On September the 8th last we heard of the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

She was 96 years old and reigned for 70 years, the longest serving British monarch in history. The queens state funeral took place yesterday. We remember our neighbours in the UK on this sad occasion. We in Ireland fondly recall Queen Elizabeth’s memorable visit to Ireland in 2011. She endeared many Irish people to their hearts. It is believed that she considered that visit to be one of her most important and special of all her tours abroad.

She achieved a lot during her years on the throne and has seen a remarkable change in the world during her long life. Yet, despite her high profile achievements, some of you may be surprised to hear that Queen Elizabeth II had a close association with our own industry. In March 1945 the then Princess Elizabeth qualified as a mechanic while serving in the women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) during World War II. While serving her time with the ATS she drove and serviced heavy vehicles. That was quite an achievement back then when being an engine mechanic was considered to be a man’s job.

A photo of Princess Elizabeth, taken in 1945, shows her leaning against a vehicle during her driving and vehicle maintenance training. Image from the Imperial War Museum collection

Coming back to the realities of life, I am hearing worrying news of small businesses under threat of closing, due to the spiralling energy costs. Some businesses have seen their electricity costs doubled from their previous bill. This is happening now, when we are still in the relative warm days of September. What will it be like in a month’s time when heating systems need to be turned on and lights left on for longer? If energy prices keep rising, as expected, this will be an impossible situation for some businesses, especially smaller, family run businesses. We wait in hope for some government relief in next week’s budget.

Staying on the topic of energy, in the US, there are moves afoot to get commercial lawnmowers included in the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act. Why is this important? If included in the act it would mean that commercial lawnmowers under a certain weight would be entitled to tax credits to support the purchase and use of battery-powered lawnmowers. If successful it means that golf courses and sports grounds could receive up to $7,500 to replace a petrol or diesel powered mower with one powered by batteries. That would be a huge incentive for turf maintenance facilities to reduce their carbon footprint. It would be great if a similar scheme would be introduced in this country. This would benefit both customers and dealers.

Don’t forget that, from today until Thursday, the National and World Ploughing Championships take place at Ratheniska, Co. Laois. This is the first time since 2019 that trade stands will be present. The event was staged behind closed doors in 2021. For those of you who have exhibition stands there I hope you get plenty of visitors and, more importantly, a lot of sales. Here’s hoping for good weather. 

Kverneland Group Ireland is showcasing its professional range of machinery at this year’s World Ploughing Championship - that kicks off today (September 20th 2022).

The ROC RT 880 Merger triple mower will be displayed on the Kverneland Group Ireland stand at the World Ploughing Championships

The company says the product offering of 5m and 6m Qualidiscs Disc Harrows and U-drill joins new product launches of the RT880 Merger and 5387 MT triple mowers on the stand.

“This year we’re committed to showing our top of the range products in each category to underline our ambition to increase awareness of the quality and depth of the company’s portfolio,” said Philip English, managing director, Kverneland Group Ireland. 

“Coming into this year we have a special reason to be confident, not only in our market offering but in the Kverneland Group Ireland team. The company’s performance last year resulted in winning the Sales Company of the Year 2021. We performed strongly in a number of key strategic areas with increasing market share. For example, our successful expansion of the Kverneland baler range to include the 6500F fixed chamber baler. This achievement is awarded by the Kverneland Group management and voted on by our colleagues across the entire Group so it’s extremely gratifying to have the success of the team recognised”, says Philip.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the award can only now, belatedly, be presented to the Company on the Kverneland stand at the Championships by Mr. Yasukazu Kamada, President and CEO of Kverneland Group accompanied by Mr.Arild Gjerde, executive vice president, sales & marketing.

Yamaha have been announced as a Gold Sponsor of this year's Service Dealer Conference & Awards.

Service Dealer owner, Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "We are delighted that Yamaha have taken the last sponsor slot for this year’s Conference And Awards.

"Despite the issues that we have all faced in the last year, many manufacturers have chosen to support November's event. This year will see our highest level of support to date and I think it is a reflection on how the industry is looking forward.  

