Firstly, a moment of housekeeping - as this time next week is Good Friday, there won't be a Service Dealer Update popping into your inbox. We'll be back with you on Friday April 6th.

Hopefully you wouldn't have been able to find time to read your weekly dose of Service Dealer anyway - what with the glorious Easter weekend we definitely going to have! There’s bound to be a stampede of people wanting to get outside and use their newly acquired outdoor power equipment!

Actually, bringing us all back down to earth with a bump, the slightly concerning forecast appears to be that the cold weather might be returning next week. Which is awfully unfair considering how long and unseasonable March has been.

It's certainly been an odd month with many parts of the country seeing at least a couple of significant dumps of snow. And it's been extra weird where I'm based in Salisbury because we've also had the plot of a ridiculous airport novel playing out in our town!

These weather conditions though, have actually played into the hands of online retailers. According to figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, UK online retail sales were up +13.1% year-on-year in February. With the Beast from the East hitting the UK in the last week of February, the cold weather saw consumers turn online in their droves, causing a +3.5% lift in sales compared to the previous week. Which is not what bricks and mortar dealers want to hear!

But we shouldn't be all doom and gloom. We all know that the weather effects this industry more than most. And we all know that the weather will eventually pick up and the grass will grow. Hopefully then the season will just extend through October, November and into December.

And in the main, the market for outdoor powered equipment is looking up. I read a report out of the States this week that said global demand for powered lawn and garden equipment is forecast to grow 2.5 percent per year to $24.2 billion in 2021.

The report by The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry research firm, said a good proportion of this expected upturn will be as a result of the continuing improvements in battery powered products and the expected rise in popularity of robotic mowers.

The American Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) magazine featured an interview with Jennifer Christ, manager of consumer and commercial products at The Freedonia Group, about the report. With regards to battery products, she told them, "Battery-powered equipment will achieve increased market share in all global regions, as technological advances make these products increasingly competitive with engine-driven equipment. Global demand for battery-powered lawn and garden equipment is forecast to increase 5.5 percent per year to $3.3 billion in 2021."

And in terms of other product sectors, she said, "Lawnmowers will continue to account for the largest portion of sales, owing primarily to the number of homeowners who possess and maintain their own lawns in the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe." As well as this Jennifer also cites chainsaws as expecting to post the fastest growth through 2021, in part, she says, because these are less concentrated in mature developed markets than other product types. "Economic advances in developing nations will spur strong growth for chainsaws outside of the core lawncare market, as these products find use in applications such as forestry, roadside maintenance, and clearing land for construction," she is quoted as saying.

So that's some good news isn't it? I know it doesn't help much when you're shovelling your van out of the snow again to think that there will be a 2.5% increase in global sales come 2021 - but we've got to take the positives where we can!

Happy Easter!

The Toro Company has acquired L.T. Rich Products, a manufacturer of commercial zero-turn spreader/sprayers, aerators and snow and ice management equipment.

L.T. Rich Products is known in the United States for its Z-Spray line of stand-on spreader/sprayers for landscape contractors and grounds professionals. Other products include the Z-Plug stand-on aerator that is designed to convert to a slicer/seeder, snow plough or dethatching rake, and the stand-on Snowrator for snow and ice management.

“This acquisition builds upon many of our core strengths valued by professional contractors as we strive to help them drive greater productivity, profitability and efficiency in their operations,” said Richard M. Olson, chairman and CEO of The Toro Company.

“The Z-Spray line complements our current spreader/sprayer product offering to contractors, golf and grounds customers, while the innovative Snowrator is an exciting addition to our professional snow and ice management line. With our continued focus on innovation and technology, we believe these products have broad application across many of our professional markets.”

“With a shared commitment to innovation and serving customers, we look forward to having our products become a part of The Toro Company,” said Tom Rich, president of L.T. Rich Products. “We believe that Toro’s strong history, market leadership and resources will further enable our continued growth in the market.”

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Andrew Symons Ltd has been appointed as a new Ransomes Jacobsen dealer, representing the Ransomes, Jacobsen, E-Z-GO, Cushman, Turfco and Smithco brands.

The dealership will cover a territory that includes Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

L-R: David Timms, Regional Sales Manager at Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd., Alen Drew, Groundcare Sales Manager at A. Symons Ltd, Andrew Symons, Managing Director, Lisa Symons, Company Secretary, Nick Middleton, Groundcare Sales Manager at A. Symons Ltd, Nathan Walker, National Accounts Manager at Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd.

