The saying ‘Spring is in the air’ certainly rings true at the moment. For me, March 1st signals the first day of Spring and this year that day didn’t disappoint. We are enjoying glorious weather this week and there is a great sense of anticipation of warmer days ahead. It won’t be long before machines will be out on the land doing spring cultivations. There will be many types of equipment working the soil - ploughs, harrows, grubbers and much more. 

Dealers will need to have their shelves stocked up with plenty of spare parts in order to keep these machines operating. Experienced dealers will know what parts are likely to break or wear down. They will know the equipment used for the different crops and, more importantly, what parts are required for each machine. Agricultural dealers know how important it is to keep the farmer happy. Farmers cannot afford to have too much down time.

The same amount of experience will be required for dealers in the sportsturf industry. There is also great anticipation within this sector. Greenkeepers will be soon aerating their greens using specialised equipment such as corers, scarifiers, and verti-drains while groundsmen will also be busy with spring pitch renovation. They will be using topdressers, seeders and various types of aerators. Like the farmer, they will be depending on their local dealer to have supplies of belts, tines, bearings, hydraulic hoses and more in stock. Dealers supplying equipment to the sportsturf industry will need to know what parts are likely to break down when these tasks begin.

A successful greenkeeper or grounds person knows what work is needed to keep a golf course or football pitch in top condition. His or her expertise will be key to well maintained turf. In order to have a proper understanding of their needs it is important that dealers also have some knowledge on what is required to maintain a sports ground.

The saying ‘A little knowledge is a dangerous thing’ can sometimes be true. I remember, many years ago, mowing around a tee box on a hot day in June when a passing golfer made a comment. “You have it very handy here, being outdoors in this lovely weather mowing grass all day”. I’m sure he meant well but he obviously didn’t know what was involved in looking after a golf course. He probably thought that mowing grass in beautiful weather was all that was required. Dealers will need to know that turf managers are not just grass cutters.

Getting to know your customers and the work they do is crucial in running a successful dealership. Taking an interest in what they do and listening to their concerns of maintaining a sports pitch is important. 

For example, dealers should understand why aeration is so important. They should know what machine is best for each situation. Should they be using a slitter, verti-drain or spike aerator? Should hollow tines, solid tines or pencil tines be used?

Another example would be in the area of disease and weed control. What is the best sprayer to use? Should it be a boom sprayer or a hand lance for spot treatment? What nozzle type is best - fine droplet or coarse droplet?  

Knowing the needs of your customer will lead to a better all-round service and you will earn a good reputation as a dealer.

Kverneland Group Ireland has announced the appointment of Ryalls Farm & Industrial Equipment in East County Cork.

From left: Greg Tennyson, Philip English (md Kverneland Group Ireland), Trevor Ryall (md Ryalls), Sean Hegarty, Jennifer Ryall, Robert Ryall 

Based in Watergrasshill, Ryalls will now offer the full range of Kverneland equipment, including arable, grass, and cropcare solutions, as well as Siloking feeding equipment and McConnel Machinery.

The dealership has a rich history, dating back to 1981 when Robert and Sylvia Ryall established the business. Originally starting as a mobile farm repair service, the company quickly grew, moving to its current premises in Watergrasshill, Co. Cork, in 1984. What began as a 2,500 sq. ft. workshop has since expanded into a modern 18,000 sq. ft. facility, including a showroom, stores, and a fully equipped workshop.

Now under the leadership of Trevor and Jennifer Ryall, with Robert still involved behind the scenes, Ryalls continues to uphold its reputation for first-class service, expert knowledge, and customer-focused solutions.

Trevor Ryall, managing director of Ryalls, said, "This marks an important step for us as we partner with Kverneland to strengthen and expand our machinery offering. This new franchise allows us to provide even more high-performance and reliable solutions to our customers, reinforcing our commitment to delivering the best in agricultural machinery and support. We look forward to working closely with Kverneland in 2025 and beyond to serve farmers across the region with top-quality equipment and service."

Philip English, managing director of Kverneland Group Ireland, added, “Ryalls' longstanding reputation for excellence and their deep roots in the Cork farming community make them an ideal partner for Kverneland. With their strong focus on service and a modern facility to match, we are confident this partnership will bring value to farmers in the region.”

