I remember clearly one of the first things I was told when I started working for this journal (20 years ago this year!) was just how friendly an industry this is to be part of.

Much has changed throughout those two decades, not to mention during the past 15 months - but that fact has remained constant. It's something that as a sector we can be proud of and should use as a selling point to encourage new recruits.

The willingness to be open and to help peers with advice and support is illustrated when dealers get together on manufacturer organised events, or at days like the Service Dealer Conference - or at least they were in the Before Times! Recently of course it can be illustrated in online discussion forums, resources like the Dealer Digital Toolkit and frequently, Zoom chats.

I was party to such a call this week, which illustrated clearly the nature of independent dealers, who if they are able, are more than willing to offer their help, expertise and experience to a fellow dealer who is looking for some advice.

Best practice in action

I'm sure all readers were incredibly sympathetic to Anthony Deacon of MKM Agri recently, who could only look on as the fire service battled to save his burning workshop back in April. I know Anthony has received many messages of support from across the network since then, for which he is most grateful. 

He is now in the position of planning his rebuild and is looking for feedback from some fellow dealers, who can offer suggestions on what they consider to be helpful design ideas when starting a dealership building from scratch. Duncan Murray-Clarke, owner of Service Dealer, enlisted Pete McArthur of Strathbogie Forest & Garden and James Hayes of Hayes Machinery to have a chat with Anthony on Wednesday this week, to share their thoughts on best practice when it comes layout and design. 

With any redesign, space is always going to be an issue - both inside and out - although Anthony would admit he is in a reasonably fortunate position in that regard, seeing how his dealership is located on a family farm, with a decent sized area, that he has a degree of flexibility with.

It was said that one of the very first elements to consider in a new build is the appeal from the outside of the premises. The attractive visualisation of the building from the road or yard will go an awful long way to encourage customer interest - perhaps, with the right stylish look, even picking up people who might not ordinarily enter a machinery dealership. If a building doesn't look welcoming and well kept, why should anybody make that effort to enter? If it looks like the owner doesn't care about the business, why should anyone else?!

Also potentially having some sort of striking display out the front of the building - maybe a dramatic hill or rock formation with an ATV on show - could add to this striking first impression.

Aiding this visual appeal were also thoughts on lots of natural light inside the building. Plenty of windows shows off the space and machinery in an attractive way. However, it was felt this is a difficult balance to strike when considering dealership layout. More glass means less wall space for hanging items - which is often one of the central dilemmas when arranging a showroom.

The key question is which of increased value, floor space or wall space?  A tricky one, but it was perhaps felt that wall space is of a premium - a lot of money-making, smaller items need to be hung. Too many windows and this can become an issue.

Sustainability considerations

Starting with a blank sheet of paper in the times we're living in can, or indeed should, allow for matters of sustainability to be factored into dealership design. It ties in with the whole message of caring for the environment which is inherent in the equipment dealers sell and is, you know, the right thing to do. Concepts such as the fitting of solar panels and biomass boilers which could run off of dealership's own waste were discussed - along with the fact that there are grants available to help fund these sorts of measures. 

Practical thoughts such as showroom flow, whether to have different zones for the various types of machines or brands on display and just to really think about how a customer sees your store upon entering, were all talked through. Ideas such as getting as much unnecessary content as possible off of the shop floor and up onto a mezzanine level was thought of as a positive move.

Consideration was also given to those busy times when a customer might not be able to be seen by a staff member immediately. Should there be some interactive displays, screens, coffee machines etc to keep people occupied before they can be dealt with?

Less showy but important practical elements such as heating methods, security measures and car parking were also given thought. On the latter, whilst on a normal day perhaps just 6-8 spaces might be considered adequate it was always worth factoring in what if farming customers turn up in tractors or with large trailers? What about open days? If there's space, it's sensible to maybe err on the side of more.

Finally, a forward-looking, confident piece of advice stood out to me. However Anthony, or any dealer ,chooses to build or restructure a dealership, if possible allow for the ability further expansion down the line. Future-proof the business.

