During my days as a course superintendent, November was always a time of readjustment for me. It marked the end of the growing season and the start of winter projects on the golf course such as drainage installations, bunker re shaping, or new tee box construction/levelling. I had mixed feelings with the onset of November. I never looked forward to the dark winter days but, at the same time, I was glad that the hectic, long pressurised working days of summer were over. One of the things I did look forward to though was the release by the various machinery manufacturers of their new models of mowers, tractors and utility vehicles for the following season. If I was fortunate enough to get the go ahead from my employer to buy some equipment I had a variety of machines to choose from.

Many of the new models would usually be introduced ahead of the major exhibitions such as the SALTEX and BTME shows, organised by the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) and the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) respectively. SALTEX was traditionally held at Windsor racecourse, but in 2015 it moved to the NEC in Birmingham.

This year was no exception to new models and there were many exciting machines on display at this year’s SALTEX show, which took place recently. Any course manager or head groundsman that got the green light from their club or owner to purchase new machinery had a feast of equipment to choose from. Negotiating and bargaining on price was the order of the day as each company competed with giving their best offers, and all under one roof. Salesmen were sweating long and hard trying to win that deal.

Just like the mechanic, the role of the salesperson is very important in the organisational structure of a company. They are the people who determine the profitability of the business. They are under a lot of pressure, especially in the economic climate we are in at the moment. The salesperson not only needs to be good at figures and bargaining but they also need to be good at dealing with people. They say that when you meet someone for the first time, first impressions last and it is that first meeting with a potential customer that is very important.

I had many salespersons visit me at work over the years, some good and some not so good. What irritated me most was the sales rep who would arrive unannounced. They would often call at a time that was most inconvenient and they would expect your full attention. On the other hand I had some who would call, but only after making arrangements by phone several days earlier. I always appreciated those people as I could see them at a time that suited me. Many of these became good friends and colleagues and I would often seek their counsel on matters relating to equipment that would not be functioning properly.

A successful salesperson must, foremost, be a good people person, as well as having the ability to convince the customer that the product they are selling is the best the market has to offer, followed by good after sales service.

I will finish with a story of a sales rep who called to me one time. It was just before Christmas and was one of those reps who always arrived unexpectedly. On this occasion the person was delivering the company’s annual Christmas gifts as a ‘Thank You’ for my business with them throughout the year, usually a bottle of something nice for the Christmas dinner. I was offered a bottle of wine and was deliberately brought to the sales van to receive it. I noticed that, inside the van, there were some hampers laden with nice Christmas treats. Not saying anything, I was offered the bottle of wine with the words “had you bought more products from us you would have received one of those hampers”.

The following year I bought less from them.

Reesink Turfcare has expanded its range to include the BTD-200 lightning warning system from meteorological equipment specialists Biral.

Biral’s BTD-200 lightning warning system

In Britain, lightning strikes the ground about 300,000 times and between 30 and 60 people a year, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Most at risk are people who spend a lot of time outdoors in unsheltered locations, such as golfers.

Robert Jackson, irrigation sales manager for distributor Reesink, says, “It is of the utmost importance for golf clubs to keep their members safe and Biral’s BTD-200 with its accurate detection range of 22 miles warns of the most dangerous lightning risk before the first lightning strike. This can give course managers and greenkeepers up to 20 minutes to alert members.”

The company says the server software package of the system detects cloud-to-ground, intra-cloud and cloud-to-cloud lightning, charged precipitation and strong atmospheric electric fields, displaying the lightning distance in real-time on a map of the local area and the current lightning alarm level.

Robert continues, “All companies have a duty of care to make their customers aware of any possible dangers. This early warning detection system allows golf clubs to do just that, helping to protect people and equipment from the dangers of a lightning strike by providing enough advanced warning of a storm’s approach to alert staff, members, teams and the public to the risks of remaining outdoors.

“It’s a system tried and tested in the aviation industry and we’re delighted to bring it to the UK’s golf clubs and sporting venues as the brand’s sole distributor in the UK and Ireland. When you consider the chance of being struck by lightning is higher than getting a hole in one, it brings home how important having adequate warning is!”

