Well that rain was a bit of a tease wasn't it? It appears there's a second heatwave upon us now and another dry period coming up. Just what we didn't need!

I know some dealers are really struggling out there at the moment. It doesn't seem to be across the board by any means as some dealerships are saying they are as busy as ever. But certainly, these prolonged dry conditions are having quite an adverse impact on many.

Some of the comments received into Service Dealer recently have been quite concerning. A few examples include:

• "I am not making enough money for me or my wife to take a wage."
• "Very poor sales. Workshop slowing up every day."
• "No sales, minimal repair work – it’s like December but with sunshine!"

There's certainly no denying that this season is proving particularly tough for some. I'm aware that taking the ultimate step of closing the business has unfortunately been the case for one dealer. It's always a sad day when it comes to that for a small business.

It's hard not to get bogged down in the doom and gloom - but we really should try to look beyond this tough period. I know some dealers are using this enforced quieter spell to do a spot of housekeeping and get things in order for when things pick up again - which they will.

Hopefully the season will extend on further into the year, making it possible for dealers, many of whom tell us they actually had a great start to 2018, to make up for lost summer ground.

And whilst it may be quiet out on the front lines at the moment, there is clearly plenty going on at the manufacturer / distributor level - as evidenced by all the stories of acquisitions in the news today.

It certainly came as surprise to me to hear that Rochfords has been bought by AL-KO Gardentech. Congratulations to all involved. The Wincanton-based company has told Service Dealer that all divisions, staff and product lines remain unchanged - but with the added benefit of developing new product categories from the AL-KO company in new channels.

All very exciting. I'm sure we'll hear much more about what's in store and future plans when Rochford hold their roadshows across the country next month.

There's also news out of the US today of a couple of the major players buying up smaller manufacturers in both the commerical turfcare and agricultural sectors. Briggs & Stratton have bought Hurricane Inc who produce a range of stand-on blowers and John Deere have purchased Argentinian company PLA who make self-propelled sprayers.

Moves like these definitely show a confidence in the market by these companies. And hopefully they should all be good news for dealers.

If there's more and better developed products out there to fill the showrooms, that means more choice for the customers who hopefully will be encouraged to invest in new equipment.

We just need this weather to buck its ideas up first . . .

Rochford Garden Machinery has announced that the acquisition of their company, by German manufacturer AL-KO Gardentech, was completed on Wednesday (1st Aug) this week.

Rochford have told Service Dealer that 100% of the company has been acquired, with all divisions, staff and product lines remaining unchanged.

Both parties have agreed to confidentiality regarding the financial terms of the arrangement.

L-R: Dr Wolfgang Hergeth (President & COO, AL-KO Gardentech);  Elizabeth Rochford; Mark Rochford; Sergio Tomaciello (senior vice president sales, AL-KO Gardentech); Kerry Morre; Stewart Anderson

Rochford, based in Wincanton, Somerset, is one of UK´s leading garden machinery suppliers, both in imports and sales of domestic and commercial garden machinery. The family run business founded in 1976 in Bruton, Somerset, has been an importer of AL-KO products for almost 15 years.

Elizabeth Rochford, wife of founder Peter Rochford said of the acquisition, "We are pleased to have AL-KO Gardentech, our long time partner, as our new owner, which helps us to take Rochford to a new level of profitability, sales and market penetration.

"With this merger, we have taken the necessary steps and passed our business on to experienced hands to ensure sustainable future development for employees and customers.

"We have every confidence in AL-KO Gardentech that our company will be led into a stable future and that Rochford will remain a professional home for our employees. Furthermore, the management team around managing director, Stewart Anderson, will stay the same."  This management team includes Mark Rochford and sister Kerry Moore.

Managing director of Rochfords, Stewart Anderson told Service Dealer, "The exciting acquisition gives us the opportunity to take our business to the next level and develop our portfolio of brands which include AL-KO, DR, Mitox, and Weibang. The company and its ranges will continue as they are, with the added benefit of developing new product categories from the AL-KO company in new channels.

"We are embarking on 10 dealer shows across the UK in September to showcase our new product ranges, technical updates, and competitive trade terms, details of which will be released shortly.”

