There's a story involving dealership Rea Valley Tractors leading our news today. It's an interesting tale and one that fits into an ongoing discussion regarding the future of the UK dealer network.

If you look back at Service Dealer's March / April edition from earlier this year, our own Laurence Gale profiled RVT for the magazine. In that feature there were no indications of major changes afoot. Certainly if you glance at those pages, the colours of green and yellow dominate the photos.

However in today's news you can read that the dealership is splitting from the company that has been their longstanding main franchise and, as they put it, are plotting their own destiny.

In a fascinating insight into the ambitions of a major machinery supplier, RVT md Steve Petford is quoted as saying, "In discussions concerning the long-term development of the company, the options presented by our current tractor supplier effectively involved either downsizing or selling the business, scenarios that were emphatically opposed by RVT’s Chairman and main shareholder Simon Clarke, not least because of the impact on jobs."

RVT it seems, were able to stand up to a multinational corporation and find their own way forward, on their own terms.

Dealer rationalisation

You may remember last week, we were discussing the ongoing trend for rationalisation within the UK dealer network.

This conversation arose following a recent spate of dealership merger, buyout and acquisition stories that we had reported on within our news pages - plus through hearing from some supplier representatives who told us how they had seen their list of dealer business contacts noticeably shrink over recent years.

As ever, we were keen to hear the views of our readers on this subject. We wanted to know whether this wave of takeovers is a pattern causing concern amongst single depot businesses?

One dealer's view expressed to us confirmed that it was for them, saying, "This is not good for smaller dealers. It's a real shame. You lose that personal touch."

However, an interesting view came from Keith Christian, director of BAGMA, who reached out to us with a more positive take on the situation.

Keith started by explaining that the trend toward larger, combined dealerships was predicted a long time ago and is nothing new in the evolution of the industry.  "It should be clear," Keith said, "that most of these mergers and acquisitions are in the agricultural machinery sector and not so many in the garden machinery sector."

Keith's key point was that the overall size of the dealer network is not contracting. He said, "It should also be made clear that whilst the number of actual company names maybe reducing, the number of outlets (branches etc) and the people within those organisations remains the same."

He continued, "It is not a case of doom and gloom for the dealer network. It is a change bought about by global trading conditions and economies of scale. There will always be a place and a future for the independent and privately owned dealerships in the UK."

Keith concluded, "Whilst the circumstances surrounding most of the mergers or acquisitions in the UK are driven by a grander corporate plan it should be noted that the dealerships involved are still privately owned, family businesses who have formed the backdrop to the UK dealer network for many years and will do so a long way into the future."

We thank Keith for taking the time to contribute to the conversation and for offering his insight. It is indeed a fair comment that with most of these stories of takeovers that Service Dealer has covered, it is reported that staff and branches of the acquired dealership are retained.

What does seem undeniable though, is that there are fewer unique names dotted around the network. When we spoke to our supplier panel recently, one representative told us that whilst we as consumers used to embrace the notion of using truly independent, 'mom and pop' businesses, the reality is that time is passing. "Just look at the high-street," they said, "people use large companies. You’ve got to be realistic; we all want to deal with companies that will be there in five years’ time."

Their argument was that a future of big dealer chains is unavoidable.

So is this the harsh truth? Are single branch indies done for? Is it an outdated, vaguely romantic notion that there is a place in years to come for one-offs within the UK dealer network? Are the likes of RVT who are able to find ways of maintaining their identity, an increasing rarity?

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

The Board of E P Barrus Ltd has announced that in December 2023 managing director, Robert Muir, will retire from his position after 32 years with the company, including more than 11 as md.

Robert Muir

Robert joined Barrus in 1990 from Ransomes Consumer Ltd, where he was managing director. The company say he has contributed enormously to the growth and success of Barrus during his tenure. First as finance director ensuring the financial stability of the company; and then as sales director and managing director. Barrus say that as well as being a popular leader of the company, he is hugely respected by both their suppliers and customers.

Robert was instrumental in taking Barrus into the garden tools market, first with Wolf-Garten, then Wilkinson Sword and Town & Country. More recently he has been leading the drive on electrification within the markets that Barrus operates in, not least with the design and building of a hydrogen fuel cell powered inland waterways vessel.

Odgers Berndtson has been appointed to lead the search to identify Robert’s successor.

Robert Glen, owner of Barrus said, “It is hard to know where to start to thank Robert for his dedication to Barrus and his friendship to me and my family. There have been some interesting times over the last 32 years and Robert’s unwavering commitment has served us very well."

Tara Glen, Barrus chairman added, “I have known and worked with Robert for over three decades. He is a tremendous leader and on a personal level, adviser, so I am thrilled that we will retain his wise counsel and expertise as he has agreed to remain on the board of the company as a non-executive director."

