Duncan explains how all dealerships can enter this year's specially modified awards, which will reflect and reward the ingenuity and resourcefulness displayed by the network these past 18 months.
Service Dealer owner, Duncan Murray Clarke, explains how all dealerships can enter this year's specially modified awards, which will reflect and reward the ingenuity and resourcefulness displayed by the network these past 18 months.
The launch of our modified Dealer Of The Year Awards this week, honouring dealer resourcefulness and determination, comes as we speak to our dealer panel regarding the continued issues faced this year.
Please do check out all the info and watch Duncan's introduction because we have some fantastic new categories this year which we're very excited about. They reflect and reward the remarkable work that dealerships across the UK have been performing throughout this turbulent 18 months.
The team organising the awards felt that the regular product-sector Dealer Of The Year awards could not be run in their normal format in 2021 due to the unprecedented trading conditions which all have endured. Instead they came up with a set of categories that are designed to honour the hard work of dealerships and their employees during this time - both within their businesses but also in their communities.
There will be an award that I'm sure each of our readers will be able to recognise an element of in their own business. You know the lengths that you and staff have been going to during these trying months, so please let us hear about what you've been up to! Your business and your people are deserving of that spotlight of recognition shone upon it that comes with the winning of a prestigious national award. So get involved!
Have a good read through all the details on the website as entry is different to previous years - plus have a good think about all the information you need to share in order to convey why your dealership is deserving - and then get blowing your own trumpet!
Service Dealer wants to hear from as many of our readers as possible. Dealerships large and small, from all corners of the country, are all in with an equal shout. We know the ingenuity, resourcefulness and determination of the network in normal year - but under these extenuating circumstances?! There must be many stories to be told, alongside people and business to be praised. Start your entry journey here.
Catching up with our dealer panel
Speaking of resourceful and determined dealers, Service Dealer had the pleasure of chatting to some again this week in another of our regular video-link catch-ups.
As ever, a valuable experience for us as we get to hear first hand what the current situation is like on the front line. We thank those dealers and the representatives of trade associations, who joined us for their time and their insights.
Stock
Unsurprisingly there is still one subject that's dominating the working lives of dealers - the availability (or otherwise) of stock.
One anecdote which stood out to me was a dealer who represented a large agricultural machinery business telling us they had 457 trailers all sold to customers, but no date for delivery for any of the goods. Also, a price rise had occurred on the product in the meantime, that would now have to be passed on to the buyers.
The causes of these hold-ups are myriad and, by now, well-discussed. We heard that on the whole customers are understanding of delays because they are being seen everywhere. Yes, you might get the odd one chewing your ear off - but we're not hearing horror stories of mass cancellations of orders. Punters realise it's not like they can go down the road and buy from elsewhere - every stockist is in the same boat.
What this week's discussion did highlight though - and it's been something that other dealers have mentioned to us separately - is a feeling that certain manufacturers are letting their network down on the communications front. Keeping dealers up to date with the latest info and dates is vital right now, but we heard that with certain suppliers, it's the dealers being forced to do the chasing. Some suppliers, we were told, were not getting in front of the messaging as perhaps they should.
There is of course, an acknowledgement that the suppliers themselves are receiving contradictory and unreliable information from further up their supply chain - dealers are well aware of this. It was the silence from some that didn't sit well. It was theorised that there is probably an element of 'keeping their heads down' from certain camps. It was speculated that so many dates have been given out this year that turned out to be false, there's a sense of embarrassment in saying anything.
It wasn't an across the board criticism though. The situation was summed up by one dealer who said that those suppliers who in normal times had been great at their comms, had kept up the good work. It was those who were always bad, had gotten even worse!
Is this something that rings true for the suppliers you deal with? Have your say in the comments below.
Meeting up
The conversation moved on to the industry beginning to meet up together again this autumn after the enforced hiatus. Not so much at national shows, or even at the many roadshows taking place this month - the talk was more around the manufacturer-organised training courses currently available.
We heard just how important these are to dealerships, with several we spoke to saying they had staff out on educational courses currently. Webinars have played their part during all of this, we were told, but there was clearly a desire to see staff members safely back in rooms, learning in-person. It was felt that so much more is gained when in a face-to-face instructional environment.
We had heard prior to our chat this week, some concern that perhaps there weren't enough options for real-life courses dealers could send their people on, especially in the 'homeowner' products sector. We didn't really pick up on this with those we spoke to this week - but please if you feel differently, let us know in the comments below.
