What's in a name? In the case of Hayter, I don't think many would argue against the answer being 'quite a lot actually'.

Hayter is clearly one of the most historic and storied mower brands in the UK. The company have been known to use the term 'iconic' when describing their own products, and I think they have a point.

Since 1946 when Doug Hayter founded the company in Bishop's Stortford the name has been a stalwart of the UK garden machinery industry. Like any company there have been ups and downs, but the brand has always been a cornerstone of many a dealer's showroom. 

Since 2005 the brand has been owned by American giant, The Toro Company, so I suppose this week's announcement of a corporate name change to Toro U.K Limited was almost inevitable at some point.

Had the Hayter name disappeared entirely, I think most would have considered that a genuine shame. However, we're told today that will not be the case. You can read the official announcement here.

To gain a little extra clarification on what the name change means for the company and specifically for their UK dealer network, I caught up with Toro UK's sales and marketing manager, Craig Hoare, yesterday.

Here's what I discovered:

Service Dealer: Just to be clear, the Hayter name isn't disappearing? New machines will still be produced, badged Hayter and in the Hayter colours?

Craig Hoare: The Hayter brand will remain and we will continue to invest in and develop the brand.  New Hayter machines will still carry the Hayter name and remain in the classic Hayter green.

SD: Will dealers see any significant changes in store? Will Hayter signage or point-of-sale for example, remain valid?

CH: Dealers will see no change in store.  As there is no change to Hayter as a brand, all signage and point of sales remains valid and will continue to be used.

SD: You say the name change "will help us to layout our strategy for the Toro & Hayter brands in the UK market". - What does that mean? Is it possible to expand on how that strategy might affect dealers?

CH: Our strategy for the UK market is to grow the Toro brand alongside the Hayter brand. This will involve our dealer network and we look forward to our Dealer days where we will be sharing the opportunities available to Dealers in the Toro brand.  

SD: In changing the name, were the company not concerned that confusion could be drawn regarding the Toro products distributed in the UK by Reesink Turfcare?

CH: By changing the company name we are bringing the UK operation inline with the rest of the Toro organisation. As per the press release we will be focussing on growing the Toro brand within the Consumer, Landscape Contractor, Arboricutural and Light Construction Markets. We are confident that there will not be any confusion about the change as we continue to work with Reesink who distribute our Toro Grounds and Golf equipment.

It will be interesting to hear what these "opportunities available to dealers in the Toro brand" will exactly be at the upcoming dealer days - another reason to attend I guess. But from the official statement and from what Craig has told us here, it does sound like the Hayter name is not going anywhere, anytime soon.

This must be good news because that heritage and trust which such a historic British name evokes in the minds of the buying public shouldn't be underestimated.

Everyone remembers in the early 2000s when some genius decided it would be a marvellous idea to turn the Royal Mail into Consignia! That lasted for all of a year or so before reverting back to its proper name. Quite rightly scorn and confusion meant the bigwigs had no choice but to return to the identity that had built up such recognition and confidence amongst its customers.

Toro appear to have played sensibly with this week's move. It's understandable that they would desire all their foreign subsidiaries to adhere to their worldwide corporate branding. 

But to have kept that historic name, logo, and identity alive is something to be thankful for.

Returning to the Double Tree by Hilton Oxford Belfry this November, the Service Dealer Conference & Awards will benefit from Husqvarna UK as a Gold Sponsor.

The date of this year's event has been confirmed as Thursday November 25th 2021.

Kevin Ashmore, retired UK Commercial Landscape & Groundcare Manager at Husqvarna UK (2nd from left) presents Jason Nettle of Winchester Garden Machinery with their Garden Machinery Dealer of the Year award at 2019's Service Dealer Awards - with Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke (left) and comedian Charlie Baker (right)

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "It's great to welcome back Husqavrna to the Service Dealer Conference & Awards as a Gold Sponsor of the event.

"We are all looking forward to hosting an incredibly valuable day for the dealer network."

