We are five days into it now, but may I wish all our readers a happy new year!

I do hope everyone managed to have a relaxing and peaceful break of some description. I'm sure we'll all be grateful for it as we begin to face everything that 2024 chooses to throw at us!

Whatever may be on the horizon, Service Dealer will be here every step of the way throughout the year, documenting events and reflecting dealers' views on all the surprises that the industry chooses to offer.

Already in 2024 for example, I'm hearing of dealerships affected by delays in parts supplies - plus the horrendous flooding seen around the county must be producing knock-on adversity for dealerships in a variety of locations?

So on the point of reflecting the views of our dealer readers, I'd just like to reiterate that Service Dealer is always delighted to receive, and indeed relies upon, our readership's views, thoughts, comments and questions.

Please always feel free to contribute with your reactions to the content under any article published here or on our website. Or if you have a particular industry issue or concern that you would like to raise with our community of dealer readers - one that you would perhaps like to gauge your peers' thoughts and experiences on - please always drop me a line with your ideas.

It's our readers at the sharp end of the industry who keep us informed and shape the agenda of what we as a journal for the industry cover across our pages and outlets. That's why we always want to include as many dealers' voices as we can.

This desire is hopefully reflected in today's Weekly Update via a couple of items that look back on key events from last year. Firstly, within our most read stories of 2023 feature - which is always a fascinating piece to compile - it's clear the kind of stories that our dealer readers are most interested to engage with. It is also the case, with stories such as the demise of F.R Jones or the controversy surrounding a manufacturer's payment of warranty claims, that it's hearing the opinions of our dealer readers that well and truly lead those narratives.

Also today, we have a great short film put together by the team at TAP, which recalls the fabulous day back in November that was the Service Dealer Conference & Awards.

That whole event is unquestionably shaped by our readers. All the expert speakers are sourced following feedback given by attendees to the organisers regarding what type of content they would be interested in seeing at future Conferences. And of course the evening's Awards ceremony is entirely devoted to celebrating the incredible ingenuity and entrepreneurship displayed by the UK dealer network. The night is spent being regaled by stories of success from businesses large and small, up and down the length of the country. 

So do have a watch of the highlights reel today. Seeing it all again brings it home what a special occasion it was and just how joyful an evening the dealer awards always are.

Looking ahead now to 2024, there will more stories to tell and further controversies to negotiate, of that there's no doubt - and Service Dealer relishes the opportunity to share in this with all of you. We'll be here every Friday at noon, through your letterbox six times during the course the year, and all the time via our social media channels.

So remember, that whatever you'd like to say or raise with our wonderful community, please do let us know. It's your journal.

For your viewing pleasure, a highlights film of November's Service Dealer Conference & Awards is now available.

Featuring clips from the day's expert speakers, sponsors, our comedian hosts and award winners, the film is a great way to recall what a special occasion the event truly was.

Also stay tuned to the end for the reveal of 2024's date.

Watch the video below or via Service Dealer's YouTube Channel.

The Service Dealer Weekly Update landed in Inboxes across the industry throughout 2023 every Friday at noon (or as close as possible!).

As ever, we charted all the news positive and not-so-positive, surprising, controversial and intriguing - always looking to reflect the voices of our loyal, dealer readers.

As has become traditional in our first edition back following the Christmas and New Year break, we take a look back at what were the ten stories that were read the most by our readers during the previous 12 months. This year for the first time, six of the ten stories relate to just two dealerships!

Without further ado, in ascending order, here's what you read the most in 2023:

 
10.
PERSONAL THREATS & ONLINE ATTACKS - 21st July 2023

Following F.R Jones entering administration, Justin Jones, ex-managing director issued a statement to Service Dealer saying it had been the hardest time of his life and that he'd also experienced personal threats and online attacks.

9.
HENTON & CHATTELL CONFIRM ANOTHER NEW PARTNER - 28th July 2023

Yamaha partnered with Henton & Chattell to extend its dealer network with the appointment providing customer service in the East Midlands region for ATV, side-by-side and golf car customers.

8.
HONDA RESPOND TO DEALER DISSATISFACTION - 30th October 2023

With Honda issuing a short statement to Service Dealer following contact by a dealer reader who voiced dissatisfaction over payment of warranty claims, many dealers joined in the discussion, airing their own views.

7.
HENTON & CHATTELL TO TAKE ON ANOTHER MAJOR FRANCHISE - 6th October 2023

Dealers Henton & Chattell announced their appointment as a Baroness dealer in the East Midlands region.