The Cub Cadet Infinicut SM34 Rotary Mower was crowned the winner of the 2019 Innovation Award at SALTEX.

John Coleman, head of UK for MTD Specialty Turf Products (centre) with Tony Whelan, director of sales & marketing (right) and Vinny Tarbox, sales manager (left)

A panel of expert judges selected the SM34 from a long list of entries that spanned the sports turf, grounds and landscaping industry.

From a final shortlist of three, entries were judged on what the product offers the industry and how it makes the life of the operator easier. The panel described how the SM34 has "taken the rotary mower as we know it into the 21st century" - ticking the environmental box due to its emphasis on a modern, clean power source and utilising "the InfiniApp to eliminate spanners and grazed knuckles when adjusting the deck height."

The judges said they were also impressed by "the introduction of a revolutionary side collector", giving the operator a more comfortable and practical working position.

On receiving the award from the Institute of Groundsmanship CEO Geoff Webb, John Coleman said, “We are incredibly pleased and humbled to have scooped the Innovation Award this year. The SM34 combines concepts, ideas and customer feedback to take a product that is known but to place it firmly in the modern era. We would like to congratulate all the other finalists and say a big thank you to all of our employees involved in bringing this fantastic machine to market.”

Launched earlier in the year, the SM34 can mow in the traditional sense or be used as a stand-alone vacuum. In cut mode, the incorporation of both a front roller and rear traction roller means it delivers a striping effect usually only achieved with a professional reel mower. The company says the high carbon steel blades offer extended life, and come pre-balanced to exhibit less vibration, while the 34” cutting width combines the units lightweight design with better productivity.

John Deere has established a strategic partnership with Agricon GmbH, to better serve existing and future John Deere customers in agronomic digital services utilising Precision Ag technology. These will be offered as FarmSight Service Packages through the John Deere dealer network.

Based in Ostrau, Germany, Agricon is a leading provider of digital solutions for plant cultivation in Europe, the CIS, North Africa and the Near & Middle East (John Deere’s Region 2). The company supports farmers in using their machines, operating resources and work time more efficiently by utilising digital plant cultivation services and technologies.

This new partnership takes advantage of John Deere’s industry leading distribution and partner network and expands the dealer’s ability to adopt digital technology and fully exploit its economic value to customers.

“On our mission to stay the undisputed leader in this area, John Deere fully acknowledges the importance of interpreting Precision Ag data correctly,” says Denny Docherty, Region 2 vice-president sales & marketing. “Agricon has demonstrated its digital agronomic knowledge and experience for over 20 years. We are looking forward to a strong partnership that will further develop our best-in-class solutions utilising connected machinery, Precision Ag technology and the dealer channel.”

Today’s farmers already collect a huge amount of data, but are often challenged when interpreting it and using the information for their next operation, in order to reduce inputs and maximise yields in a measurable way. This is Agricon’s core competency.

“You have to start from the problem,” explains Peer Leithold, CEO of Agricon GmbH. “Operating methods that slow down the farmer’s efficiency or hinder his work need to be identified and improved through innovation. Digital technologies offer an enormous toolbox for this.”

The partnership also brings exclusive opportunities to further enhance the capabilities of the industry leading John Deere Operations Centre. Customers benefit from linking machines, fields, operators and agronomic support, which paves the way to a fully connected and automated farm while ensuring that customers maintain full control over their data.

Both companies will be jointly represented at Agritechnica 2019 in Hanover, Germany from November 10-16, on John Deere stand C40 in Hall 13.

Taking centre stage at Saltex 2019, the most important trade show for grounds maintenance and turf professionals, was the new 7.3m (24’) Swift Rollermower suitable for broad acre landscaping and turf/sod farms. The wings can fold to under 9-feet for road transport.

The MAJOR Swift MJ71-730T is a great performer and always leaves an excellent finish. The front and rear rollers ensures a level and striped finish at precisely the right height of cut, every time.

Alongside the large Swift rollermower, MAJOR introduced a new cutting deck specifically for compact tractors. The CS Pro is a professional mower designed for everyday turf maintenance on residential and lifestyle complexes, estate lawns, parks and sports grounds. Its patented double-chop blade system shreds material finely and evenly without leaving windrows. A heavy duty full-length rear roller limits scalping and ensures a level, striped finish.