Stephen Irvine, Husqvarna UK dealer sales manager said, "Husqvarna UK are very pleased to be sponsoring a Dealer award at this year's event.

"The conference and awards are an investment into our industry and we are delighted to be part of this event."

More details about this year's Service Dealer Conference & Awards will be announced in due course.

You can watch Kevin Ashmore present the Garden Machinery Dealer Of The Year Award at 2019's Conference & Awards below:

Also announced today as a Gold Sponsor of the 2021 Service Dealer Conference & Awards that are returning to the Double Tree by Hilton Oxford Belfry this November, are are Kubota UK.

The date of this year's event has been confirmed as Thursday November 25th 2021.

Martin Tyler, Business Development Manager at Kubota UK (2nd from right) presents Ifan Davies of Arwel's Agri Services, with their Apprentice of the Year award at 2019's Service Dealer Awards - with Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke (left) and comedian Charlie Baker (right)

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "We're pleased to confirm that Kubota UK will be joining us to support our event for the independent dealer network.

"We have many exciting presentations and events planned for the day which we are excited to share with everyone over the coming weeks."

Rob Edwards, marketing manager of Kubota UK said, “Kubota are delighted to again be a sponsor of the Service Dealer Conference & Awards.

"We are committed to supporting young talent and look forward to the event. The awards give the industry a chance to celebrate together and to award dealer excellence.”

More details about this year's Service Dealer Conference & Awards will be announced in due course.

You can watch Martin Tyler present the Apprentice Of The Year Award at 2019's Conference & Awards below:

According to reports in the U.S Stanley Black & Decker is negotiating to acquire MTD Products, Inc., whose brands include Cub Cadet, Yard Machines, Troy-Bilt, Robomow and others.

The company bought a 20% stake in MTD back in 2018, with the deal at the time allowing an option to buy the remaining 80 percent of the privately held firm beginning on July 1, 2021.

American trade magazine, OPE Business, this week reported on a recent earnings call, where Stanley Black & Decker CEO James Loree said, “Our option to acquire the remaining 80% of MTD opened up at the beginning of this month. This opportunity is exciting as we bring leading brands and capabilities in the electric outdoor category as well as the ability to deploy the SBD operating model and apply our global scale. MTD brings superb product engineering and manufacturing expertise in outdoor power equipment, capabilities in robotics technology as well as access to the independent dealer channel in outdoor."

The report says that James Loree continued, "We were just at MTD’s facilities in Valley City, Ohio, last week and came away even more energised by the pipeline for innovation and the runway for growth in 2022 and beyond.

“The strategic fit is hand in glove and the revenue and cost synergy opportunities are compelling. We are currently in negotiations with MTD on the option execution. And should they come to a successful conclusion and subject to all regulatory approvals, we will begin work on tackling this multiyear opportunity for growth and margin expansion upon closing.”

The UK’s first all-electric dealer of off-road utility vehicles, Off-Road Electric based in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, has opted to stock the Farmtrac FT25G fully-electric tractor.

After hearing about the tractor on popular electric-centric YouTube channel ‘Fully Charged’, Off-Road Electric owner Marc Monsarrat got in touch with Reesink Agriculture, Farmtrac’s distributor, to arrange a demo.

Marc said, “We were already stocking electric quad bikes, buggies and converting Land Rovers into electric vehicles, so I knew instantly that an electric tractor would be a perfect fit. Particularly as a number of our clients were smallholders with a passion for going green.

“The Farmtrac FT25G is a serious machine. We only sell sturdy off-road vehicles - not gimmicky electric toys - and this is a proper workhorse utility vehicle. After having a demo I was impressed by its robustness and quality. Plus, by being relatively slimline I knew the FT25G would appeal to both large and small landowners looking for a nimble machine to add to their fleet.”

Marc continued, “The pandemic has taught many in the agricultural sector to do things differently. I speak to a growing number of customers who are looking to shed carbon and gradually move towards doing everything electrically.

