It's that time of year again!

The entry forms are readied and the team is poised to receive your entries for this year's Dealer Of The Year competition.

Always an exciting period for us here at Service Dealer, it's truly great to be able to focus our minds on something entirely positive. Being a news source we of course have to turn our attention sometimes to subjects which are difficult, uncomfortable or downbeat.

However, we do believe a good proportion of our remit as the voice of the industry is to, whenever we can, shine a light on the superb work which is undertaken in our sector. Nothing exemplifies that more, than the UK's incredible dealer network.

Every year when we run this competition, we never fail to be blown away by the volume and enthusiasm of the customer feedback we receive from the public in support of their local dealers.

I'm sure there are days (weeks?!) where dealers can feel unloved and under-appreciated by the people they have through their doors, on the phone or online. However, the Dealer Of The Year process constantly highlights to us the esteem in which customers hold their specialist retailer.

And being unashamedly mercenary about it, if your customers hold these feelings about your business, why not use this goodwill to your company's advantage?

Winning a Dealer Of The Year award is not only a fantastic boost for you and your team, it's a gold-plated marketing opportunity. The PR you can generate locally via your social channels and local press, plus the national recognition from the industry and your peers, should not be underestimated.

Hence we're encouraging as many of our readers as possible to think about entering this year.

Dealers are able to now nominate their own businesses via the Service Dealer website - and as well as this a dealership can also be nominated by customers, suppliers and manufacturers.

Many factors are taken into account when judging the categories, but the most important is customer feedback - which will once again be acquired online, between now and October. The judging panel will meet later that month to assess entries.

As last year, the core dealer categories for the 2019 competition are:

• GARDEN MACHINERY DEALER OF THE YEAR
• PROFESSIONAL TURFCARE DEALER OF THE YEAR
• FARM MACHINERY DEALER OF THE YEAR
• FORESTRY EQUIPMENT DEALER OF THE YEAR
• ATV/QUAD DEALER OF THE YEAR

There are also two other award categories:

• Star of The Dealership
• Apprentice of The Year

With these categories we want you to tell us who really goes that extra mile to help make your business a success. This is a great opportunity to nominate an employee who exceeds expectations within your business.

As ever the glittering presentation ceremony will take place in the evening following the Service Dealer Conference at the Double Tree by Hilton Oxford Belfry. The date of this year's event is Thursday November 21st 2019.

It will be great to have more entries this year than ever before, so make sure your dealership is in with a chance of winning. Visit servicedealer.co.uk/nominate-2019 and it could be you!

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Elsewhere today, you'll see we're running a short survey, canvassing your thoughts on the concept of LANTRA offering their machinery training courses for customers through the dealer network.

We're interested to hear your opinions regarding the feasibility of the idea as a potential additional revenue stream for dealerships. Do you think following the purchase of a piece of kit, your customers would be interested in an additional purchase of LANTRA approved safety training? Or perhaps, best operation guidance to help them get the most out of their new kit?

Service Dealer is always interested in investigating new ideas which could add to the unique benefits of customers using their local independent specialist dealer, rather than going online to box-shifting websites.

The training might be provided via access to online instructional videos, or by a hook-up with a local training provider, or perhaps in your own store?

What do you think about this? Is it an idea you could see mileage in?

Please share your thoughts with us today, it will only take a few moments.

TAKE THE SURVEY

SCH (Supplies) founder and former managing director, Andrew Rodwell, passed away following a short illness on the morning of Saturday 4th May at the age of 80.

Many will know Andrew from the company’s 33 years of extensive attendance at garden machinery shows across the country, where SCH have displayed their product range to potential customers and machinery dealers.

Due to health concerns, in December 2018, Andrew and his family decided to hand over the running of SCH to two of his long-term employees John Free and Ian Holder.

A spokesperson for the company said, “SCH had been Andrew’s passion for over thirty years, and his hard work has put the company’s future on a successful trajectory. We will continue to trade as normal, so that his legacy is maintained.”

SCH (Supplies) were the first company ever to advertise in Service Dealer magazine back in 1988. The magazine’s founder Chris Biddle said, “I am saddened to hear of the death of Andrew Rodwell. He was an innovative inventor, a SALTEX stalwart, genial host and one of the turfcare industry's real characters. Rest in peace, Andrew.”

In 1986, Andrew recognised that the ordinary lawn mower tractor was capable of a lot more than merely mowing grass. With the help and encouragement of Malcolm Vandenburgh at Wests Engineering Ltd, the pair set about designing and manufacturing a range of grass care machinery. Before long, SCH (Supplies) Ltd was created and began selling products to a handful of local dealers.

