You may have already seen, but we're delighted to feature several fascinating and positive stories in today's Weekly Update regarding exciting developments at some of the country's leading dealerships.

Firstly there's the news that the Hamilton Ross Group are bringing all their operations together under one single banner.

We hear from Jenkins Garden Machinery who are expanding their commercial turf machinery offering.

Tallis Amos Group have announced a new partnership, offering AI-driven drone mapping.

And Pecks have confirmed two further franchise appointments.

It's great for us here at Service Dealer to be able to report on members of the network evolving in such confident and forward-looking fashions. It's precisely the kind of news we love to publish as often as we can - so please don't forget to always keep us informed about what's happening at your company.

One thing I'm sure all these businesses located around the length and breadth of the UK have in common that aids them greatly in their developments, is a healthy and supportive working culture within their dealerships. And would you believe the neatness of this segue, but that's only the theme for this year's Service Dealer Conference!

Announced today, Culture: Nature and nurture in business will be explored at the Stratford Upon Avon Crowne Plaza on December 3rd. As ever we'll feature line-up of expert speakers who through presentations and seminars will take our dealer delegates comprehensively through the subject - offering insight to take away and put into practice at your own dealership.

Service Dealer owner, Duncan Murray-Clarke, explains today, "In today’s trading conditions, getting the working culture right is more important than ever." He continues, "The difference between getting it right and getting it wrong can be everything."

With this is mind, I believe that Culture is indeed a timely and important topic for our Conference to address. The pace of change our that our sector continues to face is considerable. Technology is advancing. Manufacturers’ expectations evolve. Customers are more informed - and more demanding. Meanwhile, generational shifts in the workforce mean that what motivated a team twenty years ago may not resonate in quite the same way today.

Culture is clearly a subject ripe for exploration and one that will be at the very heart of what makes a specialist, independent dealership thrive. It is not separate from profit, productivity or succession planning. It underpins them. And it is something every one of our valued dealer delegates, regardless of their business size, will recognise in their own operation.

We will have plenty of exciting announcements regarding content and guests as we head towards the Conference - so do keep an eye on this Weekly Update, the magazine and all our social channels. There's a fascinating, honest conversation to be had regarding values, expectations and standards - all of which will be greatly beneficial to all our readers.

We look forward to exploring them with you in December.

The organisers of December's Service Dealer Conference have confirmed this year's theme.

Maintaining the high standards of content and relevancy for which the Conference has a well-earned reputation, we are delighted to confirm today that this year's theme is Culture - Nature and nurture in business.

Service Dealer owner, Duncan Murray-Clarke, explained, "In today’s trading conditions, getting the working culture right is more important than ever. Recruit well and offer the correct support and training to help the team be as good as they can be. The difference between getting it right and getting it wrong can be everything. Sir Richard Branson sums it up well when he says, 'Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to'.”

This year's Conference, alongside our Dealer Of The Year Awards, will take place once again at the Crowne Plaza, Stratford-Upon-Avon, on Thursday December 3rd 2026.

Keep an eye on this Weekly Update, the magazine and our social channels for further updates regarding speakers, seminars and content - plus announcements of all our valued sponsors.

You can head to our website now to register your interest for delegate tickets or sponsorship opportunities.

Original founder John Coleman has announced the acquisition of Advanced Turf Technology (ATT) from Stanley Black & Decker, reuniting the company and its portfolio of brands - including the Infinicut brand of professional pedestrian mowers and TMSystem cassette range – with its original ownership and founding vision. 

John says the acquisition, completed in early February 2026, brings the professional mowers back to their roots and the core philosophy that established it as a pioneer in the turf care sector. 

“The Infinicut mower range was designed and developed to challenge convention and placed the focus firmly on innovation - pairing industry-leading cut quality with the very best in battery technology” explained John, managing director of Advanced Turf Technology.

“Bringing the brand back allows us to fully focus on those principles, enabling us to be reactive to changing market requirements and accelerating the next phase of its evolution.” 

As part of this renewed commitment, ATT will be moving to new, dedicated manufacturing premises supporting product development and putting a renewed focus on innovation. With full autonomy over design, manufacturing and future strategy, John and the team say they are well placed to reaffirm the Infinicut’s position as a leading force in the global mower market. 

ATT also confirmed that the Infinicut name will remain unchanged, with the performance, specification and yellow livery which has become synonymous with the brand continuing as customers would expect.

Aftersales support will also remain in place, with parts, service and technical advice continuing through current and new dealerships across the country. 

Baroness UK have appointed Jenkins Garden Machinery to their dealer network.

L-R: Charlie Wilson (Jenkins GM), Paul Watson (Baroness), Emyr Jenkins (Jenkins GM), Howell Jenkins (Jenkins GM), Adam Butler (Baroness)

From their depot in Llanelli, the family-run firm will be responsible for the sales, service and support of the full Baroness professional range to customers in the Swansea (SA) postcode. 

Founded in 2010, Jenkins Garden Machinery offer a comprehensive range of ride-on and hand-held equipment for both the professional and domestic market. Baroness becomes the latest in a growing list of brands within their expanding commercial portfolio, bringing the full range of pedestrian and ride-on mowers and maintenance implements to golf courses and sports venues from Port Talbot and Llandovery in the east, to Pembroke and Aberystwyth on the west coast. 