What is quite obvious, is that there is genuine desire to get members of staff back training with the manufacturer's product experts. One dealer told us they had members of staff who joined them just as all this kicked off, who hadn't yet been able to attend their first in-person course. Hopefully this will be changing this autumn.
New players entering the market
To finish on something of a positive note, the news that new players such as Segway are choosing to the enter the groundcare sector, was broadly seen as a positive move. It's much better to see new companies enter your industry rather than leave it, was how one dealer put it.
With new, untried products though, we heard that dealers tend to be careful who they recommend and sell the gear too - due to the unknown reliability factor. You don't want to be staking your reputation with a professional client on something you can't guarantee.
That said, it was definitely felt that new, well-known names entering the industry, was good for dealers and customers as long as the quality was there.
It was said that it's competition that keeps a market strong, not stagnation.
In this week's WEB ONLY story Service Dealer are today delighted to launch our Dealer Of The Year Awards for 2021, which will be presented at the gala dinner on the evening of November's Conference - and this year there's some very special categories which any dealership can enter.
The company say this new acquisition will allow them to offer a broad range of energy storage solution products.
Briggs & Stratton announced this week that it has acquired SimpliPhi Power, a California-based manufacturer of energy storage and management systems which store solar, grid and wind power for future use by residential, commercial and industrial customers.
The company said that through this acquisition, they will be able to accelerate their growth into the energy storage system market, expanding the business to offer a range of products that provide energy solutions to a broad group of customers.
SimpliPhi Power designs and manufactures energy storage and management systems that utilise lithium-ion batteries to store power generated by residential solar panels, among other sources.
“This acquisition quickly establishes a strong position for Briggs & Stratton in the high-growth energy storage system market,” said Steve Andrews, President and CEO of Briggs & Stratton. “The SimpliPhi Power team brings deep application expertise, strong technical support and proven, successful products to the Briggs & Stratton portfolio of power-agnostic products and technology solutions.”
Catherine Von Burg, CEO of SimpliPhi Power, added, “Combining forces with Briggs & Stratton will provide SimpliPhi Power with new growth opportunities and substantial resources to lead the energy storage system market. Briggs & Stratton’s expansive distribution network, power application expertise, and commitment to innovation will accelerate our growth and our mission of providing resilient energy storage systems that create universal access to safe, reliable and affordable energy to empower people, communities and enterprises globally."
Briggs & Stratton intends to offer SimpliPhi Power products through its own distribution channels in addition to continuing to service SimpliPhi Power’s existing distribution channels.
The producers of Service Dealer have launched a new Instagram account, @TAPintodrones, to show off the footage they have been capturing as part their latest venture.
The producers of Service Dealer have launched a new Instagram account, @TAPintodrones, to show off the footage they have been capturing as part of their latest venture.
The TAP drone team has been capturing some amazing aerial footage for the agricultural and groundcare sectors both here in the UK and in Spain where TAP also has offices.
Emma Craigie, Head of Content & Media says "Viewing the world from above allows us to see things from a different perspective and what better way to do so than offering drone footage. And it makes very engaging content across the channels.
"The new Instagram account gives us the perfect place to show off the incredible footage we've captured - and showcase some of the big boys toys we get to film!"
According to figures released by the AEA, for the tenth month in a row, UK agricultural tractor registrations in August were above their level a year earlier.
According to figures released by the AEA, for the tenth month in a row, UK agricultural tractor registrations in August were above their level a year earlier.
The monthly total of 829 machines was up by more than a quarter, compared with August 2020, and was close to the average for the time of year during 2015-19. This brings the total for the year to date to 8,693 tractors, 23% more than in the same period last year and 6% higher than the 5-year average for the opening eight months of the year.
Stephen Howart, agricultural economist for the AEA said, "The number of machines registered over the latest 12-month period has now moved back above 12,000 for the first time since the end of 2019; in the year to August 2020, fewer than 10,000 tractors were registered.
"Numbers might have been even higher but for ongoing disruptions to global supply chains, linked to Covid-19, which have inevitably led to an increase in delivery lead times for some machines."
The trade bodies would like dealers who have an involvement with apprentices to join a video-link meeting to review the current apprentice programmes for land-based engineering.
BAGMA, in conjunction with the Landbased Education and Training Committee, LE-TEC, are inviting dealers who have an involvement with apprentices to join an upcoming video-link meeting to review the current apprentice programmes for land-based engineering.
BAGMA say the meeting will include a review of where we are now, why we need to update schemes, and will discuss how dealers see the future of apprenticeships.