Andrew Symons is a major agricultural, construction and groundcare business. The company was set up in 1987 by current owners Andrew and Lisa Symons. It has flourished over the years and is now one of the most reputable distributors in the region, employing more than 40 full-time staff and offering an impressive portfolio of agricultural and groundcare equipment.

Andrew Symons, Managing Director of Andrew Symons Ltd said, “We are very proud of the addition of Ransomes Jacobsen to our groundcare portfolio. It is testament to the success of our business; we recently opened another depot in Crediton in 2017 which offers parts, service and sales in a first class, modern facility. Customers are the focus of everything we do, and we are very excited to be representing such reputable brands and backing them up with fantastic customer service.”

Speaking after the signing of the distribution agreement, Nathan Walker, National Accounts Manager at Textron Specialized Vehicles, said, “Andrew Symons Ltd is a well-established and highly professional business in the area and we are delighted to welcome them as a new distributor. The level of service and enthusiasm for the industry that its personnel display is second to none, and I am confident that they will do a good job of enhancing our presence in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.”

Husqvarna has announced the dates for their 2018 UK Dealer Meetings in preparation for 2019.

The company says the Dealer Meetings provide them with the opportunity to share with their network the Husqvarna strategy for 2019, strengthening the partnership with their dealers, as well as meeting with the team.

Husqvarna plan to introduce the following during the meeting;

• 2019 Commercial terms
• 2019 Marketing strategy
• Company update
• New Products and Accessories for 2019

To improve accessibility to the whole network the 2018 Dealer Meetings will be held in 2 locations:

Tuesday 2nd October – South (Cheltenham)
Cheltenham Chase Hotel
Shurdington Road
Brockworth
GL3 4PB

Wednesday 3rd October – North (Leeds)
Oulton Hall
Rothwell Lane
Oulton
Leeds
LS26 8HN

A detailed agenda and registration information will be circulated closer to the time.

Husqvarna request that dealers save the date in their calendars for their closest meeting venue.

Kubota is teaming up with long-standing dealers Atkins and MP Crowley to host ‘Discover Kubota’.

Being held tomorrow (Saturday 24th March) at the Munster Agricultural Society Showground in Cork, the event will offer Ireland’s farmers, ground maintenance teams and construction professionals the opportunity to test drive a wide range of Kubota’s equipment.

From 10am to 4pm, visitors will have the chance to find out more about each machine and compare various models, meeting machinery experts from both the dealerships and Kubota to ask questions they might have.

Mark Wolfe, Managing Director of Atkins, said: “As Ireland’s longest standing farming machinery business, we are committed to providing Ireland with the highest standard in machinery, which is why we have been a Kubota dealer for over 30 years. The upcoming event provides visitors with the perfect opportunity to have a go, get on the machines and see how they really perform."

Throughout the day, visitors will have the opportunity to navigate various machines across its test track, travelling across different terrains and obstacles, including a river crossing which will enable them to discover which model can fulfil their specific requirements.

Karen Tipping, Marketing Manager for Kubota UK, said, “The ‘Discover Kubota’ event is a great way for us to get in front of existing and potential customers to showcase first hand the capability of our machines. This is the first event of its kind in Ireland, raising our profile of what Kubota machinery has to offer across Ireland’s groundcare, agricultural and construction industries.

“The Kubota UK marketing team is dedicated to supporting our dealer network with their marketing activities, and this event will allow visitors to not only get behind the machines, but get face-to-face with Ireland’s leading machinery experts.”

Throughout the day representatives and service engineers from Kubota’s aftersales team will also be on hand to provide visitors with further information about its Kubota Care and Kubota Finance offerings.

Mark Bartram (54) of Bartram Mowers is running the Marathon Des Sables starting on the 8th April, lasting seven days across part of the Sahara Desert.

During that time, he will run the equivalent of six marathons and will have to carry all his kit and food required for the duration of the race.

Mark Bartram has been training in slightly different conditions to what he'll encounter in the Sahara!

Mark, who says this proves you are never too old to take on even the harshest physical challenges, has been training for most of the last 12 months and has used part of the North Norfolk Coastal Path in an attempt to replicate the conditions he will experience in the Sahara.

Mark commented “Whilst I have been able to train running on sand I have no experience of running in temperatures that are likely to be over 40 degrees centigrade for most of the race. In fact, I have been more familiar with sub-zero temperatures and snow in recent weeks!”