The gearbox driveline means this mower can easily handle dense vegetation and long grass with ease, making it suitable for heavy scrub and stubble management. With fewer wearing parts than a flail, the mower is low maintenance which minimises overall total cost of ownership.

As with all MAJOR mowers, the 1.5m (5’) deck is made of high-performance StrenxTM 700 MC structural steel that is galvanised to EN ISO standards, resulting in a premium mower that outlasts the competition.

These new machines widen the MAJOR range of professional grounds maintenance equipment that already includes the popular Swift rollermowers for sports grounds and parklands, the Synergy outfront replacement deck, the Contoura golf and turf mower, and the mini Cyclone Deck. MAJOR mowers are built to be durable, versatile and low maintenance. With front and rear-mounted configurations that deliver the all-important presentation in both wet and dry conditions, we have a machine that suits the needs of local authorities, sports clubs, golf courses, turf/sod farms, private estates, resorts, and theme parks.

For farmers looking for optimal mowing performance in the most challenging conditions, KUHN introduces two new front drum mowers: the PZ 3021 F and PZ 2721 F.

Harvesting clean forage in even the most challenging soil and crop conditions. That is where the KUHN PZ 3021 F (working width 304 cm) and PZ 2721 F (working width 269 cm) front mowers come into their own. Important in this context is the optimised cutting unit design, complimented by the well-known PZ drum mower features like the freely rotatable skid saucers and the flat sided drums. The rotating saucers ensure clean forage, especially in uneven ground conditions. Flat sided drums offer optimal crop transport.

Furthermore, the typical PZ ‘big & small’ knife plate lay-out provides a narrow swath, secured via the standard swath discs. This narrow swath fits within the tractors tires and prevents from damage and contamination of the cut crop; an important demand when working in combination with a forage wagon for feeding fresh grass.

The new PZ front mowers feature a reliable V-belt driveline protection to ensure an easy start-up of the machine. The V-belt drive with large bearings and axle can transfer 30 % more power than previous models. Together with the stable and rigid main frame, this makes the mowers suitable for both regular and higher horsepower tractors.

The company says user comfort was high on the agenda when designing the two drum mower models. All adjustments and operator handlings are easy to perform. For example; the unique knife changing system with a special tool and knife holder. Changing the knifes is now done quickly with minimal force. Moreover, the system is insensitive to product build up and wear. The continuous height adjustment has an increased range of up to 45 mm, which results in a cutting height from 25 to 70 mm.

On hitting an object, the redesigned KUHN FLEXPROTECT side covers bend to prevent damage to the mower. The material then returns back to its original shape. This is especially useful when mowing around poles or along fences around the edges of the field.

Robust drive units with spiral-toothed gears ensure maximum power transfer at a comfortable sound level for the operator - a benefit for both the driver and the environment.

Other unique features of the PZ 3021 F and PZ 2721 F are:

• 2 choices of headstock to fit working conditions: fixed or pendulum.
• 90° foldable front and side guards for easy access and cleaning.
• A modern design with integrated warning signs and road lights for maximum visibility and safety on the road.

The Manitou Group's new Training Center was inaugurated recently at their Ancenis site in France.

The company say this new structure offers a training environment specifically designed for the machines' clearance that will more effectively address dealers' growing demand for training.

This site, which spans 1,600 m², offers four 200 to 300 m² sized workshops. This new infrastructure addresses needs relating to machine dimension, especially height. The design of this infrastructure is based on the proximity of the training rooms to the workshops, thereby reducing travel time and improving the technicians' productivity during the various training sessions. 

The Training Center is also equipped with three distance learning rooms and a recording studio.

Maxime Deroch, President of the Services & Solutions Division for Manitou Group said, "It is critical to continuously adapt to train our technicians who maintain or repair our products all over the world. This investment is part of a broader vision, with the deployment of dedicated trainers in our subsidiaries. We also launched a Learning Management Software, which will make it possible to monitor the level and needs of our customers more closely, and increasingly effective diagnostic tools in relation to our connected machines.

"Thanks to this quality training, our teams, our dealers, and our key accounts have all of the knowledge they need to fully meet the expectations of our users."