THE MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH AGRICULTURAL AND GARDEN MACHINERY ASSOCIATION ISSUE 05 | JULY/AUGUST 2017
Well Connected
Why would anyone want to become an agricultural engineer? Peter Arrand, BAGMA’s vice-president, shows us why
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IN THIS ISSUE
All the presidents reign again
ISSUE 05 JULY/AUGUST 2017
I’m staying on - and so is Vin Vara COMMENT
BRIAN SANGSTER PRESIDENT BAGMA
Cover Photo: Darren Casey
WE RECENTLY ATTENDED the bira annual conference and AGM in Bristol. A beautiful city which I must admit I’ve never visited in the past. Lots of regeneration around the many docks in the city centre, plus some quaint old streets and pubs, and certainly a lot of atmosphere that was made much more enjoyable with the sun shining late into the evening. With a bit of spare time after the conference, we took the opportunity to visit Brunel’s SS Great Britain to relive the history of it having sunk in the Falklands in 1933 and how it was eventually refloated and mounted onto a pontoon in 1970 and then slowly towed by tugs all the way home to its birthplace in Bristol. 8,000miles across the Atlantic and considering how rough that can be, it was clearly quite a challenge. The ship has since been restored and has become a Bristol visitor attraction in its specially designed temperature-controlled drydock. The history of Brunel in Bristol, a man who was clearly an inventive genius with an amazing engineering mind, makes Bristol worth a visit on its own. We had an interesting AGM this year with a few changes from the norm. Vin Vara has agreed to run as bira president for a second year The membership magazine of the British Agricultural & Garden Machinery Association Published 6 times a year by bira publishing Editor Chris Boiling 07713 192344 chris.boiling@bira.co.uk Design Alan Bingle 07949 024737 alan@forty6design.com Multimedia sales Executive Simone Adams 0121 446 6688 simone.adams@bira.co.uk All advertising and media enquiries please email: editorial@bagma.com
BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017
owing to the ill health of the vice-president, Vivienne Abbott, who would normally have stepped up this term. I have also agreed to run as BAGMA president for an additional year to allow our vicepresident, Peter Arrand, to spend more time establishing and developing our BAGMA Connect Group. Traditionally the BAGMA presidency is a two-year position. It also gave me great pleasure to address the AGM in proposing Howard Pullen, as the second vice president of bira. Howard is, of course, a BAGMA past president, and is our current CLIMMAR representative and an active BAGMA Council member. Howard accepted the proposal and was subsequently voted into the position. He will now be expected to take up the bira president’s role in 2019. So, here we are, halfway through our centenary year and getting close to celebrating our birthday on August 17. However, that day isn’t the best day to hold a birthday party, even if it is a 100-year celebration. August is, of course, traditionally a holiday month but in our industry we are more likely to be up to our necks in harvest. However, never fear, plans are afoot for a mini conference/dinner later in our 100th year. BAGMA is no longer based near Banbury. Our BAGMA office has now relocated and we are well established in our new offices in the newly refurbished bira building in Edgbaston, Birmingham. So note the new address below. If you’re in the Birmingham area, they would love you to drop in for a coffee and show you around the new facilities.
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NEWS What BAGMA members are doing and why the president is staying on for another year.
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COVER STORY Profile of Peter Arrand, BAGMA’s vice-president and the man connecting members.
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BAGMA CENTENARY Our series continues with a look at the problems affecting the association and its members in the 1960s.
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Some BAGMA members have been with the association from the very beginning. We take a brief look at their histories.
BAGMA, 225 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7UB Tel 0121 446 6688 Fax 0121 446 5215 www.bagma.com
bira, 225 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7UB Tel 0121 446 6688 Fax 0121 446 5215 www.bira.co.uk
BAGMA president Brian Sangster
bira president 2016-17 Vin Vara
BAGMA director Keith Christian
CEO Alan Hawkins Finance director John Collins Commercial director Jeff Moody
Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the material published in BAGMA Bulletin. bira Publishing Limited can accept no responsibility for claims made by manufacturers, advertisers or contributors. Views expressed by advertisers or contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher or of bira. Advertisers in BAGMA Bulletin are not agents of bira or any of their associated businesses, including bira bank and bira direct. Also, bira and its associated businesses never act as agents for any advertisers. Printed in the UK by Buxton Press.
Marketing & membership director Bob Jarrett Business development manager Alasdair Straker: 07823 416862 Regional sales managers Joanne Arthur 07572 790337 Lorna Lewis 07814 767925
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BAGMA NEWS
BULLETIN BOARD
TRACTOR SALES TRUNDLE ON
UK registrations of agricultural tractors (over 50hp) have increased again, as they have every month of the year so far. UK agricultural tractor registrations for May 2017 were up 4.1% over May 2016. The 1,008 tractors (over 50hp) bring the total number of registrations for the year to date to 5,104 units – an increase of 16.7% (compared with January-May 2016).
CLAAS ACT
Joining the CLAAS UK dealer network is Alkmonton Tractors. The BAGMA member, run by father and son team John and James Ayre, will be covering Derbyshire and north Staffordshire.
DEPOT NO6
CLAAS UK dealer Hamblys has opened a new sixth depot near Torrington, north Devon. It follows the 125-yearold business’s acquisition of Richard Mann Agricultural Engineering, based at Peters Marland outside Torrington.
READY FOR REDEXIM
Family-run Burden Bros Agri Ltd has become Charterhouse Turf Machinery’s dealer for Sussex. Framfield-based Burden will stock the Redexim range of turf maintenance machinery and the Graden range of products. Group turf sales manager for Burden Bros Agri, Alan Pierce, commented: “It’s a great fit with our existing portfolio.”
DEERE’S SALES INCREASE
Cost-cutting Deere & Company has reported an increase in net income for the second-quarter. It rose to $802.4m from $495.4m a year ago while total revenue increased to $8.29bn from $7.88bn. For 2017, Deere now expects company equipment sales to increase 9%.
CORBY STEAL
Corby Garden Machinery lost shelving, chainsaws, garden strimmers and disc cutters when thieves broke in. Police believe three offenders were involved in the night-time raid and the items were loaded into a small car.
OAKES EXPANDS
New Holland dealer Oakes Bros plans to open a new depot around Salisbury. The BAGMA member already has depots in Berkshire, West Sussex and Hampshire.
DIARY DATES
BAGMA MOVES TO BIRMINGHAM THE BAGMA OFFICE has moved again. Originally in London when the association was formed 100 years ago, the office then moved to Rickmansworth to save money. When the association became part of the BHF Group it moved to Harefield, then Middleton Cheney, and now the team is based in Birmingham, sharing offices with parent association bira. BAGMA president Brian Sangster says: “Keith (Christian, BAGMA direc-
Protect against rural crime BAGMA DIRECTOR KEITH Christian and business development manager Alasdair Straker have been talking to Police Scotland. It’s okay, it was to discuss industry initiatives regarding rural crime in Scotland. We are planning a future article on this subject but, in the meantime, Police Scotland has put a series of rural safety guides online to help prevent rural crime. The guides offer useful information to protect buildings, farm vehicles, machinery and equipment. According to data released by agricultural insurers NFU Mutual, thieves are targeting quad bikes, ATVs and tractors with attached implements. E Buckland Garden Machinery recommends to its customers that they record serial numbers on a dedicated website – www.immobilise.com.
tor) with Kari and Hazel have now settled into their new abode and are already experiencing the advantage of being able to work much closer with the rest of the bira team and service providers.” l Another company marking its centenary with a move announcement is EP Barrus. The distributor of lawn and garden brands such as Lawnflite, WOLFGarten and Wilkinson Sword will move to a larger site in Bicester, Oxfordshire, in 2019.
