NEWS BAGMA launches new website; Rea Valley Tractors becomes a New Holland dealer; work starts on new STIHL GB headquarters

BULLETIN BOARD

‘TRUE GENT’ PASSES ON

Tony Cundall, the first Campey product specialist to cover Manchester, Wirral, Cheshire and Staffordshire, has died at the age of 75. Before retiring in 2011, Tony gave up working in the field and was general manager in-house. Campey Turf Care Systems says “he became known throughout the industry as a true gentleman on every level”. Richard Campey said: “Our thoughts are with Tony’s wife Dinah and Tony’s family at this sad time. He will be greatly missed by all those who knew and worked with him.”

TRACTOR SALES DROP

Disruptions to global supply chains are still affecting tractor sales. In June, 938 machines were registered – 36.4% lower than the unusually high June 2021 figure. The extended Bank Holiday weekend at the start of the month may also have had some impact, according to the AEA’s Stephen Howarth. The total number of machines registered during the first half of the year reached 6,420. That is 6.2% fewer than in January to June 2021, despite May 2022 having the highest May total since 2012 at 1,283 machines. Registrations for the year to date are 6% above the five-year average.

OVERTON’S NEW AREA SALES MANAGER

Lincoln-based Overton (UK) has appointed Steve Barnfather to its sales team. Responsible for the North of England and Scotland, Steve brings a wealth of experience to the company with over 25 years working in the groundcare industry. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working in this industry, it is a passion of mine. When the opportunity came along to join Overton (UK) I knew it was a great move for me. The team have been so welcoming and the product range is impressive,” he said.

Rea Valley Tractors takes charge ‘of our own destiny’

REA VALLEY TRACTORS, the WestMidlands and mid-Wales farm machinery business, will become a New Holland dealer from November 1, while continuing to supply products from JCB, Kuhn and other leading manufacturers.

The appointment as a New Holland dealer for agricultural tractors and harvest machinery throughout Shropshire, part of Staffordshire, Cheshire, part of Lancashire, mid and North Wales, marks a significant change for Rea Valley Tractors, which currently operates four branches and employs 130 staff.

Steve Petford, managing director, said: “In discussions concerning the long-term development of the company, the options presented by our current tractor supplier (John Deere) effectively involved either down-sizing or selling the business, scenarios that were emphatically opposed by RVT’s chairman and main shareholder Simon Clarke, not least because of the impact on jobs.

“Instead, we have taken an alternative route, taking charge of our own destiny by successfully negotiating to take on the New Holland territory for tractors and harvest machinery across an area that is larger than the one we have today, and also an extended JCB territory that will include Cheshire from 1st January 2023.”

RVT will continue to support customers with repairs, routine servicing and parts for the John Deere products they have been selling, and are convinced that the potent combination of New Holland, JCB and Kuhn, together with Bailey, Grimme, Joskin, Ag Leader and other important franchises, will ensure a long-term success.

RVT has depots at Shrewsbury and Newport in Shropshire, Welshpool in Powys, and Sudbury in Derbyshire, with new branch locations to be announced in due course.

The company has applied for planning permission to substantially enhance the Shrewsbury depot with new buildings that will double the amount of workshop space and improve working conditions, provide a technical training facility and covered storage for used machinery.

There are also plans to significantly expand the workshop facility at the Sudbury depot, where the focus will be on JCB and Kuhn sales and support, to increase servicing and repairs capacity and improve working conditions.

RVT chairman Simon Clarke commented: “This is a new dawn for Rea Valley Tractors. After 38 years, we are really excited by the opportunity not only for our business, but customers alike by supplying and servicing machinery from world-class British manufacturers. Combined with our skilled workforce, knowledge of the area and drive to move our business forward, the future is tremendously exciting.

BAGMA Ex-President Burlingham passes away

DAVID BURLINGHAM, A former BAGMA National President from 1965 to 1966 and founding chairman of the BAGMA Four Counties Region in 1966/67, has passed away aged 92. David was elected an Honorary Life Vice President of BAGMA in 1983 having inspired many changes in the organisation and support for dealers, especially in training and education. He was chairman of the association’s training and education group for nearly ten years. The Burlingham family has a long tradition of involvement with BAGMA over the years with Richard Henry Burlingham being National President from 1947 to 1949 and John Burlingham being chair of the BAGMA Garden Machinery Association and also working for the British Hardware Federation as the sales and marketing director before it became part of BIRA (BAGMA’s previous owner).

