uptake of the wearing of masks is very low, despite the advise from the HSE and government. They (the government) made it mandatory that face masks must be worn on public transport. Despite this I have seen many buses pull up beside bus stops and no one on the bus, including the driver, was wearing a mask.

It is good to see that service dealers’ premises are providing the facilities for their customers to keep safe. They only allow a certain number of customers in at a time, as well as providing hand sanitisers and gloves.

There has been some confusion over the past week regarding holiday travel abroad. The government is due, by the end of this week, to give a list of ‘green’ destination countries that are allowable to travel to. However, the HSE advice is somewhat fifferent. They recommend not to travel abroad unless it is absoloutely necessary. The Chief Medical Officer, Tony Holohan, even went as far as to say that any holidays abroad that have been booked should be cancelled. Instead, the HSE recommend that holidays should be spent at home in Ireland. Holidays at home or ‘staycations’ as they are now known, may, somehow, help the service dealer industry.

An example would be golfing holidays. There are hundreds of wonderful golf courses around Ireland that would make ideal destinations for weekend or week long breaks, especially the links courses where non golfing family members could avail of the nearby beaches (provided that they are able to keep social distancing guidelines of course). Supporting golf clubs this way means that the clubs generate much needed income which, in turn, allows them to maintain their course, enabling them to have the finance to purchase new machinery or repair existing ones if needed. One does not have to be reminded of the financial crisis in 2008 when new golf course machinery sales plummeted as banks wouldn’t give loans to clubs, especially those whose membership numbers dropped.

Our public parks and gardens also need to be maintained. They should be supported too during this time. If our holiday money is spent at home this will help the tourist industry, which will benefit other sectors such as our own service dealers and distributors. Referring back to the 2008 financial crisis, I remember how the collapse of the construction industry had a knock on affect on other sectors (including our own) such as the bread making industry which saw bread roll sales plummet due to builders not buying breakfast rolls as they had been made redundant.

So tourism is important for our dealers and distributors, all be it in an indirect way. We should encourage our customers to holiday at home and visit our wonderful amenities of parks, gardens and golf courses.

John Deere announced last week that it has signed an agreement to sell its SABO Maschinenfabrik lawnmower subsidiary to another German company, Mutares SE & Co, subject to regulatory approval.

This move will see John Deere exit the walk-behind rotary lawnmower business.

Alongside the end of production of the SABO-built, John Deere branded walk-behind rotary mowers (both commerical and domestic models), will be an end of manufacture of both John Deere Tango and SABO brand robotic mowers.

The company will however, continue to sell its full range of Deere manufactured lawn tractors and zero-turn mowers to both domestic and commercial customers, as well as its walk-behind cylinder greens mowers in the worldwide golf and sports turf markets.

Any remaining John Deere dealer inventory of these SABO-built products in the UK & Ireland will be available for sale, and John Deere say they will continue to provide parts for 10 years. Deere’s dealer network will also continue to provide parts and service in any areas where SABO branded machines have been sold.

SABO, based in Gummersbach, Germany, has been a subsidiary of Deere & Company since 1991 and has approximately 125 employees.

Mutares, based in Munich, is a private equity firm that currently owns 13 companies in the automotive and mobility, engineering and technology, and goods and services industries.

SABO will maintain ownership of its brand assets and its operations in Gummersbach. The company will continue to produce walk-behind lawnmowers and handheld outdoor power products, marketing those machines through its existing network of more than 1100 dealers in Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Switzerland.

According to Deere and Mutares, employees, customers, suppliers, dealers and distributors should notice little change in daily operations.

Tim Merrett, John Deere’s vice president, Turf and Compact Utility platform, said, “SABO is a leading brand for high quality walk-behind mowers and handheld power products in Europe, and the company is well positioned for growth with its line of battery-powered machines.

“However, Deere is shifting its focus to key production systems that will allow our machine technology to be a differentiator. Further investment in walk-behind lawnmowers was no longer a strategic fit for our global business.

“Deere is not exiting the turf care business. John Deere will continue to produce a wide range of lawn and grounds care equipment for residential, commercial and golf course maintenance use."

A report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says that Briggs & Stratton plans to move some production from its Wauwatosa, Wisconsin facility to New York by the end of August.

It says that production of its lawn tractor, residential zero-turn mower, snow thrower and pressure washer products will move.

"Not all production is leaving the Wauwatosa site," states the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Standby generators and engine components production, along with other support areas will stay at the Wauwatosa facility."

The paper says that the company is making the move "to streamline its production and distribution of products." The new facility is within 10 miles of another B&S facility making similar products.

According to a news release seen by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel employees in Wisconsin who will be affected by the move will be given a 60-day notice. The employees will stay with the company until the end of August.

Major Equipment International, whose head office is in Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, have sold to SC Spelle Venhaus who are located in Emsland, in the Lower Saxony region of Germany, a MJ71-240 to replace a cylinder mower that was used to maintain its sports grounds.

The mower’s 2.4m working width means 1 hectare can be mowed in 22 minutes at 11km per hour, thus considerably simplifying grounds maintenance tasks of head groundsman Anske Achteres.

“I mow the seven playing pitches three times a week at a height of 15mm, which is specified by the club,” says Anske. “The players and club members naturally expect an impeccable finish and I can easily do that with the Major Swift roller mower.”

