First up today, I'd like to draw your attention to the reminder that entries for the Dealer Of The Year awards are closing in just 10 days time.

To our dealer readers, we're looking for you to put your businesses and members of your team forward for the appropriate categories. And to our manufacturer and supplier readers, we want to hear from you too regarding who in your network has been doing an absolutely cracking job for you this past year?

Winning an award is a gilt-edged promotion opportunity for any dealership and a fantastic morale boost for everyone in the team who has been working so hard, under such trying circumstances. So do take advantage of the moment and get your nominations in before the deadline.

How has the season been for you?

Elsewhere today we're running a survey that we always like to put out to our dealer readers at this time of the year, asking for your thoughts on how different areas of your business have fared these past 12 months. It's always interesting to compare these results year on year.

We've been hearing a lot of encouraging words from dealers just lately about so-called bumper years, so it'd be great to hear just how positive our readers are feeling.

Last autumn when we asked for your feedback, despite many doing well, it was supply issues that were at the forefront of concerns.

Looking back, one dealer told us, "Supply has hurt us. We would have been well up on last year had the supply been available. We normally average cancelations at about 3% of orders placed - this year we are at 15+%."

Another said, "The supply situation has made life very difficult. . . The hardest part has been the lack of communication from many suppliers about stock availability." 

This same dealer went on to say, "We don't see the supply situation being much better in 2022 but we do hope that suppliers have used the experiences of 2021 to put much better systems in place to advise us of stock availability or changes to delivery dates for 2022."

Well, did they? Did you find communications and manufacturers' systems for keeping you up-to-date improved this year? Let us know.

It does seem from conversations we've been having anecdotally with dealers just lately, that perhaps stock levels are getting back on track? Orders have most certainly been late in arriving, but stock is none-the-less starting to come through we've heard. What may be happening now of course with these late arrivals, is a knock-on affect for plans for winter ordering. But again, you tell us, does this ring true for your dealership?

Of course something must be going right. We have been hearing that despite everything, many dealers have been having 'best ever' years? When we get stories like Stiga posting record results the signs for the network must be good?

Perhaps a bigger issue than supply for some recently, has been the difficulties involved in recruiting? Some industry members certainly believe this area is a greater inhibitor to growth for dealers than anything else. Yes, there's some great apprenticeship schemes around - but if you can't get anyone to join in the first place, you haven't got anyone to train!

We've heard dealers worry about where the younger generation of workers is going to come from? Similar stories have been related to us from different businesses around the country, that when they look around their teams and they add up the combined ages . . . well, sometimes a quite powerful calculator needs to be involved!

It is clearly a subject troubling many - which is why it is going to form such a significant part of the Service Dealer Conference in November. We have several expert speakers lined up, each with their own approaches and thoughts as to how the situation can be negotiated.

So please do take a few moments to fill in the brief survey to give us your feedback on how things have been going for you. There's a handful of quick questions and a space for you to leave your thoughts. As ever all submissions are anonymous, so please do let us know how you're truly feeling.

We will publish the results and a selection of your comments in the next issue of Service Dealer magazine. Thanks in advance for your help.

TAKE THE SURVEY

Service Dealer has announced that there are just 10 days left for entries to 2022's Dealer Of The Year Awards.

The process for nominations must close on Monday October 10th at 5pm.

A spokesperson for the organising team said, "We've been delighted with the volume of entries so far - and so impressed by the quality of the nominations.

"But we want to make sure that everyone who feels they should be in the running for recognition, throws their hat in the ring - hence we're reminding people today to get entering.

"Some categories do inevitably have more entrants than others. We want to keep hearing from everybody, but especially professional turf and farm machinery dealers. Also we want to keep hearing stories about great leaders and apprentices."

Dealerships can put themselves and their staff forward for as many awards as they like - and manufacturers and suppliers are also invited to nominate those members of their network who they feel are deserving of recognition.

We advise you read the full details regarding the entry process on the Service Dealer website first before commencing any entries, just so you know exactly what the judging panel will be looking for.