H Burlingham and Co. was founded in 1804 as agricultural engineers in the Vale of Evesham. David joined the business as a trainee engineer and was sent to Ransomes, Simms and Jefferies to learn his craft. At the age of 18 he became workshop manager and followed a steep learning curve, as this was the time when tractors were taking over from horses. BAGMA’s director, Keith Christian, paid this tribute to him: “David and his family’s contribution to our industry has shaped the history of what is now BAGMA.”

Before he died, David put together a history of his working and family life for his family and BAGMA. In our next edition we will follow David’s career and his contribution to our dealer trade association.

Work starts on new STIHL GB headquarters

STIHL GREAT BRITAIN, based in Camberley, Surrey, since 1992, says it has outgrown its current location and plans to move to a new 11,500sq m purpose-designed GB HQ and warehouse facility next year.

A ground-breaking ceremony took place on June 20, when STIHL Group CEO Michael Traub visited the new site, two minutes away from the current building in Camberley. The ceremony was also attended by STIHL Great Britain managing director Kay Green and local mayor Helen Whitcroft.

Due for completion in 2023, the site will be home to nearly 100 local employees from mid-2023. Built by Glencar Construction and designed by Hale Architects, the new HQ will have “first-class environmental credentials” including BREEAM Certification, the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for building projects.

It’s anticipated that two-thirds of the total roof area (1,600sq m) will be covered with photovoltaic solar panels to provide power to the new facility. EV charging points will also be installed for use by electric vehicles, although the building is also close to Blackwater railway station so employees will be able to easily travel by train to work or bicycle using the adjoining off-road cycle path.

Extensive planting will take place on site, so the building will be surrounded by landscaped gardens including native shrubs and trees and a wildflower meadow.

The new 9,000sq m warehouse space will feature state-of-the-art picking and storage systems to maximise productivity, efficiency and the use of space. The adjoining 2,285sq m office area will include retailer training facilities, an on-site restaurant, flexible collaborative workspaces, and a technical workshop.

Kay Green, managing director of STIHL GB, said: “STIHL has enjoyed a sustained period of growth in recent years and, as a consequence, we have outgrown our existing warehouse and office facilities. Our new purpose-built headquarters represents a significant capital investment and is a commitment to the future for our local workforce.

The CLAAS Academy’s first technicians

CLAAS UK RECENTLY opened the doors of its new Apprentice Academy to BAGMA and the AEA for a visit to meet the staff leading the apprenticeship programme and some of the first technicians on the Land-Based Service Engineer Technician Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard course.

Opened earlier this year, the new Apprentice Academy is located at the CLAAS UK headquarters in Saxham, Suffolk.

John Kireia, apprentice technical trainer, told us: “I started as an apprentice and I have gone full circle and now I am taking the next generation through to where they will see themselves in 15-20 years’ time.”

The CLAAS Academy provides specific product training throughout the apprenticeship programme and enables trainee technicians to progress within the dealerships once qualified.

The building itself consists of dedicated workshop areas, where apprentices can develop skills such as welding, large workshop areas that can accommodate combines, modern classrooms and breakout areas. There is even a green screen room where trainers can create interactive presentations for online training.

BRM celebrates with open day

BAGMA member Brian Robinson Machinery (BRM) held an open day to celebrate a string of milestones. These included: 40 years in business, 32 as Valtra dealers, 25 as Joskin and Polaris dealers, and 10 as Merlo dealers. The day gave customers the opportunity to view a wide variety of equipment as well as the recently completed buildings and yard expansion. There was also food and drink, a huge tractor bouncy castle assault course and lazer clay shooting! More than 650 people attended the event, which raised £1,620 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Action Lawn sets high ambitions with Etesia

BAGMA MEMBER ACTION Lawn and Leisure has been appointed as a new Etesia dealer in Stirlingshire and surrounding areas.

Action Lawn and Leisure was founded in 1998 by Bob Bruce, BAGMA’s Scottish Regional secretary. It is a family-run business which prides itself on offering a personal service with good advice and excellent product knowledge. The company works with a variety of groundscare brands, but the time had come to set higher ambitions, according to Bob’s son, Ian Bruce.

“Currently we are operating at about 70% domestic and 30% commercial,” he said. “We are looking to venture more into the professional market and want to be able to offer machinery of the highest quality. That is why Etesia kept coming into my head.

