September is once again proving to be that familiar whirlwind of trade shows and dealer days.

I'm sure most of you reading this today will have spared time away from your businesses to attend at least one, probably more, over the past couple of weeks. Some will most likely be opening this Update at one today.

You'll find reports in the news sections of this edition of Ariens and Ego's recent presentations to their distributors.

I myself attended the first day of Stiga's three day conference at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham on Tuesday this week. As ever, a hugely well attended event. The company thought they were likely to see around 600 dealers across the three days. Days one and two concentrated on Stiga and Mountfield, with day three looking at Atco and Stiga.

It felt like that event had a dual outlook this year. The days were at once looking back at and thanking the contribution of the recently retired managing director Duncan Martin – combined with new md Gary Whitney’s forward looking message that with the company’s renewed focus on power, there would be profitable times ahead.

There will be a more detailed look at the tributes paid to Duncan Martin in the next issue of Service Dealer, but suffice it to say, both the words said of Duncan by others and indeed Duncan's own speech, were heartfelt and full of emotion.

Stiga UK's new md Gary Whitney, with the retiring Duncan Martin at the conference this week

Once the warm applause from the assembled dealers for Duncan had died down, it was very interesting to hear Gary Whitney address the issue of what a challenging season this current one has been for dealers.

In front of a slide up on the big screen which read ‘It’s been a tough few months’, Gary acknowledged the difficult 2018 which most had experienced, saying, “It was such a clear reminder that we’re in the weather business.”

He expanded on the theme, explaining how at the start of this year the Beast from the East meant that we were all waiting for the season to start. “It seemed to be so cold for ages and the start seemed so late,” he said.

“But in fact, it was more the contrast between this season and last season that was most significant. February and March 2017 were much warmer than usual – meaning we clearly had an early start to that year. It made the 2018 spring seem even later.

“But then it exploded into action in April when that month brought the warm and wet weather which we needed – and May just came and went in a blur of business.”

Dealers checking out new Mountfield walk-behinds

But the underlying signs were already with us by the end of May, explained Gary. He put a slide up on the screen which showed satellite images of the UK, just a month apart this summer, which showed how as he put it, “Our green and pleasant land was quickly becoming burnt and brown.” The illustration made clear how the drought started biting in June and by the end of that month the grass was burnt off.

Gary summarised it in quite simple terms, saying, “This year was definitely the shortest selling season that I’ve ever experienced.”

It was noted though that dealers, during that short selling season, were incredibly busy. “Maybe now you can reflect on the year, you can remember just how intense that period was,” said Gary.

Looking ahead, the message was that the industry needed to get up, brush itself down and get ready for better seasons to come. “Because despite the difficult year,” explained Gary, “your business with us was stable, meaning you kept the considerable growth that you’ve achieved with us over the last few years. Which I think we need to celebrate.

“Our green and pleasant land is back with most of us now, there’s business to be done, deals to be had and profits to be made.”

The attending dealers went outside to test the new machines which were on display for the first time with positive words from Gary ringing in their ears. 

“Season 2018 is nearly done,” he said. “Let’s get on with preparations for season 2019. It’s business as usual from now on.”

Stiga ride-ons being tested by the dealers

Service Dealer are pleased to announce that Honda's Mean Mower V2, which is out to reclaim the crown for the world’s fastest lawnmower, will appear at this year's Service Dealer Conference.

Pro race driver Jess Hawkins with the Mean Mower V2

The Mean Mower V2 will be accompanied by pro race driver Jess Hawkins, who has been chosen by Honda as the perfect driver to try to tame the incredible, refined raw power of the machine - which has a target speed of 150mph in its sights.

The mower and Jess will be appearing at the Oxford Belfry Hotel on the 15th November giving our dealer delegates the opportunity to find out more about what it takes to drive a lawnmower at such phenomenal speeds - with of course plenty of opportunities to take pictures with both the machine and its driver.

The Mean Mower V2 features a 999cc four-cylinder engine taken from Honda’s CBR1000RR Fireblade SP motorcycle. With a super-light frame and engine dry weight of just 69.1kg the engineers behind its construction predict a power to weight ratio of 1000bhp/tonne!

A key part of the brief of the machine's design was to retain the look of a lawnmower - in this case the Honda HF 2622 lawn tractor– which it does by carrying over its front cowl, grass box and body panels. The second essential element is the ability to still cut grass, which it also still does, thanks to slight revisions to the cutter deck to house the chain running to the rear tyres and the two batteries required to power electric motors which spin carbon fibre blades to mow.