This year we are welcoming back our core product dealership categories - as well as retaining some of the special awards we introduced last year.

A judging panel will review all the nominations prior to the Awards Ceremony on the 24th November. All entries for the categories below will be considered by the judging panel for the prestigious Overall Dealer of the Year award (sponsored by Kress).

Good luck and get entering!

Garden Machinery Dealer of the Year - sponsored by Husqvarna

Have you gone above and beyond this year to satisfy your domestic customers?

ENTER GARDEN MACHINERY DEALER OF THE YEAR 2022

Farm Machinery Dealer of the Year - sponsored by Ibcos

Have you kept your farming customers working throughout thick and thin?

ENTER FARM MACHINERY DEALER OF THE YEAR 2022

Forestry Machinery Dealer of the Year - sponsored by Societe Generale Equipment Finance

Have your arborist customers relied on your professionalism this year?

ENTER FORESTRY EQUIPMENT DEALER OF THE YEAR 2022

Professional Turfcare Dealer of the Year - sponsored by Toro UK

Do your commercial customers know you'll help them keep their surfaces well-maintained all year round?

ENTER PROFESSIONAL TURFCARE DEALER OF THE YEAR 2022

Star of the Dealership - sponsored by Catalyst

Is there someone in your team who always goes the extra-mile - for the business, customers or local community?

ENTER STAR OF THE DEALERSHIP 2022

Apprentice of the Year - sponsored by AGCO

Do you have a rising industry star in your dealership, who is keen to learn and contribute to the business's success?

ENTER APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR 2022

Best New Initiative - sponsored by Kress

Have you implemented something new in the business this year - be it some diversification, a fresh project, or a redesign, let us know!

ENTER BEST NEW INITIATIVE 2022 

Leadership Award - Sponsored by Kubota

Does your dealership benefit from someone who leads from the front, makes bold decisions whilst supporting their team and the wider industry?

ENTER LEADERSHIP AWARD 2022

The Awards will be presented at the Gala Dinner following the Service Dealer Conference that takes place on Thursday 24th November 2022 once again at the Double Tree by Hilton Oxford Belfry Hotel, Thame, Oxfordshire. The theme for this year's Conference is Sustaining Dealerships.

Kubota has opened a new European Parts Centre (EUPC), with the intention to strengthen its global parts supply chain network.

Located in Thionville in the French region of Moselle, the company say the new warehouse was built specifically as a dedicated parts distribution hub primarily to supply dealers and distributors across Europe and the UK, but with the ability to also support key regions such as the US and Japan.

Representing an investment of €15 million, Kubota’s new EUPC covers a footprint of 20,000 square metres, and currently employs around 90 staff. The company said in a statement that from this hub, dealers and distributors will have access to a vast stock of spare parts for agricultural, groundcare and construction products, and industrial engines, as it further strengthens its presence in Europe.

 “The development of this extensive parts centre will provide greater access and availability to further support our existing regional parts supply operation in the UK,” explains Simon Chadbone, Kubota (UK)’s business development manager for parts.

“Having a European Parts Centre will greatly benefit our dealer and distributor network, by providing a more timely and cost-effective solution for the supply of original parts, which in turn will reduce the impact of downtime for our customers,” he adds. 

Globally, Kubota has a spare parts strategy to build distribution centres that cover key regions in Japan, Europe and north America. This latest hub they say, centrally located in Europe, has a vital role in stocking a wide variety of parts and of sufficient volume, to ensure product availability across Europe.

To celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary, 50 employees from professional machinery and service provider, Lister Wilder pledged to cycle 55 miles by taking part in this year’s London to Brighton Cycle Ride.

The event took place on the 11th September with over 4,000 participants taking part on the route that began in Clapham, London and finished at Brighton’s Madeira Drive.

Lister Wilder set an ambitious target of £20,000.00 back in May 2022. With the event now finished the final total raised stands at £22,250.00 which was officially donated to Leukaemia & Myeloma Research UK (LMRUK) this last week. (pictured), with service director Neil Davis who chose the charity handing over the cheque.