STIHL GB held a groundbreaking ceremony last week to mark the first official day of construction of its new 11,500m2 purpose-designed headquarters and state-of-the-art warehouse facility in Camberley, Surrey.

L-R: Roy Jones, md London and South, Glencar Construction; Councillor Helen Whitcroft, Mayor of Surrey Heath; Michael Traub, Chairman of the Executive Board, STIHL AG; Kay Green, md, STIHL GB
 
Chairman of the executive board at STIHL AG, Michael Traub, STIHL GB managing director, Kay Green, Mayor of Surrey Heath, Councillor Helen Whitcroft, and managing director London and South at Glencar Construction, Roy Jones, attended the ceremony to turn the first soil and announce the official commencement of works on the site.
 
Due for completion in 2023, the site will be home to nearly 100 employees and will include dedicated dealer training facilities, an on-site restaurant, flexible collaborative workspaces and a technical workshop.
 
The company says the new 9,000m2 warehouse space will utilise the latest picking and storage system technology. All logistics will now be consolidated onto one site, which they say will mean a speedier and more efficient delivery service to the 700 strong STIHL dealer network.
 
Kay Green, managing director of STIHL GB, said, “The groundbreaking ceremony is the beginning of an exciting new chapter for STIHL GB and the result of a sustained period of growth in recent years. Our new purpose-built headquarters represents a significant capital investment and is a commitment to the future for our dealers and end user customers.”
 
The new HQ boasts environmental credentials including BREEAM Certification, the sustainability assessment method for building projects. In addition, it is proposed that two-thirds of the total roof area (1600m2) will be covered with photovoltaic solar panels to provide power to the new facility, as well as the installation of EV charging points.
 
The new headquarters will be connected to Blackwater railway station by a dedicated cycle path and will feature landscaped gardens with native shrubs and trees and a wildflower meadow, which forms part of an integrated flood risk mitigation zone on the former Thames Water Utilities site.
 
Three biodiversity offset planting schemes will be implemented in the local area, which will replace the greenery that has been removed during construction, as well as adding an additional 10% planting provision. All the planting has been carefully selected so that only native species are planted.

Campey Turf Care Systems recently marked the official opening of their new showroom in Bosley, Cheshire, by welcoming over 150 guests to the new facility.

 
The new showroom, based half an hour away from their HQ in Marton, is home to new and used tractors, machinery, new mowers, strimmers, chainsaws, parts, and clothing, from brands such as New Holland, Echo, Dennis, Trimax and Granit.
 
During the opening day, the full range of Campey machines was on display while guests enjoyed the hospitality to celebrate this milestone in the company’s story.
 
Speaking about the event, Campey Chairman, Richard Campey said, “We were delighted to see so many customers, friends, and work colleagues come to the open day. It was our chance to show everyone our new venture and celebrate the achievement.
 
“This new branch will play a significant role for us as we grow into the new areas of agriculture, horticulture and professional landscaping. We’re looking forward to welcoming customers to the showroom in the coming months and taking Campey forward.” 

 
An auction and raffle was held on the day, which raised £1,290 for The Christie Charity, which provides enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds. This includes continued funding for a number of services throughout the hospital, including the cancer information centre, wig fitting service, art room and complementary therapy. Prizes were donated by New Holland, Trimax Mowers, Vredo, Bellon Mit and Dennis Sisis.

Club Car has completed the acquisition of Garia A/S a Denmark-based manufacturer of electric street legal low-speed vehicles for the utility, consumer and golf markets.

The acquisition also includes Melex, which Garia acquired in 2021 to accelerate its growth in the utility space. Melex is a manufacturer of lightweight utility vehicles based in Poland.

“We are incredibly excited that Garia and Melex have joined Club Car. Together, we share a passion for innovation, design, and commitment to our customers,” said Club Car president Mark Wagner.

“We look forward to increasing the global reach of the combined brands. We see the acquisition as an opportunity to mature our go-to-market strategies and tap into new offerings - like street-legal utility and last-mile delivery.

“With the most extensive line-up of low-speed electric vehicles in the industry, we anticipate a strong growth trajectory for years to come,” Wagner added.

Both the Garia and Melex businesses will continue to be led by Jakob Holstein, who said, “Club Car is known for their extensive dealer network. This, combined with their operational expertise and commitment to delivering high-quality products, will take our brands to a new level.”

Overton (UK) Ltd has welcomed Steve Barnfather to its sales team.

Steve Barnfather

Responsible for the North of England and Scotland, Overton says Steve brings a wealth of experience to the company, with over 25 years working in the groundcare industry.
 
