We are right in the midst of that busy time of conferences and dealer events.

This week it was the turn of Husqvarna to host their dealers in the top-end surroundings of St George's Park, Burton Upon Trent, the home of the England football teams. And not unlike Gareth Southgate and his agenda of changes and looking to the future with his youthful team selections, Husqvarna concentrated on preparing their dealers to embrace change and think about future trends.

Specifically the changes they were wanting the assembled dealers to give serious consideration to were robotics, digitalisation and battery machinery, which very much played dominant roles in the schedules. 

Automower working at St George's Park

Officially titled, 'Change, Challenge & Opportunity', the conference was a bit of a departure for the company after running regional events in recent years. Getting everyone together in one central location, allowed them to talk to their network as whole, and as UK md Ken Brewster put it in his opening address, give the dealers a sense of confidence that the manufacturer is planning ahead for what they perceive as the future trends.

The theme of coming change and being prepared for it was echoed by all the speakers across the two days. Nikos Varotsis, business development manager from Greece, said for example, that there was undoubtedly disruption ahead and therefore everyone would need to adapt - but this should not be feared. Managing continual disruption is a skill the best companies achieve, he said. As well embracing the developing concepts like digital solutions, robotics and alternative power sources, Nikos did say that moving forward, those elements which could not be digitised, such as face-to-face customer service, would also become increasingly valuable. He talked about how close cooperation between manufacturer and dealer would mean that everyone would be better prepared to meet these changes.

Some time was spent discussing marketing and what the company intends to do to raise its profile to drive more traffic towards its dealers - with consideration given to both domestic and professional customers. Distinct campaigns are planned for the forthcoming year, designed to appeal to the differing customer sectors, but Linda Neal, marketing director for Northern Europe, also asked dealers to look at what they are doing to market themselves to their communities. "A word of caution," she said, "think about where your customers are hanging out." She suggested that it's not going to be the local paper that they will be reading any more, but rather it's their phones where their attention will be focused.

In-store techniques were also considered, with the emphasis on delivering "ultimate customer experiences" in order to foster loyal and returning customers. The manufacturer told their dealers they could help with this, with what they referred to as Shop 2.0. They talked of new P.O.S, new digital solutions for stores including interactive screens allowing customers to find out some information for themselves, as well as in-store demonstration solutions for battery products.

Dealers could interact with the breakout stations at St George's Park

Delegates also heard from a professional customer who had enjoyed success with the robotic Automowers in a commercial setting. Andrew Turvey of Hatfield House spoke of how well the the machines had performed at the property - so much so that he said he was now done with stripes!

Also there to inspire the dealers to consider the benefits of getting fully on board with robotics was Tony Brady of Liffey Distribution, Husqvarna representatives for the Republic Of Ireland. In an entertaining and energetic address, he spoke of how dealers in the Republic, following the crash of 2008, had seen a complete reversal of fortunes by fully embracing the selling of the robot mowers. He said, "We know what's going to happen with these products, as we've already seen it in Europe." A passionate speaker, Tony said that multiple Irish dealers had told him they've never made as much money as through the selling of the autonomous machines.

Day 1 rounded out with a motivational speech from blind adventurer Miles Hilton-Barber, whose inspirational story of not allowing his blindness to prevent him from achieving his dreams was fascinating to hear.

During a gala dinner that evening, Husqvarna took a moment to award some of their dealers in attendance. Firstly recognition of longevity trophies were given to two dealers who had reached around the 100 year mark and three in the 150 years and beyond category. Honours were given to:

• Robson & Cowan - 97 years
• Carters Of Swanwick - 98 years 

&

• George Carr - 161 years
• G&J Peck - 173 years
• J Gliddon & Sons - 186 years

Some high performing dealers were also awarded. These were:

Automower Dealer of the Year:

Winner: Ron Smith & Co

Honourable mentions: Ayre Mowers; Forth Grass Machinery; Chelford Farm Supplies

Battery Dealer of the Year

Winner: FR Jones & Sons

Honourable mentions: Lister Wilder; Radmore & Tucker; MacGregor Forest & Ground Care

A slight diversion began day 2, with Ken Brewster apologising to dealers for letting them down this year. "Our customer service has not been what we want, or what you expect," said Ken, "and for that I sincerely apologise". He explained how supply and service standards had slipped following warehouse moves in Sweden and the UK, combined with personnel issues, which had then snowballed. Ken outlined the changes they are now making in order to get back on track, hoping that the dealers would understand why and how things happened as they did, and the steps which are underway to resolve things.

