It's an unusual and sombre Service Dealer Weekly Update that reaches you this Monday.

As you may have noticed we postponed arriving in your inbox on Friday as a mark of respect following the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II. This period of national mourning is a strange, reflective period and one that we are all negotiating in our own ways.

As just one example of how the whole country is caught up in this momentous time, I myself was privileged enough to hold a ticket for day three of the England vs South Africa Test match at the Oval on Saturday. There was some confusion initially on Friday afternoon whether the Test would be abandoned altogether - as the football leagues were - but in the end the decision was made for play to go ahead. As ticket holders we were asked to arrive early for a special ceremony of thanksgiving.

I must say I was honoured to witness and take part in such a unique moment in history. As soon as the players emerged from the dressing rooms, a complete and utter silence fell across the stadium - unprompted by the organisers. You could have heard a pin drop. It was as powerful as anything I've ever experienced.

Once the two teams were lined-up on the pitch, complete reverence and respect was paid to soprano Laura Wright performing the South African national anthem. 

However, it was following this that the moment of utter goosebumps occurred. The first public rendition at a sporting event of the revised national anthem, God Save The King, was sung by Ms Wright accompanied by the whole stadium, with raw emotion. At the conclusion, again unprompted, the entire crowd applauded loudly until the first ball was bowled.

Finding our own ways

The feelings and emotions of what I was honoured to be part of at the Oval on Saturday, are clearly being repeated around the country at this time, on scales both large and small. Publicly and privately.

People are finding their own way to remember and give thanks for what Her Majesty meant to their lives.

I know our industry held the highest regard for a sovereign who clearly loved the care of the outdoors and for farming. Whether it be her love for horses and horse racing, for events such as the Chelsea Flower Show or for country show events - the UK outdoor power equipment industry knew they had a strong advocate and close ally for the work they represented. Of course this love for the maintenance of our natural environment will clearly be continued by our new monarch, King Charles III.

Over this following week until the state funeral next Monday, I'm sure there will be many more significant national moments that will live with us for the rest of our lives - as well as many more times of quiet, private reflection and contemplation.

I hope all our readers are able to find their own ways of remembering and of giving thanks.

Our Service Dealer Weekly Update will be back with you as normal on Friday.

Yamaha have been announced as a Gold Sponsor of this year's Service Dealer Conference & Awards.

Service Dealer owner, Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "We are delighted that Yamaha have taken the last sponsor slot for this year’s Conference And Awards.

"Despite the issues that we have all faced in the last year, many manufacturers have chosen to support November's event. This year will see our highest level of support to date and I think it is a reflection on how the industry is looking forward.  

"I am excited about the speakers and content this year and I know it will be informative, thought provoking and enjoyable. Thank you so much to our line up of sponsors for their support and forward focus."

Matt Taylerson, Divisional Manager, Marketing at Yamaha said, “2022 is our first year supporting the Service Dealer Awards and we are delighted to be part of it. We could never succeed without a strong dealer network, and we see our dealer partners as pivotal to our ability to evolve as a company alongside our extensive product range.

"Our Power Products division is a vital part of the Yamaha business and new innovative products continue to be launched this year such as the Drive² AC Li Golf Car and the new 2023 ATV and Side-by-Side range."

Taking place on Thursday 24th November 2022 once again at the Double Tree by Hilton Oxford Belfry Hotel, Thame, Oxfordshire, the theme for this year's event is Sustaining Dealerships.

John Deere say they are marking the 30th anniversary of its apprenticeship programme with an open day to recruit the next generation of technicians to work across its agriculture, turf and parts business. 

Honor Miles, an apprentice technician, at the new John Deere Training Centre

Well in excess of 1,000 apprentices have qualified since 1992, and the company say they are keen to showcase the exciting career path that lies ahead of those who complete the course. 
 
On 6 October, the manufacturer and the scheme’s training provider, ProVQ, will open the doors of its new training centre in Upper Saxondale, Nottinghamshire, where candidates will be offered guided tours, practical demonstrations and driving experiences.  

Classrooms and workshops will be staffed by instructors and apprentices, providing an opportunity to view the state-of-the-art learning facilities on offer and talk to those who know all about the programme.

John Deere’s apprenticeship programme sees technicians work within the company’s dealership network as a paid employee while completing either a two or three-year course comprising on-the-job practical learning and classroom studies. 

Three courses make up the programme; Ag Tech - focusing on agricultural machinery, Turf Tech - focusing on professional turf equipment, and Parts Tech - focusing on parts service and support.

“It’s a hugely exciting time to be part of the agricultural and turfcare industries - they are evolving and becoming more technologically advanced than ever before,” John Deere branch training manager Allan Cochran says.

