This week we here at Service Dealer Towers have been putting the finishing touches to the latest edition of your magazine, before sending it out into the big wide world (via the printers).

In all modesty, the amazing production team and the top-level unit of crack editorial contributors have fashioned another absolutely barnstorming issue - dedicated, of course, to the interests of the UK independent dealer network.

Waiting for you within the covers when your copy drops onto your mat, is a series of fascinating and helpful articles. For example, industry expert Keith Christian offers us his take on the thorny issue of succession for dealers. He considers how difficult it can be for a small business when the founder chooses to retire.

Elsewhere, Laurence Gale visits dealers Hopkins Machinery who have four branches across Wales and the west of England. Loz speaks to Evan Hopkins, third-generation operations director, to discuss the business’s structure, new technologies, and future plans. Meanwhile, I conduct a Q&A with Mark Earles of Makita about how the company has progressed since moving to solely producing battery-powered products, as well as hearing what his year as AEA president has entailed.

This latest issue also contains run-downs on trade shows from around the globe. Our agricultural machinery editor Martin Rickatson, reports from both LAMMA at the NEC and Agromek in Denmark. Dealer Jo Balmer, tells us that all UK dealers should visit the gimungous Equip in Louisville, Kentucky at least once in their careers. Whilst I round-up a successful, pro-turfcare focused, BTME in Harrogate.

Also included are all our regular features you've come to expect - including this time around, the results of our recent Winter Servicing Survey.

Attracting candidates

Regarding these survey results, I'm sure it'll come as little surprise to hear that the difficulties faced in recruiting are mentioned by dealers. This area was bound to come up when our readers are talking about what factors are inhibiting the running of workshops to their fullest potential. It's a perennial problem and one that we have spoken about a lot within our pages. It's also one that industry bodies such as We Are Land-based are taking seriously. They are clearly working hard trying to find practical solutions that help dealers, whilst at the same time actively promoting the sector.

I think it is important though, not to forget that this is not simply a parochial problem that only we in the UK are facing. It's clearly a difficulty that dealers worldwide are grappling with.

I recently saw our friend and columnist Sara Hey of dealer training experts in the States, BCI, answering an American dealer's question around this subject. Interestingly it was from angle I don't recall us discussing specifically in great detail. The dealer was looking for Sara's advice on what she believes to be the best way to write a job description that actually attracts the right people?

Sara sums up the predicament faced by dealers saying how it's understandable to want a "rock star employee" who can solve every problem and never complain. "But here’s the thing," says Sara, "nobody’s perfect." She goes on to stress that dealers should make sure that their job description is realistic, that it clearly outlines the role, the skills required, and the expectations, but not to "..overload it with impossible standards.".

Her other couple of key pointers are that the yearly salary should be clearly stated because omitting this can be instantly off-putting and you should also sell the growth opportunities that the role represents - because "Great hires aren’t looking for a dead-end job."

You can read Sara's whole response here - and she even offers for dealers to email them to request a free copy of a service advisor job description template that they've put together. I guess it may be U.S-centric to a degree, but I'm sure there will be universal information within there that UK dealers could find helpful too.

As I'm sure Sara would agree, a well-crafted job description can not only help to ensure that dealers attract decent people but it also sets clear expectations for the potential employees. One sincerely hopes that if the time is taken to craft a well-thought-out advert, an improvement should be seen in the quality of applicants applying to your business.

Agricultural and groundscare machinery dealers who have hosted some of the first open days and shows of 2025, including Ernest Doe, Ripon Farm Services, Farmstar and Manns, are reporting some cautious optimism among customers and sales staff, despite the uncertainty that continues to dog the agricultural equipment trade in particular.

At Ernest Doe’s annual three-day show held last week, first-day attendance was particularly strong from early morning until late afternoon on the traditionally-strong first day, with good numbers attending on the following two days, reports Hayley Hill, marketing manager.

“There’s no doubt we were cautious at the beginning of this year about how things would be, particularly ahead of our first LAMMA show where we were exhibiting the specialist vegetable machinery we now sell following our expansion into south Lincolnshire with the acquisition of two further branches.

“Last year we had enjoyed our second-best ever event for sales and attendance, so given current circumstances we weren’t expecting to exceed that, but we have been pleasantly surprised. The proof will come at the end of today, our final post-show day for our sales teams to put in their orders.

“The addition of the vegetable machinery, the fact we put on coaches to bring down customers from our new south Lincs territory, and the addition of new franchises such as Amazone groundcare products, all helped to bolster the visitor numbers and potential sales leads.

“Many new visitors told us they hadn’t realised it was more than a dealer open day, with the demonstrations, the sales items and other features. Their feedback has given us new views and perspectives on the show, which is always useful for our planning for future events.”

