TIME TO REFLECT Take the opportunity by Service Dealer Editor, Steve Gibbs
Taking time to catch breath and reflect is not often easy, but finding a moment to do so could prove beneficial for the dealership.
Following the excitement and intensity of last week's Service Dealer Conference and the Dealer of the Year awards, it has been great to be back at my desk this week, concentrating on the next issue of the magazine.
And even if I do say so myself, we have a great issue coming up for you in the new year. For this first edition of the new decade, it's fantastic to start off with a bit of positivity. In the mag we’re going to be unashamedly looking back with pride on the events of last week. I've now heard from many people who attended who have used the phrase 'best ever' when talking about the conference. It's immensely gratifying for the organising team to hear such praise because each decision made in the process, is solely intended to produce real value for the dealers in the room.
Over the coming weeks, the guys at TAP will be uploading a series of videos to our Service Dealer YouTube channel, which will feature interviews with the key players from the day.
We have our first ones up today for you to enjoy. Below you can watch Bob Clements giving some top tips for dealership profitability:
Also if you head over to our YouTube channel you can watch our interview with dealer Pete McArthur, Director of Strathbogie Forest & Garden tell us what he got out of the conference this year. Whilst you're there, don’t forget to hit the Subscribe button on our channel to stay tuned and watch more of this year’s Conference & awards interviews as they get posted.
So we'll be reflecting on the conference in the next magazine, as well delivering reports from a couple of the late autumn trade shows, SALTEX and Agritechnica.
To take the time to catch breath and reflect after an intense run of activity is important in all lines of work. For myself as an editor, of course it's vital that I'm out and about as much as I can, attending events and meeting people in order to generate material for the magazine. But there comes a point where I need to retreat and be sat quietly in front of the computer, getting the work actually done. Alongside this I need time to both reflect on what's been happening recently, as well as planning ahead for future editions.
This idea of taking time for reflection is a luxury which of course dealers are not afforded too often - what with the hectic nature of the job.
I heard from Sara Hey who presented a couple of superb sessions last week, who was talking about how important it is, around this time of year, for dealers to be able to grab some much-needed rest as the season slows down a bit. It’s also the perfect time, she said, for dealers to reflect on the season while it is still fresh in their minds.
Sara says that with the dealers that their company works with in the States, she advises them how they should be setting 'off season goals'. It's around now that they begin working with the dealerships they consult with, to get their sales goals and dealership objectives set for the next year.
Sara encourages dealers to take a moment and give some thought to how well their service department functioned during the season. She poses questions like were things flowing well? Did you have a quick turn-around time for your customers? Did you notice an unusual number of comebacks or redo’s? Did your technicians improve their efficiencies? Were you able to deliver the customer experience you had hoped to deliver during your busiest time?
"If they answered 'no' to any of these questions," Sara said, "their off-season goals should be to develop new or better processes to fix those issues before the new season starts."
The same is true, Sara believes, for both a dealership's parts department and their sales department.
Sara summed up this time for reflection, saying, "During the off season is the time to make the changes needed to improve profitability and customer experience as we move into the 2020 season.
"I would encourage dealers to not waste this period, and to use the time to get laser focused on improvements than can be made that will help drive the dealership to a strong and profitable 2020."
Time is always a commodity that dealers can be particularly scarce of - but if you are able to take a moment at some point in the coming weeks to consider some of these areas which Sara mentions, it could prove beneficial in the long run.
This week's WEB ONLY story sees positive news for the industry in the UK, with the first zero-turn mower to be manufactured in Europe being produced at the AriensCo factory in Great Haseley, Oxfordshire.
Andy, who was well known to dealers in his role as STIHL GB Product Manager, passed away in October following a long and brave battle with cancer.
At the evening ceremony STIHL GB donated a signed Liverpool FC shirt and goalkeeper gloves as the prize to be won.
With hilarious encouragement from comedian and host Charlie Baker (above), Service Dealer are proud to report that £1,365 was collected in cash on the night - with a further £500 promised in pledges.
