My body clock is just starting to readjust following a visit to the States last week and my trip to GIE+EXPO!

I must reiterate once again what a truly great show the OPEI put on in Louisville. It was also one which had a palpable buzz about it. A buzz which emanated from the crowds trekking around the showfloor and demo areas, the exhibitors on their stands and from the organisers themselves.

Everyone I encountered seemed enthused and energised. No one was claiming that the industry was all conquering at the moment, but the consensus seemed to be that the U.S had experienced a decent season this year, with prospects for 2020 and beyond looking healthy.

Which sounds like a decent enough position to be in. With product trends such as battery equipment and robotics clearly in the ascendancy, plus petrol products (or gas as our Amercian cousins are want to call them) not going anywhere anytime soon, I came away feeling mightily positive about the industry in general. 

And now I'm very much hoping these good vibes will find their way over to the NEC at Birmingham next week, with the IOG's SALTEX show running across Wednesday and Thursday.

It's unfair to directly compare the two shows because of the differences in scale, so I won't do that. What I genuinely believe though, is that SALTEX has greatly improved in recent years compared to its final editions at Windsor. It was a brave move by the IOG to upsticks and change up the format - and after some initial misgivings and grumblings from certain quarters, I think the show has really found its feet. As such I'm very much looking forward to seeing what's on offer to visitors next week.

One thing that I do know will be there is Service Dealer! We have a stand at M181, so any readers in attendance, please drop by and say hi.

There could be a certain frisson in the air too what with it being both Halloween and the day we've been told we're leaving the EU come what may (but let's not get into that!).

The organisers boast that 2019’s edition will feature over 300 exhibitors. The two-day event, say the IOG, will offer visitors "an opportunity to experience the latest industry trends and innovations, enhance their education and learn from industry experts".

Features which the organisers hope will get the crowds turning up in their droves this year include:

• Eco Village – New for this year, live demonstrations purely dedicated to environmentally-friendly products.
• Learning LIVE - SALTEX’s free educational programme.
• Pathology and Soil Science LIVE – a look in detail at the symptoms of turfgrass fungal disease problems.
• SALTEX Innovation Award – celebrating the best in new groundscare technology.
• Ask the Expert - free face-to-face turfcare advice.
• Outdoor Demonstrations – the latest products in action in an area directly outside halls 6,7 and 8.
• SALTEX College Cup - land based colleges compete in an academic test of turf management knowledge.
• Lawn Care Legends LIVE – a networking opportunity for landscapers and gardeners.
• Job Clinic – free one-to-one sessions covering CV writing to interview techniques.

Looking through the listings for the educational sessions, a couple of presentations catch my eye as being of interest to our independent dealer readers. Firstly on Day 1, in Theatre 4 from 10.00am to 10.30, Keith Christian, director of BAGMA, is doing a talk entitled 'Recruit For The Future'. Described as being about why more technicians are needed to support the sports turf industry and why problems associated with the current lack of recruitment must be addressed, I'm sure Keith will have plenty to say of relevance to our readers.

Also on Day 2 in Theatre 4, Sara Hay, who readers will know from her appearances at the Service Dealer Conference and her regular column in the magazine, is presenting on the subject of 'How To Motivate Your Staff'. Sara says she'll be offering advice on ways to motivate and retain your team members in order to produce a positive return on your investment in time, energy and money. All very pertinent to specialist dealers.

As well as this of course, the stands will no doubt be packed with new products worth checking out - and the value of the networking opportunities afforded by spending time with both suppliers and fellow dealers should never be overlooked. If, of course, you can spare the time away from your workplace for a day or two!

If you can, I hope you gain as much as possible from a trip to SALTEX next week. It will be very interesting to take the temperature of the UK industry following what's been described by many as an up and down season.

This coming Wednesday morning (30th October) the staff at Stiga Ltd will be starting a 500 mile Mow-a-thon.

On a specially adapted static bicycle with a Mountfield mower attached to the front, they plan to mow 500 miles as a continuous relay to raise funds for their friend and colleague Mike Clake. The company say they anticipate the challenge taking around 33 hours with every member of staff getting involved.

Staff have been practising for the event on the specially adapted static bicycle at Stiga's Plymouth offices

Amanda Kincaid, marketing manager at Stiga, said, "Back in May 2018 Mike suffered a life changing injury following a cycling accident. Since his accident Mike has not been able to return home to live with his family and even getting out of the care home where he currently lives is very difficult.

"We hope to raise £5000+ to help Mike purchase a specially adapted car that will allow him to get out, visit his family and more importantly give him independence and greater quality of life."

