Feedback is incredibly important for small businesses.

Be it from within with work colleagues communicating ideas amongst each other. Or coming from external sources, most likely customers, providing information to help a company adapt, fine-tune and improve current and future practices. Feedback should be a concept embraced and constantly sought.

It's been said by wiser people than me that top performing companies are top performing companies because they consistently search for ways to make their best even better. For top performing companies ‘continuous improvement’ is not just a showy catchphrase. It’s a true focus based on feedback from across the entire organisation - customers, clients, employees, suppliers, vendors, and stakeholders.

Feedback isn't a concept to be afraid of. Responses which at first a company might prefer not to hear, ones which might highlight weaknesses, are opportunities from which to learn and make changes where necessary.

Hence today (with our tin hats on!), we're asking you, our readers, to let us know what you think about Service Dealer magazine.

The latest copy of the magazine should be with you very shortly and included with it is a survey card, asking you a few questions about what you think about Service Dealer, which you can fill out and pop in the post for free. You can also answer the questions online.

As an incentive for you to take the time to kindly give us your feedback, one lucky contributor will be picked at random to win a £100 Amazon gift voucher.

We ask a few general questions about what sort of machinery you deal in, your age and gender and then we get into your opinions on Service Dealer's offering.

We're interested to know how long do you spend looking at the magazine? How many times you pick up the magazine? And how many people within your organisation read it?

We are also interested in how you tend to receive your business and leisure news in general nowadays? Do you solely rely on the web or do you choose to still interact with print and other media?

And we'd like to get into specifics about what you think about Service Dealer magazine. What features do you particularly enjoy reading in the publication? What would you like to see more or less of?

Any comments you have on this Weekly Update would also be appreciated. As well as any other feedback not covered by the questions asked ,which you'd like to provide, would be most welcomed.

So please take a few moments to either fill out the card when you receive it or click here to contribute online via our website.

Thank you in advance for your help and we look forward to reading your comments.

Briggs & Stratton Corporation has announced that it will be moving production of its commercial turf operations from its current facility in Munnsville, N.Y. to neighboring Sherrill, N.Y. to expand its current manufacturing capacity.

The Munnsville, N.Y. facility currently manufactures zero turn radius and commercial mowers under the Ferris and Snapper Pro brands and homeowner zero turn radius mowers under its Simplicity and Snapper brands.


Ferris zero turn

"This expansion is the result of strong sales growth of commercial products the company has achieved over the past several years and will position it well for continued future growth," said Harold L. Redman, Sr. vice president and president, Turf and Consumer Products.

"The increase in manufacturing will result in approximately 50 additional production employees in addition to our existing great workforce once production is at capacity."

In addition to its Munnsville facility, the Company also leases warehouse space at another facility in Sherrill that will be combined together into the newly leased facility in Sherrill. The Company anticipates some production to begin in Spring 2018 and will be fully operational in the spring of 2019.

"We would like to thank the State of New York as well as Oneida County and the City of Sherrill officials for their support. This is really a testament to the great workforce in this state and region and could not have been done without their support," said Redman.

Kubota UK and Lister Wilder have joined forces to support Kent County Cricket Club.



The deal, announced at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, in Canterbury, is Kubota UK’s fourth significant brand partnership in the professional sports arena. The company already supports Northampton Saints - one of the biggest clubs in English rugby, Andrew Hoy - the Olympic level equestrian rider and the Buildbase Suzuki British Superbikes Team. This latest announcement with Kent County Cricket Club is Kubota’s first advancement into professional cricket.

Karen Tipping, Kubota UK’s marketing manager, said, “Kent County Cricket Club is one of only 18 first-class county clubs in the country. The team plays top class county cricket with a culture that is committed to excellence and performing to first class standards. These are values that are also synonymous with the Kubota brand and our products and service offering, so supporting Kent Cricket is a fantastic match for our business.

“The partnership with Lister Wilder to support Kent County Cricket Club is all about continuing to raise the profile of the Kubota brand, whilst at the same time promoting their recently opened flagship depot in Ashford.

“This Depot has undergone significant investment over recent years, with this site supplying the local market with Kubota’s complete range of agriculture, groundcare and construction machinery solutions. We are delighted to be teaming up with our local dealer to support Kent County Cricket Club and hope this will enable us to reach a much wider audience.”



As part of the collaboration, Kubota’s L5040 utility tractor has been donated to support Kent County Cricket Club’s groundcare and maintenance team in the daily preparation of its pitches. 