Mark is raising money for the Wooden Spoon children’s charity and Walking With The Wounded.

His fundraising page for anyone wishing to support him is https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MarkBartram-mds

Stuart Taylor International have become the latest Dealer for the Mean Green Electric Commercial Mowers.

Ian Conroy, sales Manger of Stuart Taylors and Stuart Rose, sales manager of Overton (UK) Limited

Ian Conroy, sales manager of Stuart Taylors commented, “We feel that electric battery operated machinery is the future and has a great many benefits to bring to the market.

"We feel that the time is right, and we have been very pleased with the level of interest within our customer base”.

Suzuki GB have recently welcomed Turners Agricultural Engineers into its national network of dealers.

Run by husband and wife team Adam and Gina Turner, the dealership based in Pencombe brings improved coverage to the Herefordshire area for Suzuki.

Turners Agricultural Engineers are a small team, with a large amount of new and used machinery available in their dealership near Bromyard. They are fully equipped in their on-site workshop for repairs, servicing and parts. With brands such as Spearhead, Dieci and ATV attachment brand Quad-X already working with Turners Agricultural Engineers, the fit was described as natural by Suzuki ATV.

Director, Adam Turner, said, “We’re a small team but we are looking to take on more brands to serve our expanding customer base in the Herefordshire and surrounding areas. We have seen an increasing demand for good quality ATVs in the region, and Suzuki was the natural choice.”

George Cheeseman, Head of ATV for Suzuki GB, says, “We are excited to have appointed such a great new, family run dealer. Suzuki is dedicated to establishing strong relationships with its UK-wide dealer network as ultimately they are representing our brand and look after our customers. We are pleased to be working with such a well-established and knowledgeable dealership and excited that more dealerships are enthusiastic to sell Suzuki.”

Garden Hire Spares Ltd, the supplier of spare parts for the groundscare and tool hire industries, has announced the appointment of Michael Over as the business development manager for the south-east region.

Michael Joins GHS with many years’ experience within garden machinery and spare parts sales.

Michael says, “I am looking forward to meeting and working with all the GHS customers in my area and as part of the GHS team to help support the dealer network with great products and outstanding customer support.”

Contact the sales office on 01905 333 475

To celebrate the 80 years since the founding of IAgrE in May 1938, the Insitution is inviting budding photographers to submit photographs depicting 'Agritech in Action'.

Alastair Taylor, CEO of IAgrE, said, "We are looking for entries which showcase the exciting world of agricultural technology in action with a £250 prize for the winning entry.

"Whether your entry shows close-up detail of machinery at work or the wider landscape in which it works, we look forward to your entries."

All entries will be judged by a member of the Royal Photographic Society with the post nominal distinction of LRPS, ARPS or FRPS.

The closing date is 30 September 2018 and full details and the rules for the competition are on the IAgrE website.

With the double milestones of the 60th anniversary of Bobcat and 40 years in excavator manufacture for Doosan, the organisers and the dealers and customers visiting Doosan Bobcat Demo Days held at the end of February 2018 had more than usual to celebrate.

This latest version of the successful Demo Days event was staged at the Doosan Bobcat Campus at Dobříš, close to the capital city of Prague in the Czech Republic.

Attended by hundreds of customers from over 20 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Demo Days provided a unique opportunity to try out the full range of the latest Doosan and Bobcat products in working conditions. The event also provided customers with the opportunity to talk about the machines and solutions for their business applications with product specialists and demonstrators from Doosan Bobcat.

From its roots in the world’s first skid-steer loader, the Bobcat range has greatly diversified and today, Bobcat is also a manufacturer of compact excavators and telehandlers, with full line-ups of both types of product for markets worldwide.

As well as the company’s 40 years in excavator manufacture, this year also marks the sale of the 400,000th machine since Doosan entered the construction equipment market. In 2018, Doosan is one of the top six heavy construction equipment manufacturers in the world with a range of crawler and wheeled excavators, wheel loaders and articulated dump trucks.

At Demo Days, the external space is maximised to give customers plenty of room to drive and operate even the largest machines from the Doosan range, as well as the complete range of Bobcat machines and attachments. Several of these products are presented in working application scenarios that demonstrate how Doosan and Bobcat machines and attachments are used in customer markets such as quarrying, road maintenance, utilities and forestry.