They say a similar meeting has been held with manufacturers and suppliers to determine their views and needs. BAGMA say the dealer network now needs to discuss its requirements to determine the future of apprenticeships.
The meeting will be conducted by the chairman and the independent consultant who are working with an industry working group sponsored by the LE-TEC partners, of which BAGMA is one.
Keith Christian director of BAGMA said, "The meeting will cover topics such as employers' expectations of the apprenticeship programme; the value of an apprentice to the business; detailed discussion on the apprenticeship compilation; and content and the assessment process of an apprentice. It’s your meeting and the opportunity to air any views that you may have on apprenticeships.
"It is not intended to provide an agenda but the meeting will be guided in such a way as to allow for open and varying discussion to establish what dealers require from an apprenticeship. The outcome of the meeting will then be put to the industry working group that is reviewing the current apprenticeships. It will also be added to the outcome of the meeting of manufacturers and suppliers."
BAGMA says the meeting will be conducted using either a Zoom or Microsoft Teams video link and invitations will be sent to those who express an interest in joining. Those taking part will not be asked to do anything other than express their views during the meeting. There will be a Q&A at the end of the session.
They say it would be an advantage to study the present apprenticeship standards which can be found by following the following links:
If you are interested in attending the meeting, email keith.christian@bagma.com confirming the email address you wish to use for the session. You will be contacted at a later date with more details and then sent a meeting invitation. Keith can also be contacted on 07823 416849.
After committing a return to live events in their July digital press conference, the first show in the brand’s calendar of international and local agricultural shows is Innov-Agri in France.
After committing a return to live events in their July digital press conference, the first show in New Holland Agriculture's calendar of international and local agricultural shows is Innov-Agri in France - where they will be unveiling the new flagship T7 Heavy Duty PLM Intelligence and the T6.180 Methane Power tractor.
“The whole New Holland team is really excited to be back in a physical event,” said Sean Lennon, New Holland Agriculture vice president Europe. “One-to-one interaction is so important in the relationship with our customers, and we have missed it, even though we have kept in touch through digital communication.
"Physical events like this also offer the very important opportunity to touch and feel our products, which makes a big difference when making a purchase decision. This said, the virtual events we organised this last year have been very successful. We want to keep both face-to-face and digital ways of communicating alive, so we can offer the experience of our events to an even wider audience.
"We will use a hybrid format to welcome people at physical fairs but also give the opportunity to attend online. This way we can reach out and be even closer to our customers.”
The manufacturer says Innov-Agri is the first in their lineup of events, which includes major international fairs such as EIMA, Agritechnica and SIMA, as well as local agricultural shows organised with its dealers and importers. They say they will be constantly monitoring the situation in order to ensure the health and safety of its teams, dealers and customers.
Benjamin Kirkby joins from dealers FG Adamson and Son, bringing technical and sales management experience to the role.
Toro UK has welcomed Benjamin Kirkby as the company’s new territory manager for the north of England and Scotland.
L-R: Ben Kirkby and Craig Hoare
Ben has joined from FG Adamson and Son, bringing technical and sales management experience to the role.
Ben said, “I am delighted to be embarking on this exciting journey with Toro UK, working with our strong dealer network and looking for new opportunities to grow our business further. I look forward to sharing the exciting range of new products in both the Hayter and Toro brands with our dealers.”
Welcoming Ben to the team, Craig Hoare, Toro UK’s sales and marketing Manager said, “We are really pleased Ben has chosen to join Toro UK. He brings a great deal of experience to the role and is perfectly placed to support our extensive dealer network, ensuring Toro UK continues to build successful partnerships in the consumer equipment market and helping us achieve our growth plans here in the UK.”
Jochen Schneider is AriensCo's new executive vice president of the Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia region.
AriensCo has announced the appointment of Jochen Schneider as its new executive vice president of the Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia region (EMEAA.)
Jochen Schneider
Schneider most recently held various leadership positions with Aebi Schmidt Holding AG including CEO of North America, COO of global operations and managing director Aebi Schmidt Germany.
AriensCo say this new appointment underlines their continued investment in its global operations and supports its strategy to expand its presence in the EMEAA region. This includes the most recent acquisition of German professional mower manufacturer, AS-Motor in May and completing the start-up of zero-turn mower production here in the UK at Oxford.
The EVP of EMEAA will be responsible for all facets of the company's business in the region including sales, engineering, operations and profit and loss for Ariens, Countax, Westwood and AS-Motor brands. Both Darren Spencer, VP & managing director AriensCo UK and Maria Lange, VP & managing director AriensCo Germany, will report to the EVP EMEAA.
