It's disappointing today to have to report on more industry events falling by the wayside for this year, due to the affects of coronavirus.

Back when this all kicked off for us in March time, we had a flurry of cancellations to contend with. Service Dealer magazine's Events page, suddenly had Cancelled or Postponed notices slapped all over it for the spring and summer months.

It was hoped at that stage that once we got into September and beyond, some of our industry events would be deep enough into the year to avoid the brunt of it and be able to go ahead. We always thought there would be measures in place, but certainly from my own personal naivety, thinking back I don't think I ever expected the entire industry calendar to be decimated.

It's clear now however, that shows with multiple exhibitors, stands and hoards of visitors, simply won't be possible in 2020.

Therefore today we sadly report that the AEA's Tillage Live and the Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society's Midlands Machinery Show have both had to call off their events for the autumn. And it's not just shows over here which are being forced kick into touch their 2020 plans. We also hear today that our friends at GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Kentucky have had to call off 2020's huge event.

The organisers of these gatherings will have explored all avenues to go ahead this year in a safe manner. The AEA were still hopeful last week even, that they would be able to continue with their Tillage Live plans due to the large outdoor space in which they operate. This has unfortunately proved not be the case though.

The team over in Louisville also have a huge outdoor area in which they run demos - combined with the static exhibition indoors. Like our SALTEX, they too have reached the conclusion that it simply isn't viable for them to run the show as they would want this year.

Kris Kiser, president of organisers the OPEI and managing partner of GIE+EXPO, has sent a video message for Service Dealer readers today explaining their decision - which you can watch here. Kris also promises that 2021's show will be a real "door-buster"! At least that will give the winners of the competition we ran with the OPEI for a trip to the show, something to look forward to for next October!

As reported last week, plans are well advanced for Service Dealer's Conference and Awards in November - but with contingencies in place for it to run in an amended format to previous years.

I spoke to owner Duncan Murray-Clarke about the Conference this week, who told me, "Decisions are becoming more dynamic in the way the pandemic is being addressed. Fluidity is so important in order to do the right thing at the right time.

"Undoubtedly our conference will have a strong virtual and broadcast element - and we consider ourselves fortunate to be in a position to be able to do this.

"The format will reflect the situation nearer the time, but we are as ever pushing to continue supporting the dealers as best we can and the conference content will be timely and relevant."

Clearly being a conference rather than a machinery exhibition makes life a little bit easier for our organisers. It allows for different options and blends of options to be available to get the event on.

In recent times, the Conference has provided such a valuable experience for all who've attended. There have been so many learning opportunities which dealers have been able to take away and put into practice at their own businesses. Plus celebrating best practice amongst the network is always a joyful experience. And let's not forget the social side (although actually remembering it the next morning has proven tricky on occasion!)

So I am certainly looking forward to what's in store come November. This year more than any, help, advice and inspiration in how we can all Work Smarter, will be most welcome.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and continued regulatory uncertainty, GIE/OPEI, LLC have announced that the 2020 GIE+EXPO show scheduled to take place in October in Louisville, Kentucky, will be postponed until next year.

Kris Kiser, President and CEO of OPEI, and managing partner of GIE+EXPO sent Service Dealer a special video message explaining the decision which you can watch below.

Show ownership and management (GIE/OPEI, LLC) of GIE+EXPO, the Green Industry and Equipment Exposition, say they have been monitoring the situation closely, and have been working with state and local authorities to put on the safest show possible. Unfortunately, they say, the unpredictable nature of such a rapidly evolving environment prohibited this year’s show from taking place safely.

“The health and safety of our attendees and exhibitors is critical, and it is with profound regret that we announce the cancellation of our 2020 event,” said Kris Kiser.

“We’re looking forward to 2021 and already gearing up to make our next show a dynamic and engaging experience for the entire industry. I encourage exhibitors and attendees that have already registered or secured exhibit space to roll those monies forward to the 2021 show.”

