I don't know about you, but today's news certainly came as a surprise to me.

The AEA buying BAGMA has apparently been in the offing for some time, delayed inevitably like everything else, by the pandemic. Negotiations have been going on behind the scenes for over a year I'm led to believe, with all arrangements being described as amicable.

The question now of course, is how might this change of ownership effect the dealer members of BAGMA? According to the leadership of both organisations, any changes will only be for the better.

Ruth Bailey, CEO of the AEA, says today that the association feels "extremely positive about future developments and advantages that could be brought by the two organisations joining forces."

Whilst Keith Christian, director of BAGMA says, "BAGMA’s 103-year history has always been intertwined with the AEA and whilst we represent different factions within the industry, we share a common goal in supporting the industry through both dealerships, suppliers and manufacturers."

I suppose when you consider it, BAGMA was always a slightly odd bedfellow for Bira. Yes, both organisations represent independent retailers, but outdoor powered machinery dealers are hardly your typical high-street stores that make up the rest of Bira. So the transition to another industry-related body does make a logical sense.

However, a natural reaction that dealers might have today upon hearing the news, is to wonder whether there is a conflict of interests here?

Is it possible for a trade association representing the dealer network to act independently and unimpeded on behalf of its members, if its parent is acting on behalf of manufacturers and suppliers? This is the question that AEA and BAGMA are going to have to convince the network of.

Certainly the noises coming out of the two camps today, say there is nothing for dealers to be alarmed about. Service Dealer is hearing the intention is that BAGMA will be afforded an autonomy under the AEA's ownership.

BAGMA believe that the relationship will in fact, allow them to be more privy to behind-the-scenes, industry manoeuvres, affording them a greater involvement in matters affecting dealers. The deal also secures them a long-term future - much more so than if they had stayed with Bira from what I've heard.

What will dealers think?

But the crucial opinion on all this, will be what their dealer members and potential members, think about the move. They will be asking themselves today, will BAGMA be able to act purely in the interests of dealers on the occasions when those interests aren't exactly in line with those of the AEA's manufacturer members?

I would imagine BAGMA are preparing themselves to answer some of these inevitable concerns from members.

As an outsider looking in, it does appear that in recent times the AEA and BAGMA have been working a lot closer together than they might have done  historically. Certainly during Ruth Bailey's tenure this very much appears to be the case. Throughout the pandemic we here at Service Dealer for example, have been holding regular conference calls with both the manufacturer side of the industry and also with dealers. During all of these sessions, both Ruth and Keith have joined us, helping out both groups where they can, with their expert, insider knowledge. From my point of view there has never been anything other than a collaborative effort, with the intention to help both sides as best they can.

From the two associations' points of view it is quite easy to see why this acquisition makes perfect sense. They have obvious synergies, they know exactly what the other is about, and clearly understand the industry and the members that each is serving.

But how the network will view it though, is the million dollar question? Will it make sense to members when the body representing your needs as a dealer, is owned by the one representing your suppliers? Not that dealers and suppliers are enemies, continually at loggerheads, of course. The partnership between the two should be mutually beneficial. But as everyone who lives in the real world knows, there are those times when the priorities do not exactly align.

So how do you think this new arrangement will play out? Do you believe there is potential for conflict or will it be plain sailing with fears of clashes unfounded?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Effective yesterday (1st July 2021), Charterhouse Turf Machinery has officially rebranded to become Redexim.

The company say the product portfolio, premises and personnel will be unaffected, with the change of name bringing the UK into line with the Redexim corporate strategy adopted throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

The relationship between Charterhouse and Redexim has been ongoing for more than 35 years, when Charterhouse were appointed to distribute the Redexim Verti-Drain. The success of this partnership saw Charterhouse become a wholly owned subsidiary of Redexim bv in 1997.

The product portfolio has expanded significantly over the years to incorporate overseeders, topdressers, scarifiers and renovation equipment for natural surfaces, as well as a range of machinery options for artificial playing surfaces.

Commenting on the re-brand in the UK, Redexim chief operating officer Herman de Bree said, “The team at Charterhouse have done a fantastic job over the years at cementing the place of the Redexim natural and artificial ranges with leading turf managers throughout the UK. The time is now right to unify the approach with that adopted throughout the world by delivering sales, service and support under the Redexim banner.

"This will help to strengthen our brand awareness and global corporate identity and streamline our communication with customers around the world.”