Through sheer hard work and determination, the business flourished and expanded, and now has a catalogue of over 200 products, and a vast network containing hundreds of machinery dealers across the country. Andrew spent countless hours thinking of every possible need for the keen gardener, groundsman and game keeper, with the popular product range constantly evolving.

From the early days of SCH, Andrew was an advocate of training local aspiring engineers. He nurtured and mentored his young apprentices, some of whom have remained with SCH for over twenty years. The business now employs 25 people who design, manufacture and deliver the machinery.

Andrew has been described as a larger than life character, he was gregarious, often hilarious and a great British eccentric. He had a passion for anything mechanical from vintage tractors to classic cars. He will be sorely missed by SCH and all who knew him.

Service Dealer sends our condolences to Andrew’s family, colleagues and many friends throughout the industry.

A memorial service took place yesterday, (23rd May) at Holbrook.

Agricultural components supplier Kramp UK has announced a significant investment in the UK which will see them move to a new warehouse and office suite in early 2020.

Concept image showing the style of the new building

Des Boyd, sales director UK and Ireland, said of the investment, “We’ve seen significant growth in the agricultural spare parts and accessories market over the last number of years and we’ve reached a point where we feel this investment is absolutely necessary to meet the needs of our valued customers.

"We’re acutely aware that many businesses in the present political and economic climate feel unsure about their growth potential and are looking at alternative markets. Kramp Groep, however, has seen markets in the UK and Ireland go from strength to strength.

"With the increased collaboration between manufacturers and Kramp Groep the future holds many exciting opportunities in the UK and Ireland.”

Des Boyd - Kramp sales director UK and Ireland

Located just a short distance from the existing facility, the new 14,000sq metre warehouse will be three times the size of Kramp UK’s current warehouse, with the capacity to store twice the number of items by stocking a broader range of relevant parts and accessories in higher quantities. The company says this will allow an improved service and faster delivery to their customers in the agricultural, forest and grasscare, OEM and construction markets.

Construction on the new building will start in Summer 2019, with the new site allowing room for further future expansion.

A dealer recruitment campaign launched at LAMMA 2019 is bearing fruit with the return of Suffolk Agri-Centre to the McCormick dealer network.

The dealership based at Pakenham east of Bury St Edmunds supplied McCormick products from 2007 to 2013 when it felt the range at the time lacked some of the models and features wanted by local customers.

Suffolk Agri-Centre directors Ken Grimwood (left) and David Eley at the Pakenham premises near Bury St Edmunds

“But that has changed completely,” says Suffolk Agri-Centre sales director David Eley. “The ‘Doncaster’ products have long since gone and McCormick manufacturer Argo Tractors has invested millions in a product development programme that has transformed the range.

“The McCormick line-up now has something for everyone. It’s a range that really suits our customer base and with new investment in an expanded management and support team for McCormick in the UK, I’m confident the product is also matched by the back-up we need and our customers expect.

“We’re committed to continue supporting the tractors we supplied over recent years but as far as new sales are concerned, we’re now wholly McCormick.”

Ben Agar, McCormick sales director, is spearheading the Argo Tractors ‘Free to Grow’ dealer recruitment drive and is delighted that Suffolk Agri-Centre has returned to the fold.

“Our campaign emphasises that as other major brands aim to tie down dealers to exclusively sell their implements as well as tractors, dealerships selling McCormick are free to supply whichever equipment brands best suit them and their customers.

“We’ve put considerable investment into new digital resources for parts, sales, marketing and communications that will help our dealers grow with McCormick whilst supporting them to be free to grow with any of the many independent machinery manufacturers in our industry.”

David Eley agrees that dealer independence is a welcome factor: “We’ve done very well with Amazone for many years now and we’re also doing well with Krone, which we took on more recently, as well as with Teagle, McConnel and our other long-standing equipment franchises.

“With the addition of McCormick tractors, I believe we have a very rounded range of products to meet the needs of farmers and contractors throughout Suffolk, and the resources to support them in terms of parts and service back-up.”

Stiga Ltd has announced the appointment of Brian Pattle as territory manager for their south-western area.

Originally from Somerset, Brian started working life as a trainee agricultural mechanic which fuelled his interest in machinery both small and large. Since then, Brian has gained more than 20 years experience in the industry, both in retail and distribution. Stiga says Brian has an excellent understanding of dealer business and recognises the importance of a strong independent dealer network.

Now based in Dorset, Brian’s area will cover mid and south Wales and the south west of England.