At just 23, Jess Hawkins has recently been performing as a stunt driver in the touring Fast & Furious Live show. She has also competed with Excelr8 Motorsport in the Mini Challenge, Cooper Pro Class as well as having impressive karting credentials plus limited experience in saloons and single seaters.

You can find all the information you need regarding the Service Dealer Conference & Awards on our website, including booking details and information 

Two shows on BBC2 this week featured garden machinery dealers, with starring roles for both the British Lawnmower Museum and Hugh Page.

Firstly on Monday a new show called Monkman And Seagull’s Genius Guide To Britain, starring the two breakout stars of last season's University Challenge, Eric Monkman and Bobby Seagull, visited the British Lawnmower Museum in Southport.

Brian Radam with Bobby Seagull and Eric Monkman

Run by Brian Radam, whose dealership is part of the same premises as the Museum, Monkman and Seagull chat with Brian, discovering the reason why the man who invented the lawnmower had to test his prototypes at night. They are also fascinated to discover that the museum is home to a lawnmower once owned by one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time!

You can watch the episode on the BBC iPlayer here, with Brian's section starting at 9min45s.

Also on BBC2, yesterday's episode of Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, featured Viv Brown at his Heathfield, East Sussex dealership, Hugh Page.

Viv Brown with James Braxton

In the show antiques expert James Braxton, brings Viv an old lawn edger which he's intrigued to know more about, as well as find out what it might be worth. Viv's expert knowledge does not disappoint!

The episode is also available to view on iPlayer, with Viv's section starting at 35min35s.

Nominations for Service Dealer's Dealer Of The Year competition close this week.

This is your final chance to get your dealership and key members of your team in the running for prestigious industry recognition.

The Awards will be announced and presented at the Service Dealer Awards Dinner on 15th November at the Oxford Belfry Hotel, following on from the Service Dealer Conference which takes place during the day.

We can receive nominations from individual dealers who wish to be considered for the short-list in one or more of the categories or from manufacturers/suppliers in support of dealers in their franchise network (up to three dealers per category).

As well as our core dealer categories of Garden Machinery, Professional Turfcare, Farm Machinery, Forestry Equipment and ATV/Quad Dealer of the Year we also want you tell us about individuals in your dealership who go above and beyond to contribute to the team's success.

Do you have a great Apprentice working with you? Nominate them today so they could be in with the chance of taking home the title of Apprentice Of The Year.

Do you have someone within your team who always goes the extra mile to offer great service? Put their name forward to be our Star Of The Dealership.

Click here to visit the Nominations page on the Service Dealer website.

Ariens Company gathered all their dealers for Countax, Westwood, Ariens and ECHO at Whittlebury Hall, Northamptonshire on the 12th September for their annual dealer meeting.

The theme of the meeting was ‘Shifting Gears’ and the day was led by Darren Spencer, Vice President for EMEA and Asia, beginning with talks on the new products available early in 2019. These included the Ariens Zenith, the largest zero turn in the portfolio, aimed at the commercial market.

The new Countax C40 and Westwood T40 garden tractors were also launched along with an interchangeable cassette system attachment which allows customers to scarify and sweep their garden and grounds. The new range of ECHO Lithium Ion 58V outdoor power tools was also on display for dealers to try including chainsaws, brushcutters, hedgetrimmers and a walk behind 21” lawn mower.

Following a short introduction, the day was structured to provide dealers with ample time to demo products and to introduce tools to help grow their business. There were various breakout sessions, which included a Marketing Update and focus on the latest marketing tools available to dealers, including the announcement of the Ariens Market Hub. The Hub is a revision of Ariens ‘Marketing Materials Site’, a system that enables dealers to order customised marketing materials, merchandise and promotional items. At the core of this is the latest multi-brand leaflet which allows dealers to customise their own catalogues.

“This year’s dealer meeting has been a great success with excellent attendance,” says Darren Spencer, “our dealer network is at the heart of our business, so it is imperative that we provide them with a new generation of products, services and sales tools to best serve the end user.”

During the afternoon session dealers were given the opportunity to test a range of machinery including the new C40 and T40 garden tractors, the Zoom, Ikon, Apex and Zenith zero turns and the complete range of ECHO outdoor power tools. As the UK distributor for ECHO, this was the ideal opportunity for Ariens to showcase the new 58V Lithium Ion battery series comprising hedgetrimmer, power blower and brushcutter. Each dealer was also encouraged to show off their driving agility by entering the Zero Turn challenge for a chance to win a Supercar Driving Experience track day and the prestigious ‘Zero-turn Cup’!