How a drone found stolen machines
Two stolen machines have been found in a shipping container and recovered with the help of a drone. One of the stolen machines was a Kubota Mini Excavator stolen from a school in Buckinghamshire but fitted with an AMI AT5 batteryoperated tracking system. Another machine, a 1.5T Hitachi Excavator, was found alongside the Kubota machine during the recovery. Due to the tracking technology, AMI knew the Kubota machine was located in a transportation yard in Iver, Buckinghamshire, and a drone was deployed to pinpoint the exact location on the site before Thames Valley Police gained access.
JULY 24-27 The Royal Welsh Show, Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, Powys SEPTEMBER 11-13 GLEE, NEC, Birmingham
NOVEMBER 1-2 SALTEX, NEC, Birmingham JANUARY 2018 17-18 LAMMA, Peterborough 23-25 BTME, Harrogate
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BAGMA member Ripon Farm Services is helping the police fight rural crime… by lending a tractor to the North Yorkshire force. The tractor, kitted out in police colours, won’t be used in chases. It’s going to attend country shows, including the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate on July 11-13, to help “increase police engagement with rural communities”. PC David Mackay of North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce is pictured with the tractor, named Bobby following a competition among primary school children.
BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017
BAGMA NEWS
ALL THE PRESIDENTS REMAIN IN PLACE
DEUTZ-FAHR’S NEW FACTORY
A new tractor leaves the production line at the new Deutz-Fahr factory in Lauingen, Germany, every 12 minutes. After three years of planning and construction, the new Deutz-Fahr tractor factory – called ‘Deutz-Fahr Land’ – is now producing tractors from 130hp upwards. It takes about 16 hours in total for each individual tractor to be assembled on a production line stretching 0.7km in length. The factory’s capacity is 5,000 to 6,000 tractors a year on a single shift. With the new customer centre, the overall cost was €90m. CEO Lodovico Bussolati said: “The new manufacturing plant, together with our modern and innovative tractor range, will speed up growth.”
BAGMA PRESIDENT BRIAN Sangster has agreed to stay in office for a third year to give vicepresident Peter Arrand more time establishing and developing the BAGMA Connect Group. Traditionally the BAGMA presidency is for two years. Brian’s position was ratified at bira’s annual meeting, held this year at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel. At the meeting, BAGMA stalwart Howard Pullen was named second vice-president of bira, putting him in line to take over as bira president in 2019. Howard is a past president of BAGMA, an active member of the BAGMA Council and the association’s current CLIMMAR representative. bira’s current president remains The Tool Shop Group’s Vin Vara, who agreed to stay on for a second term owing to the ill health of vice-president Vivienne Abbott, who was due to take over this term.
Campey’s European tour BAGMA MEMBER CAMPEY Turf Care Systems has been on a European tour to show its overseas distributors and their potential customers the latest techniques in the sports turf industry. The tour began in France at the Parc de Haye, Nancy, before moving on to Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Belgium and ending in Holland. Venues included football stadia and golf courses such as the picturesque Terre Dei Consoli golf course in Italy. Groundsmen and greenkeepers got to see the award-winning GT Air Inject Air2G2 in action, as well as the Koro Fieldtop-
maker, Imants ShockWave and Rotoknife, Koro Recycling Dresser, Raycam Speedresser, Dakota spreaders and a Vredo seeder. Managing director Richard Campey said: “The expectation placed on groundsmen and greenkeepers is increasing and events like the renovation tour gives a platform for those who want to raise their standards, and shows them how they can achieve that by trying something new or improving on what they’re already doing.”
Lending and Saving for you and your business Want to know more? Call your dedicated bank exec Dave Baker on 0121 227 6656 or visit www.bagmabank.com
REBATE CHEQUE FOR DRAPER DEALER CHER RY ’S COU N T RY HARDWARE, a BAGMA member for more than 40 years, has been presented with a rebate cheque from bira supplier Draper. The East Yorkshire agent for Stihl, Viking, Hayter and Toro was handed the £1,858 cheque by BAGMA’s business development manager, Alasdair Straker. Pictured with Alasdair is Christian Cherry. BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017
Have you seen BAGMA now have their own bank?
BB - Bagma.indd 3
BAGMA bank is a trading style of bira bank limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services register No. 204478) Registered office: 225 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7UB. Registered in England. Company No. 0555071
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BAGMA NEWS
The industry mourns loss of two great characters
John Deere Ag Tech Apprentice of the Year 2016 Jack Robbens of Ben Burgess with John Deere training centre manager Richard Halsall
John Deere names apprentices of the year AFTER BATTLING CANCER, co-founder of Celtic Mowers Kim Davies (pictured left) passed away quietly in a Swansea hospice on June 6 with his family present. Kim was a huge personality and loved his working life. Indeed, Celtic Mowers and his family were his life. Keeping the dealership in the family and its succession was of the utmost importance to Kim, so the business remains under the leadership of Terry Flynn and Gary Evans. Gary from the Swansea dealership said: “Terry and I are honoured to take the business forward and continue building on the foundation laid by Kim and his late wife, Sue. We have grown steadily over recent years and we look forward to developing the business further.” The founder of FGM Claymore, Pat Butterly (right), also passed away recently. Pat died at his home in Dublin, Ireland, following a short illness. Pat was involved in bringing many wellknown garden machinery products to the UK and Ireland in the early 1970s and FGM Claymore still has a strong presence in the UK market today. He will be greatly missed by all who worked with him in the lawn and garden machinery industry. Pat leaves wife Eileen, children Karen, Paul, Joann, John and Kieran, and 20 grandchildren. BAGMA would like to offer its condolences to Kim’s and Pat’s families and colleagues.
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JACK ROBBENS OF BAGMA member Ben Burgess, Norwich, has been named Ag Tech Apprentice of the Year, after graduating from the John Deere Ag Tech, Parts Tech and Turf Tech advanced apprenticeship programme, run in partnership with national training provider ProVQ. Lewis Parker of Mona Tractors, Llangefni, was awarded Turf Tech Apprentice of the Year and Grant Roberts of Cornwall Farm Machinery, the BAGMA member in Penzance, was named Parts Tech Apprentice of the Year.
They received their crystal plaques, certificates and vouchers for workshop tools at the John Deere Forum visitor centre in Mannheim, Germany, during the apprentices’ annual graduation visit to the company’s tractor and cab factories and European Parts Distribution Centre. The John Deere and ProVQ schemes were honoured in the 2017 School Leaver Awards, coming first for an engineering and manufacturing company and third overall in the Best Intermediate Apprenticeship Programme category.