LMRUK invest in specialist research into stem cell therapies as a more effective treatment for blood cancer to help protect the next generation. The charity actively raises awareness of the signs and symptoms of blood cancer and encourages expectant parents to bank their newborn baby’s umbilical cord blood stem cells through its Model Cell Biobank service.

Dr Joanna Tilley, interim operations director at LMRUK, said “On behalf of everyone at the Charity I would like to say a huge thank you for the amazing amount that Lister Wilder have raised for us! Thank you to everyone who took part in the event, to those who supported them and those who donated, we can’t thank them enough.”

“We would like to allocate the funds raised for one of our research grants. We fund researchers to advance their understanding of stem cells and how they can use them to treat blood cancer patients, particularly through stem cell transplants. All applications are assessed by the Research Review Committee to ensure that they are relevant to the Charities objectives, blood cancer and its treatment using stem cells. We would be honoured to call the grant, the Lister Wilder Research Grant.” 

Phill Hughes, sales director at Lister Wilder added, “It’s been a real pleasure organising and taking part in this event. We are delighted with the amount of money that we’ve raised for LMRUK, and are grateful to everyone that donated to us, both corporate and individually.

To have a grant named after us is a real honour and made all the hard work and time that the team spent training for this even more worth-while.”

Professional dealership, RT Machinery say they were delighted to welcome 300 people in person for their first full RTM Show Live since 2019.

Brackwell Farm in Nether Winchendon, Aylesbury, was once again alive with the hum of conversation and machinery as guests took advantage of the opportunity to talk with over 30 manufacturers, watch demos and enjoy ride-and-drive trials.

In addition to the machinery, customers and visitors were able to hear from five speakers in the dealership's new hay loft auditorium during the morning, including Jo Little from Planet Mark, one of the UK’s leading organisations in sustainability.

Guests also enjoyed Colonel Dan Rex MVO from the Queen’s Green Canopy. Set up to encourage people to Plant a Tree for the Jubilee, the QGC has already inspired over a million trees to be planted across the United Kingdom and is now extended to the end of March 2023, giving people the opportunity to plant trees in memoriam to honour Her Majesty.

Ed Charles from Perennial was able to give visitors more insight into how it offers support and financial assistance to all the workers in the industry. RTM say many had never heard of the charity before and were blown away to learn what help is available.

Richard Taylor

Managing director Richard Taylor said, “I’d like to thank all our customers, suppliers, speakers and colleagues who made the show such a great day after the challenges of the last couple of years. Equally, we all have a responsibility to improve the sustainability of the industry and the show created a perfect opportunity to explore machinery innovations and a lot more in this regard.”

Dominic Knights has been appointed as AriensCo’s new area sales manager for the East of England.

Dominic Knights

The manufacturer says Dominic brings with him a wealth of experience in sales and account management gained in various positions in the PPE and handheld tool industries. His appointment is part of AriensCo’s strengthening of its field sales team and will report to the new UK sales manager. 

“We’re delighted to welcome Dominic to AriensCo. His sales management experience will be critical in developing existing dealer relationships, as well as new business development in the east,” says Brad Stiles, vice president of sales EMEAA. 

Dominic adds, “I’m excited to be joining AriensCo and am looking forward to meeting my dealers and working with them to drive long-term sustainable growth. Coming from a strong commercial background, I’m keen to use my experience to benefit my dealers.”  

Lawn care market leaders Husqvarna has recently launched two easy-to-use, high-performance walk-behind lawn mowers which cater for small and medium-sized gardens, or for trimming small complex areas.

Powered by Husqvarna’s 36V battery system, the LC 142i and LC 142iS come with a range of features to simplify lawn care while delivering outstanding performance. 

The LC 142i and LC 142iS are a range of lightweight battery-driven lawn mowers designed with the suburban user in mind - easy to use whilst guaranteeing hassle-free mowing with minimum maintenance. 

Both mowers come with Husqvarna’s smart battery technology features including PowerBoost and savE™ that optimise battery use when taking on the toughest challenges or when it’s more suitable to extend runtime. 

