First off, we had an excellent response last week with readers registering to be kept up to date with the results of the tractor brand research which Service Dealer's owners, TAP, have been conducting.

The insight produced is continuing to be released through TAP's social channels, so make sure you are following @TheAdPlain on Twitter or Facebook. Today’s releases include information on the overall dealer perceptions which the research found and the top six tractor brands are revealed - so you might not want to miss it!

And now today we are very pleased to share with you news about some more insight coming your way later in the year, at November's Service Dealer Conference.

The team has been working hard behind the scenes to put together a thought provoking, helpful and unique programme of speakers and workshops - all of direct relevance to our independent dealer readers. 

Under the umbrella theme of Turning A Profit, joining the previously announced Bob Clements at the DoubleTree by Hilton Oxford Belfry in November, will be Dr Eliza Filby who can boast the grand description of 'generational intelligence' specialist.

What this means is that she helps businesses understand generational shifts within politics, society and the workplace.

If you are anything like me, I have a sort of grasp of what the terms Millennials, Gen Z, Gen X etc all mean, but truly knowing what the differences between them are - and how these differences might require a different approach from a business dealing with them, I wouldn't have much of a clue.

Thankfully, Eliza will be offering her expertise on how our dealer readers might think about connecting with these various societal groups. The intention is that delegates will come away with real insight which can applied in matters such as recruiting or retaining staff - or indeed in sales situations.

Eliza says one of her aims it to smash some of the misconceptions that come with speaking about the generations. She says that the types of questions she addresses include, 'Why are the over-50s dominating the Gig-economy?' 'Why do Millennials prioritise an in-work gym over an in-work pensions scheme?' or 'Why are Gen Z tech-inate but tech-skeptics?'

There should be plenty of concepts in both her keynote address and in her breakout workshop session which dealers can come away with and put into practice in their own places of work.

I know from many conversations I've had with dealers in recent times, how to connect with the younger generation is an area of genuine concern - particularly in terms of creating an interest in coming to work within the industry.

One dealer I was talking to just recently was telling me that there is little point these days in simply placing a recruitment advert in the local paper when looking for a young person to join your company. In order to appeal, he said, there must be a lot of interaction around the role. There needs to be social media activity.

This particular dealer was telling me how important Facebook especially, was to them when finding new people. He said their page wasn't so much of a selling tool, it was an awareness tool for their brand. It was important to them, he said, that they were creating a constant chatter around what they were up and what vacancies they had. Once this was achieved, word of mouth would spread and hopefully find the right, interested person.

Presumably this word of mouth wouldn't just be limited to Facebook either, but rather could travel across multiple platforms - or, you know, into the real world.

Ultimately this dealer I was talking to, believed very much that dealers would be best served nurturing their own grown new talent through apprenticeship schemes. Of course the same principal does apply with this too initially - how to connect with a young person to get them to show an interest in joining a scheme?

This dealership had many innovative methods of getting themselves onto the radar of potential recruits, making connections with local educational establishments being a key one. But even with a seemingly conventional approach such as this, the endgame was to ultimately get the students onto the dealership's social channels and interacting directly with them.

So clearly it's a huge and complex topic, connecting with the various generations. I for one, am looking forward to hearing Dr Filby's take on the subject in November.

Service Dealer has announced that the keynote address at November's Conference will be delivered by Dr Eliza Filby, a 'generational intelligence' specialist.

Eliza is a writer, speaker and consultant who specialises in helping companies and services understand generational shifts within politics, society and the workplace. She will be addressing our dealer delegates on not only Millennials and Gen Z, but all generations, in regards to key topics such as recruitment and client engagement.

Eliza is often to be found lending her expertise to the broadcast media as well as in the mainstream press.

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "We are delighted to have secured Eliza to attend the Service Dealer Conference as she is a speaker who is in demand on the speaking circuit around the world. She is an authority on the generations and helps businesses understand how society is changing and helps them prepare for the future.

“Connecting particularly with the next generation has never been more important. Understanding how to reach and engage with 'generation Z' is key. Learning and absorbing information is now multi-layered and instantly available through channels of their choosing (and not just what they are told or taught). We are excited for our dealer delegates to hear what she has to say as I know it'll be of direct relevance to the running of their dealerships."