“We are excited to have Jochen join our already strong leadership team in EMEAA and utilise his over three decades of international experience to help us leverage the talent and resources already established in the region,” said Larry Weyers, COO & President of AriensCo.
Claas dealers from throughout the north of England, Scotland and Ireland have enrolled 16 new apprentices onto the manufacturer's Agricultural Apprenticeship scheme run at SRUC Barony.
Despite the difficulties of the past 18 months and the impact this has had on education, Claas say they have received "an exceptionally high level of interest" for its Agricultural Apprenticeship scheme.
Claas dealers from throughout the north of England, Scotland and Ireland have enrolled 16 new apprentices onto the manufacturer's Agricultural Apprenticeship scheme run at SRUC Barony.
SRUC Barony 2021 CLAAS Apprentice intake
From northern England and Scotland are: Steven Sorrie, Jack Johnston, Charlie Scurrah (RICKERBY); Ollie McLellan, Shaun McClune, Dylan Service, Stuart Armstrong (GORDONS); Aidan Brebner, Graeme Stewart, Kyle Ross, Lewis Stevens (SELLARS).
From Ireland are: Eoin Walsh (ALAN DOUGLAS); Christian Cullen (BREENS); Mark Byrne (KELLYS); Gavin McCarthy (McCARTHY); Luke McGovern (ARDAGH AGRI SERVICES).
The new 2021 apprentice cohort is one of the largest intakes of students since Claas first introduced the opportunity to train at Barony near Dumfries in 2008. Ahead of starting their course, the new students recently attended an induction day at Barony where they learnt about the College and what they will be learning and doing over the next four years.
Over the first three years of their apprenticeship, the students will attend the Barony campus on a block-release basis, spending a total of 36 weeks at the college. During this time they will be given comprehensive training in the wide range of technical skills a service engineer needs to look after today’s highly advanced agricultural machinery. When not at college, the students will spend time at their sponsoring dealership, where they will be mentored and supported as they put their new-found skills to the test. In addition they will also be invited to the Claas Academy at Saxham for specific product training, prior to undertaking further advanced technical and industry training in their final fourth year.
The manufacturer says that completion of their apprenticeship will, however, be just the start of their training with the company. Having qualified and working at their dealership they will then have access to ongoing training and development, and ultimately the opportunity to move into more specialised or management roles within their dealership or Claas UK.
Winning streak continues for the sixth consecutive time at the 2021 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® British Championship.
Elgan Pugh continued his dominant STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® winning streak by being crowned the best logger sports athlete in the country for the sixth consecutive time at the 2021 British Championship.
Elgan Pugh claimed top spot, with Glen Penlington coming second and Tom Redmond third
Live streamed from the Telford International Centre, extreme sports fans got to see up close the top 11 TIMBERSPORTS® athletes from all over Great Britain compete in a head-to-head race against time across six disciplines. Using an axe, crosscut saw and chainsaw, competitors are awarded maximum points for the fastest time in each discipline; Stock Saw, Underhand Chop, Single Buck, Standing Block Chop, Springboard and Hot Saw.
The action saw the athletes set 29 personal best times to the delight of the large online audience. Elgan claimed top spot with a consistent performance across all disciplines, with Glen Penlington taking the second spot on the podium for the first time. An ecstatic Tom Redmond took third place in his first professional TIMBERSPORTS® event.
In a change of format for this year, live stream viewers also had the added bonus of watching the British Rookie Championship, which saw the top eight rookie lumberjacks battle it out for the crown. With 24 personal best times and one national record set, the competition was a great spectacle, with Jordan Muscato being crowned the overall winner.
Simon Hewitt, head of marketing at STIHL GB, said, “After a one-year hiatus, it was great to have STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® action back and all the athletes, both professional and rookie, put on a great show, showcasing their talent and highlighting why they are competing at the highest level.
“We’re delighted for Elgan and Jordan on their fantastic achievement. Elgan’s focus now turns to the World Trophy European Qualifier in Switzerland on Sunday 12th September where he and Glen Penlington will be aiming to qualify for the 2022 World Trophy.”
Elgan said of his victory: “It was great to be back in action this year and to be crowned the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® British Champion for a sixth time is a feeling I don’t take for granted. I have trained hard to make sure I was competition ready and it’s great that it has paid off.”