Simon Williamson, Head Groundsman at The Spitfire Ground, St. Lawrence, leads the team. Having spent the past 20 years maintaining Kent’s grounds, Simon now heads up a team of four professionals who look after the playing surfaces, day in, day out.

“For Kent County Cricket Club to be successful playing and practicing on first-class pitches is essential,” added Simon. “This means the type of equipment we use is crucial. Kubota machinery is renowned for being the best on the market for performance and reliability, so we are delighted to be working in partnership with them and Lister Wilder.

Simon continued, “Ever since partnering with Lister Wilder we haven’t looked back. As we are looking to increase capacity of the grounds, hopefully there will be room for more Kubota machines to join our fleet in the future. The power, performance and quality of the machinery is certainly a massive asset to our club.”



In return for the support, both Kubota and Lister Wilder will have the opportunity to host seminars, demonstrations and ground maintenance training at the iconic venue. This will support the region’s grassroot clubs and institutions in developing both their playing performance and pitch maintenance, as they look to Kent County Cricket Club as the ultimate standard of cricket.

Phill Hughes, Divisional Sales Director for Lister Wilder, concluded: “We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Kent County Cricket Club for almost a decade, servicing and maintaining all of its machinery to the highest standard. We are delighted to now be working together with Kubota to offer our unwavering support in ensuring the continued maintenance of such a high profile ground.” 

Ariens Company has announced the appointment of Rhys Adams as the new Area Sales Manager for East Anglia.

Ariens say Rhys has a great deal experience in Sales and Account Management, gained from a number of positions in the agricultural and garden machinery industry.

Rhys will be covering all the manufactured and distributed brands including Ariens, Countax, Westwood, ECHO and Shindaiwa. He will be reporting to Arien’s Company’s UK Sales Manager, Matt Wilson, and commenting on his appointment Matt said: “We’re delighted to welcome someone of Rhys’s quality to Ariens Company Limited and the UK Sales team.

"Rhys brings with him a wealth of sales account management experience within the agricultural and garden machinery industry which will be vital as we look to strengthen our dealer network.”

The role of Area Sales Manager for East Anglia is a newly created one for Ariens Company and Rhys’s appointment comes as a result of Ariens’ continued investment, increasing the size of its Sales Team to support its dealer network and forge new relationships with prospective dealers.

Rhys says, “I’m delighted to be joining the Sales Team for an organization such as Ariens Company, which has a rich history in manufacturing. I can’t wait to get out and about in my new area, meeting current and prospect dealers.”

Rhys takes up the position from today (1st September 2017) and can be contacted on 07909 965 857 and e-mail radams@ariens.com

Jacobsen and local dealer T.H. White provided tournament support recently as the Trilby Tour, the only televised amateur golf tournament, came to Gaudet Luce Golf Club in Droitwich as part of a series of Regional Championships across the UK.


Simon Bingham from T.H. White, left, with Andrew Laing, Course Manager at Gaudet Luce Golf Club, right

Jacobsen, together with T.H. White supplemented the club’s existing Jacobsen machinery for the duration of the tournament. Three Eclipse 322 greens mowers, one GP400 ride-on mower for tees and surrounds, two TR-3 triplex cylinder mowers, two LF570 fairway mowers, one HR600 wide area rotary mower, two Smithco Tournament Ultra greens rollers, one Turfco Torrent blower, one Cushman Hauler Pro-X, and 12 E-Z-GO RXV golf cars were used for maintaining the golf course’s championship standard status. 

Andrew Laing, Course Manager expressed his appreciation for the support the club received in the lead up to the event,

“I spoke to Simon Bingham from T.H. White and Steve Alabaster from Jacobsen at BTME earlier in the year about tournament support for this event. They both unreservedly said that they would support us in every capacity, and they haven’t let us down. We have had a relationship with T.H. White for over 14 years now, and since changing our equipment to Jacobsen back in 2008, we’ve never looked back. The machinery is reliable, and the after-sales support is second to none.

“I would just like to show my appreciation to Steve, Simon, and also Albie the Debach driver who delivered the tournament support equipment. Without them, our preparations would not have gone so smoothly, so I can’t thank them enough. It’s also important to thank all the volunteers from local clubs such as The Worcestershire Golf Club and Droitwich Golf Club who have supported us as well. It’s times like this that you realise what a fantastic, and friendly industry we work in.”