Ken Brewster

Getting back on message, Eric Stegemyr, Husqvarna's head of North Europe, gave a talk once again embracing the theme of getting on board with change. He spoke of how the company will continue to look for smarter products and solutions for their customers - citing the recent investment in Yeti as an indication of where they were heading. He also stressed the importance of dealers staying in touch with their customers 24/7.

Andrew Lees

A series of new product introductions by product managers Andrew Lees and Jonathan Snowball followed. Details were given on new Automower developments for 2020, forthcoming battery products, rider innovations and petrol hand held machinery. That final product category stood out somewhat from the majority of the talk across the two days as being one of the few times that more traditional machinery was discussed. Ken Brewster did emphasise though, that however much the conference had heard a lot about robots and battery, the company is still very much in the petrol game.

"There is still a lot of petrol product to sell," said Ken.

Dealers will have left St Geroge's Park this week with a clear sense of what Husqvarna's intentions are for the coming years. The message was loud and clear, change is coming and whilst challenging in some respects, it should be viewed as an opportunity to embrace.

Reesink Turfcare has announced the winners of its Aftermarket Dealer Awards. Commending exceptional performance, the awards acknowledge the top performers in customer service across Reesink’s dealer network.

Service director Mark Woodward with Cheshire Turf Machinery’s Dealer of the Year Award for Excellence in Customer Support

Awards were presented for Outstanding Performance in Service, Parts and Skills, as well as recognising an overall Dealer of the Year for ‘Excellence in Customer Support’.

This year the winners are:

• Redtech Machinery Limited in Coventry for Outstanding Performance in Service
• Oliver Landpower Limited in Hertfordshire for Skills, and
• Revill Mowers in Gloucestershire for Parts.

While the much coveted Dealer of the Year Award for Excellence in Customer Support is awarded to Cheshire Turf Machinery in Stockport.

Reflecting on their win, Cheshire Turf Machinery’s service director Mark Woodward said, “Winning this award is proof of the great effort from our parts and service team, who have enabled us to achieve this award for a second year in a row. I would also like to thank the staff at Reesink who provide us with exceptional support and assistance throughout the year.”

Runners up in the categories are:

• Cheshire Turf Machinery for Service
• Lloyd Limited in Cumbria for Skills
• Gambles Grass Machinery in Nottinghamshire for Parts, and
• Revill Mowers for Excellence in Customer Support.

“We work incredibly hard throughout the year to ensure we are always working to the highest standards,” says Revill Mowers joint director Jason Revill. “Customers are at the forefront of everything we do and awards like this give them the ultimate reassurance that their Toro machines are in safe hands.”

In keeping with its Service Level Agreement (SLA), which benchmarks great customer service, Reesink awards those dealers achieving the best scores, rated on quarterly Key Performance Indicators (KPI), within each of the three sections, while the Dealer of the Year Award combines the KPI scores from all three.

Reesink operation manager David Jackman, said, “We are continuously investing in improving our customer service after a sale completes. Our Service Level Agreement which outlines core customer service standards, goals and considerations adopted by all our Authorised Service and Dealer Locations is another way to showcase to our customers the quality of Reesink’s service.

“These awards provide an excellent platform on which to highlight the fantastic service and work that our dedicated dealers produce and we’re delighted to recognise all of the winners and runners-up. With continued recognition and encouragement of high standards of customer service, ultimately, the customer benefits from an improved overall experience – which is what we’re all here to provide.”

Husqvarna Group has invested in Yeti Snow Technology, a Norwegian company delivering autonomous snow clearance systems to aiports.

Husqvarna, together with the original investors, Semcon and Øveraasen, now hold equal parts in Yeti. The collaboration in Yeti is aimed at further exploring autonomous solutions for airports, including robotic grass cutting.

For Husqvarna Group, the collaboration means entering a brand-new market but evolving on solutions the company has been involved with for many years.

In an official statement Husqvarna said, "Grass cutting at airports is a key safety issue. Tall grass attracts birds that potentially are drawn into the aircraft engines causing security hazards. The routine of manual grass cutting is not only time consuming and costly, but also a subject of continuous scale-up and down of task force depending on season and weather conditions. Autonomous robotic grass cutters provide a cost efficient and flexible way of always keeping the green spaces surrounding run- and taxiways in great shape minimizing the risk of bird strikes. In addition, autonomous operations provides a number of additional advantages. The machines operates 24/7 enabling high operational efficiency and digital control enhances the safety by minimizing the risk of human errors including work safety issues, a top priority for airports."