In addition, the mower is a part of Husqvarna’s battery system for 36V products, which enables the battery to be used in multiple Husqvarna tools.

Their compact design with an adjustable handle and full fabric bag provides a small footprint when folded and not in use. The LC 142iS model is also equipped with a self-propelled motor for an effortless drive, perfect for hilly lawns. 

For more information on the Husqvarna LC 142i or LC 142iS walk-behind lawnmowers please visit one of the following respective pages:

Husqvarna LC 142i Walk-Behind Lawn Mower

Husqvarna LC 142iS Walk-Behind Lawn Mower

For further insights into the Husqvarna walk-behind mowers or their various other products visit https://www.husqvarna.com/uk/ or your local Husqvarna dealer which can be found via Husqvarna’s dealer locator.

A game-changer in every way, Kress is leading the charge with a breakthrough innovation in battery-powered technology, built to deliver the performance and power of petrol. 

For decades, petrol-powered gardening and landscape equipment has been a reliable choice for commercial use, due to most battery-powered equipment being incapable of matching or surpassing the benefits of their petrol counterparts. This is coupled with the fact that innovation in battery technology has remained slow in meeting the dynamic and ever-growing demands of professional gardeners.  

Gardening and landscape professionals have tended to veer away from battery-powered equipment due to excessive charging time before continued use, the high expense associated with the limited lifecycle, and unreliable performance quality. 

Despite growing concerns that the air and noise pollution associated with petrol-powered equipment is having a severe impact on the environment, professionals have been forced to pick an option that provides economical advantage in terms of power and uninterrupted operation. 

Tackling the current limitations of battery head-on, with a ground-breaking opportunity, Kress is taking the transformation from petrol to battery to the next level, creating a stronger, faster, quieter, more affordable option, that is specifically designed to meet the demanding needs of commercial landscapers and is set to drive battery-power technology forward to a brighter, more efficient future. 

The new commercial Kress 8-minute Cybersystem™ battery platform has been engineered to have the fastest re-charge of any commercial battery system available, has twice the power output of standard lithium-ion batteries and has been developed with heavy-duty use in mind. It is battery-power as we have never seen it before.

This new line of Kress commercial-grade outdoor power equipment, powered by its exclusive cordless battery technology, is a revolutionary development and highlights the commitment towards a future that will forever eliminate the need for petrol-powered equipment.  

Now in its 76th year, Europe’s largest sports amenities and landscaping trade exhibition, SALTEX, will be held at Birmingham’s NEC over two days on 2-3 November. 

With over 400 brands showcasing products in three halls, across two days, at one location, SALTEX is a must-attend event for everybody operating in, or supplying to, the groundscare sector.

At SALTEX you can: 

• Listen and learn from industry thought leaders
• See over 400 brands all in one place
• Stay up to date with the latest product innovations
• Further your career with free advice and guidance
• Connect with industry suppliers and partners
• Get expert advice on your specific turf challenges
• Network with national and international peers
• Celebrate achievements at the GMA Industry Awards

What’s On?

In addition to learning about new products, services, and suppliers to the industry from home and abroad, SALTEX also has an extensive programme of events and learning opportunities.

Learning LIVE

The Learning LIVE schedule this year has been extended to over 30 sessions, with additional papers attacking the key issues for the grounds care industry of pay, career development, recruitment and retention, how to negotiate in the workplace and how to find out about the millions of pounds of grant funding available from sports clubs. But what’s at the heart of Learning LIVE and this year’s show is sustainability and the environment. 

Those managing and maintaining sports turf and green spaces are already having to deal with the impact of climate change and industry suppliers are doing their best to innovate and help grounds people minimise the impact of droughts and floods. The session on reducing the impact of future water restrictions on golf and sports turf, for example, with Owen Turpin from the Environment Agency, Tony Hanson from Environmental Solutions International and Robin Price from Anglian Water discussing the water charter and how to deal with it will provide valuable practical advice. 

