We are delighted today to share further exciting news about November's Service Dealer Conference.

The organising team have now revealed who will be delivering the 'customer insight' portion of the day's proceedings - and it really is a stellar lineup.

We are lucky to be joined by the custodians of two of the highest profile, most prestigious, professional sporting venues in the country - if not the world. Service Dealer will welcome to speak to our dealer delegates, representing commercial customers, the head groundsmen of the RFU's headquarters, Twickenham Stadium and the MCC's home of cricket, Lord's. Jim Buttar holds over 25 years of experience of hands-on management in sportsturf, whilst Karl McDermott has an in-depth knowledge of turf management to achieve perfection on his hallowed ground.

Whilst to represent farming customers, Jim and Karl will be joined by Andrew Ward, one of the most prominent faces in UK agriculture. Andrew received an MBE in 2014 for his services to agriculture and is a strong advocate for sustainable farming.

These top professionals in their fields, whilst clearly having their own fascinating tales to tell about their own personal careers, are of course also representative of all professional customers who frequent dealerships everywhere. Hearing their wants and needs, as well as their expectations of what their local machinery specialist needs to deliver in order to maintain their patronage, will make for fantastic understanding for all dealers.

Listen carefully

I think business experts would be in agreement that for any independent retailer, carefully listening to your trusted customer base is a vital skill set to acquire. So much can be learnt of direct, practical benefit to the business by taking on board and reacting sensibly to constructive pointers from clued-up individuals who use your services. 

In the first instance, dealers who are seen to be taking on board feedback from valued customers should find they are building trust and loyalty. It seems fair to assume that customers who feel heard and respected are more likely to return to the same dealer for future purchases and recommend the business to others. Dealers will know only too well the rapport and friendly relationships they build up with regular customers - allowing them to understand their needs and make future purchase recommendations.

Customer feedback can also be helpful in refining a dealership's product offering. By understanding what customers like or dislike about certain products, dealers can adjust their inventory to better meet demand.

Similarly, with constantly evolving technological trends in all the sectors that our dealer readers represent, listening is vital to understand the local market's shifting preferences. For example if enough customers are saying they are interested in smart, connected devices that can be controlled via apps, dealers can explore partnerships with manufacturers offering these solutions.

It seems fair to assume that other natural benefits that can be picked up by simply listening to customers could include an increased level of customer service - always an important differentiator for specialists - and a strengthening of ties to the local community.

Of course everyone reading this will know that, unfortunately, not all customers are helpful fonts of knowledge and wisdom! It's only natural for any retailer to have a moan about certain individuals on occasion. We're talking about those customers who may have the propensity to be - let's be polite - slightly awkward. However, seasoned dealers will be savvy enough to recognise genuine constructive feedback when they hear it and adapt accordingly.

So come November, hearing these top-level professional customers speak at the Conference about how they use their local dealers and what they expect from that relationship, will be of great benefit to all delegates. Whilst not everyone in the room will have the ability to provide services to Lord's or Twickenham, the principals of what these guys say will be applicable across all dealers' circumstances.

These are sessions not to be missed and will be jam packed with insight and valuable takeaways.

Organisers of November's Service Dealer Conference are thrilled to announce a stellar line up for the customer insights segment of this year’s conference.

Joining us on stage to share their experience and provide valuable insights for our dealer delegates will be:

Jim Buttar, head groundsman at the RFU (Twickenham)

Jim holds over 25 years of experience of hands-on management in sportsturf. From an apprentice in a private school, to leading up the team at Twickenham, he has successfully delivered surfaces for many professioanl leagues and competitions globally. Through his passionate approach leading by example and with his management, Jim knows what it takes to produce world-class surfaces and what he requires from suppliers to achieve this.

Andrew Ward MBE, farmer

Receiving an MBE in 2014 for his services to agriculture, Andrew Ward is a prominent face in UK agriculture. Managing 650ha of arable land in Lincolnshire, Andrew grows a diverse range of crops including the UK’s only commercial crop of capulet beans for baked beans. A strong advocate for sustainable farming, Andrew specialises in soil management and crop care. He is well versed in the elements needed to ensure business growth - both in the ground and the support network.

Karl McDermott, head groundsman, Lord’s

An award-winning groundsman with exceptional knowledge, Karl has worked his way up from club level to be the manager of the leading cricket ground in the country. Beginning his career in 1991 at Clontarf Cricket club, within 6 years he became head groundsman. Having experience of grounds overseas, Karl has an in-depth knowledge of turf management and the techniques and resources necessary to achieve perfection on the pitch.

The theme for this year's Service Dealer Conference is Driving Success and it will take place, along with the Dealer Of The Year Awards, once again at the Crowne Plaza, Stratford-Upon-Avon on Thursday 28th November 2024.

For more information on how you can be a part of the event and to stay updated on conference news visit our website or follow us on social media @servicedealer

The strong trade for later classic tractors shows no signs of dropping, say machinery auctioneers Cheffins, as 140 classic and vintage tractors, along with 1,000 entries of spares, implements and stationary engines, went under the hammer at the recent Harrogate auction.

1985 MB-Trac 1500

The Harrogate sale, held at the Great Yorkshire Showground, has been an annual event on the sale calendar for more than 30 years, and this year’s auction totalled £672,000, with a strong sale rate of 83%. Mid-eighties and early nineties tractors continued to attract a loyal following, with a 1985 MB-Trac 1500 making £51,456, and a sought-after 1992 John Deere 4955 eventually finishing at £35,912. An immaculate 1994 two-wheel-drive Ford 7810 Powerstar SL, with one owner from new on 5,200 hours, achieved £19,296.

