Exciting announcements for our November event dedicated to the dealer network are now coming thick and fast!

Following confirmation of some of the content to be enjoyed during the day's Conference (covering branding, customer experience and sustainability) comes the first update regarding the always popular and hard-fought Dealer Of The Year awards.

Today we unveil which categories the competition is running this year. This sees our core machinery specialism awards joined by several prestigious prizes to be won by individuals within the dealership.

You can't enter just yet however, that will kick off in a couple of week's time. For now though, have a read through the categories and get thinking which awards - or indeed awards - you feel you should be in the running for come November.

This year the following titles are up for grabs:

• Garden Machinery Dealer of the Year
• Farm Machinery Dealer of the Year
• Forestry Equipment Dealer of the Year
• Professional Turfcare Dealer of the Year
• ATV/Quad Dealer of the Year
• Best New Initiative
• Star of the Dealership
• New Technician of the Year
• Leadership Award

So do please give some serious consideration as to which areas you, your business and your valued team-mates should be competing in this year. Over the next couple of weeks, when you have a moment (!), it might be helpful to start to think about and gather together the supporting material you'd like to submit to bolster your entry. This might be evidence such as pics, videos, testimonials, social channel links - anything you believe would convey your story to our judging panel.

Because that's what our judges want to hear from our dealer readers - their story. Facts and figures and pie-charts are all well and good of course, but the team really wants to hear and what and who truly makes your dealership tick. We want inspirational, uplifting and unique tales of how your business and your people have come together over these past twelve months to help each other thrive and offered your customers - be they domestic, commercial or agricultural - a truly exceptional experience. 

As Duncan says today, do please get creative with your entry. This is one of those times where blowing your own trumpet is positively encouraged!

And to manufacturers and suppliers, don't forget we also want you to blow trumpets on behalf of valued members of your dealer network too! Who represents your brand to the absolute fullest and always goes the extra mile for their customers?  We want you guys to get in touch to tell us.

As ever, there are many reasons why winning an industry award such as one of these is a valuable endeavour. Foremost arguably, is the fantastic publicity opportunity it represents for your business. Shouting about triumphs via PR to traditional local news outlets and through your social channels is a fantastic way to generate a real buzz around your dealership. It's a way to get people talking about you both within your community and nationally.

So when you can, have a real good think about which categories you'd like to throw your hat into the ring for this year. And most importantly, formulate a plan of how you might best convey what your dealership is all about, to our judges.

All the details you'll need to be in the running for an award will be revealed in this Weekly Update in a few week's time - so keep 'em peeled!

Service Dealer can announce today the categories for this November's Dealer Of The Year Awards.

Entries for the Awards will go live in a couple of weeks' time - until then dealers are invited to consider the categories up for grabs this year and decide which they would like to enter.

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "There are a range of categories to choose from this time around and nominations are welcome in more than one category. There are awards for businesses themselves based on machinery specialisms (Garden, Farm, Forestry, Professional Turfcare and ATV / Quad) - plus there are special awards for individuals within the dealership (Star; New Technician; and Leadership).

"Dealerships can enter on their own behalf and on behalf of their staff, or be nominated by customers, suppliers or another third party. The key however, will be supplying the supporting info to give your dealership the best shot at winning. 

"The judges are not just interested in what your business has done, but who your business truly is - and what makes it tick.

"We encourage all our dealer readers to start thinking today about which categories they would like to enter. Begin to gather your thoughts and start to assemble your supporting evidence that could include items such as promotional literature, photos, or even video – don’t be afraid to get creative and let the nominees shine!"

Full details of how to enter will be announced in an upcoming edition of this Service Dealer Weekly Update - until then here are the 2023 Service Dealer Awards categories that dealers will be able to enter:

Garden Machinery Dealer of the Year - sponsored by Husqvarna

Have you gone above and beyond this year to satisfy your domestic customers?

Farm Machinery Dealer of the Year - sponsored by Ibcos

Would your farming customers say you are outstanding in your field?

Forestry Equipment Dealer of the Year - sponsored by Societe Generale Equipment Finance

Is your dealership at the top of the tree when it comes to supplying forestry equipment?

Professional Turfcare Dealer of the Year - sponsored by Toro UK

Is your team firing on all cylinders when it comes to your commercial turfcare customers?

ATV/Quad Dealer of the Year - sponsored by Yamaha

Are you the dealership customers turn to for tackling all terrain in the outdoor sector?