Testing the waters with free irrigation training EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTOR REESINK Turfcare and irrigation specialists Aquaturf Solutions are considering holding another free irrigation training day for turfcare professionals after the success of the first event in Dublin. The day was designed to teach golf course managers how to identify and understand potential faults in their systems, and to demon-
strate best operating practice. The positive feedback received by the companies means the event could be “the first in a series”. Robert Jackson, Reesink irrigation sales manager, commented: “We stripped everything back to the basics of sprinklers and hydraulics, to enable course managers to more confidently manage their irrigation systems with a degree of self-sufficiency.” The irrigation training day saw sprinkler systems brought above ground to demonstrate best operating practice
The heat is on to find best golfers F OU R T E E N I N T R E P I D GOLFERS took part in BAGMA’s annual 36-hole golf marathon in Scotland. The competition has been running for more than 30 years. This year, it took place in temperatures of 28°C at the magnificent Dunblane New Golf Club. Organised by Robin Duncan, the day brought together both active and retired BAGMA members for a morning stableford and afternoon team event with prizes for nearest the pin and longest drive. This year the group was joined by Vin Vara, president of bira, and Jeff Moody, bira’s commercial director. Vin was in the winning team with Alick Houston, Scott Hamilton and Dean Lowe. The event was jointly sponsored by Safety Aide, BAGMA’s health and safety partner, and bira direct which provided the prizes. Prizes were presented by Brian Sangster, president of BAGMA, and Vin. The individual winners were: Fraser Trophy – Patrick Hart; Longest drive – Robin Duncan.
Winner of the Fraser Trophy, Patrick Hart (right), receives his prize from Vin Vara and Brian Sangster
3.98%
The CAGR predicted for the global all-wheel drive tractor market 2017-2021, according to Research and Markets. “The rise in the wages of agricultural labourers is encouraging farmers to use modern methods of farming,” the company says in its latest report.
BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017
BAGMA NEWS
3/4" Sq. Dr. METRIC SOCKET SET IN METAL CASE (17 PIECE)
Stuart Henshall, Isuzu regional development manager, hands over the first delivery of Isuzu trucks to Steve Potter Below: Rea Valley Tractors’ 1000th JCB
STOCK No. 16486
BUSY TIME FOR RVT AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY DEALER Rea Valley Tractors (RVT) has had a busy few weeks. First the BAGMA member was appointed a dealer for Isuzu’s range of vehicles, with managing director Steve Potter describing the addition as “an
excellent fit with our existing business”. Then the John Deere dealer, which operates in Derbyshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire and Mid Wales, celebrated selling its 1,000th JCB with a special edition telehandler. This achievement also coincided with ten years of supplying JCB products. Steve added: “The fact we have sold this quantity in ten years highlights the customer demand for premium products which we are delighted to be associated with.”
NEW
The future is orange for Vincent “THE FUTURE IS orange.” That’s how Paul Vincent, managing director of Cornwall’s Vincent Tractors, summed up the situation after Deutz-Fahr dropped them as dealers due to the company’s relationship with rival tractor brand Kubota. In a statement on the Vincent Tractors website, Paul reassures customers: “We will continue to service your Deutz-Fahr tractors as we have a good supply of spare parts, diagnosis equipment and up-to-date technician training. “We will be able to continue with warranty work up to the point Deutz-Fahr officially appoint a new dealer in the area.”
However, Kubota has terminated its relationships with Phoenix Power Services and Woodleigh Power Equipment, and handed their territories in the northwest and south of England to Mitchell Powersystems’ Sutton-in-Ashfield and Romsey depots. Daniel Grant, business development manager for Kubota UK’s engines division, said: “The introduction of MPS Sutton-inAshfield and MPS Romsey is all about strengthening Kubota’s proposition to the market and driving brand growth further.” MPS already distributes Kubota in Scotland from its depot in Glasgow.
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Strength in Quality 5
BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017 Bagma July17.indd 1
12/06/2017 11:23
COMMENT
‘A very frustrating and disjointed process’ COMMENT
KEITH CHRISTIAN DIRECTOR BAGMA WITH SO MUCH going on over the last few months – terrorist attacks, another surprising election result, or maybe not, and an incredibly tragic tower block fire – it has been difficult to digest news from our own industry. We are in the show season which gives us a great opportunity to talk to a number of members across the UK. The general feedback is optimistic for the agricultural machinery dealers but not so good for the garden machinery guys, who are seeing things dry up. The stockpiles of used equipment seem to be dwindling thanks to a weak pound and some have done very well by waiting for better prices to offload used equipment.
The Landbased Engineering Training and Education group (LE-TEC) has now become a limited company in its own right, registered at the AEA’s offices in Peterborough with two directors at present. Press releases and further information have yet to be released but it was felt necessary to incorporate LE-TEC to underline and better manage the work it is doing in the industry on developing Trailblazer Apprentices in line with the government’s newer schemes and targets for three million apprentices by 2020. LE-TEC also manages the Landbased Technician Accreditation Scheme, LTA. The progress with the two Trailblazer Apprentices has been commendable up until recently with both standards and assessment processes accepted for both the level 2 and 3 landbased engineering apprenticeships. Changes within the approval processes seem
to be at odds with the overall objective of creating fit-for-purpose apprenticeships. The government set out objectives for employers to create and develop apprenticeships that suited their particular industries yet continue to apply new rules and change the goalposts through an administration process that has already been handled by three different departments. Whilst funding is available for the new Trailblazers, there is no funding for industry employer groups to develop these apprenticeships and industry is funding these developments itself. Constant change and backtracking costs money but as it is not government money, it seems they can do as they decide regardless of the cost to others. This is a very frustrating and disjointed process that would not be acceptable in the normal commercial world.
Installation and Handover Training, get certified with BAGMA Installation training relates to compliance with Section 6 of The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which places a duty on sellers (e.g. machinery dealers) to take such steps as are necessary to ensure that a customer supplied with a product (e.g. items of work equipment) is given adequate information about the intended use etc. With the BAGMA’s Installation and Handover training you would be registered and certificated as a competent installer valid for five years giving you all the necessary knowledge you need.
Who should attend? Those from a relevant
machinery/sales background with several years’ experience of agricultural/horticultural machinery/equipment, intending to carry out installation and familiarisation of new, second-hand or hire machinery/ equipment.
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Course Structure: The course has both
practical and theoretical sessions; the practical work will be carried out on a tractor, professional mower or handheld power equipment.
Course Content: The one day course will
cover all the relevant health and safety legislation, regulations and safe working practices and procedures and the health and safety implications of poor installation. It will also go through the Safe Stop procedure and reasons for its importance, as well as teach the difference between new and second-hand machinery installations. It will show you how to carry out an installation using a systematic process and demonstrate the importance of the operator’s handbook to accompany each machine.
MORE INFORMATION:
BAGMA office: 01295 713 344 Email: info@bagma.com
BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017
NEW SERVICE
How well are you protected against a terrorist attack? SADLY, AS WE have all seen recently, terrorism is DEBBIE REID a real threat to people and BAGMA Client services manager businesses. The Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies ranks it alongside cyber-crime and natural disasters as a major threat to economic output. So, are you covered? Insurers regard terrorism as difficult to assess and insure and across all insurance classes, insurers tend to exclude or restrict the insurance cover they offer. For example, in many countries, insurance for damage to property and business interruption following a terrorist attack is only available with Government backing. This has been the case, with a limited number of exceptions, in the UK since the mid-1990s and was in response to the costs associated with the Provisional IRA’s mainland INSURANCE
bombing campaign at the time. For other types of insurance, including liability, motor and specialist IT, there is not always a common approach taken by insurers. One thing is for certain, it is a good time for business managers to consider insurance for terrorism and other emerging business risks. Even if not an intended target, your business might still be in the vicinity of an attack, or affected in some other way. Could the indirect consequences be significant? This should include consideration of prolonged business interruption and liability to employees and others. The take-up rate for specific terrorism insurance has been low over the last two decades, particularly outside Central London and other major cities. Certainly the risk of loss and insurer pay outs have also been low. However, times are changing and uncertainty over future risks of loss should be considered. At the very least, business managers should review exist-
ing insurance policies and specifically the extent of cover for damage, business interruption or liability resulting from: l Cyber and other attacks; l Supply chain issues; l Injury to employees and third parties; l C onsequential loss, including denial of access from any cause, whether resulting from damage or not; l Terrorism affecting employees who travel outside the UK. Whether you have insurance cover or not, it is prudent to review Business Continuity Planning, which should encompass your emergency recovery planning. If you do not have a formalised plan it is important that you have clear actions planned following a serious incident. For more information or an informal discussion, please contact Debbie Reid, BAGMA client services manager, on 0344 8921330 or email info@birainsurance.co.uk.