6.
ARIENSCO TO CEASE UK PRODUCTION - 30th October 2023

AriensCo informed their dealer network that all UK production at the Great Haseley factory in Oxfordshire would be ending, with the manufacturer deciding to transform its UK business operation from a production facility to a sales and service model with domestic distribution.

5.
STIHL TO ACQUIRE MANUFACTURER - 6 January 2023

The STIHL Group announced they were planning to acquire Cosmos Manufacturing Inc., a U.S.-based manufacturer of mufflers.

4.
HENTON & CHATTELL TO PART WITH JOHN DEERE - 13th January 2023

Nottingham-based turf and ground care machinery distributor, Henton & Chattell, announced they were to stop selling John Deere machinery in Spring 2023, following successfully representing the manufacturer for two decades in the Midlands.

3.
TRAGIC ON-SITE DEATH OF DEALERSHIP'S TECHNICIAN - 3rd November 2023

Following Northallerton-based dealership Brian Robinson Machinery Ltd reporting the death of one its service technicians in a tragic, on-farm accident, the dealership established a Just Giving page to help offer some financial support to Martin Coates' young family.

2.
LESSONS MUST BE LEARNED AFTER DEMISE OF F.R JONES - 14th July 2023

Editor, Steve Gibbs, wrote an editorial saying there must be significant questions raised over how one of the highest profile outdoor powered machinery dealerships in the UK was controlled, which led to it failing so spectacularly, mid-season.

1.
F.R JONES IN ADMINISTRATION - 14th July 2023

F.R Jones And Son Limited, one of the most well known names in the UK dealer sector, ceased trading and entered administration.The Swanley, Kent based dealership that specialised in gardening and arboricultural products, had been established since 1963 and was one of the largest dealerships in the UK.

With a number of new battery-powered products launching in early 2024, and as part of its continued focus on sustainability, STIHL GB has issued a statement to remind dealers of its battery collection and electrical waste recycling programme.

The manufacturer says the process means that users " . . can discard end-of-life STIHL batteries in a safe and environmentally responsible manner."

The statement read, "As a producer of industrial and portable batteries, STIHL GB operates in accordance with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, which ensures that, where possible, components are reused or recycled to minimise the amount of waste sent to landfill or incinerated. 

"For clarity, industrial batteries exceed 4 kg in weight and would include AR batteries and lead acid lawn tractor batteries, whilst portable batteries weigh less than 4 kg would include all other batteries."

The statement continued, "If the batteries are undamaged, users can simply return them to either the STIHL Approved Dealer they were purchased from or their local civic amenities site. As part of its service to its STIHL Approved Dealers, STIHL GB has partnered with the European Recycling Platform (ERP) to offer collection and recycling services. The ERP will collect used batteries directly from dealerships and STIHL dealers can find out more about this process on the STIHL B2B System."

The manufacturer also says that their machinery users can return batteries directly to STIHL GB for recycling. In order to do this, users should send an email to enquiries@stihl.co.uk with WEEE Recycling in the subject line, providing details of the machine and its serial number and a member of the STIHL team will respond confirming next steps. 

The Toro Company Foundation say they are dedicated to revitalising outdoor spaces in the communities where their employees live and work - and as such have announced that the Canal and River Trust and Thorn Grove Primary School are each receiving a grant as part of their Greenspace Enhancement Grant Program.

Toro UK's sales and marketing manager, Craig Hoare with headteacher of Thorn Grove Primary School, Peter Luck

Each year through Foundation’s philanthropic initiative, Land. Water. Thrive., the company supports non-profits and public agencies worldwide by providing financial grants to revitalise parks and green spaces, enrich outdoor environments of local neighbourhoods and schools, educate on the efficient use of water, and support sustainable agriculture through community gardens and other projects.

Thorn Grove Primary School plans to utilise the grant to build an outdoor learning centre for students to enhance their understanding of the environment and engage in real-world learning opportunities. The project involves installing a canopy to cover an outdoor area of the school grounds where elements of the environment can be incorporated directly into curriculum teaching and students can foster an appreciation for the outdoors.

“The creation of an outdoor learning space will provide opportunities for the children at Thorn Grove to embrace a love of the outdoors,” said Peter Luck, headteacher at Thorn Grove Primary School. “The space will help improve child development, support mental health and wellbeing and promote more inclusive and engaging learning. It will give children experiences that they haven’t had previously and will bring learning to life.”