Yeti is the first in the world to operate autonomous snow clearance systems and trucks in a live airport environment. Currently, Yeti has tested autonomous systems in Norway. Together with solutions from Husqvarna Group, the aim is to provide operators with a more comprehensive autonomous solution for all seasons of the year.

Sascha Menges, President Husqvarna Division said, “Autonomous technology has been a focus for quite some time at Husqvarna Group. By combining our know-how with the knowledge and experience of our new partners, we aim at improving the airport management enhancing safety, lowering costs and providing a better passenger experience."

STIHL say their chainsaw promotion is back by popular demand where users can receive STIHL accessories worth up to £94 when purchasing selected cordless and petrol chainsaws from STIHL Approved Dealers.

With the promotion running from 2nd September until the 31st December, end users purchasing either a cordless MSA 160 C-B or MSA 200 C-B chainsaw, or a petrol powered MS 180 or MS 181 or MS 181 C-BE within this period will receive a free spare chain and Function Basic helmet.

For users looking for saws that offer more power, anyone purchasing a petrol powered MS 211, MS 231 or MS 251 and C-BE variants will receive a spare chain, a Function Basic helmet and a Megacut pruning saw, free of charge.

STIHL say dealers received hang tags and posters in advance of the promotion launch which is being heavily marketed online with a targeted banner campaign, social media and blog posts. STIHL say their Approved Dealers are encouraged to get on board with the promotion, market it themselves locally and to ensure the promotion is displayed in store.

These qualifying models are now available to order on the STIHL B2B ordering system and terms and conditions can be found in the promotions section too.

John Deere has been awarded a gold medal and three silver medals by the DLG jury ahead of Agritechnica 2019.

John Deere eAutoPowr transmission & intelligent e8WD system

“John Deere invests more than five per cent of its sales in research & development, and the medals demonstrate our innovative strength,” said Dennis J Docherty, John Deere’s Region 2 vice president sales & marketing. “We are particularly proud of our ongoing collaboration with industry partners and service providers. Partnering and system openness are the main success factors for the further digitalisation of the farm industry. Our company is developing innovative solutions that allow farmers and contractors to make more profit from their field operations.”

Gold Medal:

• John Deere eAutoPowr transmission and intelligent e8WD system

Silver Medals:

• Predictive Feedrate Control
• Intelligent large square baler ride control
• Large combine efficiency package

CLAAS has been awarded three Agritechnica silver medals for recent innovations introduced by the company.

Two of the medals are for technology introduced on the new generation 2 LEXION combine range. The first is for the new APS SYNFLOW WALKER threshing system on the LEXION 6000/5000 straw walker range of combines, which are due to be introduced in the UK and Ireland next year.

The second is for the CEMOS AUTO CHOPPING system on the new LEXION.

The third silver medal has been awarded for the new CEMOS AUTO PERFORMANCE control system on the new JAGUAR 900 range of forage harvesters.

Ibcos Computers Ltd. has announced its integration partnership with Hitachi Capital Business Finance, which allows agricultural dealers in the UK to take advantage of Hitachi’s automated Stock Finance solution via the Ibcos Gold system.

The company says that with Stock Finance, dealers can "easily and securely fund their new and used stock, while utilising Hitachi Capital’s flexible and advantageous financing terms". This in turn, says Ibcos, helps them achieve business growth and cashflow control with little to no pressure when it comes to capital.

In addition, the company says that the solution keeps dealers and lenders in the loop during the entire cycle, eliminating the need for continuous back-and-forth communication.

“The new Gold finance scheme with Hitachi Capital gives our sizeable dealer network a new channel for flexible funding, including alternative stock finance payment options,” said Collette Convery, ,anaging director at Ibcos. “We look forward to working closely with Hitachi Capital in supporting the industry’s increasing demand for finance solutions.”

Sean Jones, head of sales at Hitachi Capital Business Finance, added: “We are delighted to be in partnership with Ibcos Computers. This new partnership with a high-quality, respected dealership management software provider is a further clear illustration of our planned strategy to become the number one funder in the agricultural sector.”

EGO’s Backpack Blower has been awarded an IndyBest buy.

Described by the company as "a great way to promote the model in conversations with customers", the LB6000E Backpack Blower has been awarded in IndyBest (published in The Independent).

It came out on top in a roundup of 12 machines, looking at not only battery models, but also petrol ones.