There’s something for most sports surfaces from some of the best in the business. For rugby, Catherine Hall (Premiership Rugby), Dr David James (Labosport) and Dan Prest (GMA) talk about raising Premiership Rugby pitch standards. For cricket, Gary Barwell (Edgbaston Stadium), Karl McDermott (Lord's) and Steve Birks (Nottinghamshire CCC) discuss how new cricket formats impact on the modern-day grounds manager. Tennis is covered off by Neil Stubley (Wimbledon) who presents the All England Tennis and Croquet Club’s court expansion project.

But all top-level surfaces start somewhere – at grassroots level – and Rob Sullivan presents the Football Foundation's strategic ambitions to improve grass pitch quality and Chris Smith tackles the funding process to improve pitches. Perhaps there’s a role for hybrid pitches in the community – Dr Richard Earl (TGMS) reveals data findings from the Sport England hybrid pitch pilot for community use in London’s Regents Park.

The full seminar line up is available online at saltex.org.uk, but whether it’s elite sports grounds attendees are interested in or a strategy for grassroots football, Learning LIVE has it covered and provides the opportunity to build knowledge and stay ahead of the game.

Eco Village 

The whole concept of the Eco Village is to showcase sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices in grounds care and consider what is a sustainable piece of machinery – what’s the impact on the environment and how does it help achieve neutrality? The Eco Village features a programme of daily demonstrations of cutting-edge sustainable technology, offering visitors an opportunity of seeing several products in action. Plus, industry experts will offer advice on green technology and how it could benefit current working practices.

GMA Industry Awards

The GMA Industry Awards hosted by the BBC’s Mark Clemmit, are back for the 12th year. It’s so important to celebrate the achievements of individuals and teams operating in grounds management and is key to positive workforce development. With 18 awards and an evening to celebrate everyone nominated, it’s a ringing endorsement to the good work and talented people in the industry. Tickets to the event can be purchased at saltex.org.uk

So, whether working in educational establishments, community facilities, on private estates, or in sports clubs at grassroot, amateur, or professional level, if you’re passionate about keeping green spaces and playing surfaces safe, accessible, and sustainable, and you’re keen to stay ahead of the game in the grounds care industry, then SALTEX is the show for you. Register for your free ticket here: 

“In 2021, there was a buzz and real enthusiasm for business: deals were being struck, demos were being organised, there were lots of new launches across the halls and I expect more of the same in 2022.” Geoff Webb, CEO for GMA, SALTEX organisers.

So don’t miss out, REGISTER NOW for #SALTEX2022 #AheadofTheGame

www.saltex.org.uk

STIHL showcased its new Rapid Hexa cutting system at the recent APF Exhibition, with the new product proving popular with arb and forestry professionals who attended the event due to its faster cutting time. 

Rapid Hexa consists of a patented hexagonal file and a full chisel chain with a unique V shaped side plate, resulting in a chain that cuts up to 10% faster than standard RS chain, is easier to sharpen, and stays sharper for longer. 

Faster cutting performance has been achieved with a narrow kerf top plate, and a 25° sharpening angle makes the Hexa chain better suited to diagonal felling cuts in a wide variety of wood types. The 60° side plate angle formed by the Hexa file, as well as other improvements to the tooth’s geometry, improve the stability of the cutting edge, resulting in a chain that stays sharper for longer. 

The specially designed Hexa file fits perfectly in the cutting tooth’s profile, allowing for fast and smooth sharpening at the perfect angle every time, without the need for sharpening aids. With Rapid Hexa, it’s easy to achieve a high quality result that keeps the cutting performance for longer, reducing downtime and prolonging the service life of the saw chain. 

The Rapid Hexa is not only available in 3/8” pitch, but also a 1.6mm drive link gauge, ensuring compatibility with professional petrol chainsaws models ranging from the MS 362 C-M through to the MS 661 C-M. Hexa files and chains will be available separately or together in an upgrade kit. 

For more information on STIHL’s extensive range of saw chains and sharpening tools, please visit www.stihl.co.uk.

Our 2020 Summer research showed 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 2022 will continue to be reinvested into promoting the site online and so supporting the dealer network.

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