New Technician of the Year - sponsored by Kubota

Technicians are the staff who keep the wheels turning - this is your chance to highlight someone in their first four years of the role.

Star of the Dealership - sponsored by EGO

Do you have a staff member who’s made an exceptional contribution to the business?

Best New Initiative - sponsored by STIHL

Have you implemented something new - be it a fresh idea, some renovation, diversification, or branching out with new tech, let us know!

Leadership Award - Sponsored by AGCO

Does your dealership benefit from a great team leader who leads from the front and acts as a great example to all?

In addition there will be the Overall Dealer Of The Year Award, sponsored by Kress, decided by the judging panel based on entries to all the other awards. Also given as a judges' prize will be a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Awards will be presented at the Gala Dinner following the Service Dealer Conference that takes place on Thursday 30th November 2023 at the Crowne Plaza, Stratford upon Avon, the theme for this year's event is Taking Care of Business.

John Deere has announced that they are holding a careers event in September to help resettling military personnel take the next step in their careers. 

The virtual event on 20 September at 7pm is described as the first major event to be held by the company where details of their landmark John Deere Military Hiring Programme in the UK and Ireland will be set out. 

The initiative was launched in July and intends to help those leaving military service find jobs working with the manufacturer's agricultural and professional groundscare machinery.

Attendees of the free virtual event will find out how they can bring their unique skill sets and experience to technician roles in dealerships, and hear from individuals who have transitioned from military service into various roles connected to the John Deere brand.

“The armed forces produces people who are highly skilled, motivated, and extremely competent, and many already have the engineering skills needed to become qualified technicians,” says Allan Cochran, John Deere branch training manager.

“With many transferable skills, those with experience of military machines will be perfectly placed for a new career working with some of the world’s most advanced agricultural and turfcare equipment."

Registration is open now via this link.

It was announced that the Military Hiring Programme was being rolled out in the UK and Ireland following its success in the USA. 

Those signing up to the programme will be offered free technical training to help them apply their current skills to John Deere products and services. There are more than 70 courses on offer.

“Everyone who signs up will be assigned to an employee from the John Deere network who has served in the armed forces who will be there to support each individual during the resettlement process,” Allan says.

Interested service members and ex-service members can learn more and fill out a contact card by visiting here.

A familiar face in the groundcare and arboricultural industries has joined GreenMech as their new direct sales manager.

Neal Hussey

Bringing with him over 30 years of industry experience, Neal Hussey will be working with customers and aftermarket dealers across large swathes of the Midlands, while his East-Anglian roots will also see him supporting dealer TNS in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

Neal boasts a well-rounded sales and technical background, starting his career in the groundcare industry as an apprentice technician in 1982. He progressed to service manager before moving into sales roles from the turn of the millennium - working for Ben Burgess & Co for 19 years and playing an instrumental role in building and establishing their dedicated arb department. After a short period working for Fuelwood selling a range of arb and forestry products, his most recent sales position was at Tallis Amos Group (TAG).   

He joined woodchipper manufacturers GreenMech in August 2023 as their new direct sales manager, offering dedicated support to customers in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire. Neal will also be working with established dealer Thurlow Nunn Standen (TNS) across East Anglia.  

GreenMech sales director Martin Lucas said of Neal, “His strong foundation of knowledge and industry experience will no doubt help him succeed in this new role within the company.

Neal added, “I look forward to familiarising myself with the range and customers old and new over the coming months.”

A free helmet will be given to all new ATV owners by the UK's biggest Honda motorcycle dealer and a supplier of ATVs, Doble Motorcycles, in support of the National Association of Agricultural Contractor’s (NAAC) #WearItandShareIt campaign to get everyone to ride safer and wear a helmet.

The NAAC has raised the question of why anyone would choose to ride or deliberately send a worker or family member out on a job with a sit-astride ATV, with no helmet, knowing there is a real and proven risk of loss of life, which could easily be reduced by using a helmet.
 
Commenting, Jill Hewitt, NAAC chief xxecutive, said, "We are delighted that Doble Motorcycles has taken the initiative to make everyone safer. In the last five years, ATVs were involved in 14 deaths in agriculture- the most significant cause of deaths involving moving vehicles in our industry. There is a need to take positive action to help prevent such incidents, and Dobles is being proactive to try and save lives.
 
