Whilst August can often be a quiet month for industry news with many choosing to take time off for a well-earned break, you may have noticed that there a couple of articles today regarding some major acquisitions at a corporate level in our sector.

Firstly there's the news that Stanley Black & Decker have purchased the remaining 80% of MTD. This is a move that has been brewing ever since we first reported back in 2018 that they were taking a minor stake in the manufacturer of brands including Cub Cadet. Back then it was said Stanley Black & Decker would have the option to purchase the rest of the company come July 1st 2021. And like clockwork, this has come to pass this week.

Also significant today, is the story that another giant in the outdoor power equipment sector has purchased a start-up robotics company. We've seen this several times over the past few years with various big name manufacturers either purchasing outright or investing in new, innovative technology businesses. Husqvarna buying into Franklin Robotics springs to mind, as does Toro buying TurfLynx and Left Hand Robotics, or Claas backing AgXeed.

Today though we have the news that John Deere is acquiring Bear Flag Robotics. This is clearly another example of one of the big boys indicating where they see the future of farm machinery heading.

There was a fascinating article on this very subject in The Guardian last Saturday that is well worth your time checking out. Entitled ‘Ten years ago this was science fiction’: the rise of weedkilling robots, there are a few familiar names featured within the piece. The Small Robot Company who we've covered in the pages of Service Dealer previously get a mention for example - as do other robotic tech companies who I'm sure we'll be hearing more about in the (near) future.

The theme of the story is how this new, robotic machinery can reduce pesticide use and be part of a more sustainable food system. Sustainability in all its forms is a seriously hot topic right now - and one that environmentally conscious consumers want to participate in. It's also a topic of course, that dealers of agricultural, commercial and domestic outdoor powered machinery can all position themselves at the very heart of.

We can see the direction farm machinery is heading with these developments in autonomous machinery. Commercial users are increasingly turning to battery operated fleets to take care of public spaces and indeed the sight of robot mowers trundling around parks and sporting playing surfaces is becoming more familiar. Domestic users too, who want to spend their pound sustainability, will be looking at the myriad of options they now have to care for their gardens.

Dealers can heavily lean into this desire to do the right thing environmentally, promoting the fact that their principal purpose is to aid the cultivation of the natural world. With the products that are at their disposal, consumers can now choose to spend relatively guilt-free. It's perhaps an area that has been under-exploited in the past but is well-worth exploring in dealership marketing.

I'm sure it's an area that will be discussed a lot more over the coming months and years. Indeed it wouldn't surprise me if it's an area dealers are keen to cover at the upcoming Service Dealer Conference.