Last Tuesday our finance ministers announced the biggest budget in the history of the state, costing the Irish government €11 billion. Relief was given across all sectors, including small and medium sized businesses.

One of the relief measures introduced was the €10k energy grant for business known as the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS). This scheme will pay up to €10,000 per month to businesses to cover up to 40% of the increase in their electricity or gas bills. It will compare the average unit price for electricity between 2021 and 2022. If it’s more than 50 per cent, then businesses will be entitled to make a claim. However, it will need approval from the EU commission. That is welcome news for struggling businesses, especially those in our own industry. The scheme will be backdated to September and will run until at least February 2023.

We need to be mindful of our customers as well, especially our commercial customers such as farmers, landscapers and contractors. If they are struggling then it is not good news for us. They may be forced into making tough decisions when it comes to paying electricity bills and purchasing new machinery or replacing old ones. Times of uncertainty lie ahead but the relief measures put in place in this budget should help businesses cope that bit better over the coming winter months. We will wait and see.

On a brighter note it was wonderful to see the huge turnout at this year’s National and World Ploughing Championships, which were held in Ratheniska, Co. Laois. 277,000 attended the three day event, which had glorious sunshine for the first two days. There was plenty of machinery on display at the trade stands with over 1700 exhibitors. IAM Agricultural Machinery accepted the Machine of the Year for the FarmDroid FD20 robotic weeder and seeder. So well done to IAM Agricultural Machinery on receiving their great award. 

Robotic farming seems to be the way forward as was highlighted at last year’s Service Dealer Conference & Awards. This brings me nicely to remind you of this year’s event. Service Dealer Conference and Awards ‘22 takes place on Thursday 24th November 2022 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Oxford Belfry Hotel, Thame, Oxfordshire. 

The theme of this year’s Conference and Awards is Sustaining Dealerships. The keynote speaker is former SAS soldier, turned motivational speaker, author and veteran’s campaigner, Robin Horsfail. Robin was involved in the storming of the Iranian embassy in 1980. There are other great speakers lined up as well, who will give presentations on a wide variety of topics. This year’s event will be worth attending.

Service Dealer Ireland will keep you updated about the conference and awards. For more information visit www.servicedealer.co.uk/2022-awards  

Organisers of the 91st National Ploughing Championships (NPA) say the total attendance figure for the event came to a massive 277,000 over the 3 days.

Prizewinners at the National and World Ploughing Championships

This marks one of the most successful National Ploughing Championships to date as it returned for the first time in three years to its full glory.

NPA managing director Anna May McHugh said, “The overall mood for this year’s ploughing has been incredibly buoyant and positive. With so much for visitors to enjoy from quality livestock and serious machinery to fashion, celebrities, tik tokers and sports stars galore there was something for every member of the family to enjoy.”

FarmDroid FD20 beat very stiff competition to be announced as the prestigious National Ploughing Championships ‘Machine of the Year’. The FarmDroid FD20 is the world’s first fully automatic robot that can take care of both sowing and weed control. The robot enables farmers to reduce the cost of sowing and weed control while doing it CO2 neutral, and pesticide-free. Furthermore, the robot reduces or even eliminates the need for exhausting, manual work.

In the ploughing competition Eamonn Tracey from Carlow won the overall conventional class, while Wexford man John Whelan won the Reversible Ploughing competition. Both men will again represent Ireland at the World Ploughing contest next year.

The affiliate’s flags were lowered as part of the 67th World Ploughing Contest Closing Ceremony and the Irish World Board member Anna May McHugh officially handed over the WPO flag to the 2023 host Latvia’s Augars Laursnovis. 

Service Dealer are delighted to confirm Jeremy Gibbs, founder of Forces Farming, as another expert speaker for November's Conference.

Jeremy Gibbs

Forces Farming is an organisation established to support the transition and resettlement of ex service personnel and veterans into agriculture, engineering and other areas of the agricultural industry.  

Jeremy says he has spent his life in agriculture and most of this in agricultural engineering. Following on from a childhood of growing up on farms and working in the industry he then spent five years in higher education before working for John Deere for almost ten years (seven of these were in Germany working and visiting countries around the world). Widening horizons and learning about the industry has given Jeremy a great insight into the ‘people' side of the job. 

Jeremy decided to return to the UK and work back in ‘frontline farming’ for a few years before starting Forces Farming. Originally an idea to help guide people into the industry, Forces Farming now works with the industry to create career paths for service leavers and 'non ag new entrants' looking at changing careers.

A partnership with AGCO was launched in February 2022 to create a specific career path for people leaving the armed forces.

“Having a specific career path that works with veterans and service leavers makes a huge difference to the way we support new entrants as we recognise their existing skills and qualifications,” said Jeremy. "This kind of focussed support is a new way of recruiting and retaining engineers in the industry."

Kubota has opened a new European Parts Centre (EUPC), with the intention to strengthen its global parts supply chain network.