1992 John Deere 4955

Bill King, chairman at Cheffins, says the later classics continue to be popular. “Later classics from the 80s and 90s are once again in high demand, particularly low-houred examples in original condition. Purchasers are keen to invest in tractors they remember operating. There is still a strong demand for early classics too, such as Massey Ferguson 135s, Fordson Dexta and David Brown 880s. These are iconic models, with original examples or ones in restored condition, achieving premium prices. An unusual and original Fordson Standard N with a Roadless Full Track conversion, made a superb £19,080, confirming that there is still considerable interest in these earlier 1940’s tractors, too.”

Other notable earlier tractor models sold at Harrogate included a 1980 Muir-Hill 121 for £29,480, a 1974 Massey Ferguson 188 for £12,006, and a 1946 Field Marshall Series I fitted with a Lainchbury winch was purchased for £14,150. Highlights from the implements and spares sale included a 1967 Wheatley single axle tipping trailer for £3,472; an unused Hara cab for a County 1174 finished at £4,256 and a IHC Tom Thumb stationary engine sold for £1,064. A Ford toolbox with mounting bracket suitable for a front casting made £512, while a 2014 Land Rover Defender 90, with just 23,000 miles on the clock, sold for £32,160.

Bill concluded that the implements and spares are just as popular for many buyers as the tractors. “Tractor and implement spares sold very well as restorers want to source original parts for their projects, and, with some spares difficult to find, this leads to surprising prices being achieved. Classic 3-ton trailers, cultivators and ploughs, along with barn machinery, all sold for excellent prices. We are already looking forward to 2025.”

Somerset ATV dealer Ark ATV has joined the Corvus Off-Road-Vehicle network.

L-R: Boss ORV national sales manager, Neil Everett; Ark md, James Westwood and Ark director, Rod Blomfield-Richards

The announcement was made by Boss ORV, the UK distributor, whose managing director, Phil Everett, has previously worked with Ark director Rob Blomfield-Richards. Phil said, “I am delighted to be reunited with him and his team, as I know how professional they are and what fantastic support they offer to their customers."

ARK ATV Ltd has been family-owned and operated since 1997, supplying farmers and other workers with ATVs from their Minehead area base. Boss ORV’s national sales manager, Neil Everett, has also known Rob and the team for many years and says he has seen them demonstrate extremely high customer service levels and a great understanding of the working ATV/UTV market. They will cover the area across Somerset and North Devon. 

Neil said, "With their current line-up lacking a UTV and us requiring coverage in such a strong area for UTV sales, it seemed almost natural for us to open up discussions regarding the Corvus franchise.”

Ark will sell and support the Corvus Terrain ranges of diesel and electric UTVs.

The STIGA team have been offering their support to a number of domestic abuse charities as part of their We Care That You Care campaign.

The manufacturer says it is well documented that gardening can help substantially to improve both physical and mental well-being. With this in mind, they say they reached out to several charities offering them mowers and gardening tools for those victims in their care.

WWIN is an independent charity providing specialist domestic abuse services to support victims, educate communities, and prevent abuse across Sunderland and Wearside. STIGA donated to them 4 x Collector 136e cordless lawnmowers, 4 x GT 300e cordless grass trimmers and 4 x HT 300e cordless hedge trimmers to this charity.

Ciara Barrett Smith, Findaway Project coordinator said, "We're very grateful to Stiga for the gardening equipment they have donated. Providing green spaces for women and children to enjoy at each of our safe accommodation sites is so important. Access to the outdoors is vital for our health and wellbeing, especially for those who have been subjected to abuse and trauma."

Ciara continued "These tools have helped us maintain and look after those spaces; ensuring they look their best for the women and children we support, and that we can get the most out of the space we have."

If anyone is suffering from domestic abuse they are not alone and should contact The National Domestic Abuse Helpline open 24/7 on 0808 2000 247 for confidential support.

Organisers of the upcoming GroundsFest 2024 have unveiled the event's education programme that will be spread across four seminar theatres and will include some practical sessions.

The seminars are free to attend, and visitors can earn up to 12 CPD points by attending the sessions. 

Seminar Theatre 1, sponsored by Lantra, kicks off on 10th September with a range of sessions, including: 

• OCR Regulations - All You Need to Know by The Amenity Forum.
• A Year in Edgbaston - Gary Barwell from Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
• Challenges and Opportunities in the Amenity Sector, featuring experts like Professor John Moverley (Lantra), Jim Croxton (BIGGA) and Alisdair Mason (LanGuard).

On 11th September, Seminar Theatre 1 continues with sessions like Reducing Glyphosate in Amenity Settings and The Benefits of Volunteering to Progress Your Career.

Seminar Theatre 2, sponsored by Dennis and SISIS, will feature content on 10th September, such as:

• Sustainable Seed Solutions for Landscaping and Sports Turf by Stuart Yarwood from DLF.
• The Future of Amenity Weed Management by Sean Faulkner from Kersten UK Ltd.
• Boost Your Turf: How Silicon Supercharges Grass Growth by Kate Williams from Orion Future Technology.

On 11th September, there is Water Management for Grassroots Football by Kelly Clack, An Introduction into Playground Standards and Inspections by Jon Dalton from The Play Inspection Company, and Understanding Gravity-Fed Chippers: How To Ensure Your Customer Gets The Right Solution by Andy Wain from HANSA.

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