Vince Brauns, product manager EMEA, at EGO, said, “We’re very pleased to be awarded the IndyBest best buy. It’s fantastic to see it win out against other battery models, and even better to see it put petrol in its place!”

The Independent also reviewed the new EGO Power+ LB5800E blower, which it rated favourably, but chose the LB6000E as its overall favourite, because of the added comfort of the backpack.

This is the second IndyBest EGO has received this year, the former being for its Line Trimmer with POWERLOAD.

Honda are offering a 3-3-3 offer on all new Pioneer Utility Vehicle purchases.

The offer includes three years 0% finance, three years subscription to Datatool and three years full manufacturer warranty.

Available now from authorised Honda dealers, the 3-3-3 offer is only available until 31 December 2019.

Andrew Parr, sales operations department manager at Honda Motor Europe Ltd, commented, “We’re delighted to announce our most competitive Pioneer package yet. This is a very attractive proposition and we encourage potential customers to pop into their local dealer to see for themselves what Honda has to offer.

“Also included with all new Honda ATVs and UTVs is industry approved operator training through the European ATV Safety Institute (EASI) which has training centres located throughout the UK. Our commitment to safe and responsible usage is everything and we recommend all ATV and UTV operators take this EASI course and wear a helmet and gloves when riding their vehicle.”

Plans for Grassland & Muck 2020 are rapidly falling into place, with the new Ragley site being drilled with a mix of silage and grazing leys ready for the event on 20-21 May.

The grass seed mixtures have been specially chosen to be at their best in time for the event, with 170 acres of silage fields used for real live grass harvesting, baling, clamping and muck spreading. A wide variety of the latest machines and equipment will be in action, alongside a rotational grazing feature demonstrating how to maximise performance from mob grazing.

As seed partner, DLF recommended a short-term, very vigorous mix for the silage ley, featuring the new Festulolium Perseus – the only grass to achieve a maximum score of 9 for crown rust resistance on the BSPB recommended list. The mix also includes the high performing multi-cut Westerwold variety Lolan and the top performing Italian ryegrass, Alamo. With maturity planned to coincide with the date of the event, it should offer optimum conservation performance, says the firm’s Rod Bonshor.

“The triennial Grassland & Muck event has long been the primary occasion in the British Isles for those with a vested interest in all aspects of grassland management,” explains Mr Bonshor. “This presents a wonderful synergy for DLF Seeds where grass breeding, production and supply is integral to our position as market leader in this sector.”

The RASE event is being partnered by Yara for the fifth time, so the grassland will be treated to a tailored fertiliser regime - based on accurate soil testing - to maximise yields and grass quality. It is the first time it will be held at the Ragley Estate near Alcester, Warwickshire, and covering 206 acres it will comprise the biggest display of working machinery demonstrations in the UK.

“Visitors will be able to see a wide range of the latest grass and muck machinery in action, alongside plots of new grass varieties and a packed technical programme,” explains event organiser Alice Bell. “With leading industry partners and all the major manufacturers present, everything is tailored to helping farmers get more from their grass. And with 94% of visitors rating Grassland & Muck 2017 as good to excellent, visitors to the 2020 event are sure to be inspired.”

Full-time: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm (4:30pm on Friday), with the possibility of overtime as & when required

Basic job description: re-building/servicing/identifying faults on Industrial Petrol/Diesel Engines & Transmissions (Working from our Great Dunmow base & across the UK), general workshop & administration duties-including warranty claim submission

Due to ongoing expansion plans, our Essex based Company has an opening for a Service Engineer to join the Team in Great Dunmow.

We are a Distributor of Industrial Petrol & Diesel Engines, Transmissions & Spare Parts to the Trade & Original Equipment Manufacturers (Established 1986).

The successful candidate will be an extremely self-driven & energetic individual with a proactive & positive attitude, also possessing a meticulous approach to all aspects of the job description. Applicants should possess a high level of previous experience within our industry sector, although full training will be given on our exact range of products; a degree of computer literacy is also essential.

Our current Engine Dealerships are: Briggs & Stratton (Including Vanguard Commercial Power), Hatz, Honda, Kawasaki, Kohler (Including Lombardini), Kubota, Yanmar

Our current Transmission Dealerships are: Hydro-Gear, Peerless, Tuff Torq

The position offers an attractive salary (Details on request), private medical insurance, company pension scheme, use of our service vehicles, company mobile phone, PPE/tools/uniform will be provided; a Christmas bonus will also be paid (Depending on personal & company performance throughout the year), an annual Christmas party will be paid for by the company.