Next autumn, the organisers say that attendees and exhibitors will experience several updates to the Kentucky Exposition Center grounds. The facility is undertaking $8 million in outdoor improvements and enhancements, including:

• Replacing the main entry gates to improve ingress and egress.
• Expanding paved areas on the north side of the building to increase exhibit space opportunities.
• Relocating more than 126,000 cubic yards of soil, to the Outdoor Demonstration Area to improve drainage and irrigation to the grounds.
• Adding permanent driving lanes to the Demo Area.
• Improving pedestrian access from nearby hotels

Despite the need to postpone this year’s show, the Kris Kiser says the industry in the U.S continues to thrive. “Manufacturers, landscapers, and outdoor power equipment dealers have been deemed essential during this ongoing pandemic, and the industry continues to play a major role in keeping greenspaces around the country safe and accessible,” he said.

“What we’ve learned during this period is the extraordinary importance of the living landscape to our mental and physical health, especially for homeowners who have a yard."

BAGMA say they have had many callers asking whether customers and staff have to wear face coverings in dealerships as of last Friday (July 24th).

The Association says they have been looking into the much-asked question about the wearing of face coverings in dealerships showrooms.

They say the very late but more specific Government guidance issued on July 23 did not clearly answer this question but was clear that, in England, from Friday July 24, members of the public need to wear face coverings - for example, a fabric covering, scarf, bandana or mask - that covers the nose and mouth in enclosed public and retail spaces. Anyone caught not sticking to the rules will be liable to a £100 fine from the police.

As a consequence BAGMA say they are encouraging dealers "to insist that customers wear face coverings when visiting their premises in order to protect their own staff as well as their customers."

You can read BAGMA's full article on the face coverings issue here.

Read the full Government guidance here.

Reesink Turfcare has announced "with sadness and genuine gratitude for the role he has played in the company", the retirement of regional manager John Pike.

John has spent 17 and a half years working with the Toro UK distributor and its predecessor Lely UK, and close to half a century working in the turfcare industry.

John Pike

John first started work straight out of school and made the move to Triumph Motorcycles in the West Midlands, but after completing his engineering HND he soon realised he belonged in his home county of Dorset. He moved back and began working as a warehouse assistant at J.T. Lowes Garden Machinery, part of the Flymo company (the original importers of Toro), in what was originally meant to be a summer job, but soon saw him work his way up to trade and retail sales manager, and then area sales manager for Flymo in 1986.

It wasn’t until 2001 that he joined the then Toro UK distributor Lely as a business development manager, and it was his passion for Toro machinery that inspired him to join, says John. “I had been involved with Toro since 1972, and enjoyed demonstrating the Toro70, 58, Trojan, GM3 and GM72 through the 70’s and 80’s and saw the brand develop and progress. I’ve always had faith in Toro’s quality and its place as an industry leader within turfcare.”

Coming from a consumer machinery company, John was one of the first to join Lely without full commercial experience. “I had to go from selling many thousands of inexpensive mowers a year, to selling hundreds of Toro machines at a much higher price point, so that was definitely a learning curve for me.”

But that didn’t stop John from making his mark with both Lely, and later Reesink, playing a fundamental role in the appointment of new Toro dealers and service centres in the South West region, a career highlight for him.

“I’m particularly proud of the work I did appointing service centres, some of which I had to really fight for,” says John. “And of course whenever I was able to convert a customer to Toro that gave me a real buzz. The harder the challenge, the more satisfying it was!”

John has seen many changes throughout his time in the industry, but the move towards finance deals he says has been the biggest. “It used to be that clubs would buy one or two machines a year on a rolling basis, which would mean they’d end up with a fleet of both brand new and 10-year old machinery! When I started, I would only get two or three fleet deals a year, and only really with the bigger clubs. Now, the introduction of finance options allow more clubs, irrespective of size, to secure fully modern fleets for course maintenance, which has been a really positive change to see.”

David Cole, managing director at Reesink says: “John has been the stable bedrock of our Midlands and South West regions forever, it seems. So, replacing him will be an obvious challenge – but he leaves his many colleagues and dealer partners in good shape for the next step. We wish John a long and happy retirement and thank him for his excellent contribution to the Toro profile and customer service in his region.”