The cost of non-compliance R E S E A RC H H A S SHOWN that it’s much PAUL MARSH Office manager cheaper to comply with SafetyAide your health and safety duties than leave it to chance. What’s to know? Statistics. Safety consultancy Arinite has studied health and safety fines issued in 2016. It identified that, in total, £32,438,677 worth of fines were handed out. It also analysed how much businesses are spending on compliance. It found that small and medium-sized businesses can expect to pay between £5,000 and £40,000 per year to keep their house in order. What does this cover? The investment SAFETY
BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017
includes maintenance in health and safety systems, e.g. policies, procedures, risk assessments etc, insurance, and the provision of competent health and safety advice. More expensive. The consultancy then took the £40,000 figure away from the average fine. It concluded that if you’re fined it will cost you at least £75,000 more than if you had taken appropriate steps to become compliant. The difference between the cost of compliance and the potential fine is much greater for larger businesses. Additional costs. It shouldn’t be forgotten that as well as fines, you also have legal costs, lost time, increased insurance costs, potential reputational damage, loss of business, etc to factor in. As fines are getting larger all the time,
the numbers will continue to stack up in favour of compliance over leaving it to chance. Money well spent. Another important factor to consider is how the courts view those who have ignored their compliance duties. If there has been cost cutting at the expense of safety or a company has a persistent poor safety record, any penalty will be greater. If it can be proved that reasonable effort has been made to be compliant, the penalty you face will reflect this. Tip: Maintain records of how much time and money has been spent on compliance. For example, investment in competent advice, training, personal protective equipment, safer machinery etc. If things go wrong, this evidence may be useful in proving that you have invested in reducing the risks.
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MEMBER PROFILE
Well Connected
Peter Arrand, operations manager at John Deere dealer RBM Agricultural Ltd, was due to take over as president of BAGMA this year. But current president Brian Sangster has agreed to stay on for a third year to give Peter more time to develop the new BAGMA Connect group. Continuing BAGMA Bulletin’s series of profiles on leading lights within the association and industry, we fired off ten questions to the farmer’s son… What’s on your desk? I don’t actually see my desk that often, not just because I’m not the tidiest of people and it’s full of paperwork, but I am a believer of being a part of every branch and department within our organisation. I like to take the time to talk through issues that arise and truly support the aftersales departments. What did you want to be when you were growing up? I always wanted to be an agricultural engineer. How did you become involved in agricultural machinery? I first became involved as my father worked on the family farm which was owned by his father and brother. As a child I loved biking down to the fields after school to where the tractors were working to sit in the cab and ‘have a few rounds’. If I was lucky I would even get to have a go at ploughing, cultivating or even moving the corn trailer to the other end of the field. There were always the less glamorous jobs to get involved in too, such as hoeing sugarbeet and bagging potatoes up that had been stored in a field covered in straw and soil, collecting bales on a trailer and stacking them in the yard. Yes, thousands of small square bales to load onto the trailer, stack, take back to the yard and unload into a larger stack. Later, I completed my work experience at an agricultural dealer selling Ford tractors and New Holland combines and a range of agricultural machinery and from that worked on a Saturday morning to gain experience. How did you start working for RBM Agricultural? I first started work for RBM in July 1988 as a youth trainee. When I left school I was lucky as it was the one job that I wanted to
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do. I didn’t want to go to college full-time and I didn’t want to follow in my brother’s footsteps of working on the farm, but I was interested in engineering and I wanted to be involved in agriculture. When I was at school we had careers teachers and I still recall one of them asking: “What would you want to go do that for, it would be a waste.” I was determined and now I understand why someone would want to put me off – because he knew very little if anything about my chosen career path. I have now been employed with the same company for 29 years and can honestly say I have never not wanted to go into work. I have worked in both the parts and service departments at most branches and as service manager in two of the branches and my current role is operations manager. What’s your favourite piece of machinery and why? A combine harvester – ever since I was a boy helping my Dad to check over the machine before the day’s work and the first job I assisted with when I started work at RBM Agricultural Ltd was to PDI a John Deere 1188 combine. How did you first become involved in BAGMA? I first became involved in BAGMA by attending the regional meetings. Although, like many others, I have struggled in recent times to attend the regional meetings in an evening, I managed to attend some Council meetings. I became more involved over recent years as we have been working hard on issues such as education, training and legislation. I really appreciated the opportunity to attend a CLIMMAR conference last year BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017
MEMBER PROFILE
What’s the biggest challenge facing the industry today? I believe some of the biggest challenges are the same today as they’ve been for many How are you helping BAGMA members years. I was recently reading one of the very become Connect-ed? first issues of the equivalent of the BAGMA I chair the BAGMA Connect group which is Bulletin and I was staggered to notice that a new working group within the British Agri- a lot of the issues were and are relevant to cultural and Garden Machinery Association today, such as the recruitment, training and reporting to the BAGMA Council of Repre- retention of younger people into this indussentatives. try. However, I believe we are surely but very slowly beginning to make an impact on this. What are your aims/hopes for the ConI would like to take this opportunity to thank nect committee? David Kirschner and the cross-section of BAGMA Connect has a core group of mem- industry he gathered together from manubers with a chairman, vice-chairman and facturers, suppliers, educational institutions, secretary dealing with everyday tasks and industry associations and employers to get to organising meetings on a national and the point of developing the new Trailblazer regional basis. The purpose of the group is to apprentice scheme which will be deliverencourage members to take part in meetings able, fit for purpose and raise the standard of that will be held around the country three apprenticeships within our industry. It has or four times a year with an been a pleasure working on some agenda that will cover current I HAVE NOW of this with David. topics of concern within the BEEN EMPLOYED This week, I was talking to industry, training, legislation, WITH THE SAME Julian Lloyd from ProVQ who lobbying, relationships with COMPANY FOR 29 runs the John Deere apprenmanufacturers and suppli- YEARS AND CAN tice training programme about ers, Brexit, member services, HONESTLY SAY I how the industry could launch local issues and how BAGMA HAVE NEVER NOT the STEM Ambassador scheme connects with industry and its WANTED TO GO into the network. I have seen members. INTO WORK them interacting with kids in It is expected that by being the classroom and they are truly a mobile group more members will be able to inspiring how they capture the kids’ interest attend meetings on a regional basis without and imagination. Recently I spoke to Brain being concerned about any time-consuming Sangster (BAGMA president) who is a STEM commitment but being able to benefit from Ambassador and does some work for them in the work of the group on a national basis and schools. I see it as another avenue to getting input as they wish to. on the kids career choice list and to get kids to BAGMA Connect is intended to connect consider land-based engineering as a career members to each other, to industry and to choice. There’s no quick fix, it’s just a dripfeed, BAGMA by way of meetings, social media, the but as an industry we not only need appreninternet and the BAGMA members’ maga- tices, we need good quality apprentices, so zine as well as to European dealers through by selling the technology in our industry I BAGMA’s membership of CLIMMAR, the would hope we can attract that higher qualEuropean umbrella group for our industry’s ity apprentice. trade associations. I noticed recently that John Deere has This is a new initiative created by BAGMA been listed for the first time as one of the best members for the benefit of all. Non-members 100 employers for school leavers in the UK. will be welcome at meetings and we would like The John Deere and ProVQ schemes were to see if we could swell the core group of mem- recently in the 2017 School Leaver Awards, in bers to add expertise in various fields. recognition of the programme’s quality and the opportunities it presents to young people What’s the best thing about BAGMA? working productively in the agricultural and The people, but it is a people industry. Through turf sectors. I think this is testament to all the my time with BAGMA I have noticed how hard work that all of industry is putting into people from different manufacturer alle- this subject at the moment. giances and generations can put aside their I think it is also important for employers to differences to come together to try and solve build links not only with schools but further industry issues for the good of us all. I think colleges and institutions particularly those we should also not forget and be grateful to the delivering land-based engineering courses wives, husbands and partners out there that to partnership and jointly assist each other support us in what we do. in its goals. to fully understand the organisation and how this works to support the dealer network in Europe and beyond.