“The job is so much more than just servicing and fixing things. The machines and parts our apprentices work on and with are some of the most advanced in the world, many capable of levels of automation or operating at capacities we could only dream of a few years ago. 

“With exam results now known and young people planning their futures, we’re encouraging them to join us for our open day to find out how John Deere can ignite their careers.

“It’s not just for people who love tractors - if you want to earn while you learn and be part of a huge, global brand with a reputation for ground-breaking innovations, then a John Deere apprenticeship could be the perfect start to your career.”   

The open day will be held on 6 October, with three sessions being run at 10am, 1pm, and 3pm. Refreshments will be provided throughout the day, and entry is free, although pre-booking is a requirement as places are limited.

According to figures released by the AEA, after a couple of months of year-on-year declines, UK registrations of agricultural tractors (over 50hp) moved slightly above last year's level in August.

Agricultural economist at the Association, Stephen Howarth said, "At 834 machines, the monthly figure was just five higher than in August 2021 and only slightly further ahead of the August average from the previous five years.

"The total for the year to date was still 5% lower than in January to August 2021, though, as supply chain disruptions continue to delay delivery of tractors to customers."

Garden machinery manufacturer, Cobra, has announced that it has raised over £20,000 for the Breast Cancer Now charity. 

Since launching the collaboration back in 2019, Cobra has donated £25 of each sale of its limited edition pink GTRM38P electric lawnmower to the breast cancer charity and the total money raised will help make world-class research and life-changing support happen to those in need. 

Peter Chaloner, managing director of Cobra commented, “We’re really proud of our 4-year partnership with Breast Cancer Now. Not only do they provide vital research and support for those dealing with a life-threatening disease and the harsh reality of cancer, but they also offer hope and support for cancer patients.

"To have been able to donate over £20,000 to such a wonderful charity is a very proud moment for us here at Cobra. We hope our donation will help progress the charity’s tireless hard work and research so we can find ways to prevent breast cancer and help save lives.”

 
Breast Cancer Now is steered by world-class research and powered by life-changing care. The charity works with hospitals and patients to improve breast cancer services and makes sure anyone affected receives the best possible treatment and care. It is there for anyone affected by breast cancer, the whole way through, providing support for today and hope for the future.

Over 70 guests from across the agricultural machinery manufacturing and academic sectors gathered last Wednesday (7 September) to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Douglas Bomford Trust.

Dr David Llewellyn CBE

The event was staged in the attractive Tithe Barn at Springhill Farm, Pershore, the home of Jonathan Bomford who hosted the gathering and which was attended by five members of the Bomford family.

Amongst the guests was John Fox, now in his 90s, who had joined Bomford and Evershed in 1957.  Ever the innovator, John was the inspiration behind one of the Bomford’s signature products, the Superflow cultivator, and went on to become long serving managing director and chairman of the company.

He was also responsible for establishing the Douglas Bomford Trust in 1972, with the support of the family, following the death of Douglas Bomford in 1969. An independent charity, which currently controls funds exceeding £5 million, the Trust advances £150,000 annually to those engaged in research projects in the design, production and innovation of agricultural and horticultural machinery and equipment.

Typically it will co-sponsor ten PhDs, scholarships and awards to promising students wishing to enhance their studies and skills. The Trust also sponsors student subscription membership of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE).

Nick August and Dr David Llewellyn CBE

To mark the 50th Anniversary, the Trust announced the appointment of its first Patron, Dr David Llewellyn CBE, the former Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University who retired in July 2021 and who featured in the New Year Honours in January 2022.

The chairman of the DBT Trustees, Nick August, who farms at Burford, Oxfordshire presented a commemorative plaque to Dr Llewellyn who spoke about the challenges facing farming in the current climate and particularly the need to address the shortage of labour. 

IAgrE have announced that the title for their first 'in-person' conference for 3 years is 'Engineering Sustainability in Agriculture'.

Taking place on Tuesday 1 November 2022 at the East of England Showground, Peterborough, the Institution says the conference will, ". . explore how soil management technologies will change the way we farm the land to produce food."

In an official statement IAgrE went on to say of the day, "Our experienced presenters will take us through a selection of developments happening in the agricultural industry and how these can get us closer to sustainable food production, supporting carbon net zero and other environmental opportunities and challenges faced by farmers and growers.

"Our conference will interest people working within agriculture and its associated industries, plus equipment manufacturers, dealers and service providers, and education, research and agri-tech organisations. It will give a taste of the technologies and practices being explored and what we can expect in the future."

You can read more about the speakers here and see the programme here.

Kubota (U.K) have announced they have a new team responsible for the generation and execution of all their public relations activity across their groundcare portfolio.