Dr. Wolfgang Hergeth, COO of AL-KO KOBER SE, said, "We are pleased to be able to win Rochford, one of the strongest trading partners in the UK garden machinery market for the AL-KO KOBER GROUP. Like the acquisition of the New Zealand garden equipment manufacturer Masport last year, this investment is a clear signal for a strong future of AL-KO Gardentech. The transaction significantly enhances our organic and inorganic growth targets and thus continues our positive business development over the last few years.

"The good economic situation of Rochford shows a well-established and managed company. Services such as customer services, repair offerings or spare parts management fully meet the AL-KO standard 'Quality for life'. Rochford will now be able to continue its development under the modern entrepreneurial AL-KO KOBER GROUP and to provide customers with first-class and innovative products as well as service and support.

"The entry into the British market is a logical consequence of the great market potential in specialist trade and DIY, the British affinity to online trade as well as significantly increased interest in robotic garden machinery. Thanks to its strong customer relationships on all channels, Rochford provides direct customer access to AL-KO Gardentech, which gives further impetus for substantial growth in the UK.

“With this merger, we will now be able to further develop the DIY and e-Commerce business and, at the same time, consistently force the innovations of smart gardening and future battery technologies. Within the corporate group, there is simply more development potential for AL-KO Gardentech and Rochford. This acquisition offers a long term perspective for employees to work in a dynamic and fast growing business."

Rochford Garden Machinery’s roadshows take place between 10th September to 21st September.

Briggs & Stratton Corporation announced this week that it has acquired certain assets of Hurricane, Inc. of Muskegon Heights, Michigan, a designer and manufacturer of stand-on leaf and debris blowers.

Hurricane stand-on blower

This is the company's second acquisition in eight months, which they say is designed to accelerate growth opportunities in the commercial lawn and turf market. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Harold L. Redman, Briggs & Stratton's senior vice president and group president - Turf & Consumer Products said, "Hurricane brings high-quality products with differentiated capabilities around air flow and handling which make the lawn and turf care professional more productive.

"The acquisition brings Briggs & Stratton and its family of brands one step closer to its goal of filling a landscaper's trailer with everything needed to start and finish a job in as little time and with as little effort as possible to maximise their profitability."

Todd J. Teske, Briggs & Stratton's chairman, president and chief executive officer, added, "Briggs & Stratton continues to generate strong growth serving commercial customers in lawn and turf care, job site, and on an OEM basis with an expanding line of innovative commercial engines.

"This investment follows our recent acquisition of the assets of Ground Logic, Inc. which produces stand-on commercial spreaders and spreader/sprayers for fertiliser and pesticide-herbicide lawn applications. Both have expanded our product line and will enable us to take advantage of synergies in manufacturing and supply chain.

"We will be able to leverage our broad base of dealers and distributors to accelerate growth of these products."

Simon Tullett, founder of STM Co Ltd of Warwickshire, a supplier of SCAG equipment, died in hospital recently.

He had been suffering from health problems for a number of years and was awaiting heart surgery, but sadly succumbed to kidney failure.

Simon Tullett founded STM Co Ltd in 1990, drawing on the knowledge and experience he had acquired from a lengthy career within the agricultural and horticultural machinery market.

Since that time STM has earned a reputation for distributing high quality products with aftersales, spares, training and servicing in support.

Dominic Mason took over as owner of the company in January 2015.

A statement on behalf of the company, expressing great sadness at his passing, said, "His was the vision that saw the arrival of SCAG machinery in this country, and their popularity is testament to the product and the company that he created, now with over thirty years of trading to its name.

"He was a larger than life character and will be missed.

"He leaves wife, Jayne, who helped tirelessly at Saltex for many years, and his daughter Olivia."

Reesink Turfcare has announced the winners of its Aftermarket Dealer Awards.

The awards commend Outstanding Performances in the three areas of Service, Parts and Skills, as well as recognising an overall Dealer of the Year for ‘Excellence in Customer Support’.

In keeping with its Service Level Agreement (SLA), which benchmarks great customer service, Reesink awards those dealers achieving the best scores, rated on quarterly Key Performance Indicators (KPI), within each of the three sections, while the Dealer of the Year Award combines the KPI scores from all three.

The winners are:

Outstanding Performance in Service goes to Redtech in Coventry, while Lloyd Ltd in Carlisle excelled in Skills, and Revill Mowers in Gloucestershire in Parts.