10 THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT PETER lP eter has a black belt in Taekwondo. lH e and son Christopher gained the black belt last Christmas. lH e has two children – Christopher, 11, and Olivia, 9. lH e has been married to Georgina for 17 years. lT he family goes camping several times a year and are not adverse to the posh version, glamping. lT he family has recently returned from a holiday in Ireland, where they visited the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin and the Titanic museum in Belfast. lP eter’s favourite whiskey is Bushmills. lP eter is a massive rugby fan and loves to watch Christopher playing for Doncaster Knights Juniors on a Sunday. lP eter has been a governor of the local primary school for the past five years. lH is most memorable holiday location is the Niagara Falls - where he went for his honeymoon.
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BAGMA CENTENARY
Surviving against all odds The Bulletin continues its series looking back at the formation of the association now known as BAGMA. Starting in 1917, we have now reached the 1960s… and members are given a warning! AT THE START of the 1960s, BAGMA’s predecessor, the Agricultural Machinery and Tractor Dealers Association (AMTDA), warned members about “gambling against odds”. It came as dealers started trying to clinch sales on new tractors and agricultural machinery by offering high part-exchange prices. Agricultural machinery dealers at the time were going through “a particularly bad period”, according to the AMTDA’s Journal, one of the forerunners to the BAGMA Bulletin. Average sales in pounds sterling were higher in 1959-60 than in the previous year, but so were companies’ expenses. Net operating profit had been reduced to less than 3%. A comparison between 1958-59 and 1959-60 and the actual breakdown for 1959-60 shows average sales of £240,669, costs of £200,994, expenses of £32,550, leaving a net profit of £7,125. Profits on new tractors and machinery sales had grown from £15,000 to £22,817, but there was “uneconomic trading” in used machinery and these “uneconomic transactions in used machinery more than offset the increase in sales”. This led to the Journal’s warning: “The trader who gambles on an over-allowance to attract business without knowing at what point it is uneconomic to do so is gambling against odds on his future.” With operating costs rising and customers determined to pay less for their goods, it became more important for members to cooperate with each other. Members in Yorkshire showed
the way by visiting each other’s premises and exchanging information on their various internal operating systems. But farmers were also cooperating – and this was not good news for dealers. An article in the Farmers’ Weekly of January 22, 1960 – under the headline ‘They buy in groups and save money’ – implied that farmers were paying too much for the goods they purchased and were combining together to receive substantial benefits. The group buying scheme was instigated by Mr J Rhys Thomas of Ledbury, Herefordshire, a prominent member of the NFU. By April 1960, the East Sussex branch of the AMTDA was investigating farmers’ buying groups. It reported that Mr Thomas is extending his scheme beyond Herefordshire. Farmers forming buying groups was just one of the issues vexing members in the 1960s. Another topic exercising members (from 1959-62) was whether cooperative societies should become members. Some existing members thought that cooperatives would strengthen the association and boost the campaign against farmers’ buying groups. The cooperative societies had been excluded because, it was thought, that by giving a dividend on purchases they were, in fact, giving a reduction in price and also that they enjoyed certain taxation advantages. Manufacturers had taken the same view but their stance was weakening, as a result of the new Restrictive Trade Practices Act, amendments in taxation rules, and lower dividends. In two or three cases, some had
already become members after buying dealers’ businesses. Although many members felt the association could never be regarded as truly representative of the trade as long as cooperative societies were excluded from membership, the results of a questionnaire sent to branches were inconclusive. Some manufacturers, meanwhile, started supplying cooperative societies directly. The subject was to be voted on at the AMTDA general meeting in February 1962, but this was postponed because of a more serious threat – the setting up of Agricultural Central Trading Ltd, which embraced a large number of farmers’ buying groups and aimed to provide spares and some servicing. The vote concerning the admission of cooperatives was finally taken in December 1962, with 186 in favour and 62 against. Not all members were pleased. Hubert Burgess threatened to seek an injunction to restrain the association from acting on the resolution and refused to pay the membership fee for his group, Frederick H Burgess, finally resigning in May 1963. The number of cooperatives they were talking about letting in was eight to ten. Another big issue was the Restrictive Trade Practices Act, which eventually led to a shift in the role of the association. This Act prevented a group of traders from discriminating against others engaged in the same trade. It meant price cutting was not an offence, trade associations could not issue a stop list and any dealer wishing to join a trade association, provided he carried stocks and gave service, could apply for membership.
MILESTONES IN THE 1960S 1962: A scheme to bulk-buy binder twine on behalf of members was initiated, and a trading company was set up for this purpose. 1963: Ben Burgess took over as president. 1963: A ‘new look’ AMTDA Journal appears in September. 1965: The association moves out of central London after buying Penn Place in Rickmansworth. 1966: The Technical Committee
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became the Education Committee and an education and training officer (Martin Searle) was appointed. 1966: The Scottish Agricultural Machinery Dealers and AMTDA unite to form one national body. 1967: AMTDA’s membership now includes 105 Scottish dealers. 1967: Gloucester, Hereford, Warwickshire and Worcestershire amalgamate to form the Four Counties Branch. Shropshire, Staffordshire and South Cheshire
agree to form the West Midlands Branch. 1967: The association’s Golden Jubilee celebrations are hit by foot and mouth, with attendance at the Smithfield show down and dealers from Ireland staying away for fear of spreading the disease. AMTDA sends a letter to the NFU expressing sympathy following the outbreak of foot and mouth which prevented cattle from attending the Smithfield show.
1968: The trading subsidiary AMCO starts selling ropes. 1969: A sub-committee is formed to look into whether computers would help members. 1970: The general committee marks the passing of Ernest Horn, president of the association from 1937 to 1945, with a minute’s silence. 1972: The AMTDA becomes the British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association.