A livestream of the staff in action will be shown on @mountfieldlawnmowers Facebook page if any dealers want to check out how they are doing. 

Donations to the cause can be made via Mike's Just Giving page.

Europe’s largest provider of grounds maintenance and landscape construction services, id verde, has signed a contract with The Toro Company.

The contract establishes a three-year partnership with Toro as a preferred supplier to id Verde’s network of locations throughout the UK, France and the Netherlands.

Hervé Lançon, CEO, id verde group, left, with Andy Brown, corporate accounts manager at The Toro Company

Through this contract, all idVerde branches will have access to the full range of Toro products, including reel mowers, rotary mowers, flail mowers, and small-area and wide-area mowers, as well as landscape contractor equipment.

 
id verde say the decision to work with Toro complements their ongoing strategic expansion plans, aimed at adding to the company’s capabilities and geographical coverage.

“We were looking for a reliable partner with a strong presence, both at the local level and throughout Europe as we continue to expand,” said Pascal Amico, director of purchasing at id verde. “With Toro’s distributor network, we will have full coverage in terms of product, service and support. It’s exactly what we need to ensure consistency in quality and performance across all of our branches.”

Andy Brown, corporate accounts manager at The Toro Company added, “Both companies have a long history of being committed to quality, environmental responsibility, customer relationships, and putting safety first. We’re looking forward to supplying id verde with the products and support they need to build on that legacy moving forward.”

According to Anthony Nadalin, senior marketing manager at The Toro Company, id verde will also benefit from Toro’s current focus on developing new products for the landscape contractor market. “Toro is investing heavily in new products so we can offer a total solution for contractors of any size, whether it’s a small independent business or a large group like id verde,” Nadalin said.

Beyond access to Toro’s wide portfolio of product, the partnership also relies on the network of support that Toro offers in the UK, France and Holland through its dedicated and long-term distributors in each country. In the UK, that support will be the responsibility of Reesink Turfcare.

At the annual Association Excellence Awards, which was held at the Kia Oval in Kennington, London on Friday 11 October, BAGMA were presented with a prize for their BAGMA Briefing membership newsletter.

The publication picked up the bronze award in the category of Best Association Newsletter, Blog or Online Publication.

Paige Hylton and Alex Ahir, of the BAGMA & Bira marketing team, with the award

The awards recognise and reward the achievements of UK trade bodies, professionals, membership organisations and associations. Representing associations from every sector, these awards recognise individuals, teams and initiatives and highlight excellence in how trade bodies operate and serve their members.

Talking about the newsletter, the award’s judges said, "It is a well put together and comprehensive briefing for members and is a good example of a newsletter for your members, that features a mixture of content. It features clear headlines, it's uncluttered and has clear links to fuller details. There's a good snapshot of current, relevant information with opportunity to follow though to further details if needed. Overall, it is clear that members are the heart of the marketing strategy behind this publication."

Alex Ahir, marketing executive for Bira & BAGMA said, “We were happy to come away with a bronze award for the Briefing. We are very proud of our member communications and to see this recognised by an esteemed judging panel is special. Considering the size of the associations we were up against, coming back with an award is a real achievement.”

Keith Christian, BAGMA director said, “We were so pleased to be shortlisted for best association newsletter and to come away with an award is a great accomplishment. We proudly support our independent members with informative, engaging and above all, relevant content through the Briefing and to have this work recognised is a testament to the marketing team. The BAGMA Briefing has been a key area of focus for the marketing team over the last three years and I’m sure our members will join me in congratulating them.”

EGO demonstrated its new products launching in 2020 to dealers from across the UK at two events hosted by Henton and Chattell recently.

Using its new promo cube the company met with over 400 UK dealers to gain vital feedback.

The company invited dealers to get a first look at its products for 2020 at events on 1st October in Hampshire and at a second day in Derbyshire on 3rd October. Peter Melrose, managing director EMEA at EGO presented on the 2019 season, what is coming in 2020 and the continuing rise of battery power across Europe.

Peter said, “It’s vital to understand the importance of the dealer network. Whilst customers research about products online, they still choose to visit a dealer to make their purchase.”

Both UK Dealer days were a success, with over 400 dealers attending and networking to share valuable insights within the industry. EGO say they are pleased to be working with dealers who support battery power, for an environmentally friendly future and are looking forward to working with many more.

Vince Brauns, Group Product Manager EMEA at EGO, said, “We’re really excited to be sharing our latest product line to the dealer network. Developing relationships between supplier and dealer is so important, and we look forward to working with the dealer network next year."