The coveted Dealer of the Year award has two joint winners: Cheshire Turf Machinery in Stockport and Revill Mowers in Gloucestershire.

Joint winner  Mark Woodward, service director at Cheshire Turf Machinery

Joint winner  Jason Revill, joint director at Revill Mowers

The runners-up are: Russells Groundcare in Yorkshire for both Parts and Service, and Oliver Landpower in Kings Langley for Skills.

David Jackman, Reesink’s aftermarket manager says that ever since Reesink adopted the principles of a customer service level agreement to set a baseline standard for after-sales customer support in 2015, its strategy has been to ensure that it delivers strong customer service with all its business partners. David said, “We’re looking to continually improve on our customer experience after a sale completes, and our Service Level Agreement outlines the core customer service standards, goals and considerations adopted by all our Authorised Service and Dealer Locations, which helps to earn the loyalty of our customers.

“Part of this extensive remit are the awards, which give us a standard set of common goals, targets and values that can be shared and promoted to the end user, benefiting customer retention and business growth across our dealer network. As we expected it would be, this has been met with great enthusiasm by our dedicated dealers and has done a fantastic job of driving the aftermarket business forward.

“We’re delighted to be able to recognise the winners and runners-up of these awards, which not only provide a snapshot of each dealers’ performance with us but also our support for them. Overall, the major benefit of this process is the benefit it brings to the end customer, which is what we’re all in it for.”

A new global partnership between Argo Tractors and Topcon Agriculture, the precision farming technology company, is streamlining the selection, purchase and installation of satellite guidance and related products on McCormick tractors.

The agreement ensures that the tractors assembled in Argo’s factories are correctly equipped and configured to work seamlessly with Topcon Agriculture products for different levels of precision guidance using a choice of solutions.

Richard Read of LH Agro

These range from a dedicated touch-screen guidance console to a multi-role precision farming console with section and rate control, plus wireless data transfer to cloud-based farm records.

In Britain, the agreement has paved the way for a commercial partnership between McCormick distributor AgriArgo and LH Agro Ltd, Topcon’s authorised distributor for England, Scotland and Wales.

A similar partnership has been forged between AgriArgo and Topcon Ireland in Dublin and Topcon Northern Ireland, Toome, Co Antrim.

On-land ploughing with a Topcon guidance-equipped 310hp McCormickX8.680 VT-Drive tractor

Ray Spinks, AgriArgo managing director, says the new partnerships ensure that McCormick tractor users have access to sound technical advice and a range of top-quality precision farming products to suit different applications.

“The LH Agro team in Britain and Topcon’s precision agriculture specialists in Ireland have the technical know-how and service back-up resources that are essential for these very specialised products,” he points out.

“Farmers and contractors running McCormick tractors can therefore exploit the productivity benefits of Topcon’s precision farming systems with great confidence.”

Topcon and LH Agro precision agriculture specialists are available to provide pre-sales advice on the best system for individual customer needs before installing and commissioning the chosen Topcon solution once the tractor has been delivered.

Thereafter, they will provide 24hr technical support, an exceptional level of back-up that includes temporarily supplying a replacement console if necessary to keep tractors working on time-critical field operations.

Customers wishing to retro-fit or have a Topcon guidance system installed on a new tractor will place the order with their McCormick dealer for LH Agro in Britain and Topcon Precision Agriculture in Ireland to action.

Top of the range Topcon X35 console handles guidance, auto section and variable-rate control, camera feeds and ISOBUS implement control, plus wireless data transfer through the Topcon Mobile AG cloud-based platform

On new tractors, the cost of the precision farming system can be covered by any financing agreement arranged through Argo Finance.

All McCormick X8 VT-Drive and Premium-spec McCormick X7 tractors are now optionally available from the factory guidance-ready with the necessary hardware and electronic connections installed; this option will be introduced for other McCormick models over time.

All available systems can be operated with a choice of satellite signal correction packages giving levels of precision and repeatability appropriate to different applications and user expectations.

Following the success of last year’s show, STIHL will be returning to Glee on 10th - 12th September to showcase its range of cordless garden tools.

The company's full range now includes more than 35 machines such as chainsaws, hedge and grass trimmers, pole pruners, long reach hedge trimmers and lawnmowers. These join STIHL’s range of electrical tools including pressure washers, grass and hedge trimmers as well as blowers and vacuum shredders.