Andy's page, which currently stands just shy of a remarkable £14,000, can still be donated to by clicking here.
Fentons of Bourne, Price Turfcare’s local dealer for Lincolnshire and the East Midlands, won the Best Allied Trade Stand award at the Midlands Machinery Show recently.
Fentons of Bourne, Price Turfcare’s local dealer for Lincolnshire and the East Midlands, won the Best Allied Trade Stand award at the Midlands Machinery Show held at Newark Showground on 20-21 November.
Rupert Price (right) receives the Best Allied Trade Stand award from William Parente, President of the Newark & Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society,organisers of MMS
The Midlands Machinery Show is one of the fastest-growing annual events in the agricultural sector, bringing together farmers, agricultural contractors, and suppliers in a friendly and relaxed business environment. Over 300 exhibitors were displaying products and service in the covered halls, with the larger products situated outside on the showground.
Fentons of Bourne in conjunction with Price Turfcare, created a demonstration area where visitors could see displays highlighting the versatility of the tractor unit and associated attachments. The demonstration arena featured two Ventrac all-terrain compact tractors and 14 different attachments including a selection of mowing decks, trencher, stump grinder, blowers, power brushes, power rakes and more.
Glen Bellamy, managing director of Fentons said, “We were delighted and surprised to win this award. At mid-afternoon a team of show organisers turned up, mid-demonstration, and presented us with the award. Rupert Price and his team put in a lot of effort to make the demonstrations meaningful for the attendees and there was considerable interest in the products. The Ventrac was probably the smallest machine on display amongst all the large agricultural machinery, but it certainly punched above its weight.”
Rupert Price added, “We were invited to attend the show in conjunction with Fentons and it was too good an opportunity to pass by. It gave us some brilliant exposure for both the product and the brand to a new audience and that was our main aim. However, it did more than that; we came away with demo requests and the icing on the cake was winning the award.
“Definitely a very good event for us and it made two days standing outside in the cold, well worthwhile.”
Over 50 attendees including horticulture apprentices, employers and local council workers attended the college event last week.
Following a successful event last year, EGO was once again asked to bring its expertise to Bridgwater and Taunton college in Somerset for a training day to discuss the benefits of battery powered outdoor power equipment.
On Tuesday (19th November), over 50 attendees including horticulture apprentices, employers and local council workers were at the college event.
Demonstrating the benefits of battery power, EGO provided a range of products for the students to test. Students had the opportunity to try out a range of tools, such as the brand’s mowers, line trimmers, blowers and hedge trimmers - as well as the new CS1800 chain saw.
Starting with a theory session in the morning the team took the class through the technology used within the range and most importantly the 56V Arc Lithium battery, helping them to understand where the EGO battery gets its "petrol matching" power. The day continued culminating in a practical session in the afternoon.
Peter Melrose, managing director EMEA at EGO said, “We’re so pleased we had the opportunity to once again be a part of the workshop at Bridgewater and Taunton College, in order to discuss the importance of battery power, not only from the environmental perspective that is constantly in the news at the moment, but also from the health standpoint for users and the economic benefits for business users.
“Initiatives like this, where we can educate young people entering the trade, are just so important. Passing on our passion for battery power to the next generation will hopefully start to shape the future of landscaping for the better.”
According to figures released by the AEA this was the fourth fall in the last six months - but year-to-date figures are still 5% up.
According to figures released by the AEA, UK registrations of agricultural tractors (over 50hp) declined in October, compared with a year earlier, the fourth fall in the last six months.
Stephen Howarth, agricultural economist at the AEA said, "Registrations were around 100 lower during that period than in May-October 2018, with October's total of 806 units being 30 down on the same month last year.
"Nevertheless, with a strong start to the year, registrations for the year to date were still up 5% on the first ten months of 2018, although it is worth remembering that 2018's figures understate the true size of the market due to high levels of pre-registration in late 2017 ahead of the entry into force of the 'Mother Regulation'."