Get it right at the planning stage

Hopefully Anthony would agree that having some fellow dealers' experienced eyes look over plans and talk through options was a helpful experience. Suggestions and opinions will ultimately be just that of course, as only a business owner will know what's best for their circumstances. But there should now be some fresh ideas to throw in the mix at least.

The overriding belief which I felt came out of the discussion, was when tasked with designing a showroom from scratch, or redesigning an existing one, it either needs to be done properly or not at all. It's worth putting the time, effort and expense in at the planning stage to get it right. 3D modelling software which is readily available, and according to James easy to use, can be a great help in getting a visual of what the finished article will look like - hopefully making clear any congestion points for example, or flaws in the plan.

It was felt by the guys on the call that dealers can risk failure by not reinvesting sufficiently in their businesses. Progressive dealerships who are doing well, know this.

Customers want a pleasurable experience when spending their money. Business owners must evolve and work smarter to offer a true alternative to the online-only, price-led retailers.

I felt that a friendly, productive discussion like the one I witnessed this week illustrated clearly that there are amazing, forward-thinking business people in the UK dealer network. Great dealers can be found all around the country and are willing to share their experiences and knowledge of best practice to help out colleagues.

And that's something all who work in this sector should be proud of.

Dealers Ireland's Farm Machinery have just opened a new Rutland depot which increases their number of branches to four and expands their trading area.

L-R: Martin Jarvis, branch manager; Marcus Ladds, service; William Fraser, agricultural sales; Simon Tunn, groundcare sales; Fiona & Jonathan Ireland, directors

The new depot opened in the village of Tinwell last week (June 2nd), following the dealership being awarded the Kubota, Kverneland, Simba Great Plains, Vicon and Grange Machinery franchises for Rutland and the surrounding area.

Already having these machinery franchises in Lincolnshire, Ireland say this expansion will allow them to help and support more customers in this area with a full sales, parts, hire and service facility.

Alongside this the dealership has been awarded the Kubota Groundcare and Industrial Lite range of products for the same area and will also be selling the complete Baroness range. For turf maintenance they will also be selling Wiedenmann, Campey Turf Care and the Spearhead range of mowers. They will also be introducing Agricultural and Groundcare Hire companies.

New recruits

Irelands have also announced that they have undertaken a recruitment drive over the past five months. Martin Jarvis has joined the company as branch manager and will head up the Tinwell site. He joins Marcus Ladds, who recently became service manager and who has spent the last two months preparing the new depot alongside builder, Arthur Johnson.

Paul Clayton who already works for the dealership in the Bourne and Stamford area will still be covering that area and will be working from Tinwell as well as the Sutterton depot. William Fraser has joined the company to work alongside Martin in agricultural sales. He will be joined by Simon Tunn who has come to work on the Groundcare side of the business. Finally, Jake Meakins has also joined to run the agricultural and groundcare stores department.

Irelands say their intentions, as the Covid restrictions ease, is to hold an open day and working day.

According to figures released by the AEA, there were 1,103 registrations during May in the UK of agricultural tractors - which is a +74.8% change compared with May 2020.

Stephen Howarth, agricultural economist at the association, said with the market facing disruptions due to Covid-19 a year ago, it was "no surprise"  that the figures were higher than they had been 12 months previously.

Stephen said of the figure, "This was also 10% above the average for the time of year in the previous five years (2015-19)."

This brought the total for the year to date to 5,371 machines, 21% more than in the opening five months of 2020 and 7% up on the five-year average.

Recently, the Landbased Education and Training Committee (LE-TEC) selected the winners of its Technicians for 2021.

Overall winner was Laura Bassnett, who works as a Trainee Technician at Case dealership, Ernest Doe, Fyfield branch.

Chris Biddle recently caught up during a climbing and hiking holiday in Wales for the latest episode of his Inside Agri-Turf podcast. Laura chatted enthusiastically about her love of the outdoors and how she had been attracted to a job in the agricultural machinery industry after spending time in Australia and New Zealand.

After enrolling on a two-year agricultural machinery course at Reaseheath College, she was taken on by Ernest Doe and talks about many of the enjoyable aspects of her job - as well as some areas that she still finds challenging.