Pan Publicity Ltd, marketing specialists for the golf, sports turf and arboriculture industries, have been appointed by the manufacturer.

This is not the first time that the two have worked in partnership - with Pan previously responsible for content generation across Kubota’s groundcare sector, and their drive into the agricultural market. A decade on, and with a dedicated focus on the sports turf, local authority, landscaping and amenity markets, Pan say they intend to utilise their relationships built with the trade media over the last 40 years to bolster brand presence and industry position. 

“2022 has been a hugely exciting year for us as we celebrate our 40th anniversary," said client services director, Louise Challiss, "and now to welcome Kubota into the Pan family is the icing on the cake."

SALTEX 2022 continues to attract the best in the business - with visitor registrations from over 30 countries already confirmed, a roll call of domestic and international exhibitors signed-up, and an impressive lineup of expert speakers and industry specialists standing ready to provide support, insight, and real solutions to key industry issues. 

SALTEX is Europe’s leading FREE sports turf, amenities and landscaping exhibition

FREE to attend, the show includes the ever-popular Learning LIVE programme, a key element in the SALTEX offering, which has this year been extended to over 30 FREE sessions with influential speakers addressing a range of key issues impacting the industry. High on the agenda are sustainability and environmental issues.

The FREE Learning LIVE sessions will put water usage under the spotlight

Among those bringing their insights and advice to the stage will be Tony Hanson from Environmental Solutions International, Robin Price from Anglian Water and Bob Hillier from the Environment Agency discussing, in a presentation not to be missed their paper on ‘Reducing the impact of future water restrictions on golf and sports turf’ – an extremely timely subject as the sector deals with the results of climate change and the impact that extreme weather is having on sports grounds and green spaces. 

Other seminar highlights include Sports and Play Construction Association (SAPCA) discussing the options, implications, and cost of recycling synthetic turf in the UK. Speaking on the subject will be Colin Corline from SAPCA, David James from Labosport LTD and Alastair Cox from the European Synthetic Turf Council.

SALTEX attracts the most exhibitors in the industry to one place at any one time. And new exhibitors keep coming on board weekly, with 2022 already set to be the biggest and best show yet.

Over 400 brands will be on display at SALTEX

Overseas visitors’ enthusiasm for the event is at an all-time high with over 30 countries already registered bringing with them insights into how they do things in their countries. 

One of those is Daryl Davidson, head groundsman at Sydney University and of the International Greenkeepers Association, travelling from the other side of the world for “this great opportunity to catch up with a heap of new and old friends from our great industry,” it was he says, “an easy decision to jump on board”.

SALTEX is an event grounds people have always made the time to attend. We know from visitor and exhibitor feedback surveys that the networking opportunities are a massive draw and never more so than in the post-pandemic landscape. 2021 survey data showed that almost half (46%) of visitors attend for networking opportunities; over two-thirds (68%) attend to source new products, services, and suppliers; topped by an extremely high satisfaction rating of 83% voting the show as Good, Very Good or Excellent.

SALTEX does not disappoint and registering for a free FREE ticket to Europe’s largest sports turf, amenities and landscaping trade exhibition has never been easier thanks to the event’s new website - saltex.org.uk.

The Briggs and Stratton Vanguard Big Block ™ EFi petrol engine powers the top-of-the-range SCAG Turf Tiger professional mower, supplied in 61” or 72” cutting formats from STM Co Ltd.

Diesel emissions legislation in the US has led B & S to spend a lot of time developing a petrol engine to match diesel performance - and more. The result is the engine that is used in this machine from SCAG and proof of their success is in the reaction from the end-user. It’s a machine of enormous power that impresses in the way it doesn’t lose engine revs moving from short to long grass or flat to slopes. As well as this the fuel consumption for this EFi petrol engine turns out to be equal - or better - than that of an equivalent performance diesel.

Briggs’ technical site gives the details: “Closed-loop EFI system with oxygen sensor optimizes fuel injection and spark timing so the EFI engine delivers significant fuel savings, greater efficiency, easier starting and higher productivity.”

The operators in a recent set of four demonstration put it another way: in each of the four areas they were reluctant to give the machines back at the end.

The products: 

• STT- 61V-40BV-EFI: SCAG Turf Tiger 40HP with 61” Cutting deck
• STT- 72V-40BV-EFI: SCAG Turf Tiger 40HP with 72” Cutting deck
• Cutting height from 35mm to 150mm in 6mm increments
• Up to 12mph forward speed
• 26” Inch drive tyres (optional formats) and flat-free caster tyres.
• High standard operator seat system
• “Tiger Eye” Advance Monitoring System on dashboard.

The machines are available through the STM dealership network. To find your nearest dealer ring 01789 488450, email info@st-mach.com or look at our website www.st-mach.com

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