Emyr Jenkins, managing director of Jenkins Garden Machinery, said, “Our strategy over the last few years has been to grow our commercial offering. As we have moved more and more into this area of the market, we have actively been seeking out a quality franchise to allow us to service the requirements of the golf market in South and West Wales. We have been in talks with Baroness for a while and following our visit to their facility in Basingstoke we were convinced that this was the right move for us.” 

He added, “Their attitude to aftersales and quality mirrors our own business giving us confidence that this will be a solid partnership for the future.”

Echoing the positive sentiments, Baroness area sales manager Paul Watson said, “We are delighted to welcome Jenkins Garden Machinery to the Baroness dealer network. From the first meeting they impressed us all with their professional attitude and enthusiasm to provide the right solution for their customers. With the expert support of Emyr and the team, we are excited to bring our product to an area where Baroness haven’t had specific coverage for some time.”  

Following the launch of a dedicated materials handling equipment division (Hulk), specialist construction and agricultural machines supplier Conagri has signed up a new brand.

Conagri is now south-west dealer for Noblelift, the Chinese manufacturer of materials handling equipment.

Totalling 300 different models in six categories, and with load capacities ranging from 100kg to 10,000kg and lift heights up to 12.5m, Noblelift’s materials handling portfolio comprises manual pallet trucks, warehousing equipment, counterbalance forklifts, reach trucks, floor scrubbers, MEWPs and automation solutions.

The counterbalance trucks range features the A Series of trucks which can be powered by internal combustion engine or lithium-ion battery power. These engine-powered machines can be converted to electric in the future. Other models are the Q series of lead acid and lithium-ion models, the P series of performance trucks, the new N1 three-wheel  and NP compact indoor trucks, and at the other end of the scale, 8 and 10t capacity trucks.

Noblelift purchasers are supported by an online platform that features telematics to manage fleet and truck status remotely, check warranties, raise product improvement suggestions, and 24-hour Q&A AI technical assistance.

Tallis Amos Group (TAG) has announced a new partnership with CultiWise, that they say will bring advanced AI-powered drone and satellite mapping technology to farmers across the UK to support smarter, more efficient and sustainable crop protection.

The collaboration enables TAG to offer highly accurate AI-generated prescription maps for variable rate applications of fertiliser, fungicides, growth regulators and seed. Using drone imagery, the company says the system provides reliable AI-driven field data even when satellite imagery is restricted by cloud cover, making it ideally suited to UK farming conditions.

High-resolution multispectral imagery is captured using specialist agricultural drones. This data is then uploaded to the CultiWise platform, where artificial intelligence analyses crop health, growth variation and weeds to create precise, field-specific application maps.

By applying inputs only where they are needed and at the correct rate, farmers can reduce chemical, fertiliser and seed usage by up to 70%1, while also seeing potential yield increases of up to 20%2 when used with variable rate drilling and spraying equipment.

“CultiWise uses artificial intelligence to make efficient decision-making,” said Edward Wardroper, CultiWise specialist at Tallis Amos Group. “The AI technology transforms raw drone data into actionable insights, helping farmers to cut costs, improve crop performance and reduced the environmental impact.”

The system is compatible with a wide range of sprayers and drills, from section control booms to individual nozzle control systems, and integrates with existing tractor and sprayer software. AI-powered weed detection enables both ‘green on brown’ and ‘green on green’ identification, allowing targeted spot spraying and precise calculation of product volumes before application.

In addition to weed mapping, CultiWise AI supports plant counting to aid yield forecasting, providing valuable insights during early crop establishment. The technology is suitable for a wide range of crops including winter wheat, maize, oilseed rape, potatoes and onions.

Flexible image sources, including drones such as the Mavic 3 Multispectral, ensure consistent and detailed data capture, while satellite imagery can also be used to create variable rate maps and long-term productivity zones based on historical field performance.

As an authorised UK dealer of CultiWise, Tallis Amos Group provides full setup, training and ongoing technical support through its TAG TECH Team.

Dealership G&J Peck Ltd with depots in Chatteris, Dereham and Rendlesham have announced that they are joining the Hardi Sprayers main dealer network covering South Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

In a statement the dealership said, "In the range of backpack, mist blowers, mounted, trailed and self-propelled sprayers we genuinely have an offer for every customers' application.

"Our sales and aftersales teams are looking forward to a thorough programme of product training both at our depots and Hardi UK’s base in Ely."

Peck's have also confirmed that they are expanding their product offering with the Kverneland range of equipment, supplying customers across Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

They say that planning for the Pecks 2026 Kverneland demonstration programme is now underway.

According to data released by the AEA, registrations of agricultural tractors started 2026 on a slightly more positive note than was seen through most of 2025.

Just over 500 machines were logged during the month, 40 more than in the same month last year (+9%). 

"Indeed," confirmed agricultural economist at the Association, Stephen Howarth, "it is the second highest figure recorded for the opening month of the year since 2021 but numbers in most other recent years have been similar. In any case, it is a quiet time of year for tractor registrations so it is too early to draw conclusions about how trends might develop during the remainder of the year."

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