"We need a shift in attitude to ensure that every time anyone gets on a sit-astride ATV, they automatically put a helmet on. Doble's action will help remove any excuses."
 
Philip Stewart of Doble Motorcycles said, "We are honoured to unite with the NAAC's #WearItandShareIt initiative, advocating for riders to wear helmets while riding ATVs. Honda ATVs represent a small part of the backbone of the agricultural sector, playing a pivotal role in day-to-day operations. However, the true heartbeat of the industry is the individuals who are riding the machines and we want them to be safe while carrying out their vital work. We encourage every rider to make sure they are fully trained in how to operate these fantastic machines, and furthermore we are delighted to offer a high-quality helmet with every purchase of a new Honda ATV."
 
The NAAC stress that simply wearing a helmet will not keep everyone fully protected and it is vitally important to ensure that anyone riding an ATV is competent and trained to handle the machine.

'Responsible Gardens' has been announced by the organisers of spoga+gafa 2024 as the key theme of their next trade fair.

In Cologne from 16 to 18 June 2024, the show says that the industry will be reflecting upon the responsibility it bears regarding the current and future challenges and solutions relating to the role the garden plays in society. Together with the green industry, spoga+gafa says it will place the centre of attention on the different levels of responsible behaviour in and around private green spaces from the points of view of the manufacturers, suppliers and consumers. 

Stefan Lohrberg, Director of spoga+gafa explained, "The focus of the topic is the responsibility the green industry bears regarding the role the garden plays in society. Together with our exhibitors and visitors, spoga+gafa will find the answers to these questions."

Resource-saving gardening, fairly produced garden products, low-emission BBQ technologies, climate-friendly garden care and irrigation, but also a responsible rapport between garden owners are promised at the show.. Stefan Lohrberg continued, "The more responsibly we treat private green spaces, the more social and personally-relevant our gardens, balconies and terraces will become. That is our to-do list for the coming years."

The Board of Directors of the Merlo Group have appointed Paolo Merlo as President, following the passing of company founder and President Mr Amilcare Merlo late last year.

Paolo Merlo said the company's goal for the next three years is to achieve 10,000 telehandlers annually, as well as about 25,000 attachments. To achieve this, he said, significant investments are planned with the opening of both new production lines and new infrastructure.

The new President confirmed, "Today, the solidity of the Merlo Group allows us to look far ahead and plan for the long term. There are still many applications and areas where we can grow, we aim to strengthen our historical markets, starting with Italy and the countries where we are present with subsidiaries and importers.

"At the same time, we also intend to expand into markets that are relatively new to us, where there is still plenty of room for growth."

STIHL has announced that their Fully Charged Roadshow will return this October.

Aimed at professional users, the manufacturer says it is an opportunity to get hands on with their AP battery-powered tool system and meet their team of trained experts.

Simon Hewitt, head of marketing at STIHL GB, said, that as well as highlighting the technology to professionals the national event also “ . . provides our network of approved dealers with the opportunity to grow their cordless business amongst customers.” 

STIHL say they are keen to involve approved dealers with connections to large end users in all the roadshows. For more information, dealers are encouraged to contact their sales manager. 

The dates and venues are:

• 3rd October - York Gate Garden, Leeds
• 4th October - Newcastle Holiday Inn, Newcastle
• 5th October - Dalkeith Country Park, Edinburgh
• 10th October - Myerscough College, Preston
• 11th October - Harper Adam, Shropshire
• 12th October - Melton College, Melton Mowbray
• 16th October - Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire
• 17th October - Bicton College, Devon
• 18th October - Sparsholt College, Winchester
• 19th October - Writtle College, Chelmsford

Our 2020 Summer research showed that on average, each Garden Trader dealer will be sent 114 new customers (or people with a buying intention walking through your door) per year.  This works out at 83p for each new customer. A subscription rate designed to be all inclusive delivering unrivalled online results.  

This site was purpose-built just for skilled servicing ground care dealers by the team that bring you Service Dealer Magazine. It is easy and quick to register and costs just £96 + VAT per year for a full listing.  As this dealer site is designed to promote the UK dealer network, all revenues in 2022 will continue to be reinvested into promoting the site online and so supporting the dealer network.

Join the country’s only independent specialist website, created by the team that bring you Service Dealer. Join our subscribed Garden Trader dealers now by clicking on “Register Dealership” and let's fight back against the zero value retailers.

Map of dealerships registered with Garden Trader

FIND OUT MORE