Kubota (UK) Ltd has announced that its machinery dealer JE Rees & Sons is to add their ground care equipment range to its existing Kubota tractor business, with immediate effect.

L-R: Dylan, Mansel and Marc Rees 

The Carmarthenshire-based dealer now receives an extended product portfolio that includes a full range of compact tractors, plus commercial and domestic ride-on mowers to sit alongside its existing tractor and RTV business. 

The move will facilitate the family-run business to expand into new markets from its two depots - one at Velindre, west Wales, and the other depot in Llandovery, mid-Wales.

“We’re extremely pleased to be able to support JE Rees & Sons with the opportunity for further growth in these important sectors,” explains Tim Yates, agricultural and ground care sales manager, Kubota (UK). “This expansion will help Kubota to further strengthen its position in these key markets with the ability to provide sales, service and aftercare support across the amenity sector, schools and holiday park operators.”

JE Rees & Sons has been established for over 50 years, and is run by brothers Marc, Dylan, Geraint and Mansel. Having been a Kubota tractor dealer for over four years, JE Rees believe the introduction of an expanded machinery range will enable them to better meet the needs of its customers,

“It’s an exciting opportunity for us and our customers,” says dealer principal Marc Rees. “There are some fantastic machines in Kubota’s range, that will also appeal to a whole new customer base in addition to many existing customers.”

The Grounds Management Association has announced that visitor registration for SALTEX 2021 is now officially open at gmasaltex.co.uk.

Taking place at the NEC, Birmingham on 3 and 4 November, SALTEX 2021 will be celebrating its 75th anniversary. Organisers say the show will feature over 400 brands and will offer visitors an opportunity to experience industry trends and innovations, enhance their education and learn from industry experts.

In addition to the opportunities available on the show floor, one lucky visitor will be presented with a battery-powered compact loader from Avant UK worth approximately £30,000. Every person who registers will be in with a chance of winning the prize and the live draw will take place on the first day of the show.  

“The last year has been tough and we know how hard groundspersons and other industry professionals have worked during the pandemic,” said Raimo Ala-Korpi, Avant UK managing director. “We thought it would be good to give something back to the industry.

Visitors to SALTEX 2021 will also feature:

• Eco Village - live demonstrations dedicated to environmentally-friendly products.
• Learning LIVE - 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.
• Lawn Care Legends LIVE - networking opportunity for landscapers and gardeners.
• Job Clinic - free one-to-one sessions covering CV writing to interview techniques.

“We can’t wait to celebrate SALTEX’s 75th anniversary with the industry,” said Luke Perry, GMA’s commercial & events director. “After a year out, it is finally time to say See You at Saltex.”  

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

JCB have announced they have started a fresh recruitment drive for 500 new shop floor employees as demand for its machinery soars.

The Backhoe Loader production line at JCB's World HQ in Staffordshire

The company is setting on the additional agency employees at its 11 plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham - on top of the 850 shop floor jobs already created so far in 2021.

JCB is also offering an additional 300 agency employees permanent contracts - which will bring the total number of agency shop floor employees given permanent jobs this year to 1,000.

The company says the moves follow record demand for their construction and agricultural products, with most new machines already sold out until next year. Pay for shop floor roles has also risen once already this year to £11.35 an hour.

JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said, “The recovery continues to gather momentum and we have tens of thousands of new machine orders sitting on our books stretching well into next year. We have never seen anything like this in the 75-year history of JCB."

Kawasaki Motors Europe has launched a resource on its website that makes it straightforward for end users to find machines and equipment Powered By Kawasaki.

Louise Topp, marketing manager for Kawasaki Motors Europe who has co-ordinated the project, explained, “What we wanted to do is streamline the purchasing process for customers. We appreciate how busy professional gardeners, landscapers and groundmen are and how any way to work more efficiently is valued. This is a resource that brings value to both the distribution network and its customers. It’s the only place online where customers can go and see what Powered By Kawasaki product lines are available, from which brands and from where, all on one website. It saves time researching their next purchasing decision and makes the process so much easier and quicker.” 

Louise contined, "If you are looking for a specific brand of mower or brushcutter with a Kawasaki engine you can rely on, then this new functionality makes finding it so much simpler. It can even help you find a brand using a specific engine type, such as Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) engines.