Responsible for enhancing the greenspaces in and around local waterways, Canal and River Trust creates spaces for people to engage with the outdoors while ensuring wildlife habitats remain protected. The grant will go towards Grow Green Spaces Stortford, a community involvement movement dedicated to clearing weeds and planting native species to neglected outdoor areas around the River Stort and increasing biodiversity throughout the community.  

“The Toro Company’s funding will allow Grow Green Spaces Stortford to grow our project in the community, benefiting both human residents and local wildlife,” said Wendy Gordon with Grow Green Spaces Stortford. “This generosity will allow us, through Canal and River Trust, to purchase a range of native bulbs and wildflowers and construct a variety of species habitats to further enhance the biodiversity of the area. We can’t thank The Toro Company enough and we can’t wait to start gardening.”

“We are so excited to support Thorn Grove Primary School and Canal and River Trust to revitalise these outdoor spaces for our community members to enjoy,” said Linda Eldon, Toro human resources manager in Spellbrook. “The project reflects our purpose to enrich the beauty, productivity and sustainability of the land while creating safe, functional spaces where our communities can thrive.”

Claas has announced a 25% increase in sales to 6.1 billion Euro for its 2023 financial year, compared to 4.9 billion Euro the previous year.

Claas CEO Jan-Hendrik Mohr

The manufacturer says the substantial leap in sales reflected the high demand for agricultural machinery and clearing the high order backlog following the pandemic, with their sales particularly strong in Europe and North America. Income before taxes also tripled from 166.3 million Euro to 522.3 million Euro with net income rising to 347.1 million Euro.

Last year also saw the company spend on research and development total 302 million Euro, up from 279 million Euro. Capital expenditure totaled 207 million Euro and the number of employees throughout the world was 12,131.

Looking ahead to the forthcoming year, Claas CEO Jan-Hendrik Mohr said, "In the new fiscal year, however, we will have to prepare ourselves for a more difficult market environment.

"While order backlog is returning to normal, the pace of economic activity is slowing perceptibly in our core markets in Central and Western Europe and North America, due in no small part to high inflation and mounting geopolitical tensions. In light of current events, the Claas Group will consistently pursue the strategy it has adopted and continue to build on its strengths."

The AEA has issued a statement urging all users of agricultural vehicles to ensure that they understand the rules around vehicle lighting and that their vehicles comply with them.

They say they are also contacting manufacturers and dealers of agricultural vehicles to ensure that any Amber Warning Beacons fitted on the vehicles they manufacture, sell or service meet the requirements of the legislation.
 
The AEA say, "Where they are required, Amber Warning Beacons are a useful aid to warn other road users of approaching hazards, but agricultural vehicles are increasingly being fitted with inappropriate unidirectional, amber flashing lights. These only emit light in one direction and are not permitted on the road under the vehicle lighting regulations, although they can be used off road.
 
"As well as not being legal, unidirectional flashing amber lights can be dangerous due to potential confusion with and/or distraction from direction indicators. They are often brighter than the direction indicators and are sometimes fitted at a similar level. This can make it difficult for other drivers to see the direction indicators. Confusion of that kind has been a contributing factor in at least one fatal accident involving an agricultural vehicle."
 
So that the requirements for the installation and use of Amber Warning Beacons on agricultural vehicles are clear, the Association has issued some guidelines:
 
When should they be used?
 
At least one warning beacon must be installed & used:

• On any ‘slow’ motor vehicle (max speed ≤ 25 mph) or trailer drawn by it, when used on an unrestricted dual-carriageway road.
  Note: The ‘motor vehicle’ must have four or more wheels

Amber warning beacons may also be used in the following circumstances, which often apply to agricultural vehicles:

• By any vehicle being used in connection with the escort of any vehicle, whilst travelling at a speed of ≤ 25 mph
• When it’s necessary or desirable to warn persons of the presence of the vehicle or a hazard on the road.

How should they be installed and operate?

Amber warning beacons must:

• Be mounted at least 1200 mm above the ground
• Be capable of emitting either a flashing or rotating beam of light throughout 360° in the horizontal plane.  Unidirectional flashing amber warning lamps are NOT legal
• Emit light between 60 & 240 times per minute.  The duration of the flashes and the intervals between them must be constant
• Be located so the light from at least one beacon is visible from any point around the vehicle or the (tractor-trailer-trailed implement) combination . . ... from a ‘reasonable’ distance.

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