Elsewhere, Yorks dealer Farmstar also reported a strong open day back in late January. Sam Davies, this firm’s general manager, says attendance exceeded expectations, with over 800 visitors, while deals were agreed on some 25 items of used machinery during the day.

“We also held a raffle, raising £1,055.41 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance Team South, and had a good take-up on discounted parts offers.”
In Suffolk, Manns’ annual Green Thursday open day - plus a Preview Wednesday - at its Saxham Used Machinery Centre were also well-attended, reports Will Riddleston, used machinery manager for the business.

“We had a lot of people through the doors over the two days, with the Claas GPS and telehandler demos on our adjacent demo area also bringing in a lot of interest. While offers on used machinery are an important part of the days, they are also a good opportunity to show customers what else we can offer them and how we can add value.”

T H White Machinery Imports has announced a new dealership partnership with Buxtons.

L-R: Kelly Burgess, sales director and Ellis Adderley, commercial sales of Buxtons with Jamie Jagger sales and dealer support, T H White Machinery Imports

The new collaboration will expand access to Jensen woodchippers, providing sales and support to customers throughout the Midlands region.

Jamie Jagger, Jensen sales and dealer support at T H White Machinery Imports, said of Buxtons, "Their dedication to customer service and deep industry knowledge make them an ideal partner. Together, we will ensure that customers receive the highest level of support and access to top-quality equipment.”

Kelly Burgess, sales director of Buxtons, said, “The Jensen range perfectly complements our existing portfolio of high-quality equipment, enabling us to provide robust and efficient solutions to meet the needs of forestry and arboriculture professionals in the Midlands. We look forward to building strong relationships with new and existing customers through this exciting partnership.”

Nathan Jacobs, Jensen business manager at T H Whie Machinery Imports, added, “Buxtons is a fantastic addition to our dealer network, and we are thrilled to have them on board."

IAgrE have announced that they will be supporting the Armed Forces National Transition Event to be held at Silverstone on 24 February 2025, where the organisation will be signing the armed forces covenant at an official signing ceremony.

There will also be a We Are Land-based exhibition stand provided by the Land-based Engineering Training and Education Committee (LE-TEC), where visitors can learn more about a career in the land-based industry. As part of the LE-TEC collaboration, IAgrE say they will be promoting recruitment, training and education for people working within all sectors of agricultural and land-based engineering.

In its 6th year the event brings together service leavers, veterans, reservists, spouses and partners and family members to aid successful, sustainable transition and networking opportunities, recognising, demonstrating and celebrating the value of the Armed Forces.

Using the backdrop of the Silverstone race track, the event gives people a way to find out about careers and roles across different industry sectors.

New for this year is an invitation for 16 to 18 year olds cadets to come along and hear about the opportunities open to them in the job market, apprenticeships and training.

IAgrE CEO Charlie Nicklin said, “This event provides a fantastic opportunity for service leavers to connect with employers, support services and government agencies to explore diverse career opportunities and network with 100’s from across industry and government.

"Land-based engineering can offer service leavers careers at all technical levels, whether it’s diagnosing and fixing faults on sophisticated tractors to keep customers running, through to designing and developing new generations of farm machinery with global manufacturers. There are so many transferable engineering skills from military equipment which can be applied to farm machinery.

“A career in land-based engineering is fast-moving, challenging and above all rewarding, knowing that you’re playing a part in feeding the nation” he added.

According to figures released by the AEA, for the second year in a row, the number of agricultural tractors registered in January was well below average.

The monthly total of 462 machines was 3% fewer than in the same month last year, representing the slowest start to the year since 1999.

Agricultural economist at the Association, Stephen Howarth, described the month as around "..20% below the seasonal average."

Stephen went on to explain, "The opening couple of months of the year are usually a quiet period for registrations, though, and as it follows a relatively strong December figure, it will be a couple of months before we have a clearer picture of how the market will develop in 2025."

Iseki UK & Ireland won the 'Excellent Business Growth Award' at the manufacturer's Awards Convention after more than doubling sales in the last seven years.

Presented by the president of the company, Mr Tomiyasu and general manager for international business, Kazuya Tani, the award recognised the outstanding work done by the entire UK & Ireland team, whose work has seen them gain the most growth and market share of any country in the world.

Managing director of Iseki UK & Ireland David Withers, who was joined by sales director Alan Prickett and commercial manager Graham Hooper, accepted the award at the ceremony hosted in Japan and was delighted to receive the recognition.

"It is a great honour to receive the 'Excellent Business Growth' award. It's a fantastic recognition of our entire team's hard work, dedication, and passion over the past seven years," David said.

"To have more than doubled our sales and achieved the highest growth and market share gain globally is a real testament to the strength of the Iseki brand in the UK and Ireland, as well as the commitment of our dealer network and customers.

"We're incredibly proud of this achievement, and we're excited to continue building on this momentum and bring even more success to Iseki in the years to come."