“When the customer identifies a brand and product line they’re interested in, it’s only a couple of steps to enquire and be led to a dealer locator. There’s also the option to enter an ongoing prize-draw to win a powerful brushcutter.”

Most of Kawasaki’s European OEMs are participating, says Louise: “When we explained the concept to them, they responded really favourably, and within weeks over 80 percent wanted to be involved. We have a wide-reaching European professional audience network and we wanted to be able to bring that together with us and our customers. We’ve got a strong platform to do this and it’s been well received. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

Kuhn Farm Machinery say their investment in technical personnel continues with the latest recruits to the company’s regionally deployed product support team.

Sam Murphy will cover the South and South West of England from his base in Somerset. He is an agricultural engineering graduate of Harper Adams University and has previous experience working in product support for CNH Industrial and as a machinery operator with Grosvenor Farms Ltd.

 
Tom Hume will provide product support for the company across Scotland. After serving an apprenticeship with an AGCO tractor dealership, he has gained six years’ experience as an agricultural engineer with the company. This period was punctuated by a two-year sabbatical during which he worked as a service engineer in Antarctica.
 
Siân Pritchard, managing director of Kuhn UK said, “We’re continually building on our commitment to deliver the very best engineering back-up to our customers. Our investment in people mirrors our success in increasing sales and growing market share in priority product areas.
 
“Having skilled and dedicated people on the ground is an important part of building strong relationships with our dealer network and is becoming an important differentiator for the business."

Claas has presented the automotive supplier, Hella, with their Supplier of the Year award in the Innovation category, in a ceremony that had to take place online this year. 

The Hella team receive their prize

In a statement Claas said the presentation acknowledged " . . the high degree of transparency and initiative in the development of new lighting and electronic solutions." 

For several decades now, Hella and Claas have been working together to develop tailor-made lighting and electronic components, from prototype to pre-series to series production.

"I would like to thank the entire Hella team for their great commitment to serving this important customer for us," said Kristian Vuksan, director global sales agricultural, turf and utility machines during the event. "This award is a great honour for us and validates our ability to transfer innovative technologies from the automotive sector to our heavy duty customer segment. This motivates us even more to continue to develop and implement design-driven solutions in a modular manner in conjunction with smaller production volumes."

In the near future, Hella say they will be launching developments such as matrix illumination for the agricultural and construction machinery sector, as well as smart work lamps.

Nottingham & District Gun Club has turned its attention to robotic mowing, with the help of local dealer B&B Tractors, with Husqvarna Automower now maintaining the club’s grounds. 

Carl Smith, owner of Nottingham & District Gun Club

Directing their attention to automated mowing in 2019, the Club chose Automower 550 to maintain four of its shooting layouts, covering up to an acre of land. With a restricted amount of time to mow, fears of theft, and the limitations of shared equipment, the Club turned to B&B Tractorsto help assist with their challenges. 

Carl Smith, owner at Nottingham & District Gun Club, said, “For many years we’ve worked with the team at B&B Tractors as their service has always been fantastic. When we discussed the idea of turning to robotic mowing, it quickly became evident that it would be the smart thing to do, and Husqvarna Automower stood out as the obvious choice. 

“The Club has always had the challenge of maintaining the grounds when clients are there, which means limited hours in which to do so. Time is the most precious thing that the ground staff has, but with limited hours to work in, it’s never something we’ve had surplus of. 

“Trying to keep the layout tidy has always been a challenge we’ve faced, with dandelions and daisies becoming a particular issue in the past. As quick as we’d be at removing them, the quicker they’d be at growing."

.

Carl continued, “Shortly after our Automower was installed, it wasn’t long until we were seeing the fruits of its labour. Being able to mow day or night, in rain or shine, our layouts looked better than ever. The dandelions and daisies were also no longer an issue."

One of the biggest issues the Gun Club faced was the breakage of garden machinery while being swapped between the grounds team, and the threat of theft while being stored overnight. Carl explained, “Storing expensive equipment has always been a worry in case of break-in’s, and when tools are being swapped between many different team members, breakages are inevitable, and so it became a conscious decision to stop buying expensive equipment. 

“Using lower-quality equipment was okay in the short-term, but eventually we decided it was time to invest in Automower, thanks to its abilities to avoid these issues.

“I have to admit, I was initially sceptical whether the Automower would be able to deliver all that it promised, but it has certainly proved its worth."

Carl says in the future they hope to expand their robotic fleet.