Laura says that her job is possibly not for everyone, but for anyone who loves the outdoors, wants variety and is always up for a challenge, then landbased engineering is an ideal career.

One of the other finalists of Technician for 2021, Lauren Savage, who is an agricultural engineering apprentice working at AGCO dealer Chandlers Farm Equipment, will also feature in a special episode of Inside Agri-Turf to be published on 23 June, International Women in Engineering Day 2021

LISTEN TO EPISODE

Following the fire that struck their Bedford branch in April, MKM Agri have announced they been appointed as a new STIHL authorised dealer.

MKM's Anthony Deacon

Owner, Anthony Deacon, said, "We've had a pretty rough time here just lately - but this is some really good news. I'm really proud to say that we are now authorised dealers for the full range of STIHL equipment - at both our Bedford and Suffolk branches.

"We carefully selected STIHL above other manufacturers as we felt they offer our customers the best quality and value for money - and we all know what a great name and brand STIHL really is.

"We are encouraging customers to give us a call or pop into either of our branches and we'll help as best we can with any of their STIHL needs."

Following last week's news that TH White intends to acquire the Murley dealerships in Warwick and Stourport, some further details have been revealed.

In a statement New Holland have confirmed that both Murley depots will trade under the T H White Ltd name from the end of June.

Heads of Terms are now said to have been agreed, and both parties will work towards completion by the 30th June 2021. T H White will continue to offer the full range of New Holland products and parts from both Warwick and Stourport including tractors, combines, forage harvesters, telehandlers, balers and New Holland branded Implements. Full service and aftersales support will continue from each branch.

Murley chairman, Gerry Crawford, said this week, “Whilst it is sad and painful to be saying goodbye after some sixty years to the loyal and professional farming communities of Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands; we are happy that we have secured a deal with T H White who will look after their interests, those of our wonderful employees and the excellent franchises we represent.

"We wish T H White every success in taking our strong business forward and wish all of our employees, customers and manufacturers the very best in the future and we are confident we are leaving them in very safe hands.”

Pat Smith, New Holland business director UK & ROI, added, “We are very pleased that these two long-established and strong dealers have reached an agreement to ensure the future for our customers. We want to thank Gerry for his dedication, support and the results achieved over the years, a true gentleman and it has been a pleasure.

"Going forward, we have every confidence that T H White will build on the success of Murley, and their customers are in safe hands.” 

Kubota (UK) Ltd has appointed Oliver Beekes as Tractor Business Unit (TBU) dealer manager for agricultural and ground care machinery ranges for the south and south west of England. 

Oliver Beekes

Oliver graduated from Harper Adams University with a degree in agricultural machinery, and with time spent with another manufacturer, he brings with him considerable experience as a product specialist and, latterly from his most recent role, as a territory manager.

“I’m looking forward to being challenged with continual dealer development and brand-building, to introduce Kubota to the wider farming community,” said Oliver. “Kubota has a tremendous presence in ground care and construction - and I’d like to see that replicated in agriculture, and be part of that success story.

“There is growing demand from the industry for Kubota tractors and machinery, and aspiration from the company to be a major player in these markets - it’s a great time to be on this journey,” he said.

Commenting on the appointment, agricultural and ground care sales manager Tim Yates said, “This is a great opportunity to continue building on the growth already achieved in both agricultural and ground care markets across the south of England.

“With recent expansion of our dealer network, and many new products coming to market to enhance a very modern equipment portfolio, we’re in a great position to deliver growth for Kubota and our partners.”

CR Willcocks, one of the South West's longest running farm machinery dealerships, has supplied Devon & Cornwall Police with a fleet of seven electric utility vehicles for the G7 Summit in Cornwall.

 
The dealership was approached by Devon & Cornwall Police back in April, with a request to hire eight electric side-by-side utility vehicles to support the police in their manoeuvres around the Carbis Bay beach area.
 
As a main dealer for Polaris, CR Willcocks say they assembled a fleet of Ranger EVs, at a time when Covid-19 lockdowns has put a strain on machinery production. As it was, due to logistics, they fell just one short of the requested eight electric vehicles - however the offer was accepted of one Ranger Diesel too.