John’s retirement plans have changed somewhat due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, however this isn’t going to stop him from enjoying all of his hobbies.

“Originally I was meant to be flying off to the sunny Maldives to spend a couple of weeks detoxing the workaholic out of me! But that will have to be postponed for now. Instead, I’m looking forward to enjoying my hobbies; shooting, water skiing, off-road driving and photography - definitely enough to keep me busy!”

Having “loved every aspect of the job” it certainly is bittersweet for John to be saying goodbye. “I will miss most the relationships I’ve made during my time at work. I’ve made so many friends, and I’ve had so many lovely comments and well wishes already from customers and colleagues alike. In return, I wish them all the best for the future.”

The Midlands Machinery Show has announced the cancellation of its November event as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but is continuing with its Agricultural Engineering Apprentice Awards.

The event was scheduled to take place on 18-19 November at Newark Showground.

“Since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak we have been monitoring Government guidance and were initially optimistic that we could safely deliver the event in November,” explains Bob Sheldon, chairman of the MMS advisory committee.

“However, there is still ongoing uncertainty, with changing guidance and restrictions affecting exhibitors and visitors alike. Given how long many of our exhibitors require to prepare for the show, we felt we needed to make a decision,” he adds. “Our prime concern is the wellbeing of all our supporters and rather than risk delivering a subdued and more limited experience than normal, we felt it was better to decide now and find a different way to support the industry.”

To this end, the show will be awarding its Agricultural Engineering Apprentice Awards in November. Launched in 2017, the awards celebrate the valuable contribution of apprentices and trainees in the agricultural industry and recognise their commitment and hard work in colleges and workplaces across the UK.

The awards form part of the Midlands Agricultural Engineering Traineeship and Apprenticeship Education Scheme, supported by Geoffrey Bond OBE DL. Each winner - chosen by a panel of Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society judges – receives £500 to help fund their career development.

“These awards provide valuable promotion of agricultural engineering as a career and help to bring fresh blood into this important and fast-moving sector,” says Mr Sheldon. “We are so pleased to be able to continue to run them this year, with the support of our local colleges and manufacturers.

“We would also like to thank our exhibitors and visitors for their ongoing support. Next year’s event has been booked for 9-10 November, and we are all looking forward to a more positive year in 2021.”

Echo has announced a new promotional offer.

The manufacturer is offering their customers a free second battery worth up to £199 when a selected 58V kit of power tool, battery and charger is purchased.

The offer is available on the Echo 58V chainsaw (CS-58V4AH) where customers get a free 4Ah second battery, and power blower (PLB-58V2AH), double-sided hedgetrimmer (HT-58V2AH) or trimmer (DST-58V2AH) with free second 2Ah battery when purchased with a battery and charger.

The offer began on 1st July 2020 and runs until 30th June 2021 but only while stocks last and it can’t be combined with any other deal.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Golf Club is the first club in the UK to be using Toro's new all-electric eTriFlex 3370, supplied by local dealer Cheshire Turf Machinery.

L-R: Reesink Turfcare’s Mike Turnbull, Cheshire Turf Machinery’s Steve Halley, course manager Ian Beech and general manager Richard Beech

Course manager Ian Beech says it was six years ago that he first heard about the battery technology in development during a visit to Toro’s headquarters and R&D centre in Minneapolis.

Iain said, “Seeing the prototype and hearing all about this game-changing technology really captured my interest and I’ve been waiting for the day we could get our hands on one of these machines ever since.”

That day arrived in late spring and Iain says the new mower has exceeded expectations for him and the six-strong team. “One of the main selling points was that the battery could mow up to 20 average sized greens on a single charge. Incredibly we’ve been getting up to 56 greens done! Even with accessories such as the grooming brushes on the cutting units we’re still getting 38-40 greens done!