Job Title:

• Territory Sales Manager – Wales & South West England

Toro Hayter is a UK manufacturer of Lawnmowers and Turf Equipment. Established in 1946 the company has been actively promoting and distributing Garden and Grounds Care machinery for over 75 years. We are looking to recruit for the position of Territory Sales Manager for two regions, Wales & South West England and Northern England & Scotland. We are looking to recruit individuals with a passion for the industry and who want to work as part of our successful sales team. Reporting to the UK Sales & Marketing Manager, the successful candidate/s will have the opportunity to work with market leading brands and products. Due to some of the candidates having to withdraw from the selection process, we are opening up a second window for potential applicants to submit applications to join the ongoing recruitment process.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Sales Territory Manager will be responsible for:

• Managing dealer performance to ensure maximum business potential is realised
• Developing annual sales budgets and monthly sales forecasts
• Protecting established business and proactively seeking new sales
• Building long term relationships with dealers and end line customers
• Maintaining the highest levels of customer satisfaction
• Carrying out high quality product demonstrations and presentations to customers
• Keeping up to date with competitor activities and ranges
• Working as part of the Sales Team to contribute to the planning of the business and ongoing dealer strategy development
• Will need to live in a convenient location inside the territory

JOB DIMENSIONS

The Sales Territory Manager job dimensions include:

• Reporting to the UK Sales & Marketing Manager
• Managing a territory in the UK for all RLC products distributed by Hayter Limited

SPECIFICATIONS

The Sales Territory Manager must possess the following:

• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Ability to work effectively across different business functions
• Ability to work well in a team based environment
• Ability to be flexible and work well under pressure
• Must be self motivated and able to work autonomously
• Have drive, commitment and enthusiasm
• Have an eye for detail
• Possess sound analytical and numerical skills
• Have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office software

Interested candidates please forward CV and cover letter to craig.hoare@toro.com. Closing date for applications is Wednesday 14th July 2021.

Job Title:

• Territory Sales Manager – Northern England & Scotland

Toro Hayter is a UK manufacturer of Lawnmowers and Turf Equipment. Established in 1946 the company has been actively promoting and distributing Garden and Grounds Care machinery for over 75 years. We are looking to recruit for the position of Territory Sales Manager for two regions, Wales & South West England and Northern England & Scotland. We are looking to recruit individuals with a passion for the industry and who want to work as part of our successful sales team. Reporting to the UK Sales & Marketing Manager, the successful candidate/s will have the opportunity to work with market leading brands and products. Due to some of the candidates having to withdraw from the selection process, we are opening up a second window for potential applicants to submit applications to join the ongoing recruitment process.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Sales Territory Manager will be responsible for:

• Managing dealer performance to ensure maximum business potential is realised
• Developing annual sales budgets and monthly sales forecasts
• Protecting established business and proactively seeking new sales
• Building long term relationships with dealers and end line customers
• Maintaining the highest levels of customer satisfaction
• Carrying out high quality product demonstrations and presentations to customers
• Keeping up to date with competitor activities and ranges
• Working as part of the Sales Team to contribute to the planning of the business and ongoing dealer strategy development
• Will need to live in a convenient location inside the territory

JOB DIMENSIONS

The Sales Territory Manager job dimensions include:

• Reporting to the UK Sales & Marketing Manager
• Managing a territory in the UK for all RLC products distributed by Hayter Limited

SPECIFICATIONS

The Sales Territory Manager must possess the following:

• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Ability to work effectively across different business functions
• Ability to work well in a team based environment
• Ability to be flexible and work well under pressure
• Must be self motivated and able to work autonomously
• Have drive, commitment and enthusiasm
• Have an eye for detail
• Possess sound analytical and numerical skills
• Have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office software

Interested candidates please forward CV and cover letter to craig.hoare@toro.com. Closing date for applications is Wednesday 14th July 2021.

Our Summer research shows that on average, each Garden Trader dealer will be sent 114 new customers (or people with a buying intention walking through your door) per year.  This works out at 83p for each new customer. A subscription rate designed to be all inclusive delivering unrivalled online results.

This site was purpose-built just for skilled servicing ground care dealers by the team that bring you Service Dealer Magazine. It is easy and quick to register and costs just £96 + VAT per year for a full listing.  As this dealer site is designed to promote the UK dealer network, all revenues in 2021 will be reinvested into promoting the site online.

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