“Some customers were already using electric quad bikes but also wanted a PTO to run mowing attachments completely electrically. The FT25G is the missing piece of the puzzle for eco-friendly farmers and estates seeking to mow or till the land with zero emissions.”

Craig Bradshaw and Steven Haynes from Reesink Agriculture are credited with having played an integral role in the success of the relationship. Marc continues: “Part of the decision to stock Farmtrac was down to the service provided by Craig and Steven. They were really approachable and supportive from the off. They were open to a new kind of relationship, bearing in mind we were a new business and focusing exclusively on electric off-road vehicles. They’ve been totally committed and we have a great relationship.”

Craig Bradshaw, Reesink Agriculutre’s UK area sales manager for the Farmtrac tractor brand, said, “It’s been a pleasure working with Marc and his progressive business. It was instantly apparent that the Farmtrac FT25G was going to be the right fit for his offering and we support him in his endeavours to promote the benefits of going green.”

Rupert Price and the team from Price Turfcare, with support fromFentons of Bourne and RT Machinery, say they had a superb response to their first visit as exhibitors at The Game Fair, held at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire at the end of July

With almost 120,000 visitors across the three-day event, Price Turfcare say the exposure for the Ventrac brand was outstanding. It was the busiest ever opening day in The Game Fairs 62-year history, with a three-day total of 119,378 people enjoying the return of the festival of the Great British countryside.

A 30-degree ramp helped demonstrate the climbing ability of the Ventrac

Commenting after the show, Rupert Price said, “This was our first time as exhibitors at The Game Fair and it was an incredible experience. Visitors to this event are a prime section of the target audience for our Ventrac all-terrain compact tractor together with its range of attachments and there was huge interest. We marketed it as the Estate Manager’s Swiss Army Knife and it certainly drew a lot of attention.

“I think it helped that we had moving demonstrations on our stand, which enabled visitors to get a glimpse of what the machine can do. We had ramps at 20 and 30 degrees where the dealer teams were able to demonstrate its unique climbing ability and also had a bit of fun when we balanced a football in the airflow of one of the leaf blower attachments, which tended to stop people in their tracks. This is a family-friendly event and it was great to see so many young children besotted with machinery, especially tractors. We had hundreds of photos taken with them sitting on our static display and we exhausted our supply of ‘Venny Ventrac’ colouring books midway through the second day.

“At this type of event you don’t expect to sell large price-ticket equipment such as ours, but it does provide the opportunity for exposure and to talk to prospective purchasers. I have to say that we have come away with some superb leads and it’s going to take quite some time to follow them up, but that’s a nice problem to have. We’ll definitely return next year.”

According to figures released by the AEA, UK registrations of agricultural tractors (over 50hp) were once again higher than a year before in July.

At 1,019 machines, the monthly figure was 7% higher than in July 2020 but was below average for the time of year.

Stephen Howarth, agricultural economist at the AEA said, "Given the extremely strong figure for June, this may just be a case of monthly fluctuations, although supply chain challenges linked to Covid-19 have affected the sector, as with most of manufacturing."

The total number of tractors registered during the year to date reached 7,864 machines, 23% higher than by the same point last year and 7% above the 5-year average for January to July.

With the latest Precision Farming DLC (downloadable content) running on GIANTS’ Farming Simulator, the makers say the general public will be able to improve their knowledge of modern farming techniques.

The second version of this popular video game’s DLC will focus on sustainability and will use modern technology to reduce the amount of herbicides, while the application of organic and mineral fertilisers will also be more accurate.

John Deere and GIANTS Software have jointly developed the Precision Farming DLC. This was achieved in cooperation with the University of Hohenheim, University of Reading and Spanish agri-food cooperative Grupo AN.

It has been funded by EIT Food, the world's largest Agrifood Innovation Ecosystem supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), with the goal of improving society’s knowledge of modern farming. The project led to the publication of a download link for the first DLC on December 8th last year:

Thomas Engel, project leader at John Deere, said, “The cooperation between all the partners has been fantastic and the DLC far exceeds my expectations.”