Sulky UK, subsidiary of Sulky Burel, the French family-owned company, has announced they are moving to a new premises and re-structuring its team in 2020.
Sulky UK, subsidiary of Sulky Burel, the French family-owned company known for its range of fertiliser spreaders, seed drills and cultivation equipment, has announced they are moving to a new premises and re-structuring its team in 2020, as a result, they say, of continued growth in the UK market.
Sulky UK are due to move from their previous premises in Bourne, Lincolnshire to a new, sole-occupancy site in Cambridgeshire. The cooperation agreement with Gregoire Besson ceases at the end of 2019.
The company say that the premises move will also coincide with a "revision to the UK team".
Robert Thurkettle, Sulky UK managing director says, “Since it launched in 2015, Sulky UK has seen fantastic growth, thanks to our well-established and dedicated dealer network. 2020 will mark an exciting change and further development for the business.
“In addition, we are looking to expand the Sulky dealer network in some regions. Interested machinery dealers should contact the office to discuss.
“We look forward to talking to our dealers about these opportunities in more detail, at LAMMA, on 7-8 January.”
Lexion 8000/7000, Jaguar 900 series and DataConnect all honoured at Hanover event.
Claas received the 'Machine of the Year 2020' award a total of three times at the recent Agritechnica event in Hanover.
The Jaguar 900 series was one of the winners
Awarded were:
Lexion 8000/7000 - Machine of the Year 2020 in combine harvester category
The new APS Synflow Hybrid threshing unit forms the heart of the Lexion 8000 and 7000. Their engine output of up to 790 hp/581 kW takes the new models into a new performance class. An intuitive control concept and a new cab provide a high degree of comfort. Dynamic Power adjusts the engine output to the operating conditions and ensures fuel efficiency.
Jaguar 900 series - first in forage harvester category
The Jaguar 990 takes the maximum engine output available in the 900 model series to 925 hp / 680 kW. With Cemos Auto Performance, the Jaguar keeps the set speed constant and regulates engine power and driving speed according to the crop mass. As the crop mass increases, the engine power is first increased and then the driving speed is reduced. If the crop mass is lower, the engine power is reduced automatically. This keeps the engine speed constant and eliminates abrupt load changes. This results in an even crop flow with high operational reliability and lower fuel consumption.
DataConnect - winner in Electric category
DataConnect is an interface in cooperation with 365FarmNet, Claas, John Deere and CNH Industrial. For the first time, it enables the exchange of important machine data between the web portals of different manufacturers and thus allows the user to monitor the information of his mixed machine fleet in the system of his choice. Previously, this required much more effort. The interface is open for further participants.
New recruit, Adam Waugh, offering dealers support in terms of parts procurement and sales.
Machinery dealers supplying Landini and McCormick tractors in Ireland, Scotland and the north of England are being supported in terms of parts procurement and sales by Adam Waugh (35), a new recruit to the UK & Ireland team at manufacturer Argo Tractors.
Adam Waugh
“Having worked on parts and sales in the family machinery dealership, I’ve seen from the other side of the counter the importance of good parts management to ensure customers can get the items they need when they need them,” says Adam.
“I’m already enjoying my new role, visiting and introducing myself to dealers and setting out the new digital technologies that Argo Tractors has developed for parts management.”
Adam Waugh is working alongside Tony Burgess, the national parts sales manager based at Harworth near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, who looks after dealers in Wales and the rest of England.
The Argo Parts international distribution centre in Italy is backed up by a substantial stock held at the UK & Ireland base in Harworth.
As he tours the machinery dealers on his patch, Adam Waugh says he is pleased to be back on the agricultural scene after a few years working with construction equipment.
“Agriculture is a great industry and although I now live in Glasgow, my family is still in Stranraer, south-west Scotland, which is ideal for taking the ferry to visit our dealers in Ireland,” he says.
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