New for 2025: British garden manufacturer Handy has announced the arrival of its new catalogue and Monthly Dealer Promotions Calendar, both designed to provide retailers with valuable increased margins on a wide range of gardening and home products and ensure they have everything needed for the season ahead. 

 
The new Dealer Promotions Calendar demonstrates Handy’s ongoing commitment to providing retailers with competitively priced products.  Offering fully funded monthly promotions with improved margins and discounts, retailers can benefit from cost savings across a wide selection of gardening and home products from its owned brands such as Webb, The Handy and Greenworks Tools. 
 
To further support retailers, the new 2025 catalogue from Handy highlights the top brands and prices for the 2025 season, such as its new range of wheelbarrows, shrub shears, impact shredder, electric start lawnmower and tool only Webb Eco. 
 
Stocking leading brands from: 

• Webb
• The Handy
• Greenworks 
• Q Garden 
• AVA 
• Karcher 
• Flymo 
• Solo
• Handy Parts 

View the NEW 2025 Trade Catalogue: Handy Trade Catalogue 2025 

For more information about the 2025 Trade Catalogue, please contact your local Handy Sales Manager or reach out to the Sales Desk at 01793 333220 or via email at sales@handys.co.uk

About Handy   

Since 1938 Handy has grown to become one of the UK’s largest independent garden machinery wholesale distributors and manufacturers, supplying specialist dealers, large national retailers, garden centres and mail order companies, from its purpose-built 70,000ft Swindon site which is home to more than 45 full-time staff. Handy has developed some of the UK’s leading machinery brands including Webb, The Handy, and Q Garden. These distinct brands stand as a testament to the company’s creative and manufacturing prowess. As the UK-appointed distributor for the Greenworks brand cordless equipment, Handy is at the forefront of leading battery technology offering a full complement of cordless equipment. To this day, Handy remains a family-owned British business.  Its experience, expert knowledge and dedicated customer service – which includes carrying over 10,000 spare part lines - have enabled it to build a team driven by high performance and family values.  

Cobra is excited to announce the launch of its exciting new range of four lawn tractors for the 2025 season. Designed for homeowners and garden enthusiasts, this new line-up combines powerful performance, user-friendly features, and sleek design to make lawn care easier, more efficient, and enjoyable.

The Cobra LT112HR2L is an exceptional lawn tractor powered by a 586cc V-Twin Loncin engine, delivering outstanding performance and reliability. Featuring a 112cm (44") cutting deck and an impressive 320ltr grass collector, it stands as the largest model in the Cobra lawn tractor range. The adjustable cutting heights, ranging from 25mm to 85mm, provide precise control for a perfectly tailored lawn finish. Additionally, the inclusion of a premium comfort seat ensures operator comfort, making even the longest mowing session a pleasure.

We are also introducing the all-new Cobra LTX92HR2L and LTX102HR2L premium lawn tractors for the 2025 season. These cutting-edge models combine stunning aesthetics with exceptional performance, making them a standout in the Cobra lawn tractor range. Both models feature powerful 586cc V-Twin Loncin engines, ensuring top-tier performance and smooth operation and are equipped with a 92cm (36") or 102cm (40”) cutting deck and a large capacity 240ltr grass collector.

One of the standout features of these models is the LCD dashboard, which provides the operator with all the vital information needed for seamless operation. The LED headlights, along with a striking strip light across the front, not only enhance visibility but also give the tractor a sleek, sporty look, and for added comfort, both tractors come with an adjustable superior comfort seat, ensuring you can enjoy a smooth and relaxing ride, even during the longest mowing sessions. 

To complete the range is the compact but powerful Cobra LTX66HRL. This versatile lawn rider is perfect for navigating around smaller gardens and tight spaces. With its 66cm cutting width and hydrostatic drive system, the LTX66HRL provides smooth, easy manoeuvrability, making it ideal for passing through narrow gateways or tackling more intricate areas of the lawn. Despite its smaller size, it doesn’t compromise on performance, delivering efficient cutting power and ensuring that every inch of your garden is well-maintained.

Peter Chaloner, Managing Director of Cobra Tractors, shared his thoughts on the new range:

"We are incredibly excited to launch this new range of domestic lawn tractors for the 2025 season. Our team has worked diligently to develop models that not only offer exceptional performance and cutting-edge technology but also enhance the overall lawn care experience. The new models are a direct result of our commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable products for homeowners. Whether you have a small or larger garden, there’s a Cobra tractor perfectly suited to your needs. We're confident that our new range will make gardening more enjoyable, efficient, and rewarding for all our customers."

For more information on Cobra visit: www.cobragarden.co.uk or to become a Cobra dealer, please contact Andy Marvin on: 07771 581 296 or call our sales team: 0115 986 6646 today.

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