As well as delivering the keynote to the whole Conference, Eliza will also be running one of the popular smaller group, breakout sessions. These workshops always allow for great interactivity and a dialogue between presenter and delegate.

This years’ Service Dealer Conference takes place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Oxford Belfry, on Thursday November 21st 2019. The theme of the event is Turning A Profit.

Cub Cadet is expanding its UK dealership network by welcoming a new dealer on board.

The latest addition to the 200+ strong network, Stubbings Bros, will stock the range at its dealership based in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight.

(L-R) Luke Stubbings, sales representative, pictured with Andy Stubbings, sales director

Owner and director Andy Stubbings said, “We are thrilled to be the latest business joining Cub Cadet’s strong dealership network. We are a family-run company built on 35-years of successful history and by joining forces with this well-respected brand, we are broadening our offering of garden machinery, while simultaneously growing our business connections."

Phil Noble, field sales and technical manager for Cub Cadet, added, “With the uncertainty and challenges our industry is experiencing this year, we are pleased to be welcoming Stubbings Bros on board. By expanding our dealer network, we are able to bring our machines to more customers to strengthen our position in the competitive lawnmowing market. We look forward to working with Andy and his team.”

According to figures released by the AEA, after two months with large year-on-year movements, likely to have been partly due to Brexit preparations, UK registrations of agricultural tractors (over 50hp) in June were in line with those a year before.

1,174 units were registered which equates to a -1.1% change, compared with June 2018.

Year-to-date, 6,338 units have been registered, which is a -2.9% change, compared with January-June 2018.

Stephen Howarth, agricultural economist for the AEA, said, of the slight fall in June, "This modest decline is in line with the trend over the first half of the year, which saw 3% fewer tractors registered than in January to June 2018.

"Nevertheless, this year's total of 6,338 machines was otherwise the highest for the first half of the year since 2014."

Being appointed to the sales, service and parts dealer network for McCormick tractors is the icing on the cake say business partners Nigel Gardiner and Jim Pearson - and they have local farmers to thank for the opportunity.

(L-R): Venture Farm Machinery's business partners Jim Pearson and Nigel Gardiner, and parts sales manager Derek Lispcombe

“We weren’t looking for a tractor franchise at this time in our company’s development,” says Nigel Gardiner of Venture Farm Machinery, Pytchley near Kettering.

“But the level of interest shown in the McCormick tractors we borrowed for our Krone grass machinery demonstration set off a lightbulb moment; we had a long discussion with the McCormick people the next day and everything came together.

“They wanted a dealer on our patch and we could see how the McCormick tractors would suit all farming and non-farming requirements in the area while complementing our equipment franchises.”

Nigel Gardiner and fellow director Jim Pearson formed Venture Farm Machinery three years ago after they were made redundant from a large agricultural equipment dealership when several branches were closed.

They recruited colleague Derek Lispcombe from the same group to draw on his long standing parts management experience and soon were appointed to handle sales and after-sales support for Amazone, Krone and Opico implements, along with Kidd and Tanco implements, and HM trailers.

Together with parts, tools and accessories from the Granit range and complementary suppliers, business soon took off.

“A number of people wonder how it’s possible to set-up a new dealership and acquire such leading franchises,” says Mr Gardiner. “But in each case we were in the right place at the right time with the right experience when the manufacturers needed local representation.”

Ben Agar of McCormick manufacturer Argo Tractors says the track record of the people in the business makes him confident of their continued success with the McCormick tractor franchise covering Northamptonshire.

“Jim and Nigel have proven sales and sales management ability, and Derek’s 20-years experience makes him the go-to man for parts, so they have the complementary skills needed for the business to do well,” he says.

Jim Pearson adds, “I’ve had more interest in the first week with the McCormick tractors than any tractors I’ve sold before. We just need to encourage potential customers to get behind the wheel to see for themselves how good they are.”

The team behind the distribution of Ferris mowers in the UK are celebrating a double victory, with awards presented at either end of the country recently.