"I am excited about the speakers and content this year and I know it will be informative, thought provoking and enjoyable. Thank you so much to our line up of sponsors for their support and forward focus."

Matt Taylerson, Divisional Manager, Marketing at Yamaha said, “2022 is our first year supporting the Service Dealer Awards and we are delighted to be part of it. We could never succeed without a strong dealer network, and we see our dealer partners as pivotal to our ability to evolve as a company alongside our extensive product range.

"Our Power Products division is a vital part of the Yamaha business and new innovative products continue to be launched this year such as the Drive² AC Li Golf Car and the new 2023 ATV and Side-by-Side range."

Taking place on Thursday 24th November 2022 once again at the Double Tree by Hilton Oxford Belfry Hotel, Thame, Oxfordshire, the theme for this year's event is Sustaining Dealerships.

John Deere say they are marking the 30th anniversary of its apprenticeship programme with an open day to recruit the next generation of technicians to work across its agriculture, turf and parts business. 

Honor Miles, an apprentice technician, at the new John Deere Training Centre

Well in excess of 1,000 apprentices have qualified since 1992, and the company say they are keen to showcase the exciting career path that lies ahead of those who complete the course. 
 
On 6 October, the manufacturer and the scheme’s training provider, ProVQ, will open the doors of its new training centre in Upper Saxondale, Nottinghamshire, where candidates will be offered guided tours, practical demonstrations and driving experiences.  

Classrooms and workshops will be staffed by instructors and apprentices, providing an opportunity to view the state-of-the-art learning facilities on offer and talk to those who know all about the programme.

John Deere’s apprenticeship programme sees technicians work within the company’s dealership network as a paid employee while completing either a two or three-year course comprising on-the-job practical learning and classroom studies. 

Three courses make up the programme; Ag Tech - focusing on agricultural machinery, Turf Tech - focusing on professional turf equipment, and Parts Tech - focusing on parts service and support.

“It’s a hugely exciting time to be part of the agricultural and turfcare industries - they are evolving and becoming more technologically advanced than ever before,” John Deere branch training manager Allan Cochran says.

“The job is so much more than just servicing and fixing things. The machines and parts our apprentices work on and with are some of the most advanced in the world, many capable of levels of automation or operating at capacities we could only dream of a few years ago. 

“With exam results now known and young people planning their futures, we’re encouraging them to join us for our open day to find out how John Deere can ignite their careers.

“It’s not just for people who love tractors - if you want to earn while you learn and be part of a huge, global brand with a reputation for ground-breaking innovations, then a John Deere apprenticeship could be the perfect start to your career.”   

The open day will be held on 6 October, with three sessions being run at 10am, 1pm, and 3pm. Refreshments will be provided throughout the day, and entry is free, although pre-booking is a requirement as places are limited.

Briggs & Stratton has announced a new partnership with Canimex Group, a manufacturer and international trader in mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and electronic components and products.

Canimex Group is made up of seven business units that include its mechanical and electrical division, which Briggs say will leverage Vanguard Lithium-Ion battery power solutions in applications for a variety of industries through this new partnership. 

“As more OEMs look toward electrification, we are pleased to add Canimex Group to our list of impressive battery technology partners,” said Chris Davison, senior marketing manager - electrification at Briggs & Stratton.

“Canimex’s manufacturing expertise combined with our cutting-edge battery power technology will help set OEMs up for success as they pursue integrating electrified equipment.”

Based in Drummondville, Québec, Canimex works across a range of industries that include electrification, forestry, construction, agriculture, industrial, mining and snow and ice. 

Dominic Bolduc, technical sales representative at Canimex, added, "There’s no question that the future is battery power. As more of our customers pursue electrification, we are excited to be partnering with Vanguard to deliver ruggedly designed, powerfully built battery solutions that our customers can trust to deliver a solid performance."

Organisers of the upcoming Equip Exposition and the co-located Hardscape North America, trade show have announced that all exhibit space is now fully sold out, beating previous records.