The tournament support equipment supplemented the club’s existing Jacobsen machinery

Simon Bingham from T.H. White commented on supporting the club during the Trilby Tour, “It has always been important to us to support our customers both when they ask for it, and also when they don’t. We pride ourselves on our customer service, and Andrew is a brilliant example of the relationship that we strive to achieve with everyone who walks through our door. The course looked fantastic as always, and we look forward to assisting in the same way for future tournaments at the club.”

The Trilby Tour is now in its 10th year, and has been described as “the fiercest amateur golf tournament”. Each Regional Championship is broadcast on Sky Sports as part of the Trilby Tour series. With annual viewership figures of more than 3.5 million in 2015, the Trilby Tour is officially the largest Amateur golf television series in the UK and Europe. It is formed of 10 regional competitions running from the end of May, with the final taking place in Hull on the 31st August.

The appeal of the tournament lies in its unusual competitive format, with the top four players on the day going in to a 3-hole shootout to decide the champion. Golfers have hailed the Trilby Tour as the closest experience to a Professional tournament, playing under the pressures of an international televised event.

Först is set to showcase its complete range of wheeled, tracked and PTO woodchippers, including the new ST6 P petrol model, at next week's show at Longleat Estate on September 7-8.


ST6 P

The ST6 P, Först’s first sub 750kg woodchipper, was launched to the UK market earlier this year and is an extension of the company's range of six-inch capacity machines. Powered by a 37hp V twin petrol engine, visitors to the stand will be able to get hands on with the product and talk to the Först experts.

Also on stand will be Först’s XR8 Traxion, an 8” x 10” tracked machine that can traverse banks due to its parallel linkage system, its original ST6 wheeled woodchipper and its PT8 machine, alongside the ST8, TR6 and TR8 models.

Doug Ghinn, Director at Först, said: “We are very passionate about the Först brand and how far we’ve come within the industry in such a short period of time. The diverse line-up of machines we’re exhibiting at Confor Woodland demonstrates this, as we now offer the complete range of woodchipper solutions to arborists, farmers, contractors and landscapers."

Driffield based Wilfred Scruton Ltd are the latest addition to the Muthing flail UK distribution network.



For the company, MD Ian Scruton said, “We tested the flail topper range and were extremely impressed with both build quality and quality of cut.

"Muthing, as a brand, also fits with our preference for working with specialist manufacturers. I personally cut ten acres on test with an MU280 flail mower and the finish was superb.”

Simon Richard, UK Agent for the Muthing range says, “The Scruton name is an excellent addition to our growing dealer portfolio. They will be offering the full Muthing range and will be pleased to arrange demonstrations."

MTD Specialty Turf Products, manufacturers of the ATT TMSystem and the Cub Cadet Infinicut, have announced the appointment of Dougie Archibald as Territory Sales Manager.


Dougie Archibald

The company says the increase in sales has necessitated the need to split the country in two to better tailor the sales and service of their product range - Dougie taking care of the North and Vinny Tarbox the South.

Dougie is an established name within the industry, gaining a wealth of experience having worked in the turfcare sector since leaving school. His career began at Murrayfield Stadium where he worked his way up from Apprentice Groundsman through to Deputy Head Groundsman. Following this he’s held various sales management positions within dealer groups and leading machinery distributors in the golf and groundcare sectors.

“We’re delighted to have Dougie on board,” said GM John Coleman, “this is the next step in expanding our sales activities in the UK and also across Europe. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the market in the North so we can now look forward to developing new distribution networks and delivering a more tailored service across the country and beyond.”

Commenting on his appointment Dougie said, “I’m very excited to be taking up this new position and working with such a technologically advanced range of kit. I’m looking forward to exploring new opportunities in the market and meeting customers, both old and new - like on the MTD stand at this year’s Saltex exhibition.”

Landini and McCormick tractors will be back at The Ploughing (National Ploughing Championships, September 19-21 at Screggan near Tullamore, Co Offaly) this year as new distributor AgriArgo UK underlines its commitment to the Irish market.

A selection of tractors representing the current Landini line-up and the growing McCormick range will be on display, and the event presents the first opportunity for the AgriArgo management team handling sales, distribution and after-sales support to meet farmers, contractors and other end users.


AgriArgo's Will Doyle

“At our first Irish dealer meeting, we were told that returning to The Ploughing is essential to give the brands and the tractors the profile they deserve,” says Will Doyle, national sales manager for Ireland.