The Dobříš campus is a unique operation among Doosan Bobcat’s many facilities around the world. As the home to the Innovation Center and the training centre for EMEA and with the opportunities it offers for customers to tour the site’s manufacturing plant, where over 80% of Doosan Bobcat compact machines destined for markets in EMEA are produced, the Dobříš campus is an unrivalled venue for an event like Demo Days.

Bobcat Plant - Loader production line

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Opened in 2007 and recently expanded in 2015, the 6000m2 Training Center provides training for the entire portfolio of Doosan and Bobcat products, with the aim of encouraging business growth through the development of professional skills across the business, offering world-class training of dealer management, salesforces, service staff and aftermarket teams as well as employees at Doosan Bobcat.

The Training Center is based around a large main building with four training rooms, each capable of holding 25-30 individuals. In addition to the classrooms, the Training Center also includes offices, five workshops for service training and a total of 15,000 m2 of outdoor area which is devoted to working with Doosan and Bobcat machines at Demo Days.

One of the highlights of the Demo Days is - as the name states - the demo show. Each time the Demo Days take place, the demo team changes the choreography, so that it is a new show on every occasion. The use of live music, performing artists, colour laser lights, fog effects and fireworks made it a spectacular celebration of the two birthdays at Doosan and Bobcat.

One of the world’s largest power tool, garden machinery manufacturers & distributors is looking for an:

OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT SALES MANAGER

The role will be to manage the day to day activities of the sales team, working with the dealer and distribution network.

The successful candidate will need to have man management skills, demonstrate ability to cover this national role together with knowledge and understanding of the garden machinery industry.

If you are interested then please apply to: jobopps1959@gmail.com

Closing date: 30th March 2018

Dare we say that spring has finally sprung? The sun has made an appearance and combined with regular rainfall (and snow melt!) this can only mean one thing for gardeners countrywide – grass cutting season is well and truly upon us.

Grizzly’s range of four-wheel battery, electric and petrol lawn mowers go all the way helping you to shear, shape and maintain a healthy lawn. The petrol BRM 51 BSA model is perfectly proportioned for regular domestic use with a cutting range of 51cm and 60 litre collection box, it’s robust yet light to handle.

The artfully engineered 4 stroke Briggs & Stratton 625 E Series engine with primer pump, rear wheel drive and blade brake safety function make this mower top of the petrol class. Fitted with top quality steel metal casing, adjustable 10-step cutting height and adjustable foldable handlebar for space-saving storage, this mower cuts a fine figure with the additional option of mulch mowing (mulching accessory available separately).

Grizzly has a three-year warranty as standard, with products supplied with merchandise packages for ease of demonstration in your showroom and payment options available to all current and future dealers. #GetGrizzly and see the difference!

Celebrating 20 years of trading throughout Europe, Grizzly have an exceptional offering for 2018. Grizzly Tools manufacture quality power tools for every gardener, trusted by tradesmen and humble home gardeners alike.

If you’d like to speak to Grizzly about their range of products, please call Shnayde on 0845 683 2670.

With spring officially now with us, and hopefully an end to the winter temperatures and snow, thoughts of many professional and residential grounds keepers turn to their grass cutting machinery, most of which have been lying in hibernation over the winter period.

This time of inactivity can offer lead to tyre punctures, perishing and general disrepair which are only discovered when machinery is pulled out for the first use of the year.

This is where Carlisle’s vast choice of premium Groundscare tyres are a perfect choice for replacement purposes and in particular, the Turf Master / Multi Trac range of tyres. With fitments that span from 6” wheel fitments for walk behind mowers and small ride on mowers, upto and including 20” wheel fitments for compact tractors, the Turf Master / Multi Trac range offers both the professional and residential user the highest possible performance and dependability for their equipment.

Often copied but rarely bettered, the Turf Master / Multi Trac family of tyres are made of Carlisle’s most durable rubber compound for exceptional grip and tyre life, with a deep tread, square shoulder pattern optimised for stability and traction whilst being gentle on the turf and generating the minimum amount of ground disturbance possible.

Fitted by some of the world’s biggest machinery manufacturers including John Deere, Toro, Ariens and Ransomes, Carlisle’s range of Lawn, Garden & Golf tyres are renowned world-wide for their quality and dependability.

The full range of Turf Master / Multi Trac tyres are available now from Carlisle’s UK distributor Tyre-Line who can be contacted on 01458 250350 or aftermarket@tyreline.com

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