During the day the Ariens Dealer Advisory Council (DAC) led a closed discussion with dealers exploring industry issues and ideas to support the dealer network. The DAC will work with Ariens Company over the coming 12 months to devise action plans to counter these issues

EGO Power Plus recently welcomed its European distributors to the UK to preview the new cordless outdoor power equipment available to dealers in 2019.

EGO distributors gather at Cliveden House

Held at a working farm in Berkshire, followed by a gala dinner at Cliveden House, EGO says the event provided the perfect showcase to demonstrate how their latest products deliver the same exceptional performance as petrol-powered products. As appreciation of cordless equipment continues to grow amongst consumers and landscaping professionals, the company believes that 2019 will be a bumper year for take-up of its range.

“Brands like Tesla and Dyson have proven the popularity of cordless battery power on our roads and in our homes. EGO brings the same focus on innovation and quality to our gardens,” says Steve Roskell, EMEA Marketing Director at EGO Power Plus.

“While details are still under wraps pending the official market launch, our distributors have now tested our new sizes of lawn mower. With 42cm and 47cm decks - the most popular sizes in the UK - we’re opening our range to a wider range of customers than ever before.

“Another innovation we’re delighted to bring to the UK and other European markets is our new line trimmer with POWERLOAD™, an automatic feature that makes light work of loading the line.

“We also unveiled the latest POS materials and product promotions to help dealers promote the benefits of EGO’s patented Arc Lithium battery technology," said Steve. "We want our dealers to feel passionate about our products, so we’re also developing new ways to build excitement.”

Future Grass Technology Ltd has been granted the exclusive worldwide rights for the use of the PZ drum mower in a zero-grazing machine.

Following this agreement, with immediate effect all Grass Tech Grazers will now incorporate a PZ mower unit, adapted in conjunction with Kuhn specifically for use with the Grazer.

The new Grazer with PZ mower was launched at this year’s National Ploughing Match in Ireland this week.

The new Grass Tech Grazer with PZ mower range consists of four models, all of which feature the 2.20m-wide PZ220 mower. The mower unit comprises two drums, each fitted with eight quick-change blades that leave a clean and even cut for faster regrowth. The pan is specifically shaped and designed to lift and throw even the heaviest of grass cleanly to the back of the grass elevator, so avoiding any damage to the remaining stubble.

On the three larger GT 120, 140 and 160 models, the mowing width therefore remains the same. However, previously only available with a 1.85m-wide mower, the smallest GT80 has had to be redesigned in order to also now benefit from the wider 2.1m PZ mower. As part of the redesign, the GT80 now utilises the same chassis as the larger GT 120 and 140 models, giving it added strength and greater stability.

Stihl TIMBERSPORTS® have announced the team that will represent Great Britain at the World Championship, which takes place at the Echo Arena Liverpool on October 19-20.

British champion Elgan Pugh will be joined by fellow countrymen Glen Penlington, David Thomas and Andrew Evans - with Craig Golder in reserve - as the UK hosts the Stihl TIMBERSPORTS® World Championship for the first time in its history.

Team GB

Stihl TIMBERSPORTS® is an international extreme sports competition series that involves athletes sawing, slicing and chopping wood at speed, using axes and saws.

The World Championship will see the best athletes from more than 20 nations around the globe battle each other against the clock in a variety of highly-skilled, fast-paced disciplines inspired by the logging industry.

The British hopefuls will take part in the Team Event on Friday, October 19, as the national teams compete against each other in a knockout system, where the disciplines of Stock Saw, Underhand Chop, Single Buck and Standing Block Chop are completed by four athletes in a relay.

Elgan Pugh will then take his place in the Individual Event on Saturday, October 20, as the world’s top 12 athletes compete against one another in all six disciplines.

Team GB are looking to make the most of the home advantage, whilst the 2017 individual winner Jason Wynyard and team competition winners New Zealand will be hoping to retain their titles.

British champion Elgan Pugh commented: “It’s an honour to be named in the British team and I can’t wait to represent the country as we host the Stihl TIMBERSPORTS® World Championship for the first time.

“We’re excited to test ourselves against the very best athletes in the world. Home advantage can play a crucial part and it will feel incredibly special walking out in front of a sell-out crowd in Liverpool.”

SCH say they were delighted recently to receive an order for 12 bespoke trailers from Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd.

The trailers will be used for transporting mowers from the greenkeeper's compound to the greens, with each trailer able to take two mowers at once.