Thomas Frey, Creative Director at GIANTS Software, added “We’re excited about the continuation of the project and the opportunity to take part in this important undertaking to emphasise the benefits of sustainable farming technologies.”

In the meantime, the first DLC has been downloaded nearly one million times and the makers say feedback from the gaming community is very positive. Gamers’ excitement has also raised expectations for more features in the next version.

John Deere therefore recently started developing a new and extended DLC, again funded by EIT Food. Besides the existing partners, the team now involves the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research from the Polish Academy of Sciences, in order to include the farming community and young farmers from Eastern Europe.

The next Precision Farming DLC will be based on the new Farming Simulator 22 video game, which will be launched on November 22nd. Gamers can look forward to a host of new features.

While the first version included most of the basics of precision farming such as soil sampling and variable rate applications along with the economic benefits for the farmer, the second version will focus on advanced precision farming technologies.

These features allow the sustainability of modern farming to be increased even further, with a much lower environmental footprint. Camera technologies will be used to reduce the amount of herbicides used, and the application of organic and mineral fertilisers will be made more accurate with the use of modern sensors.

Key Account Manager – London North 

Company overview 

With over 330 years of innovation and passion, Husqvarna provides sustainable solutions within the Professional Greenspace Maintenance. We let high performance meet usability and safety, ensuring you are ready to get the job done efficiently. Every development by Husqvarna is made with the user in mind. Husqvarna offers a wide and growing range of products and accessories, including everything from Professional Chainsaws and Professional Battery handheld products; to Professional robotic lawnmowers (Automower®). With a solid focus on the Professional Automower® solution, we offer the strongest range of sustainable turf care made in the UK and are the world leaders in robotic mowing since 1995. We are therefore looking to grow our team in this area with a talented and pro-active Key Account manager to help us reach our goals.

Key Responsibilities

The role will involve the implementation of Go to market sales and marketing strategies  and this will include developing and managing freely a regional Key account Pro Automower® portfolio together with managing and growing existing the direct Pro Key accounts.

The negotiation of product listing, making recommendations, and implementing action plans is vital in this role and establishing a sustainable relationship with Pro Automower® customers, answer for tender and negotiating lasting contracts is pivotal. 

In addition, the role will involve gathering market and competitor intelligence and analysis and identifying and facilitating marketing opportunities. As part of the role, you will be part of the UK Pro sales team and a strong collaboration with dealer sales team

Support efficient coordination with the various departments of the company to achieve the objectives set:

• Marketing activities which include product approach, markets, management of calls for tenders, pricing
• Manage sales administration on a regular basis
• Liaise with Supply chain for goods being despatched
• Support customers with any after sales queries 

The Candidate

A good educational background with relevant degree education or equivalent and turf maintenance knowledge  and B2B sales experience would be advantageous.

Essential skills for this role include being team player but also able to work independently with a strong “self-starter” approach. In addition, strong interpersonal skills and relationship building are essential qualities with the ability to communicate, present and influence at all levels. Individuals will possess a high level of tenacity, be self-confident with a style that can enliven, engage and positively impacts individuals and groups to succeed together. Finally, you will enjoy working in a fast paced environment and have a strong commitment to results and be commercially astute, numerate and with an appreciation for pricing, costs and profitability.

Additional skills required include:-

• Must be highly experienced in: Microsoft packages, Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint and CRM solutions
• Full UK driving licence. A towing (B&E) category would be advantageous

Benefits

The role includes a competitive benefits package and our sites across the globe act as culture hubs where collaboration is key to success. The role will also involve elements of home working and will give the best opportunity to combine work and private life.

How to apply

If you are interested in this role, please contact andy.scott@nigelwright.com for further details.