A spokesperson for Stiga said, "We are delighted to welcome Brian to the Stiga UK team and are sure his customers will enjoy the highest levels of service and support."

Kubota (U.K) Ltd has announced the appointment of two new dealer managers in the Groundcare and Parts business units.

The company says the new appointments demonstrate their continued commitment and investment to their dealer development aspirations and will provide additional support to the existing dealer and distributor network.

The new Groundcare dealer manager, Phil Catley (left), joins in the role of dealer manager - Southern region for the Tractor and Groundcare division. Phil joins the company from Stiga Ltd, where he was previously area sales manager.

Kubota says Phil brings with him a wealth of experience, particularly in building and maintaining large dealer networks extending throughout the South West, South Wales, Mid Wales and the West Midlands as well as skills in building strong relationships and maintaining excellent profit margins. Ahead of joining Kubota, Phil has also previously worked for Etesia and Sharnford Horticultural.

On his appointment, Phil commented, “I am looking forward to putting my experience to good use at the company. I am excited to finally be a part of the team and look forward to using my knowledge and experience to further develop Kubota’s dealer network.”

In a new role for Kubota, Rob Williams (left) has joined the company as Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland dealer manager, for Parts. His prime responsibilities will be to support the dealer and distributor network specifically covering the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Rob has an extensive amount of experience and industry knowledge after holding previous roles at Ifor Williams Trailers, Saville Tractors and Landmec. Over the past five years, Rob has been working for Kverneland UK, developing a successful parts business for the company. His past experience also includes working for Morris Lubricants in the North of England, where Rob played a pivotal role in supporting and developing their oil and lubricant business.

Speaking about his new appointment Rob said, “I am looking forward to starting my new position. My role will be to continue to support and develop the Parts dealer and distributor network, where my previous experience and established connections will be invaluable.”

David Hart, managing director of Kubota UK commented, “We are delighted to welcome both new dealer managers to the business. Their expertise and industry knowledge will be instrumental to Kubota’s commitment to continuing to invest and expand our existing dealer and distributor network and we are excited to have them on board”

Allett Mowers invited industry leaders to Twickenham Rugby Stadium on May 14th to showcase their new C34E battery powered mower and hold informal talks on sustainability.

Attendance at the venue represented dealers, football, rugby, cricket, Royal Households, and Oxford and Cambridge University colleges.

Austin Jarrett, Allett’s managing director, gave a talk on the company’s battery machine strategy and the technology behind battery electric power helping to drive the future for professionals. He emphasised the health and safety benefits of non-particulate power and sustainability with zero emissions at the point of use, low noise, low vibrations and minimum maintenance.

Twickenham Rugby Stadium’s head groundsman, Keith Kent, talked about how he maintains a world class pitch, providing the same standards whatever the use, be it international rugby, leisure events or even schools tournaments. The third speaker, sustainability expert Professor David Stubbs, presented on the challenges in the industry, using a case study of the London 2012 Olympic Games. His talk embraced climate change and how sport can help address major global ecological problems.

The talks were followed by pitchside demonstrations with everyone allowed access to the hallowed turf and a very green pitch in bright sunlight. The C34E was first seen at Saltex 2018 and since then Allett say they have spent the months in trials and further developments, to bring the mower to the stage where it is ready to go into production.

Powered by the latest Lithium-ion system battery technology, the C34E has a new chassis design while maintaining compatibility with Allett’s turf maintenance system. The mower features interchangeable cartridges for powered raking, aerating and brushing. 

Austin Jarrett said, “We’ll be using the debate and feedback from the customers to form part of Allett decision making and future planning in our battery machine strategy. The industry is rapidly changing and while we aim to be at the forefront we will only be launching twenty C34E this year. When a customer buys one of the first 20 machines we will work with them and their dealer on any developments of the machine before we go into mass production next year. They will become an Allett Pioneer Programme member and attend focus groups and factory visits and will also get exclusive Pioneer merchandise.”

Allett say the consensus after the meeting was general agreement the industry is quickly learning about sustainability and recognising the need to gain greater momentum in the face of climate change.

The Claas UK ‘Dealer of the Year’ award for 2018 has been presented to Claas Eastern, making it a double for the company, who also won the highest Claas Platinum Dealer Excellence Award earlier in the year.

Colin Blow of Claas Eastern holds aloft the Claas ‘Dealer of the Year’ plaque, flanked by Ken Conley of Rickerby (left) and Steve Barratt of Hambley (right), at a presentation at Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands in Surrey

The award recognises the high overall level of performance by a Claas dealer in the UK and Ireland in three key areas: Finance, Dealer Performance and Customer Feedback.