They were awarded a Certificate of Commendation for the Ferris ISX800 mower at the Royal Highland Show Technical Innovations Awards most recently, as well as a ‘Commended’ award for the Ferris 400S through dealer Andrew Symons Ltd. at the Royal Cornwall Show before that.

2019 was first time that the team behind Ferris mowers in the UK, T H WHITE Machinery Imports, held a stand at the Royal Highland Show and with the launch of the new ISX800 at the end of 2018, the team felt it fitting to enter the model into the Technical Innovations Awards.

Members of the team were delighted to collect the certificate at the official awards ceremony, held at Ingliston House on Saturday 22nd June.

Features of the mower include the all new ForeFront double-wishbone Suspension System - which the company describes as a first in professional mowing.

Sales rep, Lee Hatter of dealers Andrew Symons at the Royal Cornwall Show 2019 with the commended 400S mower

The Ferris 400S meanwhile, was recognised on the stand of groundcare machinery dealer Andrew Symons at the Royal Cornwall Show as part of the annual Machinery Competition, The company say there was exceptional representation to the deciding committee from the Andrew Symons Ltd. team with particular praise going to groundcare sales representative, Lee Hatter.

Bill Johnston, head of the UK Ferris distributor, Machinery Imports said, “We’re delighted that the innovation and quality of the ISX800 and 400S models has been recognised by the highly experienced and knowledgeable teams at RHASS and Royal Cornwall Show.”

Registration for SALTEX 2019 is now open and organisers promise that visitors will notice some notable improvements to the registration process.

New for this year, the show has partnered with LiveBuzz, who they describe in a statement as the "largest registration specialist in the UK" - and who they say is the "preferred supplier for some of the world’s most prestigious events."

Commenting on the new registration partnership, SALTEX event director Matthew Knight said, "It’s important that our visitors, our exhibitors and their customers have the best possible experience at SALTEX. We are always aiming to make improvements to the show each year and following an open tendering process we appointed LiveBuzz because we want the very best in all aspects of the show.

“We are confident that our visitors will experience a best practice registration process - it will be smoother, more interactive and in addition there will be ten registration terminals at the show entrance meaning that visitors will gain faster entry.”

Taking place at the NEC, Birmingham on 30 and 31 October, SALTEX 2019 will feature over 300 exhibitors. The two-day event will offer visitors an opportunity to experience the latest industry trends and innovations, enhance their education and learn from industry experts.

This year attendees can expect features such as:

• The new Eco Village - live demonstrations purely dedicated to environmentally-friendly products.
• Learning LIVE - SALTEX’s free educational programme.
• Pathology and Soil Science LIVE - a look in detail at the symptoms of turfgrass fungal disease problems.
• SALTEX Innovation Award - celebrating the best in new groundscare technology.
• Ask the Expert - free face-to-face turfcare advice.
• Outdoor Demonstrations - products in action in an area directly outside halls 6,7 and 8.
• SALTEX College Cup - land based colleges compete in an academic test of turf management knowledge.
• Lawn Care Legends LIVE - a networking opportunity for landscapers and gardeners.
• Job Clinic - free one-to-one sessions covering CV writing to interview techniques.

Registration is accessible through the SALTEX website and visitors can simply bring their email confirmation (on a phone or a printed copy to the registration desk) which will be located at the show entrance.

UK distributor, T H White's Machinery Imports division says the Spider remote controlled slope mower caught the attention of safety professionals looking at ways to maintain grassed areas safely, at the recent Safety & Health Expo which took place at ExCeL London.

Stuart Winwood, area sales manager for Machinery Imports with the Spider at ExCeL

Displayed on a platform at an angle of 55 degrees, the Spider 2SGS was there to demonstrate the latest innovations in safe professional mowing on banks, steep slopes and dangerous terrain.

The extreme gradient of the plinth highlighted the possible working angle of the mower, which is capable of cutting grass on slopes of up to 55 degrees with an integrated hydraulic winch for additional stability, or 40 degrees completely independently.

Stuart Winwood, area sales manager for Machinery Imports, said, “The Safety and Health Expo was an excellent opportunity to showcase the safety innovations of Spider in professional mowing to a wide, health and safety focused audience.