Account Manager

• Scotland & North of England
• or Central and East of England

Ibcos Computers Ltd is the UK’s leading provider of Dealership Management Software to the Agricultural, Construction and Ground Care industries. We help Dealers manage all areas of the business operations from parts and service, through sales and finance, with innovative solutions to achieve their business objectives. We are looking to recruit for the position of Account Manager for either Scotland & North of England or Central and East of England depending on the successful candidate.

We are seeking an experienced account manager with a knowledge of the industries that we serve and a good understanding of Dealer Management Systems. The successful candidate will work as part of our sales team, reporting to the Sales Director. The role is homebased and will require travelling to visit customers.

The Account Manager will be responsible for

• Managing the territory for existing customers:  this includes all customers in the different industries that we serve.
• Achieve sales targets which are reviewed each year for the expected growth of the territory.
• Help identify prospects to pass onto the Business Development Manager.
• Work with the marketing team on existing and new campaigns as well as supporting new initiatives for our website and other relevant channels to reach our target market.
• Attend relevant trade shows as well as conferences and events to maximise the opportunity of connecting with prospects and existing customers
• Travel throughout your territory which may include occasional travel outside of the UK
• Work with the product and development teams on new initiative projects and products
• Develop a strong knowledge of the products features and benefits and where required help to produce sales related literature.
• Collaborate with all departments to ensure we find the best solution for our customers
• Work closely with the Sales Director on new projects including best practices for the sales team.
• Build territory plans with details for managing existing customers.
• Become involved in ad-hoc tasks as required.

Accountabilities

• Deliver a prompt and courteous service to customers
• Plan account strategies for allocated customers
• Achieve quarterly and annual sales targets
• Maintain regular contact with allocated accounts
• Adhere to the defined sales process
• Attend and contribute to regular sales meetings
• Provide status and progress reports to the Sales Director    
• Escalate critical or strategic issues to the Sales Director

Experience Required

• Essential - Experience as an Account Manager or similar role
• Essential - Hands-on experience with multiple sales techniques
• Essential - Proven track record of achieving sales targets
• Essential - Experience with CRM software and ability to adapt to new systems
• Essential - Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• Desirable – Good user of MS Excel (analysing spreadsheets and charts)
• Desirable - Understanding of sales performance metrics
• Desirable - Ability to deliver engaging presentations

Suitable for someone who…

Has worked in a field sales environment for a period of at least three years with a proven track record in achieving sales targets. Has the ability to form new relationships with customers using methods including visits and phone calls. The ability to sell the benefits of a DMS including the value proposition and return on investment. Self-starter who can set and achieve goals with the ability to work to a long-term strategy. There will be a requirement to travel therefore a current clean driving licence is required. Able to work autonomously, with minimal supervision and be an excellent time manager who can work strategically.

Interested candidates please forward CV and cover letter to hr@ibcos.co.uk. Closing date for applications is Friday 20th August 2021.

Visit the Kentucky Exposition Center, between the 20-22nd October 2021, to take part in GIE+EXPO’s:

• 4,000sqft hands-on Drone Zone
• UTV Test Track for driving and comparing the latest vehicles on real terrain
• Remote Pilot Certification Course
• Arborist demos and classroom courses
• Keynote presentation from Admiral James Stavridis
• Free dealer workshops by Bob Clements International, as well as much more… 

Visit gie-expo.com to find out more.

Our Summer research shows that on average, each Garden Trader dealer will be sent 114 new customers (or people with a buying intention walking through your door) per year.  This works out at 83p for each new customer. A subscription rate designed to be all inclusive delivering unrivalled online results.

This site was purpose-built just for skilled servicing ground care dealers by the team that bring you Service Dealer Magazine. It is easy and quick to register and costs just £96 + VAT per year for a full listing.  As this dealer site is designed to promote the UK dealer network, all revenues in 2021 will be reinvested into promoting the site online.

Join the country’s only independent specialist website, created by the team that bring you Service Dealer. Join our subscribed Garden Trader dealers now by clicking on “Register Dealership” and let's fight back against the zero value retailers.

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