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BAGMA CENTENARY
Largely as a result of the Act, the association “had to forget all possibility of attempting to enforce rules or arrangements in order to stop price cutting and other ills of the trade, and change to a policy of giving help and guidance to members so that they could see when they were trading unprofitably.” The Act also put a strain on the association’s relationship with the manufacturers’ association, the AEA. AMTDA and AEA had a “difference of opinion” as to where the Act inhibited freedom of discussion and led to lawyers being asked to give an opinion. Their view CLASSIC was that the association could discuss matters TALE which might come within the scope of the Act but not that action could be taken. In October 1967, the Registrar of Restrictive A UK RECORD price has been paid for a Also sold were a Lanz Bulldog Trade Agreements investigated the association’s vintage tractor. This 1963 Matbro Mastiff was D9550 crawler tractor for £75,600 minutes and publications and found several sold at auction for £86,100 – more than double and a 1957 David Brown crawler tractor instances of wrongdoing. “Under the Act, all its guide price of £40,000. It was one of the for £63,000 – both record prices for these sorts of things which might appear to the layman first pivot-steer agricultural tractors, made of types. to be reasonable, recommendations or two Fordson Super Major rear transmisA rare County 954 Super-Six tractor, even nothing more than expression units joined by a single propel- discovered on a county council farm in sions of opinion are, if made ler shaft. Hertfordshire and dating back to the 1960s, BIRTHDAY or reported by a trade assoIt also boasts 100hp from smashed its guide price of £12,000, selling for CELEBRATIONS? ciation, likely to be held a Ford six-cylinder engine £19,500. And a Fowler Class DNA Hercules August 17 is the official date by the Registrar to be mounted over the front steam tractor, in dismantled condition, sold for BAGMA’s centenary. However, agreements binding on unit. for £31,500 to an enthusiast who intends to with holidays and harvests, August anyone concerned with The Matbro Mastiff rebuild the machine. probably isn’t the best time to hold a them. This may not be was part of a sale of vinBill King, chairman of Cheffins, said: “The birthday party, even if it is a 100-year the case in practice but tage and classic trac- prices achieved were second-to-none and this celebration. So BAGMA is looking at holding a mini conference/dinner it is a basic assumption tors conducted by East really goes to show how vintage machinery later this year. More details next under the Act. The Regof England auctioneers continues to be one of the most popular alterissue and in our e-newsletter, istrar found a number of Cheffins. native investment types in the UK.” the BAGMA Briefing. matters which in his opinion constituted implied agreements and he required them to be the return of faulty parts, and payment ing “more closely than before” with the AEA registered. Any such “agreement once regof carriage on returned parts. on a wide range of “mutual problems”, and the istered must be defended in a court in due course They also discussed a bunAMTDA had representation or else abandoned,” reported the association. ker stocking scheme for slow on three of its committees Not wishing possibly expensive court appearmoving and seasonal parts (machinery advisory, home ances, the association formally abandoned the for specialist machines. But Association membership: transport, and economics implied recommendations picked out by the this apparently excellent idea Almost 1,000 implement advisory). Registrar and a letter to this effect was sent to stumbled over the question of dealers in England and Wales By the end of the decade, all members after the meeting. It reiterated that discounts to holders of bulk Members’ turnover: £56m the associations were getting manufacturers were “free to supply whom they Average value of spare parts stock. on so well that a merger was wish and dealers to buy from whom they choose”. The following year, the stocked by members: £16m discussed. The AMTDA genThe letter also pointed out that the association two associations’ relationship Mechanics employed by eral committee reported: “The could not recommend to members that they “had never been better” and members: 14,800 manufacture and distribution should refrain from supplying outside their own they held a joint convention Total number of vehicles: of agricultural machinery are territory, a practice of the trade for many years in Brighton. The convention 11,500 one industry and although and an obligation in a dealer’s contract with a was “very successful” and the Nett operating profit: 3% the interests of these two secmanufacturer. AMTDA executive recom- Percentage operating special tions are not identical, neither By 1964, AMTDA and AEA were back on mended to the general commit- haymaking and harvesting of them can make solid and better terms, realising it was in their mutual tee that a full-day event should services: 81% abiding progress without the interests to strive for profitability for both dealers be held around the National help and the goodwill of the and manufacturers. At a meeting between the Power Farming Conference in Brighton the folother.” But the committee decided that it would two associations in February 1964, subjects dislowing February (1966), with the annual dinner not be beneficial to form a single association for cussed included better facilities for the AMTDA moving from Smithfield week to the night of the the whole industry. at the Royal Smithfield Show and the desire to convention. Anyhow, there were other pressing issues get manufacturers to standardise the wording of By 1966 the association’s president Mr DH at the end of the decade, like the little matter of their warranties, mileage and labour allowances, Burlingham reported that they had been workquelling a rebellion stirring within…
RECORD PRICE FOR VINTAGE TRACTOR
Spotlight on 1962
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BAGMA CENTENARY
A new name for association and Journal WHEN THE DEALERS association was set up in 1917 it was known as the National Association of Agricultural Engineers and Implement Dealers – a name proposed by Mr AJ Fletcher. Later the name changed to Agricultural Machinery Dealers Association. With the advent of the tractor, this became the Agricultural Machinery and Tractor Dealers Association. With the Scottish Agricultural Machinery Association merging in 1966 and the increasing importance of horticulture and garden machinery, the association started looking for a new name. They looked closely at what members were selling and found that many of the tractors and allied equipment were not being sold to farmers, but were going to the industrial market and were sold under the heading ‘contractors plant’.
wielded power. In 1969 the Somerset branch became very critical of the association’s activities and constitution after asking its members: “Does any member feel he gets value for money from the trade association?” No member felt he did. The Somerset branch wrote to the association, stating that the association should influence or change government policy at a higher level than now being achieved; that members should be regrouped into 8-10 regional groups that would meet quarterly, and that it was not the function of a trade organisation to be engaged in training, trading or commercial sales. “We need a louder national voice if our existing organisation allows and a stronger local organisation for AMTDA to survive into the 70s,” they said. A meeting was held in Taunton, attended by the president, vice president and secretary of
THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS WORLD THAT IS EXPECTED TO GIVE SO MUCH FOR SO LITTLE AS A TRADE ASSOCIATION They were looking for a name that showed the association now covered the whole of Britain and that members sold horticulture equipment and garden machinery. (Fifty members of the garden machinery division attended its agm in 1967.) But the general committee decided not to change the name in 1966, but sought the view of branches instead. The branches in the 1960s were active and
WOULD COMPUTERS HELP DEALERS? An interesting question was raised at the general committee on February 20, 1969. Mr Penfold, fresh from a convention, enquired whether the association would investigate the matter of computers helping members. The president reported that Mr Stokes from the National Computing Centre would be prepared to help trade associations with advice. A computer sub-committee was formed and the AMTDA shared its stand at the Smithfield Show with the National Computing Centre.