“We racked up 90 hours in the first five weeks, we charge it overnight and as yet haven’t noticed an increase on our electric bill. We’re looking into installing solar panels on the shed roof, so perhaps in time there will be no reliance on the main electric supply at all to power the machine.”

Iain says when he started in the greenkeeping industry, there was a limited shed of equipment: two tractors, some Flymos and a couple of triple mowers, and with each passing year as Ian noticed how the demands on the course were getting greater, he soon struck up a relationship with nearby dealer Cheshire Turf Machinery to help him develop the course into one of the most consistent and fast in the area.

“I always attend the shows to see what’s available and network to learn from other people’s experiences,” he says. “It’s for those reasons I’m confident we have the best combination working with Cheshire Turf Machinery and Reesink and using Toro. Add to that having the right staff, the right training and a progressive club who continues to invest in its future and the result has been an increase in membership as the country comes out of lockdown.”

Richard Beech, club manager, concludes by saying: “Having this machine means we don't have to choose between being responsible neighbours and preparing the course for our members. It is unbelievable just how quiet this machine is, it means we can cut the greens in the very early hours without disturbing the houses next to the course. It is very exciting to be the first to have the new electric mower and pleasing that our members are seeing the benefits.”

Following Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club’s purchase of Ventrac 4500 from local dealers Ernest Doe, course manager Dominic Lewis says he is saving hundreds of greenkeeping hours at the 132-year old club.

Situated within Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, the club has two 18-hole courses, both over 100 years old. Dominic Lewis has been in post for just over a year, having held similar positions at Hadley Wood, Harewood Downs, Oakland Park and Datchet golf clubs.

Commenting on the Ventrac purchase he said, “I’ve been in my position since May last year and quickly discovered the huge amount of time the team were spending on strimming work, on the banks and in the ditches. It was amazing the amount of time it took; it was a nightmare and, of course, it’s physical and extremely uncomfortable in hot weather. We looked for a solution and discovered the Ventrac.

"Our local dealer, Ernest Doe, sourced a machine, we had a demonstration and it was obvious it was what we needed. We chose four attachments; the Contour deck, Tough Cut deck, Trencher and Power Rake, so we have virtually four dedicated machines in one. At around £55K for the package, I would say it’s certainly value for money.”

Dave Wakeley, deputy course manager, is the principal operator of the machine and is more impressed with it every time he takes it out. “It’s a gamechanger for us and is saving us hours on some of the really time-intensive jobs around the courses. For instance, we have to strim the banks and ditches every three weeks and it used to take five of us up to three days to complete.

"With the Ventrac we have reduced strimming hours by at least 75%, maybe more."

Minchinhampton Golf Club’s championship Avening and Cherington courses near the village of Avening in Gloucestershire and The Old Course on National Trust-owned Minchinhampton Common are renowned for their year-round immaculate presentation.

Minchinhampton Golf Club general manager Simon Pope (far left) and courses manager Adam Matthews (centre) with (left to right) John Deere territory manager Nick Ashman, dealer Tallis Amos Group area sales manager Alex Jones and TAG director Colin McIntyre

Just one of the 12-strong greenkeeping team led by courses manager Adam Matthews, including workshop manager Will Harris, was furloughed during the coronavirus lockdown, for health reasons. The club decided to keep all the other greens staff working on staggered shifts through the day and into the evening, as much to watch over and protect the courses as to continue maintaining all 54 holes to the highest standard.

This process has also seen the introduction of the club’s first John Deere course maintenance equipment fleet of 10 machines bought from dealer Tallis Amos Group (TAG) at Bibury, near Cirencester, on a five-year John Deere Financial lease deal. The new fleet includes three 2750 E-Cut hybrid electric triplex greens and tees mowers, a 6080A PrecisionCut fairway mower for the approaches and a 7400A TerrainCut rotary mower for the surrounds and roughs, plus three electric TE Gator and two diesel HPX Gator utility vehicles.

“We anticipated that the club would need to reopen at very short notice and so it proved,” says general manager Simon Pope. “On returning we wanted to present the courses to the members in as good a condition as we possibly could, so we aimed to keep the same maintenance schedule all the way through the lockdown and be ready to go from day one.