“But, frankly, we knew that already; it’s a hugely important event for the farming community and a great platform for effectively relaunching Landini and McCormick in Ireland.”

AgriArgo has kept a relatively low profile since being appointed by manufacturer Argo Tractors to take over the sales and support role vacated by the previous distributor.

Behind the scenes, explains Ray Spinks, general manager and sales director, the intervening period has been spent negotiating with existing and potentially new dealerships, and getting the required resources in place to serve the Irish market professionally.

“We’ve been focused on getting dealers up to speed on our procedures for ordering tractors and parts, and on putting finance resources in place for dealer stocking plans and retail sales,” he says.

“Our service staff have explained the diagnostics tools available to dealers for trouble-shooting, and the procedures involved in warranty claims and for delivering feed-back to the factory, which we consider very important for the long-term development of the products.”

This all takes time, Mr Spinks points out, but is essential to make the transition go as smoothly as possible so that Landini and McCormick dealers are well-equipped to serve their customers.

Twenty years ago, in 1997, Wright Manufacturing began selling the industry’s first stand-on mower - the Stander. And, this October reports Green Industry Pros magazine, Wright will host a three-day birthday party at its indoor booth at the Green Industry & Equipment Expo (GIE+EXPO).



During Dealer Day, Wednesday, October 18, Wright will celebrate with cake and champagne from 3 to 7 p.m.

On Thursday, October 19, and Friday, October 20, Bill Wright, president and CEO, will pose for photos in the booth from 11 a.m. till noon.

Throughout the show, Wright will give out special 20th anniversary T-shirts (while supplies last) to anyone who will take a selfie wearing the shirt; post it on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter; and tag Wright.

Kawasaki Engine Division

Position; Head of Parts and Aftersales

Provide parts and technical aftersales service support in the broadest sense to Engine distributors, dealers and OEM’s. Lead the Parts and Aftersales Team to continually improve service levels and to manage after-sales support across the EMEA trading area.

Main Tasks:

• Assess and monitor end user requirements and provide a leading standard of parts & technical aftersales service across our trading area.
• Ensure appropriate service and parts outlet coverage across the trading area. 
• Set and monitor appropriate dealer and private distributor standards to consistently achieve required service levels.
• Manage all aftersales technical issues within trading area, liaising with OEMs and Kawasaki global technical operations.
• Manage and grow Spare Parts business across the trading area.
• To provide Private Distributor and OEM technical training.
• Develop the Team’s knowledge and capability to continuously improve end user and service network satisfaction and brand image in all Parts, After Sales and Technical matters
• Manage department budgets.

Experience required;

• Knowledge and experience of 2-stroke and 4-stroke petrol engine technology in Turfcare applications.
• Technical college (MTS) or Advanced Technical College (HTS) with a number of years experience or trained mechanic with a number of year’s experience in both workshop and office based workplaces. 
• Experience and knowledge of Turfcare OEM standards and working practices
• Accurate & structured organization skills
• Good communication skills
• MS Office experience and/or comparable.

Other information;

• This position reports directly to the Senior Product Manager and is responsible for the day-to-day management activities surrounding the Parts & Technical support of the Engine Department technical activities. Within the daily operation this position has the freedom to plan and organise the activities as seen fit to perform the duties involved in the job, keeping Senior Product Manager informed of any significant developments.
• Candidates should live within commuting distance from the Bourne End (Bucks) office.

Applications;

Interested applicants should send their CV and a covering letter to; 

Jack Ford – Senior Product Manager
JFord@Kawasaki.eu

Husqvarna, the world leading producer of forest, park and garden equipment is bringing the 562XP® professional chainsaw to the UK Authorised Husqvarna dealer network for the first time this Autumn.

The 562XP® has gone through the same evolutions as its counterpart the 560XP® since it was released in 2011. A number of improvements and modifications have been made which have resulted in a high performance, reliable and durable product that is ready to take the UK market by storm.

The product shares the same 59.8cm3 engine and features as the 560XP®, meaning a high power to weight ratio is guaranteed even when using larger bar lengths. Although the model is very similar to the 560XP®, there are two main areas in which the 562XP® differs.

The 562XP® is supplied with a 3/8” large bar mount and 18” X-Force guide bar as standard, compared to the 560XP®’s 0.325” small bar mount. This allows customers who use larger Husqvarna saws to standardise their cutting equipment rather than carrying multiple options. It also gives your customers more flexibility by allowing the use of much larger guide bars on a smaller lighter power unit. This is particularly beneficial for an arborist when taking a tree down in sections as they can use a lighter more compact saw. Husqvarna has also confirmed that the new X-Cut C85 chain, available in the UK in 2018 will fit the chainsaw.