Overton (UK) have announced that Russell Groundcare have become the Mean Green electric mowers dealer for the Yorkshire counties.

L-R: Mark Lowe (Russells), Mark Willerton (Russells), Lewis Calvert (Overton UK)

After a successful demonstration to the groundcare sales team, Mark Lowe and Mark Willerton, Russell Groundcare managers, decided to progress as they believe it is the direction that the groundcare market is moving.

Mark commented that now the mowers have been available in the UK for the last four years and manufactured in the US for 10 years, it gave them confidence to take on the machines. He said, "The mowers are well built and having a walk behind, stand-on and zero turn models in the range allows us to sell the mowers into different market segments.

"The low noise, HAVs and WBVs is a big step forward and with mowing time up to 7 hours, no fuel or servicing, low weight and a quality cut ,the Mean Green mowers have a lot to offer operators. Whilst the zero emissions and zero carcinogenic fumes have a lot to offer the environment."

Professor Jane Rickson, the President of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) was awarded both the top accolade for Outstanding Achievement and the category award for ‘Engineering, Science and Maths’ at the annual Women Leaders ceremony at the MK Stadium, Milton Keynes on 11 October.

Professor Jane Rickson (centre) with her award

Professor Rickson, who is Professor of Soil Erosion and Conservation at the University, is also the first female President of IAgrE in its 80-year history.

Professor Rickson was part of the team at Cranfield that was responsible for the University being awarded its fifth Queen’s Anniversary Prize, for research and education in large-scale soil and environmental data for the sustainable use of natural resources in the UK and worldwide.  

Professor Leon A. Terry, Director of Environment & Agrifood at Cranfield University, said, “As a leader in her field, Jane is an inspiration to us all with her contribution to soil science

and agricultural engineering being rightly recognised across the world. This award is just recognition for Jane’s outstanding contribution to science and engineering.”

Doosan Bobcat EMEA has opened its headquarters for the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa), marking a further expansion in the Czech Republic.

As part of its Dobříš campus, the new building houses the company's management and other employees and complements the production plant and the training and innovation center, where Bobcat machines are created for Europe and the rest of the world.

The company says this year alone, their investments in Dobříš will reach EUR 20 million. In 2018, Doosan Bobcat’s revenue for the EMEA region amounted to EUR 765 million, with the Dobříš factory producing a record 17,206 machines.

This year, the company plans to increase production by 20% and break through the barrier of 20,000 machines for the first time.

Worth EUR 10 million, the three-storey headquarters building covers a surface area of 1,561 m2 and will offer more than 3,370 m2 of office space for 200 employees. Investments were also made to create more than 7,000 m2 of green areas around the building.

Gustavo Otero, President of Doosan Bobcat EMEA, said, “With the opening of the new headquarters in Dobříš, we are completing an investment which - thanks to the concentration of development, production and management of the company in one place - is of socio-economic importance for the whole region and exceptional within our industry.

"During Doosan Bobcat's operations in the Czech Republic, we have invested approximately EUR 120 million, increased production five-fold, and more than tripled the number of employees. In the future, we expect a further recruitment of blue-collar professionals and expert positions in development.”

Buckinghamshire’s Waddesdon Manor is employing Husqvarna Automowers to maintain a complex grass maze situated in the middle of a wild grass area at the property.

Located in the Aylesbury Vale, Waddesdon Manor is a Grade I listed house and Garden which was built for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the 1870s. The stunning location is owned by the National Trust, and managed by the Rothschild Foundation and is one of the Trust’s most visited garden properties, with over 471,000 visitors in 2018.

This summer, the gardens team of Waddesdon Manor saw the opportunity to install a grass maze at the location and were keen to explore an automated solution in order to keep the walkway section of the maze maintained.

The use of automated technology was important to the team’s plans due to the location and the amount of time it would take to maintain the maze. Because of the distance between the maze and the team’s machinery sheds, this presented a problem. Furthermore, as the maze area was complex to cut, it would take a lot longer for the team to complete.

Authorised Husqvarna dealer, RT Machinery, provided advice on Automower and completed an initial assessment followed by an expert installation which required two robots to be installed in order to deal with the complexities of the maze.

This installation was challenging for the obvious reason of the maze’s layout but also because the machines needed to find their way home to their respective charging points. Typically, the mowers would have guide wires to guide them to their charging station, however blind alleys meant this couldn’t be done - further increasing the challenge.