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the association, and representatives of neighbouring branches. The executive agreed to set up a committee to review the constitution and streamline the functioning of the association in line with modern requirements. It took two years and one month to produce the report, which finally came out on January 25, 1971. Meanwhile, the association carried on as before with government departments, the NFU, AEA, British Standards, the Smithfield show, and other pressing issues such as dissatisfaction concerning the manufacturers’ attitudes towards approved safety cabs. When the general committee’s long-awaited report finally appeared, branches held special meetings to discuss it. The introduction stated: “There is nothing in this world that is expected to give so much for so little as a trade association. Yet, without proper communication between headquarters and members, it is impossible to provide the sort of services that are of real and lasting value.” It concluded that “the fundamental need is for better communication and closer cooperation between members and between the association and its members”. The report also made 29 recommendations, which included a name-change to the British Agricultural Machinery Association, a new badge and symbol of service, certificates of
membership, and the country would be divided into eight regions, each appointing a member of a new national executive, more press releases should be issued, and these should also be sent to members, and there should be an annual budget for publicity. These recommendations were commented on by all the branches… except Somerset, which made “no comment or constructive criticism”. All the recommendations were approved – “with slight modifications here and there” – in May 1971. One of these modifications was the name change. At an extraordinary general meeting on May 18, 1972, the association started its 56th year under a new name, the British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association. Its purpose was “to encourage, promote and protect the trade in the manufacture, importation and distribution of agricultural, garden and dairy machinery and equipment and implements and tractors and allied equipment, and to watch over and protect the general interests of manufacturers, importers, distributors and users, and all engaged in the industry.” Some other big changes happened at the same time. The general committee became the council, the AMTDA Journal became AGM Service (which stood for Agricultural and Garden Machinery Service), and Leslie Southcombe, the association’s secretary, retired after 27 years of service. Ben Burgess, president 1962-64, paid this tribute to him: “The steady growth in the activities and prestige of AMTDA over 27 years of his reign is the measure of his success in coping with different presidents, executives and general committees. During this time he has remained the one permanent and stable feature of the association.” He was presented with a car. BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017
BAGMA CENTENARY
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? THE FIRST COMMITTEE of the National Association of Agricultural Engineers and Implement Dealers – BAGMA’s forerunner 100 years ago – comprised 20 men from different companies. C Hussey of Hammond & Hussey of Croydon was the first chairman and AJ Fletcher of Drake & Fletcher, Maidstone, who proposed the name, was elected as secretary. Of the 20 companies represented on that first committee, six are still members of BAGMA. These are TH White of Devizes, Alexander & Duncan of Leominster, AT Oliver of Luton, G Thurlow & Sons of Stowmarket, F Randell Ltd of North Walsham, and Peacock & Binnington of Brigg. This issue, we start a new series looking back at the humble beginnings of some of BAGMA’s key members. Drake & Fletcher Ltd One of the driving forces behind the creation of an association of implement dealers was AJ Fletcher of Drake & Fletcher, Maidstone, who, as a member of the Kent Implement Dealers Association, “saw the necessity of a national association”. This association became BAGMA in 1972 and joined the British Independent Retailers Association in 1995. Anyone who has been to a bira agm or conference will know John Fletcher, great grandson of the founder. A chartered accountant and managing director of Drake & Fletcher for many years, he became president of BAGMA 1987-88, president of the parent group 2003-04, and was bira’s honorary treasurer from 2005-2014. The family business originally started around 1882 as Drake & Muirhead, a business concerned with the repair of light domestic appliances such as sewing machines, but in the 1890s it branched out into hop spraying machinery. When it started manufacturing spraying machinery at its Kentish Engineering Works, it became Drake & Fletcher. In its early days it also dealt in oast house equipment and fruit and vegetable grad-
BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017
ing and packing machinery. Then, in 1900, JA Drake designed and built a car for family use and, three years later, a tractor that went into production with a three-cylinder petrol engine. In 1953, the business was awarded the Queen’s Royal Warrant for its spraying machinery. The farm machinery business was sold in 1999 and the horticultural division in 2009, as motor vehicles took over from farm machinery. In 2010, brothers John and Geoffrey Fletcher sold what had become a Honda and Mazda car dealership in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells to Cambria Automobiles Holdings, which rebranded it ‘Invicta’, with the D&F name living on as a property company. At the time of the sale, Geoffrey said none of their five children was interested in joining the business. Alexander & Duncan (now part of Tallis Amos Group) Alexander & Duncan of Leominster was founded in the late 1800s as an ironmonger and ventured into barn building. In 1920, A&D became agricultural engineers. In 1967, they were appointed the seventh John Deere dealer in the UK. Cyril Amos joined the company in 1962 and became owner in 1984, with colleague Brian Davies. Cyril’s son, Simon, joined in 1991, assuming the senior role in 2006, when A&D were invited to share the dealer territory of Malvern with Chris Tallis Farm Machinery of Evesham. These two long-established family dealerships – along with Parks and Grounds Machinery of Bidford-on-Avon – merged in 2012, forming the Tallis Amos Group (TAG), one of the largest John Deere dealerships in the UK. The group now also includes LAS in Narberth, Dyfed, among its five main branches. Ben Tallis is managing director, Simon Amos is sales director, and Andy Perkins is turf director. l More member histories next issue
TH White
From humble beginnings as an agricultural ironmonger in 1832, TH White has grown – through the reign of seven British monarchs – to become a diversified business with interests in grain handling and storage, groundcare machinery, dairy, trailers, lorry cranes, construction equipment, cars, sustainable energy, security and fire protection systems. It expanded its product range gradually. During the reign of Queen Victoria, it traded in hand tools, rakes and scythes for harvest, axles and bonds for carts, cow ties and dairy utensils, paint, grease and oils. Thomas White’s son, Thomas Henry White, added manufacturing (wagon wheels, rims and axles, farming and estate ironmongery) to the company’s activities, enabling the family to take advantage of the growing demand for horse-driven machinery. During the First World War, TH White helped to distribute Henry Ford’s Model F tractors. Afterwards the company was appointed as a dealer for Fordson tractors and Massey-Harris machinery, as well as becoming distributors for the International Harvest company. The company’s big expansion came after the Second World War – especially after Peter Scott took charge in 1956 – and by 1973 it had added several new business locations and moved from the original Sidmouth Street premises in Devizes to a new, purpose-built headquarters in the town. In 1981 the company started selling and servicing construction equipment, and in 1983 it started selling LandRovers and set up a car division. Now it operates Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Jeep dealerships, has 13 branches, more than 500 employees, more than 4,000 suppliers, and has an annual turnover in excess of £140 million.
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NEW PRODUCTS
NEW COMPANY SET UP TO HANDLE WALKER MOWERS
Greenkeepers Roy Hornsey, Paul Thomas and Phil Chantry, Adamsons area manager Steve Blanchard and Boston West course manager Tom Luffman
ADAMSON SELLS THREE MACHINES TO GOLF CLUB F G ADAMSON & Son, which has outlets in Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire, has sold three new John Deere machines to the new owners of the Boston West golf complex in Lincolnshire. Bought using a John Deere financial package, the kit includes a 2500B triplex greens mower, a 9009A TerrainCut semi/rough five-deck rotary mower and a 36hp 3036E compact tractor equipped with a D160 front loader. Jon Portess, who bought the golf business
with James Mitchell last year, commented: “Adamsons provided the quality we were looking for, and we thought the John Deere machines were the best ones out there. We also felt that the sales approach and the quotation from Adamsons area manager Steve Blanchard were right for our business, and that the machines were right for the various jobs we wanted them to do, and to improve on what we had before.”
A NEW COMPANY, Walker Mowers UK, has formed to handle the direct sales and marketing of US-made Walker Mowers in the UK. Walker Mowers’ manufacturing roots go back more than 60 years and its first prototype zero-turn mower was developed in 1977. The brand was originally introduced to the UK by Bob Andrews, transferred to Allen Power Equipment, and more recently was handled by FGM Claymore. Now the UK sales and marketing are in the hands of a subsidiary of the family-owned Belgian distributor Hiliare van der Haeghe. A country manager and two area sales managers are being recruited, and full product and sales training will take place in the manufacturing plant in Fort Collins, Colorado. The products, new distributor and staff will be unveiled at SALTEX on stand E010. BAGMA members interested in becoming a dealer should email sales@walkermowers.co.uk.