To ensure the mowers arrive without any damage, the trailers incorporate custom built holding clamps to keep the mowers held down tightly so that they do not move whilst in transit. The wide profile wheels give the trailer stability over rough or wet ground, as well as spreading the weight over a large surface area to reduce track marks on the grass. The solid chassis is of welded steel construction with the floor and ramp made from weather-resistant wooden boards coated in a high-grip matt rubber, ensuring a long life span for the trailers. The design of the trailers adds storage facilities for grass collection boxes and brushes, and an adjustable hitch is fitted so that vehicles of varying height may tow the trailers.

SCH say as they both design and manufacture their products themselves in Britain, they have great flexibility when it comes to customers requesting bespoke variation to their standard products. Even with a highly varied product range, the company say customers are always inventively requesting something new or different, and at SCH custom builds are always excitedly welcomed.

Dennis Sisis has added a Foley Accu-Pro 673 from ProSport UK to their production line for OEM specification grinding.

The mower manufacturer had very specific requirements when it came to choosing the machine that would grind all of the bedknives for their mowers, citing reliability, flexibility and accuracy as the top three priorities.

As part of the production line, the Accu-Pro 673 fully automatic Bedknife grinder is in constant use and will grind thousands of bedknives a year, with the machine having already delivered between 500 to 600 blades in its first three months.

Tony Snaith, senior grinding technician at Dennis Sisis with the new Foley Accu-Pro 673 Bedknife Grinder

These blades are manufactured in-house through Dennis Sisis’ sister company, Crocodile Precision Ltd, and Ian Howard, managing director of Dennis Sisis, explains the importance of having a high-quality reliable grinder as the company moves through their busiest year to date.

“Our specification for a grinder differs slightly from a golf course or football club because of the amount of time our grinders are working,” Ian began. “We’re having our busiest year to date, our order books are full, sales are booming, and demand is increasing all the time, so this increases our need for reliability and quality in the production line.

“Every bedknife we produce has to be individually ground to the correct OEM specification on the bedknife carrier, prior to mower assembly. We need a grinder that makes efficient use of workshop time by being quick and easy to set-up particularly as we are constantly swapping between different length blades.

“Our customers expect accurately ground relief angles on the blade, and the Accu-Pro 673 consistently delivers top-quality performance.”

One man who experiences the full benefit of the new unit is Dennis Sisis senior grinding technician, Tony Snaith. “I’ve been delighted with the performance and speed the blades can be set-up and ground,” he said.

“The Accu-Pro 673 has performed consistently, efficiently and accurately and has coped with the constant demands of the production line. It has really proven itself to be the perfect machine for what we need.”

Event organisers have announced that visitor registration for SALTEX 2018 is now officially open at www.iogsaltex.com.

SALTEX 2018, Europe’s largest annual event for groundscare professionals, takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, on 31 October and 1 November and visitors can now register their attendance for free via the newly-designed website.

SALTEX 2018 visitor registration now open.

The new website has been built to provide the ultimate user-friendly experience with improved navigation and functionality throughout, allowing both visitors and exhibitors to access all the information they need in preparation for SALTEX 2018.

The site is compatible with many browsers and all mobile devices meaning that visitors and exhibitors alike will have easy access to the site and stay informed with the latest show news and exhibitor event previews. With over 230 exhibitors signed up to date, visitors to the website will see an extensive exhibitor list complete with individual profiles - each containing relevant information on products, services and show offers.

Visitors will also be able to find out more about new and exciting show attractions as well as popular features such as Learning LIVE – SALTEX’s free and all-encompassing education programme; Outdoor demonstrations – which take place directly outside the SALTEX halls 6, 7 and 8; the SALTEX College Cup - a national student-led sports-turf challenge; Pathology & Soil Science LIVE - allowing visitors to look in detail at the symptoms of some common turfgrass fungal disease problems; Ask the Expert - a team of 10 IOG regional pitch advisors providing free pitch care advice; the Job Clinic - a chance to receive specific career advice and find out all the latest job opportunities from industry expert Frank Newberry, and the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) 10th annual Industry Awards celebration.

SALTEX exhibitors will notice some improvements to the portal, which is an indispensable tool for maximising event presence and making connections with potential customers in advance of the show. All of the exhibitor forms, such as the Health and Safety Declaration and the Risk Assessment Form, have now all been digitalised, meaning that exhibitors can fill out the relevant forms online without having to print them off.

Visitors can register to attend SALTEX via the website – www.iogsaltex.com. Visitors will receive a confirmation email with their badge to print and take along to the show, to gain free entry.

To view show highlights and key interviews please visit www.youtube.com/MyIOG

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

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