Secondly, the 562XP® is equipped with a large capacity air filter with a high top engine cover, meaning improved performance and higher cutting capacity in prolonged usage.

The 562XP® also includes innovative Husqvarna technology such as:

• X-Torq® - provides more power where you need it, up to 20% less fuel consumption and 75% less exhaust emissions.
• Air Injection™ - a centrifugal air cleaning system for reduced wear and longer operation between filter changes, increasing long term durability and reducing downtime
• AutoTune™ - automatically adjusts the engine for optimal operation no matter what the environment of fuel type.
• LowVib® - which provides optimised ergonomics for the user
• RevBoost™ - which provides rapid and smooth acceleration, and a lightened flywheel with higher chain speeds for instant acceleration.

The 562XP® G model comes with all of these features plus a heated handle for work in colder conditions.

Both products will be available for delivery from early September 2017. The 562XP® takes the widely accepted performance of the 560XP® and allows operators who run a larger fleet of saws the flexibility to share cutting equipment whilst increasing cutting capacity. It has a number of appealing benefits which allows the Authorised Husqvarna dealer to offer customers a wider range of solutions.

UK Category Manager - Machinery, Andrew Lees said “We are excited to be bringing the 562XP® to the UK market. It is based on the tried and tested and extremely well respected 560XP® which will also continue. We have seen a lot of interest in the 562XP® and feel it offers both the Authorised Husqvarna dealer network and end users more flexibility in the pro 60cc segment. With the much anticipated launch of the Husqvarna 572XP® which will be available early 2018 and the 562XP® we have a lot of news to offer both dealers and customers alike in the coming months. If customers are looking for a chainsaw with high performance, durability, flexibility and one that can tackle a range of tasks the 562XP® and 562XP® G are ideal choices.”

Husqvarna 562XP® 18” - RRP: £870.00 inc. VAT and Husqvarna 562XP® G 18” - RRP: £920.00 inc. VAT.

For more information on the Husqvarna 562XP®/ G follow this link; www.husqvarna.com/uk/products/chainsaws/

The countdown to Europe’s largest annual turf management event has officially begun, marked by the opening of online visitor registration.



SALTEX 2017 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, from 1-2 November, and has already attracted over 250 exhibitors - a number that’s set to grow further in the weeks leading up to the event. Confirmed to return are a number of leading brand names spanning the whole turf management industry including manufacturers and suppliers of world-class products and services for the maintenance of pitches, grounds, landscaping, parks and estates.

SALTEX will also once again boast unique show features such as:

• Learning LIVE - an all-encompassing free-to-attend education programme offering grounds and open space practitioners across all disciplines, volunteer as well as professional, the chance to increase their CPD points.
• Outdoor demonstrations - providing an opportunity to see a number of products in action directly outside the SALTEX halls 6, 7 and 8.
• The SALTEX College Cup - a national student-led sports-turf challenge sponsored by Ransomes.
• Pathology & Soil Science LIVE - allowing visitors to look in detail at the symptoms of some common turfgrass fungal disease problems.
• The Young Groundsmen’s Conference, sponsored by Rigby Taylor and Top Green - an ideal opportunity for young people looking to advance their career in the groundscare industry
• Ask the Expert – free pitchcare advice from the IOG’s team of regional pitch advisors based on the IOG Hub
• The IOG Industry Awards - the UK’s biggest celebration in groundsmanship held on the evening of the first day (1 November) at the National Motorcycle Museum.
• NEW for 2017! The Job Clinic – the chance to receive one-to-one advice from industry expert Frank Newberry on how to progress your career, write a compelling CV and perform well in an interview situation.

Located in the centre of the UK, whether you are travelling from overseas or within the UK, the NEC is incredibly easy to get to by car, rail or air.

SALTEX 2017 is free to attend. To register your attendance and beat the queues visit www.iogsaltex.com

Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook - www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX

The following organisations have confirmed their sponsorship of the 2017 Service Dealer Conference and Awards. We’d like to welcome them on board and thank them for their support and input. 

PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

PLATINUM SPONSOR




GOLD SPONSOR




SPONSORS

Want to become a sponsor? Email: julie@theadplain.com