Striving to have the best staff is a goal we all aim for. To achieve this there are many hurdles to overcome. 

Finding the right person to fill the role is the first obstacle. Holding on to them can be another battle.

Creating a pleasant work atmosphere will go a long way in retaining staff. When you hear staff saying that they look forward to going to work each day you know you are on the right road.

I have had many bosses during my working life, some good and some not so good. I remember one particular supervisor who stood out from the rest. He never told me how to do my job. As long as the end result was achieved he didn’t care how it was done. He was a very outgoing person, easy to get on with and always had a smile on his face. He rarely had a bad word to say about anyone but he could read people and situations very well. He was able to sense when someone was not happy or when some staff were not getting on with each other. In these situations he would patiently wait for the right opportunity and approach the person to have an ‘informal’ chat, cleverly steering the conversation to what was niggling that person, often without them realising it. By the time the conversation finished the staff member would feel a lot better and the situation would often be resolved. He never called anyone into the office to have a stern word with them. This led to a very relaxed work atmosphere and the supervisor earned the respect of his staff.

There is nothing worse than having managers watching over employees, making sure that the jobs are getting done. This only leads to tension within the workforce, which ultimately reduces productivity.

It is nice to see staff help each other out. If someone needs to take time off work, having staff around that will share the workload is a great bonus. This can even go to the top where staff rally around to help their employer. I know of a business where the owner is not always around to run his business. The reason being is that he is often at home helping with looking after one of his children who needs 24 hour care. His staff are very understanding and help with the smooth running of the business.

A happy work environment will be noticed by your customers. It leads to staff being kind to customers and this will have a positive effect on your business. The saying ‘First Impressions Last’ is very true. When a new customer enters your premises and gets a friendly welcome from a member of staff, they will remember that experience and are likely to return.

It’s not easy managing people. If you haven’t already done so I would recommend that you read Dale Carnegie’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. It is well worth reading as it gives wonderful insights and examples of how business managers handled difficult situations without causing confrontation. Even though it was first published in 1936, it is still relevant in today’s working environment as it was back then.

Maurice Kelly has been elected as the new Vice President of the Farm Tractor And Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA), succeeding Rob Hill in the brief. 

Maurice Kelly, the newly elected Vice President of the Farm Tractor And Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA)
 
Mr Kelly, who has served on the FTMTA’s Executive Council for almost 20 years, was elected as Vice President at the FTMTA Council meeting held on Friday, May 10th. 
 
Managing director of Kelly’s Agricultural Machinery (KAM), more commonly referred to as Kelly’s of Borris and Kelly’s of Laois, Maurice brings a wealth of expertise to his new role according to FTMTA Executive Director Michael Farrelly. 
 
“FTMTA is delighted to have an industry professional of Maurice’s calibre elected as Vice President,” he said. “Kelly’s of Borris is one of the best-known farm machinery dealerships in Ireland and is the largest Claas dealer in the country, in addition to its JCB, Horsch, Redrock, Smith and DALBO franchises. Maurice will bring a huge level of knowledge and enthusiasm to the role and we’re delighted to have him on board.” 
 
According to FTMTA President, Karol Duigenan: “Maurice is a huge addition to our FTMTA team. Maurice has been running their family’s dealership since 1978 and in the interim they have created one of the most successful farm machinery operations in Ireland. So to have someone with such a skillset on board is a tremendous development.”  
 
Regarding his election, Maurice Kelly stated: “I am delighted to have been appointed as Vice President and am looking forward to working with my FTMTA colleagues in promoting our Association at all levels.” 
 
Maurice has succeeded Mr Rob Hill, harvester territory manager with John Deere, who is leaving the industry to return to full-time tillage and dry stock farming in his native Wicklow alongside his father.  
 
Paying tribute to Mr Hill, Karol Duigenan said: “Rob has made a huge contribution to the FTMTA, having served on the management committee for several years prior to becoming Vice President. He was heavily involved in FTMTA’s rebranding and was a driving force when it came to the last two FTMTA Farm Machinery Shows. Everyone at FTMTA would like to thank Rob for his constant support and guidance and extend every good wish to him as he returns to farming.” 
 
Michael Farrelly echoed Mr Duigenan’s sentiments, saying: “Rob brought huge drive and boundless enthusiasm to the vice presidency which we in turn all benefited from. We were fortunate to be able to call upon Rob’s know-how when it came to our most recent editions of the Farm Machinery Show, to which he made such a vital and successful contribution to.”  
 
This year’s FTMTA Farm Machinery Show will be held at at the Punchestown Event Centre from Tuesday, November 12th to Thursday, November 14th.

The 50,000th Lely Astronaut was handed over to its new owner, dairy farmer David Cargill, at this year’s Balmoral Show in Lisburn, which ran from May 14th to May 18th. 

From left: John Hennin (Royal Ulster Agricultural Society President), David Cargill and Jim Irwin (Lely Centre Eglish Manager).  
 
The four-day-long Balmoral Show, the blue riband event on Northern Ireland’s rural and agricultural calendar, set the stage for this historic sale at the Lely Centre Eglish (Dungannon) stand. 
 