“During the course of the show we spoke to many interested parties, from local authorities to power plants and airports, all of whom were fascinated by the safety, productivity and financial benefits of Spider mowers for their business.

"We’re looking forward to seeing these people again for demonstrations and site visits over the coming weeks.”

The organisers of the annual British National Ploughing Championships & Country Festival say they are delighted that the event will be returning to Lincolnshire this year.

They have been invited back to the county by Beeswax Dyson Farming who will host the event on their land at Nocton, just south of Lincoln on the weekend of 12th and 13th October.

The Championships have a long and proud history and are delighted to be an official partner of the 2019 Cereals event this year. In its 69 years, this will be only the sixth time the event has been held in Lincolnshire and it is proving to be as popular as ever as organisers say applications are flooding in for both trade exhibitors/demonstrators and ploughing entries from competitors from all parts of Great Britain.

Good ploughmen - and women - can be seen at the British National Ploughing Championships, trying to be the best in their field - literally! Up to 250 of the top competitors will be showing their skills with the plough and vintage tractors, modern tractors or heavy horses. They will be striving to win the championship in their section along with the title of Supreme Champion, and some will get the chance to travel abroad to represent their country at next year’s World Ploughing Contest or European Ploughing Championships.

Alongside the ploughing competitions, there will be a wide variety of trade stands selling everything from a tractor or trailer, fertiliser or fuel, to a light or a lock; and manufacturers and dealers also have the opportunity to demonstrate in the field the tractors and machinery they have for sale. There will also be a vast array of shopping stalls.

Visitors to the event will also be able to see steam ploughing engines and a vintage and heritage area with the theme “From Horse to Horse Power” with exhibits from days gone past when farming went at a much slower pace right up to the most up to date machinery available today.

No it's not April 1st again, but in order to celebrate 60 years of chainsaw manufacturing from Husqvarna, the company is now dropping its first album!

Described by the company as being "aimed at its loyal fans", the vinyl was recorded in the forest outside of Huskvarna, Sweden. It contains sounds from twelve selected chainsaws, from the 1959 MS90 to the new 2019 550 XP Mark II.

Husqvarna say the new album will be launched on Spotify and on vinyl, with a limit of 60 vinyl copies being produced in the UK.

The vinyl was recorded in the forest in Aneby outside of Huskvarna, close to the factory where Husqvarna chainsaws have been manufactured since the first one was released in 1959.

“With this record we celebrate our 60-year jubilee of making chainsaws, and most importantly we celebrate our customers that have been using our chainsaws since the late 1950’s. With Husqvarna chainsaws as our instruments, we have created a time machine that lets the listener travel from 1959 to 2019,” said Ken Brewster, UK sales and marketing director.

During the recording, all chainsaws went through the typical forestry workers tasks: felling, limbing and crosscutting.

The vinyl record will be released this summer with only 60 available in the UK. The company say that if fans don’t have a record player or the possibility to get their hands on the vinyl, there is no need to panic as it’s also available on Soundcloud.

A rare opportunity has arisen for an experienced Service Technician based at our office in Winsford, Cheshire.

The scope of the role is to provide general technical support of the Engine, Spare Parts and Home Power business for the UK/Ireland market.

The key areas of responsibility in this role are:

Provide technical support to distributors, dealers and OEMs by telephone

Create and deliver training programmes for the distributor and dealer channel in a classroom environment

Handle warranty claims and liaise with dealers and Head Office in warranty related matters

Updating of training material / technical documentation

Skill Requirements:

Good organisational skills in order to manage several tasks concurrently with frequent interruptions and changing priorities

Good written and verbal communication skills are essential

A professional telephone manner and strong interpersonal skills

IT skills should include the use of Excel, Word and Powerpoint

Good training skills will be beneficial for delivering dealer training

The successful candidate will have a minimum of 2 years’ experience within a Mechanical Engineering environment with focus on fault finding and repair with customer interaction.