“As an extra benefit, we usually close each of the championship courses in turn during August and September for annual intensive maintenance programmes, but the good work that was achieved during lockdown means we won’t need to do that now, which our members are delighted about. I have to commend Adam and the whole team for their admirable effort and positive attitude, they have been absolutely brilliant under the circumstances.

“There was certainly a huge pent-up demand from the members to get back playing – I reckon 1300 people played at least one day within 10 days of re-opening,” adds Simon. “We already had a very strong membership base, with a waiting list last summer, but the lockdown period saw new membership applications shoot up. We have also now expanded the membership offer, so golfers can play 54 holes across the two sites if they wish. This gives members a lot of variety, especially as we are able to run dedicated two-ball and four-ball courses.”

Now 35, Adam Matthews has worked at Minchinhampton Golf Club since he was 16, and became courses manager in January. This coincided with the club coming to the end of its existing five-year fleet deal, and therefore provided a good opportunity for Simon and Adam to review every aspect of the club’s management, including the machinery. After competitive tender quotes from existing and other main suppliers, the pair were impressed by the presentations made by TAG and John Deere.

“TAG’s area sales manager Alex Jones in particular led from the front and it was really his persistence and sound advice that persuaded us to seriously consider using more John Deere equipment than we have done previously,” says Adam. “They put forward a very constructive and consistent proposal, and we had a range of machines in twice on demonstration so the team could really test them properly in our conditions.

“We certainly took our time, it was by no means a sudden decision, and we wanted to be very thorough and fair. It was not just about buying new machinery either, other key factors came into play such as after-sales care, trust in the equipment both in the workshop and out on the course, as well as the finance.

“Ultimately, the high level of customer service was what made us believe that the overall John Deere and dealer package was the way for us to go. All our questions were answered quickly, the selection of machines was tailored precisely to our needs and since the deal’s been completed, Alex Jones and TAG have continued to provide excellent back-up. We realised that this aspect is so important, particularly when you change to a new supplier.”

Job Title : Area Sales Manager – UK European Engine Centre

Honda Engines are one of the world’s leading suppliers of small general-purpose engines used in a diverse range of Original Equipment Manufacturers’ (OEM) products including generators, construction, lawn and garden equipment.

We are looking to recruit an Area Sales Manager (Southern Region) to join our small but successful UK based European Engine Centre team. You will have responsibility for achieving and generating Honda engine sales to UK OEM’s throughout the Southern Region.

With experience in developing effective customer relationships you will possess a consultative selling approach, building a solid understanding of the OEM’s needs in terms of its products ‘’Powered by Honda’’. In this way ensuring the best match between the OEM application and our Honda Engines.

Key Responsibilities

• Development and maintenance of an accurate sales plan for the region.
• Through customer visits, work closely with OEM’s to develop new and potential projects from concept stage through to final product.
• Assisting with technical aspects of Honda engines including installation and application testing, supported by the team’s Application Engineer.
• Managing current key accounts and developing new prospects.

Required Skills, Experience and Attributes

• Completed full time education to minimum of GCSE Level or equivalent with a minimum of Grade B in English and Mathematics.
• Minimum HNC level in a mechanical discipline.
• Full UK driving licence.
• At least 3 years’ experience of sales within a business to business environment.
• Development of sales strategies in support of sales plan.
• Experience in the lawn and garden and/or construction equipment industry would be preferred.
• Good organisational skills with a high degree of computer literacy.
• Problem solving.
• Project planning.
• Excellent communication skills across different levels and disciplines, both written and oral.
• Clear and confident decision maker with a commercially focussed approach.
• Persuasive, self-motivated and flexible with a confident, positive attitude.
• Team-player.
• Willing to undertake extensive travel within the UK and occasional overseas travel.

Excellent benefits including a competitive salary, Company car and Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions.

If you are interested in applying for this exciting opportunity, please forward your CV and covering letter to tracey.middleton@honda-eu.com. Closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 14th August 2020.

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