Traditionally only available through its network of over 700 garden machinery and forestry specialists, STIHL’s cordless range is now also stocked in select gardening centres throughout the UK, including Dobbies and Hilliers.

Simon Hewitt, Head of Marketing at STIHL GB, said, “We’re delighted to be returning to Glee as the show presents the perfect platform to exhibit our range of accessible cordless tools and how they can benefit everyday gardeners.

“The STIHL Lithium-Ion range and award-winning STIHL Compact Cordless System have proven to be incredibly popular with domestic users, and we look forward to welcoming visitors to the stand to find out more about the products.”

New for 2018, SALTEX say visitors can expect to see and experience the very latest groundscare ingenuity in a new area on the show floor which is purely dedicated to innovation and new concepts in grounds management.

According to the SALTEX 2017 visitor survey, 97 per cent claimed that their main reason for attending the exhibition was to see the latest innovations. Taking this feedback on-board, SALTEX event organisers have decided to host, for the first time, a dedicated Innovation Hub.

Visitors can expect to watch interviews with industry experts and those at the forefront of new groundscare innovations and listen to research and trial work findings.

Furthermore, say the organisers, a number of key speakers will take to the stage to discuss and explore current groundscare trends such as cordless/environmentally friendly equipment, robotics, GPS control machinery, pesticide alternatives, pitch lighting (including watering systems and oxygen) and pitch monitoring systems.

In this new feature, delegates will be able to engage in conversation regarding key topics or seek advice while using the opportunity to network with industry business leaders and exporters.

The new Innovation Hub will play host to the second ever Innovation Awards - which last year was jointly won by Rigby Taylor's Intelligent One autonomous robotic line marker

The Innovation Hub will also play host to the SALTEX 2018 Innovation Award ceremony - entries for which are now open.

Making its debut at last year’s show, the Innovation Award attracted a number of high-quality entries from across the globe spanning a wide variety of products, services and equipment.

The independent panel of judges, who based their decisions on a number of factors including what the entry offers the industry and how it makes life easier for the person using it, were unanimous in selecting four stand-out entries. In a tie for first place, Rigby Taylor’s Intelligent One autonomous robotic line marker and Fleet Line Markers’ MAQA line marking machine were announced as joint winners of the first ever award.

Second place went to Oregon’s Gator Speedload and third place went to the Etesia Hydro 80 MKHP4 E-Connect.

Due to the popularity of last year’s Innovation Award, organisers belive even more entries will be attracted this year - with all being revealed in the lead-up to the show.

Additionally, by referring to the show guide, visitors will be able to follow an Innovation Trail enabling them to see every single entry on the show floor.

SALTEX takes place at the NEC, Birmingham on October 31 and November 1.

Catalyst Computer Systems who have provided dealership management software from its Mountsorrel, Leicestershire base for 29 years have announced a new partnership.

The company says the Catalyst Platinum DMS now links with multi-brand parts platform AgroParts.

Dealers using Catalyst Platinum DMS can now upload and download their parts basket / orders directly into AgroParts.

Mike Cameron, System Sales Manager at Catalyst said, "The AgroParts link is another feature of our powerful and flexible DMS, helping dealers save time and become even more efficient and drive success. Catalyst Platinum DMS is a proven solution backed by our dedicated and experienced support teams.

"More and more dealers are using Catalyst Platinum DMS to move their business operations forward, drive success and profitability."

The Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) will be tackling the challenge of translating Agri-Tech research to on-farm action at their annual conference on Tuesday 6 November 2018 at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London.

IAgrE say it’s all about ‘Collaboration’ - the partnership between universities and entrepreneurs creating revolutionary new practices and ground breaking technologies. How this actually happens and what is needed to bring it all together is the core of the conference.

“Linking industry needs with research ‘know-how’ is at the heart of UK agriculture meeting its productivity potential. The aim of the conference is to share ‘best-practice’ in effective knowledge exchange in agricultural engineering, delivering tangible benefits for both agribusinesses and research partners,” said Professor Jane Rickson, IAgrE President and conference Chair.

Delegates will find out about:

• new technological developments in modern agricultural engineering and AgriTech
• the challenges of knowledge exchange and industry/university partnerships
• knowledge exchange best practice
• what you need to consider for successful collaboration

Conference speakers include Dr Susannah Bolton Knowledge Exchange Director of the Agricultural and Horticulture Development Board, Keith Norman Technical Director at Velcourt and Professor Keith Ridgway CBE Executive Dean of the AMRC Group.