"We were honoured to have John Henning OBE, the 37th president of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society, join us for the unveiling of the 50,000th Astronaut at our stand,” said Jim Irwin, centre manager of Lely Centre Eglish. 
 
“We are delighted that this momentous milestone for Lely has happened in our area and we would like to wish David Cargill the very best of luck with his new Astronaut.”   
 
For over three decades, the Lely Astronaut has proven itself in the world of milking, delivering a tremendous impact in the lives of numerous dairy farmers, their families, and their cows.
  
"We are proud to celebrate the handing over of our 50,000th Astronaut,” said Mark Brummel, managing director of Business Team Milking at Lely.
 
“Over the past 30 years, we have worked on improving farmer prosperity while contributing to the cows’ welfare and allowing them to follow their most natural rhythm. We look forward to support and positively impact the lives of many more farmers worldwide with our milking innovations.”  

The Chervon Group, who own the EGO brand of cordless machinery, have announced today (17th May 2024) that they have acquired the former Flex Scandinavia AB from the Ahlsell Group with effect from June 1, 2024.

With this acquisition, Chervon say they expand their presence primarily in the Swedish and Scandinavian markets, strengthening its position as a supplier in the power tool and outdoor power equipment industry.

 
In an official statement the company said, "By integrating Flex Scandinavia AB into the Chervon Group's global network for the Flex and EGO brands, the company will be able to extend its reach, improve the efficiency of its supply chain and bring new products to market even faster."
 
The statement continued, "The acquisition of Flex Scandinavia AB is in line with both brands' commitment to maintaining the highest quality standards and continuously improving customer experience. Professionals can look forward to a growing selection of high-quality power tools and cordless garden equipment tailored to their needs. An in-house repair workshop and a large warehouse with its own repair service also increase service and product availability."

A further manufacturer who will be supporting November's Service Dealer Conference & Awards has been announced.

Milwaukee will be returning, this time as a Silver Sponsor.

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "We have so much great content lined-up for our dealer delegates at this year's Conference, I can't wait for everyone to return to Stratford-Upon-Avon.

"Also it's fantastic to welcome Milwaukee back, who this year have chosen to up their support from Networking to Silver Sponsor - for which we thank them."

Rhys Adams, Milwaukee's National Sales Manager OPE, added, "Milwaukee is delighted to be a sponsor of the Service Dealer Conference 2024. The conference offers a brilliant opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our partners.  

"Milwaukee is committed to driving unrivaled performance and productivity to Outdoor Power Equipment professionals through groundbreaking developments in battery-powered technology, motors and electronics. From our roots in the MEP trades, and now with the landscape professional, we are dedicated to provide innovative, trade-focused solutions so users can perform an entire day’s work on one battery system."

The theme for this year's Service Dealer Conference has been announced as Driving Success and it will take place, along with the Dealer Of The Year Awards, once again at the Crowne Plaza, Stratford-Upon-Avon on Thursday 28th November 2024.

For more information on how you can be a part of the event and to stay updated on conference news visit our website or follow us on social media @servicedealer

Organisers, the GMA, have announced the theme for this year's SALTEX, which is returning to Birmingham, UK for its 78th edition, as “Uniting the Industry, Powering Progress.”

The Association said in a statement, "SALTEX enables the industry to continually progress by bringing together people from all around the world and helping drive innovation, education, and networking."

Geoff Webb, CEO of the GMA explained, “Each year, SALTEX plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of grounds care. This year, we are focusing on uniting the industry and powering progress by providing a platform for professionals to connect, learn, and advance their skills.” 

This year’s show features a programme including the Learning LIVE schedule, where visitors can hear from the industry’s leading experts, as well as grounds care professionals from the country’s top sports grounds, covering industry hot topics. There will also be opportunities to speak with grassroots pitch advisors from the GMA and representatives from the National-Governing Bodies to receive technical advice as well as guidance on accessing much-needed funding and ways to upskill through the Grounds Management Framework. This is in addition to the opportunities to network, earn CPD points and speak to experts offering career advice. 

This year’s event is set to take place from 30th to 31st October at the NEC Birmingham.

STIGA's SC 100e Kit cordless pruning shears won 'Garden Tool Of The Year' at the DIY Week Awards.

Sam Dixon and Stuart Chick (centre) collected the award of behalf of STIGA - pictured here with host, Jimmy Mcghie and Kate Murphy managing director of Brookes & Co

Marketing coordinator, Sam Dixon and national account manager Stuart Chick were on hand at the awards event which took place in Covent Garden, London on Friday 17th May 2024.

The judges said, “The design and quality of this tool really stand out and mean it should perform well and last a long time, an all round great product!”

Amanda Kincaid, marketing manager at STIGA UK said, "We are so chuffed to bits to have won this amazing award. Our designers have really shown their amazing skill with the ergonomic design of the new STIGA SC 100e which makes this battery pruner both functional and comfortable to use allowing you to work efficiently and quickly. We know that many gardeners and florists are really thrilled with this handy gardening tool and we have had some super feedback already from them"

The DIY Week Awards is a scheme for the recognition of excellence from across the DIY, home improvement and garden sectors, organised by DIY Week publisher Datateam Business Media.