Anske continued, “The Major Swift has almost zero maintenance costs compared to the high costs with the cylinder mower. Plus, all the work can be done faster and cleaner.”

Local dealer Krone Landmaschinen recommended the Major Swift to Mr. Achteres and SC Spelle Venhaus, who were quickly convinced of the mower’s capabilities.

“The MJ71-240 Swift is excellent and easy to use for every member of the team, regardless of their experience level,” continues Anske. “With reliable service from Krone as well as Krengel Landtechnik, the German importer of Major machinery, we are well looked after.”

“Of course, the players’ opinions about my work are very important to me and they are impressed with the results,” concludes Anske.

Agricultural machinery manufacturer Belarus - also known as MTZ (Minski Traktarny Zavod) - produced a total of 40,000 tractors last year and reports say they have ambitions for 60,000 a year.

The Belarus 742 prototype

Czech outlet Agroportal24h notes that the eastern European behemoth outlined its plans for the next 10 years on the 74th anniversary of the Minsk Tractor Plant.

According to the European outlet, MTZ Holding now employs 22,754 people.

The Belarusian giant has set out ambitious plans to produce 60,000 tractors - and also reduce its number of employees to 15,000 - by 2030.

It was noted that, in order to achieve these goals, the holding company is already introducing “technical innovations in production” and innovating its products.

This year, MTZ is already starting to produce innovative machines, including a new generation of 440hp tractors, Agroportal24h added.

Last November, Belarus unveiled its new breed of tractor at Agritechnica in Germany.

Swapping its boxy, traditional-looking machines for a sleek new line-up, which the firm said at the time, will comply with the latest European Stage V environmental requirements.

The tractor on display at Agritechnica 2019 - a Belarus 742.7 - was fitted with a four-cylinder, 75hp Caterpillar (CAT) engine.

Hyve, the organiser of Glee, the garden and outdoor living trade show which was due to take place at the UK's Birmingham NEC, September 14-16, have announced changes to the 2020 event.

A statement on the show's website read, "As a reflection on conversations between the organisers and the garden retail market, Hyve made the decision that Glee 2020 will not take place this year. Glee will return as a live event at the NEC in 2021."

The team behind Glee say they will host a virtual forum for the garden retail market this autumn, taking place on 15 and 16 September 2020. Organisers say more information on this online event will be available on the Glee website in due course.

Matthew Mein, event director, Glee and Pawexpo, is quoted in the official statement, saying, "We have been listening to both our exhibitors and visitors, and the feedback from garden retailers has been incredibly supportive of Glee. That has enabled us to take a fresh approach and bring the community together through the launch of a brand-new virtual forum.

"We’re excited to have the opportunity to provide a new platform for interactive industry discussions and product discovery. We are also looking forward to when the industry can meet again in person both at Glee at Spring Fair in February 2021, and Glee and Pawexpo 2021 taking place 14-16 September.”

Organisers of this year's GIE+EXPO trade show in Louisville, say the Kentucky Exposition Center has an improvement project underway that will positively impact the event.

During a recent site visit, GIE+EXPO show director Warren Sellers reviewed progress on the improvement project with Kevin Moore, general manager of the Kentucky Exposition Center, and Kevin McCoy, executive director of Facility Planning and Management

Lot C, which becomes the show's 20-acre Outdoor Demonstration Area each year in October, is undergoing a $1.3 million overhaul, that will enhance the space's function for GIE+EXPO and many other events in the future. The project is expected to be complete by the end of July. You can watch live progress here.

More than 126,000 cubic yards of dirt, the equivalent of 63 football fields (or over 1 million wheelbarrows full), is being relocated to Lot C and steps are being taken to improve drainage and irrigation. Once the green space is complete, the new irrigation systems will provide the ability to cover the entire field with an inch of rainwater in two days.

In addition, permanent driving lanes will be added to Lot C, as well as sidewalks that extend from Phillips Lane, where several hotels are located, to a new main gate, improving pedestrian access.

Kris Kiser, managing partner of GIE+EXPO and OPEI President, said, "We've called Louisville home for 38 years, and have always enjoyed a strong partnership with the city and state of Kentucky. The renovations at the Kentucky Expo Center are really a big 'backyard renovation' for GIE+EXPO and the industry. These 20 acres of outdoor demonstration area are a purposeful, living landscape that our attendees and exhibitors use each fall to showcase and try out the latest equipment and technologies. We're excited to show off the new grounds this October."

Project leaders at KEC have sought input from GIE+EXPO organizers throughout the project. "We have a great working relationship with KEC and have been pleased with their collaborative approach as they undertake major projects," said Warren Sellers, show director. "With the current renovations wrapping up in July, we'll certainly see a difference in the demo area this October and anticipate even bigger improvements by 2021."

GIE+EXPO is set for October 21-23, 2020.

The international landscape, outdoor living and equipment show.

Visit the Kentucky Exposition Center, between the 21-23rd October 2020, to take part in GIE+EXPO’s:

• 4,000sqft hands-on Drone Zone
• UTV Test Track for driving and comparing the latest vehicles on real terrain
• Remote Pilot Certification Course
• Arborist demos and classroom courses
• Keynote presentation from Admiral James Stavridis
• Free dealer workshops by Bob Clements International, as well as much more…

Visit gie-expo.com to find out more.