Short presentations from a number of current industry and research collaborations where Knowledge Exchange has led to a successful outcome are from:

• Harper Adams University/Precision Decisions – Hands-free Hectare
• Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology/Tesco’s ‘Smart Refrigeration’
• Cranfield University – ‘Strip Tillage- in partnership with Frontier Ag Ltd

Full details of the conference can be found at here

X-Force™ is Husqvarna’s answer to the challenge for the perfect guide bar – that is both lightweight and low maintenance to minimise your burden, yet durable enough to withstand tough work over long time.

Husqvarna X-Force™ guide bars are developed alongside Husqvarna X-Cut™ chains, optimised for Husqvarna chainsaws. The result is a cutting system that makes your chainsaw perform on an entirely new level – delivering a fast, precise kerf with minimal friction loss.

X-Force™ Guide Bar Features:

• Optimised welding pattern for improved durability and stiffness
• Increased bar width for improved durability
• Optimised profile for lower wear and longer lifetime
• Reinforced, maintenance fee nose sprocket
• Anti-clog oil pickup for improved lubrication
• Optimised centre plate design for reduced weight

X-Force™ Guide Bars are available in the following sizes:

• 3/8” – 15” to 20”
• 3/8” Mini – 12” to 14”
• .325” – 13” to 20”

X-Force™ Guide Bars are now in stock ready to order! Speak to your Area Business Manager to find out about our Autumn Promotion.

For a free demonstration contact Evopos on Tel: 01202 795900

Evopos UK Ltd are the producer of the Dealer management software which service dealers are taking a serious look at. This all-in-one solution with friendly and effective telephone support may be worth checking out, if you are a new service dealer or are currently unsatisfied with your current system.

The latest version includes quick and easy point of sale software, comprehensive stock control, workshop organiser, hire contract module, accounting package and state of the art automated SMS and email marketing, all of these features are available in specifically designed dealer packages.

"What makes Evopos streets ahead of its competitors?" asks Denis Bullen (MD). "Evopos is perfect for the Service Industry; everything about the customer is tracked, sales of parts, whole goods and all vital contact information."


Denis Bullen, Evopos md

Denis continues, "The workshop module is of particular interest to most service dealers. Evopos will fulfil the main three requirements that make any busy workshop successful.

• 1. Easy to use; this minimises mistakes making sure correct time is billed for and all the information is correct.
• 2. Maximises sales and repeat custom using the excellent time management and service reminder tools built into Evopos.
• 3. Helps to provide the very best customer service; by providing engineers and salesman with all the necessary information to make the job or the sale as easy for the customer as it as easy for you.

"As far as I can see the workshop process is fairly straight forward

• Step one: Book the job in, providing the customer with details regarding the job.
• Step two: Book parts and labour to the job.(Evopos will automatically remind the customer to drop the machine off and when the job is finished, let the customer know when to pick it up via an SMS text or email alert.)
• Set three: Produce a professional looking invoice for when the customer picks up their machine.

"A comprehensive history is retained within the Evopos system. For example for each machine you can see who has previously owned it and what work it has had done to it.

"Evopos offers a very competitive pricing structure, where costs are kept to a minimum. A standard dealer package can cost as little as £75.00 per month, there are no hidden extras. If you are concerned about losing your old customer database, this shouldn't be a problem. The helpful support team can convert most databases into workable Evopos data at no extra charge.

"Evopos is a low cost way to help make your business more controllable and profitable. It's a total business management solution."

Whether you are a new start-up or run an existing business, why not contact Evopos and arrange a no obligation free demo and see what Evopos can do for your business.

Contact them direct on telephone: 01202 795900 or register online at Evopos.com and they will call you.

Software that does more and costs less.

Garden Trader is a product and dealer search website/directory only for specialist garden machinery dealers in the UK. It has been designed to support and promote our dealer industry to consumers who are specifically searching for garden machinery products and services.

It costs just £95 + VAT per year to be listed and all revenues this year will be reinvested into promoting the site online.

Join the country’s only independent specialist website, created by the team that bring you Service Dealer. Join our 185+ subscribed Garden Trader dealers now by clicking on “Register Dealership”.

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