Over a two-month period Waddeson Manor say the products have excelled. Gardens Manager, Mike Buffin, commented on the performance of the products in light of the challenging location: “We’ve been very impressed with the two Husqvarna robots and they have shown just how well they can handle complex areas by keeping our maze in great condition. The mowers have been out cutting whilst people are in the maze, something which we didn’t think would be possible initially. Children find them fascinating and we’ve seen people follow them as they go about their work.

“The robotic mowers have saved the grounds team a great deal of time, allowing us to focus on other tasks whilst the maze is taken care of. We have asked guests to come up with names for the two robots and people have been tracking them on Facebook, which is fantastic to see.”

Are you a service minded and enthusiastic individual? Do you want to work with relationship building sales? Do you enjoy travelling and spending time with people, making business and building relationships with your clients? Then this could be a job for you!

Anglo American Oil Company ltd (AAOC) are the UK distributors for Swedish produced Aspen Alkylate petrol – A low emission petrol alternative designed for small engine machinery. The Aspen brand is the market leading alkylate petrol in the countries throughout Europe which it is sold in. Aspen is currently sold within a dealer network of around 430 shops around the UK. AAOC is a family owned business employing a total of 18 people in which the Aspen side of the business is rapidly growing. For more information please visit www.aspenfuel.co.uk

As a salesperson for Aspen fuels, you will be responsible for sales within central and southern England + Wales and your key clients will be garden machinery dealers, hire shops and other suitable outlets. You will develop a business relationship with each shop and their employees. As a sales person, you will be responsible for the complete sales process including developing new business with new shops, training shop staff about the technical aspects of the product and how to market it to their customers. You will also be responsible for maintaining/entertaining current dealers, working closely with them to develop their Aspen business further and educating them about new products or campaigns in their area.

For more details and information for how to apply visit https://aspenfuel.co.uk/join-aspen-team/

Kawasaki Engine Division is a market leading supplier to top-of-the-line professional and residential Turfcare Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) around the globe. Due to internal promotion, we are offering a rare and exciting opportunity to represent Kawasaki to our international customers across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

To aid further expansion, we are looking for Applicants who should ideally have good experience within business to business technical sales. While Turfcare or Garden machinery industry experience would be beneficial, a proactive individual with a positive attitude looking to expand their career into international markets would be ideal.

Full induction and product training will be given on arrival.

A good level of computer literacy is also essential.

The position offers an attractive salary (Details on request), private medical insurance, company pension scheme, company mobile phone, annual performance bonus scheme

Applications; Interested applicants should send their CV and a covering letter to;

Richard Harris, Head of Sales

Engines@Kawasaki.eu

Tyre-Line will again be exhibiting at this year’s SALTEX show at the NEC Birmingham, stand D082, bringing their extensive knowledge and product portfolio to the UK’s Premier Turf Management exhibition.

Aftermarket Tyres, Wheels & Specialist Services

Tyre-Line’s Aftermarket sales and support division pride themselves on their vast knowledge and extensive experience supplying the aftermarket tyre industry. They are able to offer services such as tyre pattern conversions (Agri to Turf and vice versa), bespoke wheel and tyre fitments along with specialist patterns and fitment advice for all Groundscare, ATV/UTV, High Speed Trailer, Agriculture and Construction machinery.

Being the Sole Official UK Distributor of Carlisle & ITP Tyres and Wheels gives Tyre-Line un-paralleled access to one of the world’s biggest specialist tyre suppliers for Lawn & Garden, ATV/UTV and Agriculture & Construction tyres. With a heritage of supplying many prestigious names with O.E. fitments including John Deere, Countax, Polaris, Can-Am and more, Carlisle & ITP have been at the forefront of tyre development and technology for over 100 years and Tyre-Line are proud to be their Sole Official UK Distributor.

This year, Tyre-Line will be showcasing their extensive range of Carlisle Lawn, Garden & Golf Tyres at SALTEX, including such well known pattern names such as Multi Trac / Turf Master, Turf Trac, Links & Fast Trax along with products from ITP, Compass & Wanda.

Original Equipment Tyres & Wheels

Over the past 30 years, Tyre-Line’s Original Equipment Division have partnered with many of the industry’s biggest names in Groundscare, Trailer and ATV/UTV markets including the likes of John Deere, Kubota, Logic, Nugent & Ariens. Supplying customer specific tyre and wheel fitments from their centrally located, 50,000 sq.ft purpose built facility in Daventry, Northamptonshire, Tyre-Line have a wealth of experience, coupled with a comprehensive product range from industry leading brands allowing them to offer application specific solutions.

Visit Tyre-Line Aftermarket on Stand D082 at this year’s SALTEX show at the NEC, Birmingham on 30th & 31st October or contact the team on 01458 250350.

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

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