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ANGLIA SPRAYERS TARGET SPORT & AMENITY Knapsack sprayer wholesaler Anglia Sprayers is targeting sport and amenity dealers in a move to deepen its focus on the sector
The longstanding stockist for Cooper Pegler and Berthoud professional knapsacks plans to seize the opportunity to supply more units to a sector that is moving swiftly in the lockdown aftermath.
The longstanding stockist for Cooper Pegler and Berthoud professional knapsacks plans to seize the opportunity to supply more units to a sector that is moving swiftly in the lockdown aftermath.
The Hozelock-Exel brands are already firm favourites among groundscare professionals, particularly models such as the CP3 2000. Berthoud’s Vermorel 3000 electric knapsack meanwhile is increasingly specified as sprayer operatives take up battery alternatives.
“Cooper Pegler and Berthoud knapsacks are robust and reliable,” says Anglia Sprayers managing director Geoff Miles, “and they deliver consistent pressure to help ensure operatives apply correct doses of treatment liquids."
Supplying leading distributor Agrigem, Anglia Sprayers are confident they can satisfy the requirements of the sport and amenity sector.
“We stock a huge range of spare parts and accessories for Cooper Pegler and Berthoud knapsacks,” Geoff confirms, “and can usually deliver next day so that any downtime is minimised.”
The tour offers customers and dealers the opportunity to see the ground-breaking machine live and in action for the first time.
Husqvarna has announced it will be taking its much-anticipated solution for commercial turf management, CEORA™, on tour this Autumn, offering customers and dealers the opportunity to see the ground-breaking machine live and in action for the first time.
CEORA™, which was officially announced to the market in the summer, is expected to revolutionise commercial turf care, an industry which is currently dominated by heavy, conventional diesel mowers that require manual operation.
Starting on 14th September through to 7th October, Husqvarna will be visiting 6 different regions across the UK, including London, North West, South West, Midlands, Northern Ireland and Scotland, to give those interested customers and dealers the opportunity to learn more about how CEORA™ could improve their operations and, for the first time, see the mower in action.
The solution, which has been described as the future of sustainable turf care, has already received much anticipation from customers since it was first previewed at the beginning of June. One of the most significant advantages CEORA™ is that once installed, CEORA™ can independently mow an area of up to 75,000m² both during the day and at night, meaning that staff can focus on more value-adding tasks that need doing during the day.
Steve Lloyd, Golf Course Manager at Worcestershire Golf Club was involved in shaping the launch of CEORA™ and is excited about how it can benefit his team, he said: “Our golfers want to play golf in the day, and normally we have seven or eight guys running about on machines trying to maintain the golf course. If we can get large areas maintained during the night, quietly and without disturbing our neighbours, then it gives us the ability to get on with the quieter stuff in the day.”
The large-scale robotic solution, which will be available for purchase in the UK in Spring 2022, can also help football and sports clubs, as well as other public and commercial landowners, to significantly lower their carbon footprint. CEORA™’s low electric consumption means no direct emissions while in use, enabling everyone to safely enjoy larger green spaces without machine noise or pollutants.
Husqvarna has been the pioneer in helping millions of domestic and commercial customers make the switch from manual mowers to robotic and CEORA™ is now taking commercial turf care into the next era.
The SFC finish mower has been introduced by SCAG to address a popular request to provide a mower for doing the final cut after the bigger size units have done their work. The machine has been developed maintaining the SCAG reputation for rugged reliability and features the quality of manufacturer users come to expect from this manufacturer.
To create a versatile product it is supplied with the choice of three collection styles: Side discharge, Mulch or Bag collection (85ltr), all easily and quickly arranged.
All controls are within easy reach on the handlebar-mounted console and there is a quick and simple single-point height of cut adjustment method – no requirement to adjust front and back wheels separately.
The machine features offset blades as this is a less complex and more easily maintainable system than traditional timed decks.
The handlebars feature internally routed cables to protect from potential snagging and there is easy tool-free adjustment for the bars for adjusting to operator height or for transport.
Full model name is the SCAG SFC 30:
30” Deck
7HP Kohler CV224 petrol engine
Recoil start
Up to 4mph operating speed
4.5 litre fuel tank
Machine weight: 100kg
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
In Garden Trader user research conducted over the Spring/Summer (February to July) of 2020, 79% of the 67,000 users found the site helpful or extremely helpful. But even more encouraging was that 77.4% of site users were likely or extremely likely to visit the dealership they were looking at on Garden Trader. This is the best proof yet that people want to buy from people and this highly targeted website is delivering quality leads to subscribed dealers for just 26p per day.
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