Steve said, “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working in this industry, it is a passion of mine. When the opportunity came along to join Overton, I knew it was a great move for me. The team have been so welcoming and the product range is impressive."
 
“Electric and battery-powered have certainly become buzzwords within the industry," Steve continued. "More and more people are looking to make the move to this type of power and I know the proven Mean Green range will be something of great interest in the area. The Altoz product is totally unique and I have not seem anything quite like it on the market.

"I already know that so many of my contacts will be impressed with these machines and I am so looking forward to showing them off.”

The Amazone Group has taken a financial interest in the Dutch start-up company, AgXeed B.V.

4-wheeled AgXeed AgBot and 3m Amazone rotary harrow with GreenDrill catch crop seeder box

Service Dealer reported in May 2021 how Claas had also invested in the company.

Amazone say they now become a strategic partner with the aim to further develop their mounted implements for autonomous use in the field. Through the partnership between AgXeed, Claas and Amazone, the companies believe they will be able to find the autonomous solution that fits each customer the best.

In an official statement, Amazone said, "The autonomous platforms from AgXeed are an ideal match to the Amazone product range. The combination of minimal ground pressure, optimised weight distribution and flexible mounting zones open up new possibilities for independently constructing intelligent solutions for arable farming.

"The tracked AgBot has already been used very successfully in conjunction with Amazone cultivation and seeding equipment in recent years. In addition to cultivation and seeding, the new 4-wheeled AgBot can also be used with Schmotzer hoeing systems for mechanical weed control."

Action Lawn and Leisure has been appointed as a new Etesia dealer in Stirlingshire and surrounding areas. 

The dealership was founded in 1998 by Bob Bruce. It is a family run business which prides itself on offering a personal service with good advice and excellent product knowledge. The company works with a variety of groundscare brands, but the time had come to set further ambitions according to Ian Bruce, son of founder Bob.

“Currently we are operating at about 70% domestic and 30% commercial,” he said. “We are looking to venture more into the professional market and want to be able to offer machinery of the highest quality. That is why Etesia kept coming into my head.

“We have dealt with a few Etesia machines over the years and have always been very impressed with what we’ve seen,” continued Ian. “Our local council has an Etesia fleet it was the only machine that came in for a service this year that didn’t need major repairs. This tells me it is of a decent quality because the council are quite boisterous with their machinery!  

“I believe the Etesia products will help us attract larger contractors, landscapers with a few vans on the road and potentially some national trust sites - to name but a few,” he said.

“One of the biggest problems we’ve got in Scotland is wet grass and this is always choking up our customers’ machines. The Etesia machines are designed to cope with this very easily."

Exhibitor bookings for this year’s Midlands Machinery Show are running 15% ahead of normal says the show's organiser.

The event, which will be held on 16-17 November at Newark Showground, provides farmers and contractors the opportunity to view the latest kit, from new tractors to robots and precision sprayers to low disturbance cultivators.

“Exhibitors are clearly keen to return to farm events; new bookings were 15% up by the early bird deadline at the end of May, and repeat bookings are also flooding in,” said show organiser Elizabeth Halsall.

“Last year, 77% of our visitors attended to research and purchase new products and to meet suppliers face-to-face, and there will certainly be plenty for them to see.”

Chandlers (MF) Ltd for example will be bringing a large selection of the latest Massey Ferguson models and the Chandlers (FV) Ltd team will have a full range of Fendt and Valtra tractors, including some brand new models not yet released.

Gavin Pell, managing director at Chandlers said, “The farming industry is changing towards machinery that is high tech and often robotic to reduce labour and costs. Requirements are drifting towards newer, more advanced technology and we are excited to be able to offer the new FarmDroid to our customers.”

Almost 35% of visitors last year ordered a new product from the show, and 82% learnt about new products and innovations, says Elizabeth Halsall. “Given the close focus on farm and turf care machinery and equipment, both exhibitors and visitors know that they will get what they came for. Last year 93% of visitors were satisfied with the exhibitors’ offering, and with advance bookings already up on previous years, it promises to be a fantastic event for all involved.”

This October, travel to Louisville, Kentucky, and make your mark at Equip Exposition; the outdoor living, landscape, and power equipment industry's international trade show.

Equip Expo, formerly GIE+EXPO, is the proving ground—the one trade show where you can “test before you invest” in new products, innovations and even ideas for your business.

• See the Latest Products and Manufacturer Lines
• Entertainment Includes Trace Adkins Performance on October 20
• Learn from Industry Experts Bob Clements and Sara Hey
• 3 Days and Nearly 30 Acres to Demo
• Enroll in our Dealer Management Education

To book discounted lodging and to learn more about Equip Expo on October 18-21 go to equipexposition.com

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