 
Stephen Retallick, dealer principal at CR Willcocks, said, "Polaris have been excellent in helping us supply this fleet of electric UTVs to help Devon & Cornwall Police keep the G7 leaders secure."
 
He added, "As more and more farmers and landowners go green, our involvement in the G7 Summit will raise awareness around the availability of electric off-road vehicles even more. It has already piqued the interest with a number of our existing customers as they become more environmentally conscious."

Johnathan Lovell has been promoted to the role of service manager for Kuhn Farm Machinery (UK) Ltd, stepping up from his previous position with the company providing technical support across the South and South West of England.

Johnathan Lovell 
 
In his new position, Johnathon will oversee the provision of technical support and aftersales service advice for Kuhn’s full range of grassland, arable, livestock and landscape maintenance machinery ranges. He will manage the technical support team that operates regionally and from the head office in Telford.
 
Johnathan, who has a background in mechanical, aeronautical and agricultural engineering, believes the experience gained over five years to date with Kuhn gives him the ideal credentials for his new role.

“I’ve gained a lot of understanding during my time in the field and feel ready to step up and lead the team,” he said. “It’s an exciting time to be working in the farm machinery sector, not least because of the advancement in technology. With technology, we’re moving from monitoring to controlling machinery at a rapid pace and it’s our job to help Kuhn’s customers get the most out of their machines.”

Toro has launched a new Demonstration and Support Trailer.

Matthew Coleman with the new trailer

The company says this will allow them to bring products closer to the customer for real-life demonstrations. A whole range of Toro machinery can be on board and the manufacturer says the trailer will offer them a new, professional and secure way to transport and showcase their products.

As well as taking equipment for demonstrations or being dropped off for a trial period, the trailer will also be used for trade shows.

Sales manager Matthew Coleman said, “I am excited to get the trailer and Toro products out on the road in 2021, delivering demonstrations and trials to customers new and existing. It’s great to be able to visit customers again and see how Toro can support their landscaping and turf care needs face-to-face.”

Honda enjoys a worldwide reputation as a designer of modern, energy-efficient, high-performance cars and motorcycles as well as being a leader in the field of industrial motors and power products, such as outboard engines and lawnmowers. 

As one of 6 European Branches, here at Honda Motor Europe Logistics UK we are responsible for the storage and distribution of after-market parts and accessories across all product groups, Car, Motorcycle and Power equipment. 

Located within Honda Motor Europe Logistics’ Swindon office you will be working within a small Parts Contact Centre Team who are responsible for providing customer support to all of Honda’s Franchised Dealers within the UK.

We are looking for a technically minded individual with a passion for customer service excellence, who will effectively manage and respond to all queries from Honda’s UK Dealer network in a timely and efficient manner, ensuring conclusion is reached within targeted SLA’s.

Excellent communication skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities are a must.

Required Skills, Experience and Attributes

• Educated to GCSE Level (Mathematics and English minimum requirement)
• NVQ Level 2 in Motor Mechanics (can be qualified by experience).
• Knowledge of Auto/Motorcycle or Power Product parts operations within a franchised Dealership would be an advantage.
• High degree of computer literacy in MS Office.
• Experience of handling multiple contacts using Customer Support Software.
• Outstanding organisational and administrative skills with good attention to detail.
• Experience of delivering pre-prepared training material, both on-line and face to face.
• Ability to use own initiative as well working effectively within a team environment.
• You need to possess a full clean UK Driving Licence for this role.

The Benefits

• Competitive salary up to £29K depending on experience, working hours Monday to Friday.
• Excellent working conditions.
• Contributory Pension Scheme with generous Employer contributions.
• Access to Car lease scheme.

Interested in applying?

Please send your CV to Tracey Middleton at tracey.middleton@honda-eu.com

Closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 25th June 2021.

Join Husqvarna for the exclusive launch of CEORA™. The next generation robotic solution, set to change the way large green spaces are managed.  

Sign up for the digital reveal event and be part of a unique moment for Husqvarna and the industry.

Tuesday 22nd June at 10:00-10:30am

Sign up here: Husqvarna CEORA™ Reveal

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