Claas Eastern is one of the l.manufacturer's largest dealerships in the UK, with seven branches covering Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire and employing over 100 people.

For the business to excel in all these aspects is a considerable achievement, because part of the award process is not only an assessment of the dealership’s overall performance, but the performance of each of its individual branches. The award also reflects the results of the Customer Feedback Survey and the company says Eastern scored well in this category too, underlining their commitment to their customer base and the first class customer care service they provide.

The announcement and presentation of the ‘Dealer of the Year’ award to was made at the Dealer Council meeting, held at Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands in Surrey.

Lagan Bros. Agri Contractors, based in Moneymore, Co. Londonderry purchased the first John Deere 9900i forage harvester in Europe. It was sold to them by Northern Ireland’s John Deere dealer Johnston Gilpin & Co. Ltd.

The harvester was handed over to them at John Deere’s manufacturing facility at Zweibrücken in Germany during a Gold Key award ceremony.

At the Gold Key presentation in Zweibrücken, Germany from left: Paul Lagan, Michael Lagan, Seamus Lagan of Lagan Bros., Johannes Zametzer (Zweibrücken factory marketing representative), Gethin Evans (Sales Agricultural Manager, Johnston Gilpin & Co. Ltd)

“We are extremely proud to have sold the first John Deere 9900i SPFH in Europe to loyal customers Lagan Bros. for the 2019 season and were fortunate to be able to be part of a special Gold Key presentation at Zweibrücken where their new harvester was handed over, fresh from the production line!” said Johnston Gilpin’s Agri Sales Manager Gethin Evans.

“The Gold Key Tour is an option any customer has when purchasing a new machine from John Deere but on a special occasion like this, with the first model sold in Europe, we thought it fitting for the customer to get an extra special handover to acknowledge their latest purchase and as long standing customers who had never had the opportunity to see the production facility. The trip consists of a “one on one” factory tour, tailored to customer wishes and on completion they are handed over a special gold key with their new machine, fresh off the production line.” Continued Gethin.

However, The journey in purchasing this machine has a bit of a story in itself. About a year ago, Michael Lagan was alerted that a high horsepower machine was on the horizon. This came to fruition when John Deere’s Harvesting Territory Sales Manager, Rob Hill, offered Michael and Johnston Gilpin the opportunity to visit a prototype machine in a secret location, together with another customer who too expressed an interest and incidentally also bought a 9900i from them this year.

Unable to make the flight, due to some late night foraging, Michael Lagan and his partner Alannah drove through the night, got the ferry at 3.30am and arrived at the secret location to view the machine the next day. However, it rained and despite waiting all day to see the machine run, all they could do was walk around it as the customer wouldn’t permit operations to begin.

However, fast forward a couple of months, they attended the dealer launch of the new 9000 series SPFH in Italy and shortly after Johnston Gilpin were given the opportunity to use a John Deere demo machine for 10 days. This gave them a great chance to let the Lagan Bros get their hands on the machine, their bums in the seat and in their own grass. What better a way to let a customer get a feel for a machine! Shortly after this a deal was made with family to be the first proud owners in Europe of a 9900i chopper!

Below is a video of the delivery of the 9900i to the Lagan Bros. premises (courtesy of Carl O’Loughlin Agri Videos). 

Last Friday (May 17th) Channel 5’s, The Gadget Show, tested three entry level robot lawn mowers.

Forest Green Rovers head groundsman, Adam Witchell with The Gadget Show's Jon Bentley

Pitched against each other were the Robomow RX12u (RRP £599), a Flymo 1200R (RRP £599), and the Worx Landroid M500 (RRP £698).

Putting them through a series of tests, presenter and gadget guru Jon Bentley, along with Forest Green Rovers head groundsman, Adam Witchell, assessed their simplicity of set up, cutting performance, and obstacle sensing and avoidance.

Across all the tests, the Robomow RX12u came out as the top pick. Adam Witchell said, "It's simple, easy and does a very, very good job." While Jon said, "The Robomow was outstanding in its field".

John Hall of Magic Distribution commented, “It’s great to see the Robomow being praised outside of the garden machinery industry, having its quality and performance recognised. Especially knowing that as a dealer led product with good profitability, this will drive customers to our dealers across the UK.”

Catch up on the full episode online. The robot mower reviews start at 12.15. 

Garden Trader is a product and dealer search website/directory only for 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 costs just £96 + VAT per year to be listed and all revenues in 2019 will be reinvested into promoting the site online.

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