Located in Thionville in the French region of Moselle, the company say the new warehouse was built specifically as a dedicated parts distribution hub primarily to supply dealers and distributors across Europe and the UK, but with the ability to also support key regions such as the US and Japan.

Representing an investment of €15 million, Kubota’s new EUPC covers a footprint of 20,000 square metres, and currently employs around 90 staff. The company said in a statement that from this hub, dealers and distributors will have access to a vast stock of spare parts for agricultural, groundcare and construction products, and industrial engines, as it further strengthens its presence in Europe.

 “The development of this extensive parts centre will provide greater access and availability to further support our existing regional parts supply operation in the UK,” explains Simon Chadbone, Kubota (UK)’s business development manager for parts.

“Having a European Parts Centre will greatly benefit our dealer and distributor network, by providing a more timely and cost-effective solution for the supply of original parts, which in turn will reduce the impact of downtime for our customers,” he adds. 

Globally, Kubota has a spare parts strategy to build distribution centres that cover key regions in Japan, Europe and north America. This latest hub they say, centrally located in Europe, has a vital role in stocking a wide variety of parts and of sufficient volume, to ensure product availability across Europe.

The STIGA Group has announced that they closed 2021 with sales of €573 million, which is an increase of 28% in revenues.

These revenues were driven by what the company describe as "strong investments in research and development", which led to new products in new categories.

This 28% rise to €573 million in 2021 compared to €448 million in 2020, is 9% higher than the European market average growth of around 19%. EBITDA also grew significantly, up by 39% compared with 2020.

“Our business is undergoing a significant change that might even be seen as revolutionary,” commented Sean Robinson, CEO of the STIGA Group since 2019.

“The gardening market has always been relatively stable, with limited technological innovation. However, in the last three years, there has been a gradual and irrevocable move away from petrol engines to battery-powered machines. This reflects a fundamental change in both product technology and in how products are used by consumers. People want considerably less noise, less weight, and no smell and for products to be made from the right materials, in other words, new machines that are more sustainable.

"The positive results posted by our Group - the increase in our market share thanks to the introduction of new technologies - show that this has been the right approach to adopt, and our prospects are bright for the future.”

Sean continued, "“2021 was the highest result on record and it marks the start of an ambitious journey for our Group. Over the next four years, we plan to maximise our significant growth potential. We’ve just formulated our strategic business plan for 2026, which includes a new breed of consumer-driven solutions and technologies, more digitalisation of our products, solid investments in marketing innovation, as well as new channels of distribution development, all of which are driving sustainability into our business.

"With this bold project, we want to leave an important mark, with the utmost respect for the environment, people and the planet".

Yvonne Broomham has been appointed as AriensCo’s new senior marketing manager for EMEAA.

Yvonne Broomham

The manufactuter says Yvonne brings versatile experience in international marketing, having worked with some of the world’s largest brands. With expertise in driving marketing strategies, innovation and digital communications, her appointment strengthens AriensCo’s marketing team. 

AriensCo say this new appointment underlines their sustained investment in its European operations and is the latest in a calculated list of measures to expand the brand’s scope including the acquisition of German mower manufacturer, AS-Motor, the appointment of both Jochen Schneider and Brad Stiles to EVP of EMEAA and VP of sales for EMEAA, respectively, and manufacturing all CE petrol zero-turn mowers in its UK factory.

“We’re delighted to welcome Yvonne into the Ariens family. Her strong marketing background, industry knowledge and European expertise will ensure AriensCo continues to strengthen its presence in existing markets and reach even more regions and customers throughout EMEAA,” says Darren Spencer, Vice President of EMEAA.

Yvonne added, “I am excited to be joining AriensCo and am looking forward to strengthening the brand. By using my experience, I am keen to further understand our customers and use this insight to create effective marketing campaigns, driving long-term and sustainable growth.”

Yvonne will report to Darren Spencer, Vice President of EMEAA.

The Joskin Group, who are based in Soumagne, 20 km from Liège in Belgium, has announced a new factory to be based in Luxembourg.

The company manufactures agricultural machinery which it distributes in over 60 countries on 5 continents. It specialises in all trailers for transporting and spreading farm products. The Group has factories in Belgium, France, Poland, and soon the new brand-new unit which will cover 15,000 m² on a 6 ha site in Sanem / Esch-sur-Alzette in Luxembourg.

Victor Joskin, CEO and founder of the Group said of the new development, "Joskin's current main challenge is the production capacity: the Group must be able to produce more. The aim is not only to be able to supply more of the existing models, but also to make room for new equipment under development, so that we can serve an ever-increasing number of customers.

"This objective requires an increase in production space and a rethinking of the production flow. Our factory project in the south of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is the first of a series of similar projects."

Victor went on to explain that the Luxembourg project is specifically designed for the assembly of large agricultural trailers with a monocoque body - i.e. welded in one piece. "We will start with tipping trailers and will rapidly launch muck spreaders as well," he said.

The company expects to break ground on the project in January 2023 and anticipates the construction to be completed quickly, so that the factory can start operating in the fourth quarter of 2023, ideally in October.