Equip Exposition (the former GIE+EXPO trade show) will be held October 18-21 in Louisville, Kentucky, at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC). The show draws tens of thousands of landscapers, contractors and others working in the outdoor industries and features nearly 1,000 exhibits. Service Dealer will be attendance again this year.

“This is a first for Expo: Every inch of exhibit space inside the KEC and outside in the newly expanded 30-acre Outdoor Demo Yard has been reserved,” said Kris Kiser, President & CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), which owns Equip Exposition. “It’s a great year to come to Louisville.”

Kris continued, “The sellout shows the vitality and excitement around Equip Exposition. It’s our industry’s ‘family reunion,’ complete with the food and fireworks - plus digging, mulching, mowing, sawing, and test-driving on a grand scale. You won’t want to miss it.” 

Visitors to Equip can 'test before they invest' in the latest outdoor power equipment, ask manufacturers questions face-to-face, plus attend the many education and training sessions available.

Registration includes three days of trade show access, admission to Hardscape North America, a Welcome Party at Louisville Slugger Field, the popular 4th Street Live! Concert Series, award-winning keynote speakers, the UTV Test Track, three days in the 30-acre Outdoor Demo Yard, and Mutt Madness.

The Austrian family-owned company Pöttinger say they have achieved record turnover in the financial year 2021/22: during another challenging business year (01 August 2021 to 31 July 2022), turnover increased by 25 percent to EUR 506 million.

This represents an increase of EUR 101 million. The company says this is by far the highest increase in turnover in their history of more than 150 years.

L-R: Wolfgang Moser, Gregor Dietachmayr, Jörg Lechner Herbert Wagner, Dr. Markus Baldinger 

In terms of machine sales, grassland equipment again performed well, accounting for the largest share of turnover at 67 percent. In the loader wagon segment, the company achieved sales growth of almost 13 percent but also won the Farm Machine 2022 award for the new Jumbo model.

The share of arable equipment in machinery sales is 33 percent which they say results from the success of intelligent machines for soil cultivation and seed drill technology, as well as the new crop care segment.

Another pleasing development for the company was recorded by the original spare parts business unit. The increase of around 12 percent is primarily attributable to the capabilities of the spare parts logistics centre, the service team and the long-term availability of spare and wear parts. 

Business outside Austria developed positively in different ways Pöttinger also reported: Almost 60 percent of total turnover was achieved in Germany, France, Austria, Poland, USA and Switzerland. The largest individual markets are Germany with almost 18 percent and France, which accounts for almost 15 percent of turnover. 

Pöttinger headquarters in Grieskirchen, Austria

Other winners that stood out in terms of increase in sales of machines included the markets in the USA (+75 percent), Canada (+29 percent) and Australia (+34 percent). In several European countries such as Belgium (+52 percent), Poland (+36 percent), and Sweden and Denmark (each just +35 percent) demand has risen sharply. 

A major contribution to the positive international development of the company was made by the 17 sales locations worldwide and the five production plants in Europe. On average, 2,017 people from 36 different nations were employed during the past financial year, compared with 1,929 in the previous year. 

Gregor Dietachmayr, spokesperson for the management board, said, "In the end, our expectations were indeed exceeded. A challenging and demanding year with unforeseeable events is behind us, and another one is certain to follow. Flexibility, intensive work, the above-average commitment of the entire Pöttinger team and the consistent pursuit of shared objectives have paid off." 

This October, travel to Louisville, Kentucky, and make your mark at Equip Exposition; the outdoor living, landscape, and power equipment industry's international trade show.

Equip Expo, formerly GIE+EXPO, is the proving ground—the one trade show where you can “test before you invest” in new products, innovations and even ideas for your business.

• See the Latest Products and Manufacturer Lines
• Entertainment Includes Trace Adkins Performance on October 20
• Learn from Industry Experts Bob Clements and Sara Hey
• 3 Days and Nearly 30 Acres to Demo
• Enroll in our Dealer Management Education

To book discounted lodging and to learn more about Equip Expo on October 18-21 go to equipexposition.com