If you feel that this position is right for you, please email a full CV (Including at least 2 x references) to tricia@uni-power.co.uk ; or send via post to Uni-power Ltd (Attn: Tricia Paveley), Unit 8 Flitch Industrial Estate, Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 1XJ

Tel: 01371 875331
www.uni-power.co.uk

Full-time: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm (4:30pm on Friday)

Basic job description: quoting parts/engines/transmissions via telephone & email, general administration duties

Due to ongoing expansion plans, our Essex based Company has an opening for a Parts & Sales Advisor to join the Team in Great Dunmow.

We are a Distributor of Industrial Petrol & Diesel Engines, Transmissions & Spare Parts to the Trade & Original Equipment Manufacturers (Established 1986).

The successful candidate will be an extremely self-driven & energetic individual with a proactive & positive attitude, also possessing a meticulous approach to all aspects of the job description. Applicants should possess a high level of previous experience within our industry sector, although full training will be given on our exact range of products; a high degree of computer literacy is also essential.

Our current Engine Dealerships are: Briggs & Stratton (Including Vanguard Commercial Power), Hatz, Honda, Kawasaki, Kohler (Including Lombardini), Kubota, Yanmar

Our current Transmission Dealerships are: Hydro-Gear, Peerless, Tuff Torq.

The position offers an attractive salary (Details on request), private medical insurance, company pension scheme, PPE/uniform will be provided; a Christmas bonus will also be paid (Depending on personal & company performance throughout the year), an annual Christmas party will be paid for by the company.

If you feel that this position is right for you, please email a full CV (Including at least 2 x references) to tricia@uni-power.co.uk ; or send via post to Uni-power Ltd (Attn: Tricia Paveley), Unit 8 Flitch Industrial Estate, Great Dunmow, Essex CM6 1XJ

Tel: 01371 875331
www.uni-power.co.uk

A number of key industry experts will be uniting to collaboratively tackle the biggest issues facing the groundscare environment at SALTEX 2019, which takes place at the NEC, Birmingham on October 30 and 31.

Learning LIVE, SALTEX’s all-encompassing and free-to-attend education programme will take place in four dedicated seminar theatres with presentations and panel debates running from 10am through to 3.30pm each day of the show.

Learning LIVE 2019 to tackle industry issues at SALTEX 2019

Featuring over 50 CPD accredited seminars involving more than 100 expert speakers, the programme has been developed by leading industry partners and influencers to provide support, insight and real solutions to key industry issues.

Learning LIVE will kickstart with ‘Creating Champions’ telling the story of grounds staff’s contribution to this summer’s biggest weekend of sporting success. A spectacular line-up, including Neil Stubley (AELTC, Wimbledon) and Karl McDermott (Lord’s), will explain how to deliver exceptional surfaces for the world’s most prestigious sports events.

Findings from the IOG’s recent research document Groundsmanship – Sports’ Vital Profession will be presented by the IOG’s CEO Geoff Webb and consultant research lead, Carol Doran. Meanwhile, football grounds personnel can enjoy a rare opportunity to sit in on the ‘Tottenham Hotspur FC Experience’ seminar. Head groundsman Gary Lee reveals how the state-of-the art 62,000-capacity stadium pitches were built.

From Premiership to grassroots groundsmanship, there’s something for everyone at Learning LIVE. Pitch advisors from the IOG-led Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme (GaNTIP) will be presenting case studies of successful pitch improvements, and also offering advice on how to secure funding.

In the ‘Class Acts’ seminar Ian Avery (Sutton Valence School) explores how independent schools can balance internal and external demands on their pitches. Ian will focus on costings, timings and benefits to the school, plus the problems, and solutions, of quick turnarounds on multi-sport pitches. Giles Roberts (St Peter’s School), Lee Marshallsay (Charterhouse) and Danny Beckley (Harrow School) will also be discussing best practices to help your pitches stand out in a competitive market.

Recent regulations relating to plant protection products (PPP) have had a significant impact on turf management, and Learning LIVE attendees can expect to find answers in a seminar entitled ‘Pesticide 2020 and Beyond’. With a number of widely used insecticides, fungicides and herbicides having been withdrawn in recent times, Dr Colin Mumford (Bayer) will be on hand to explain the current status of PPP, what PPP are being withdrawn or introduced, and how to get optimum results from them.

