THE UK is no longer a powerhouse of manufacturing for the grass machinery industry, but it has evolved into a vital and vibrant ‘cog’ in the worldwide market.

Gone are the days when volume production was centred around manufacturing plants in Derby, Stowmarket, Plymouth and Maidenhead. Flymo and Ransomes plants remain integral to the production schedules of Husqvarna and Textron, but have changed radically from their heady days of 40 or 50 years ago.

But if you had to choose one iconic manufacturer that symbolises the heritage of grass machinery production in the UK, you have to travel up a narrow, leafy lane near Bishops Stortford.

It is almost ten years since Toro bought Hayter. And for most of that time, indeed for most of the proceeding Tomkins and Chinese years, the talk always was of the unsuitable location of the factory in a quiet Hertfordshire village.

This week I had an opportunity to spend a day with Hayter – and it is extraordinary that so little has changed outwardly to the plant and facilities at Spellbroook.

Of course, beneath the surface, ownership by a major US company has altered the cultures and practices massively and there are obvious signs of ongoing investment in the factory.

But essentially, and re-assuringly, the place retains the spirit of Doug Hayter’s early days, and of a brand that still holds a special place in the hearts of many UK dealers.

It was inevitable that ‘Toro-isation’ would bring changes, and there has been talk of Hayter losing its way and its identity – some of it justified.

However, it was never going to be easy to recover from the disastrous Chinese ownership period, then to be hit by recession – and still manage a seamless ownership transition. 

It is clear that Hayter and Toro themselves have been through a steep learning curve as far as the UK market is concerned. New distribution policies have been brought in (which some love and some hate as usual), Raghu Das now heads up the Spellbrook team and a new sales manager role established  with an appointment made  this week.

Now it is important that they continue to communicate and promote Hayter, a brand that has so much to offer both dealers and consumers - and which deserves it's ongoing place in British garden machinery history

Read Chris Biddle's interview with Raghu Das, leader of the Hayter Spellbrook site in the next issue of Service Dealer.