The Agricultural Machinery Association (CEMA) has given a positive outlook in its February business report. It says that the general business climate index for the agricultural machinery industry in Europe has risen further with its strongest increase since the start of the recent recession. As a result, the business climate has entered an upswing territory, while the overall index is still negative. In February, the index increased from -31 points to -11 points (on a scale of -100 to +100).

Once again, improving overall turnover expectations are driving the improvements in the general business climate, while the current overall business evaluations continue at very low levels. A further and significant improvement can especially be seen in expectations for the coming order intake (an indicator that is not included in the calculation of the overall barometer index).

After the volume of orders has been significantly reduced in 2023 and 2024, it now corresponds to a production period of 3.3 months, which is almost at the average level for the years 2017 to 2020 before the boom phase.

With a view to the market side, the confidence index has improved for all European markets without exception, with several countries back in or close to positive territory for the first time since the start of the recent recession period.

John Deere has announced what it calls “significant steps to support customers’ ability to maintain and repair their machines across the agricultural and construction industries”.

The digital solutions will be rolled out in the US in the second half of this year, and it says European farmers are to also benefit from the new functionalities. The firm says the enhancements will provide ‘even more support to customers and independent repair workshops, including enabling to re-program John Deere manufactured electronic controllers’.
 
Deere says it should be noted that the legal framework conditions for the US and EU market differ in some cases. In Europe, the RMI (Repair and Maintenance Information) regulations apply. In the EU 27 different EU regulations are legally framing the right to repair for the agricultural equipment industry. These regulations list all data to be shared with independent operators or workshops. Data are available for many model years, on the John Deere Repair and Maintenance Information website. These include, among others the John Deere Bookstore; University; Service Gard; Partscatalog; and ReadyTo.
 
The new functions primarily expand the repair options in the US. However, functionalities have also been added to European RMI. One new feature is the integration into the John Deere Operations Center. This means farmers can use the Operations Center not only to manage field and machine data, but also for maintenance and machine information. 

Richard Wood from Reesink South East in the UK has been named Toro International Master Salesperson by Toro. This is the first time the manufacturer has presented such an award outside the USA and only three are awarded a year globally.

Winner Richard Wood, centre, with from left, Reesink Turfcare’s Jon Cole and Alastair Rowell and from The Toro Company Amy Dahl and Greg Lawrence

Amy Dahl, vice president of international business at The Toro Company, presented the award to Richard under the guise of a launch event at BTME, with the Reesink UK team and an extensive Toro international team present. 

She says, “We looked at all salespeople across the international division. Richard’s passion for the Toro products and his customers have seen him achieve over 50 percent market share in his area. With 30 years’ experience in the industry and 12 years at Reesink, he fits all the criteria for this prestigious award.”

The company says the International Master Salesperson of the Year Award is more than just an acknowledgment of high sales; it is a recognition of the ability to understand and anticipate the needs of customers. 

Jon Cole, divisional business manager at Reesink Turfcare, said, “Richard is consistent with his sales and has grown market share in what is a very competitive area. His customers feel he goes the extra mile for them every day. It probably hasn’t sunk in for him yet how much of a big deal this is globally.”

Richard’s three decades of experience prior to Reesink Turfcare come from dealer JSM, four years selling amenity chemicals and fertilisers for Sheriff Amenity, and before that sales jobs for other competitive turfcare machinery manufacturers. 

Richard said, “Winning this award really was totally unexpected - I was shocked! It’s done as part of a team with my depot at Sheffield Park and it’s going to be exciting sharing the news with everyone.”

Amy says: “Richard is so humble. I know he says he just goes out and does his job, but he couldn’t be more deserving.”

Alastair Rowell, managing director of Reesink UK, added, “Richard has an obvious passion for the Toro products and his customers and makes a valuable contribution to the industry. He goes above and beyond in his job and his work and it’s this commitment that has resulted in sales excellence and customer satisfaction for so many years. He’s done himself and the company incredibly proud, and I am proud to be his boss.”