If you are interested, please upload your complete application including your salary expectations on our career site:

https://careers.basco.com/job/Service-Technician/567981100/

Closing date for receipt of applications: Wednesday 10 July 2019

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Late Spring saw the launch of 2 brand new Husqvarna semi-professional out-front mowers built on a new compact heavy duty chassis and featuring an innovative drive-in-drive-out attachment frame. The Husqvarna R 419TsX AWD and the Husqvarna R 420TsX AWD are developed for semi-commercial and landowner users who need a compact and versatile mower offering commercial performance and durability. The compact size of the new Riders enables access to tight areas that are hard to reach with larger, less manoeuvrable machines, vastly reducing the need for manual work with walk behind mowers or trimmers.

Both models feature the brand new and innovative X-Change attachment frame. The new frame allows the user to quickly change attachment without the need for belt removal or tools, saving time and adding to the versatility of the machine. The feature also eliminates the need for belt removal when positioning the cutting deck into service position.

A new HMI (Human-Machine Interface) display communicates with the operator, assists in handling and shows real time data and warnings. The new Riders are compatible with Husqvarna Connect and Husqvarna Fleet Services™ through Bluetooth® connectivity. With Husqvarna Connect, the user gets useful information about rider status and operating information in the Husqvarna Connect app as well as relevant accessories, How-to material and dealer contact information. The dealer contact information is particularly useful tool in helping to drive repeat business and helps to strengthen customer relations. With Husqvarna Fleet Services™ data is transferred from the Rider to a desktop or tablet, helping fleet managers have much greater control and insight into their daily operations.

The new Riders also feature all-wheel drive hydrostatic transmissions which vastly improves stability and traction when working in more challenging situations. Both models are also equipped with automotive style LED headlights and smart tool carrier. The tool carrier on the engine hood has an easy access 12V outlet making it convenient to charge handheld battery products whilst the machine is mowing. The carrier can also be fitted with a cargo holder which is available as an accessory.

The new Riders from Husqvarna are equipped with new automotive-style LED headlights with 180-degree coverage to increase visibility near and far from the machine. Following thorough ergonomic studies in the initial development of new platform, Husqvarna created more adjustment possibilities and space for the driver. The updated steering wheel with a fresh, modern design has quick height adjustment as well as comfortable and defined grip areas and a steering wheel knob to increase ergonomics and handling. The articulated power steering makes manoeuvring around obstacles effortless and with an uncut turning circle of 70cm a single pass can be all it takes to navigate around obstacles. The front mounted combi cutting decks allow more to done with the machine, reducing or eliminating the need to carry out follow up work with a trimmer. The Combi decks provide class leading mulch performance recycling the clippings back into the soil improving grass condition. Cutting decks can be easily converted to rear eject for areas of longer grass.

The R 419TsX AWD comes fitted with commercial grade 656 cm3 Briggs & Stratton V-Twin engine and has the option of new X-Change 103cm and 112cm Combi cutting decks. The 400 series range topping R 420TsX AWD is fitted with a powerful commercial grade 724 cm3 Kawasaki V-twin engine and has the option of X-Change 103cm, 112cm and 122cm Combi cutting decks.

A completely new range of X-Change drive-in-drive-out attachments are also available making the Riders true all year round machines for any situation. Front mount attachments include a flail mower, powered broom, snow blade and snow thrower

Prices start from:

• R 419TsX AWD - £9,250 inc VAT (unit only)
• R 420TsX AWD - £10,350 inc VAT (unit only)

To add value and revenue to the Husqvarna Authorised dealer, Husqvarna 100 to 400 series Riders including the new 400 Series can be offered with a 3 year warranty. The product must be registered and serviced annually by an Authorised Husqvarna dealer for the extended warranty to apply.

For further information on the Husqvarna Rider 400 Series and the rest of the Husqvarna Rider range, please visit: www.husqvarna.com/uk/riders or contact your local Husqvarna area business manager.

Garden Trader is a product and dealer search website/directory only for specialist garden machinery dealers in the UK. It has been designed to support and promote our dealer industry to consumers who are specifically searching for garden machinery products and services.

It costs just £96 + VAT per year to be listed and all revenues in 2019 will be reinvested into promoting the site online.

Garden Trader

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.

Map of dealerships registered with Garden Trader

FIND OUT MORE