“We have dealt with a few Etesia machines over the years and have always been very impressed with what we’ve seen. Our local council has an Etesia fleet and it was the only machine that came in for a service this year that didn’t need major repairs. This tells me it is of a decent quality because the council are quite boisterous with their machinery!”

Etesia’s product range includes ride-on mowers, scarifiers, brush cutters, green technology and pedestrian mowers, and Ian believes the machinery will be the perfect addition to Action Lawn’s range. “I believe the Etesia products will help us attract larger contractors, landscapers with a few vans on the road and potentially some National Trust sites – to name but a few,” he said.

“One of the biggest problems we’ve got in Scotland is wet grass and this is always choking up our customers’ machines. The Etesia machines are designed to cope with this very easily. This feature, combined with their performance and build quality, makes the Etesia range of products highly appealing.”

Manufacturers and suppliers still need a dealer network

BAGMA’s director, Keith Christian, reveals why he chuckled to himself during a lunch with garden machinery dealers and why he’s annoyed by recent comments in Service Dealer

COMMENT KEITH CHRISTIAN DIRECTOR BAGMA

I was going to write all sorts of lovely positive stuff about how well shows have been attended so far this year and how people are getting on with their lives and businesses despite the continued presence of Covid, Brexit and an unfathomable war in Ukraine and how positive the industry has been in the face of all this adversity. Then, I read the recent Service Dealer comments about the doom and gloom surrounding dealers and their future.

I have worked for many years with Service Dealer and have the greatest respect for them but, come on guys, there is enough going on in the world without you being the harbingers of doom and gloom for the dealer network.

I have seen several very comprehensive studies and research over the last ten years about the future of dealers in Europe at least. As BAGMA, the only dealers trade organisation in our industry, and with over 100 years of history with the dealer network, we have contributed to these studies and not one of them predicts the demise of the dealer network. Change, yes for sure, as the grand scheme of things changes but every study has been clear that dealers need manufacturers and suppliers and they in turn need a dealer network.

The only way this will change radically is if manufacturers and suppliers either buy into the dealer network, as only one company does in the UK, or change their business model and sell everything direct to the end user. There is no doubt that in the agricultural machinery sector there is more control over how the dealer operates with the larger franchises, and this too can sometimes have its benefits, but this is not normally the case with the garden machinery dealer network.

I sat down for lunch with several likeminded and sizable garden machinery dealers not long ago and they caught me chuckling to myself and wanted to know why. Well, it was simply because I realised I had done business with their fathers before them and now I was doing the same with the sons. For this edition of the magazine we visited Kalehurst (see page 8) to interview Neil Taylor about his current move and how he sees the future. Bob Taylor, his dad, came in to say hello. I was a young rep when I first dealt with Bob 40 years ago and I have dealt with his son for many years now and they are another classic example of a thriving family business that have weathered all sorts of storms and succeeded with a family succession plan.

I have been around the garden machinery dealer network for a long time and I have never once thought that there wasn’t a future for dealers in our industry. Change, yes. Challenges, of course. Succession issues, inevitably. Differences of opinion between manufacturers/ suppliers and dealers, definitely! There is a future for dealers and I am sure that most manufacturers/suppliers recognise this and will find ways to support their dealers whilst looking after their own business interests and distribution channels.

Bourne to be a record breaker

How long does it take to drive from Land’s End to John O’Groats on a ride-on mower? Bourne to Garden founder Colin North, driving an ISEKI SF544 ride-on mower, completed the charity challenge in 4 days, 6 hours and 9 minutes. Travelling at a maximum of 12mph for 880 miles, for 20 hours per day, the owner of the Kent gardening and landscaping business smashed the previous record of 5 days, 8 hours. Wrapped in a duvet at night to keep out the cold, and goggles to keep mosquitos out of his eyes, he said the only technical issues were “a loose wheel nut and puncture on the way”. He also says he received lots of “friendly toots” as drivers overtook him.

BAGMA launches new website

BAGMA HAS LAUNCHED its new website, marking the end of the year-long transition from BIRA. The website has a similar style and look to the previous one on the BIRA platform but has more information and features and will be regularly updated with industry news and events.

With improved functionality, the website is easier to search and provides quick and easy access to essential information on new or current member benefits, training opportunities, resources or information about services.

BAGMA’s director Keith Christian said: “We are excited about the new website launch as it is a step forward for us and it enables our members to access the information they need more easily.”

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