Cricket grounds personnel can find out about ongoing research carried out by First Class Counties and England’s Centre of Excellence, and an elite panel, featuring Andy McKay (Sussex CCC) Gary Barwell (Warwickshire CCC) and Will Relf (Loughborough University), will be explaining how hybrid pitches in cricket are learning lessons from football. Industry legend Chris Wood, the ECB’s international pitches consultant, is set to captivate the audience with his stories as he looks back through his career in ‘A Lifetime in Groundsmanship’.

Elsewhere, climatologist Jim Dale is presenting ‘Managing Climate Change’ to ensure turf professionals stay one step ahead; ICL’s Dr Andy Owen and PhD student at Royal Holloway University, Tamsin Williams, offer an insight into their four-year research project on the effects of seaweed products on turf grass plant parasitic nematodes; industry consultant Peter Corbett discusses ‘Life Without Propiconazole’; and Question Time with the Amenity Forum will no doubt spark a lively debate around the use of pesticides and their alternatives.

This is just a snapshot of sessions available at this year’s show. Go to www.iogsaltex.com where you will soon be able to check out the full programme, register your visit to SALTEX and book into your preferred sessions to avoid the queues.

Registration for Europe’s largest annual groundscare exhibition SALTEX 2019 is now open

Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX

Garden Trader is helping send quality leads to specialist garden machinery dealers in the UK. It has been designed to support and promote our dealer industry to consumers who are specifically searching for garden machinery products and services.

It is easy and quick to register and costs just £96 + VAT per year to be listed and all revenues in 2019 will be reinvested into promoting the site online.

Garden Trader

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.

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Barely five years ago, US family-run ag dealership Godfrey Bros was voted Dealership of the Year in the annual ‘Oscars’ run by trade magazine Farm Equipment.

The company was a Michigan-based single store John Deere dealership originally acquired by the Godfrey family in 1974, run by Kevin Godfrey and his son Wally. In the year, they won the award, Godfrey Bros, had sales of $20million, 18 employees and had achieved a 43% increase in sales growth during the previous 3 years.

Even then, they knew that a cloud hung over their head. Although they were the epitome of a successful dealership where customer service dominated everything, they were a ‘square-peg in a round hole’.

They simply did not fit the John Deere model of ‘bigger is better’.

They hung out longer than many others mainly because of the fiercely loyal support of customers, but on 1 September they bowed to the inevitable and sold out to GreenMark, a John Deere dealership group with 16 outlets.

Kevin Godfrey is philosophical. He had known for some time that Godfrey Bros was never going to figure in Deere’s plans. “The bottom line is that they (Deere) are in control, this is the game, and we are part of it.” He says that GreenMark has treated them well but added wistfully, “It’s tough knowing I will never own a John Deere dealership”.

This scenario was mirrored in the UK by the recent news that Bartram Mowers had been acquired by Ernest Doe, another company started in the same era as Godfrey Bros. They were put in a similar position when Ransomes withdrew their franchise having decided that the ‘bigger is better’ model suited their strategy for a large area of eastern England.

This industry has been built on entrepreneurial spirit, risk-taking, passion, enterprise and sacrifice.

The sadness is that those families responsible for building such businesses, creating customer loyalty and employing staff, are now out of the loop. They will effectively have to start again in order to use their proven talents.

Let’s be honest, this is the way that the major international brands will operate today and in the future. But I do believe that our sales and service sector is better equipped to manage what is effectively a two-division dealership structure because we are a family-based industry at the retail level.

I wouldn’t even categorise this as a Premiership and Championship division. The larger dealer groups such as Doe, White, Lister Wilder etc (most of whom are family companies themselves) pride themselves on offering customer service of the highest quality through their branches. Likewise single-store dealers (often started by people who have fallen victim to ‘rationalisation’) will succeed by building their business on exemplary customer service - which is often more important than the brands they sell.

At the same time, specialist manufacturers are continually on the look-out for high quality dealers, particularly when the ‘big-boys’ demand that their dealers offer a full-line of equipment to the exclusion of possible competitive products.

This should not be a debate about big versus small, there is enough flexibility and room for both multi-branch and single-outlet dealers to co-exist and meet customer needs.

It is worth remembering that an enterprising engineer, John Deere, spotted an opportunity in the market in 1837 to manufacturer a superior plough mouldboard. Four years later, a Leicestershire entrepreneur named Thomas Cook organised an escorted train journey for 500 people to travel from Leicester to Loughborough for a temperance meeting at a shilling a head, thus creating the world’s first package tour.

From humble beginnings, both mens' endeavours resulted in world-wide brands. History however may judge their resulting success differently