GREENMECH’S HOT PRODUCT
DESIGNED FOR A SAFER CUT
WORKING IN BUILT-UP areas can present hazards when cutting close to bystanders, cars or buildings. It only takes a few stones or loose objects to get thrown into the air and there is the potential of damage to property or even a risk to safety. The new ECHO ASK-RW23D scissor head, a rotary scissor attachment suitable for most ECHO brushcutters, helps to reduce this risk. It works on the principle of a 20:1 reduction ratio gearbox and two contra-rotating blades that actually ‘snip’ the grass or brush – just like a pair of scissors. This means grass, weeds or brush simply drop where they are cut. Uses for the ASK-RW23D scissor head include trimming up close to solid obstacles, such as trees, walls and kerbs without kickback or damage. Edging golf course bunkers and trimming grass in shallow water are other uses. www.echo-tools.co.uk
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To help the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales power a biomass boiler, which heats the visitor centre, it has invested in an EcoCombi 150 chipper/ shredder from GreenMech. Wildlife Trust officer for Pembrokeshire Nathan Walton explained: “We carry out a lot of woodland management throughout the year but also deal with a variety of other materials. When the biomass boiler was originally installed the plan was to power it with common reed so when it came to looking for a chipper, we knew we needed something multi-functional.” The EcoCombi 150 has the capacity to deal with 150mm of clean timber and a shredding section for up to 50mm of organic material contaminated with soil, stones and green wet waste. The EcoCombi 150 is supported by local GreenMech dealer Powercut.
SIX-FIGURE INVESTMENT
THE VALE RESORT in South Wales has invested more than £400,000 in state-ofthe-art John Deere golf course maintenance equipment, supplied by local turf professional dealer Frank Sutton of Raglan in Gwent. The latest purchases include four 8700A fairway mowers, four 2500B triplex greens mowers, four 220SL walk-behind greens mowers and four TS Gators. These have joined an existing John Deere fleet of four 8800 TerrainCut rotary rough mowers, four 2653B triplex utility mowers and another two 220SL greens mowers.
THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF BEDKNIVES
MICHAEL HAMPTON OF Reesink Turfcare, the UK distributor of Toro parts, has been explaining the important role bedknives play in the fine finish expected from a cylinder mower. He says: “A cylinder mower cuts grass with a scissor-like shearing action as the moving helix shaped blades pass over the stationary bedknife. The cutting action requires the bedknife and cylinder blades to be sharp, matched and in close relationship with each other and the bedknife sharpened to be flat and square so
the sharp edge touches the cylinder blades across their entire length. “If the bedknife is not perfectly flat it is impossible to get the bedknife to touch the entire length of the cylinder. This is an essential part of the construction, making cylinder mowers precision cutting tools. Adjust any part of the construction process with, for example, ‘will-fit’ parts and the fit, form and function are affected leaving a less attractive and less consistent after-cut appearance.” BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017
NEW PRODUCTS
COUNCIL CHOOSES PORTABLE TORO T4240
PRODUCT NEWS
East Cambridgeshire District Council, which maintains approximately 70ha of open space, has invested in the portable Toro T4240 high-output cylinder mower from UK distributor Reesink Turfcare. The council’s team leader, Tim McCreadie, said it was one of the ‘lightest’ mowers he came across, making it easy to transport between multiple sites safely. “We decided to invest in the T4240 thanks to its transportability,” he said. The machine’s safety features also appealed to Tim. “I think it’s great that the mower protects the operator from harm by cutting out the engine when they leave the machine,” he said. “The roll bar is also of good quality and easy to move up and down.”
DOUBLE BENEFITS OF SPEED SEEDER
HOW TO MAKE COLLEGE PITCHES LOOK PRO
TORO MACHINERY IS now being used at St Joseph’s College. The Ipswich-based school purchased two Toros, a Groundsmaster 3280D and a Reelmaster 5510-D, as well as a TYM T433 compact tractor to cover the 60-acre site and make the pitches look “professional” for its annual rugby festival. St Joseph’s College Rugby Festival is a 30-year-old event, which brings the country’s top 16 rugby-playing schools and colleges together every October in one of the biggest school tournaments of its kind. The event will be streamed live and, with all eyes on the pitch, there is pressure to get the turf “spot on”, says head groundsman Peter Hamilton. “We’ll be cutting the pitches every day in the lead-up to the Rugby Festival, and with the 5510 I can even cut the pitches in two directions the day before so they look as good as a professional rugby pitch.” BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017
MASCHIO BREAKS NEW GROUND WITH MOUNTED PLOUGHS
MASCHIO LAUNCHED A range of mounted reversible ploughs for tractors from 120hp to 300hp at the recent Cereals event. Although the company had ploughs in its line-up for a number of years, until now it has not sold them in Britain. However, with uncertainty surrounding a number of key brands in the market, there has been interest from Maschio dealers and customers wanting a range of three to six furrow models. Importer OPICO feels that a plough is the logical thing to bring in to complete the Maschio tillage range. The decision was facilitated by Maschio Gaspardo buying a controlling share of Moro Pietro Meccanica, an Italian plough specialist. This investment in manufacturing infrastructure, plough technology and R&D expertise confirmed Maschio’s commitment to the plough for the long term. Prices start at £13,603 for the Mashio UNICO M plough (pictured). Tel: 07494 789367
A REDEXIM SPEED Seed 1600 delivers “twofold benefits to the greens”, says Murrayfield Golf Club’s head greenkeeper, Steve Hulme. Prior to purchasing the Redexim Speed Seed from Charterhouse Turf Machinery in September 2015, overseeding was a timely exercise for Steve and his team of nine greenkeepers as it was all done by hand. “We’d firstly go out with a sarel roller or aerator to open up the surfaces and then follow that up with applying the seed mix in a cyclone spreader – all of which was a rather time-consuming process,” explains Steve. The Speed Seed 1600 works by delivering the seed into dimples relatively close to the surface, created by a spiked sarel roller. It is ideal for situations where drill holes need to be avoided. “It’s combined the two tasks into one,” Steve said. He has also used the Speed Seed a couple of times without any seed to help tackle the thatch at the 18-hole course near Edinburgh.
TORO’S ANSWER TO BUDGET CUTS
WITH COUNCILS CUTTING costs by cutting public areas less frequently, many have moved from triple cylinder to rotary mowers – but Reesink Turfcare says there is a better solution. Danny Lake, the distributor’s regional grounds manager, says the move to rotary mowers has “partly solved the problem”, adding: “But the finish a rotary mower leaves isn’t always aesthetically pleasing and can cause extra clean-up work around paths where grass clippings and debris are left.”
The solution to the problem, he believes, is a triple flail mower such as the Toro LT-F3000 (pictured). But, he admits, it’s not an easy sell. “Customers can be a little nervous of investing in the unknown such as a flail instead of a traditional cylinder or rotary mower, which goes against a purchasing decision they’ve been making for years,” Danny said. “But the technology around today and tough field testing means perceptions are starting to change.” T: 01480 226800
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SHOW NEWS
Glee’s new attraction Retail Lab launched to inspire garden retailers THE FORTHCOMING GLEE show will have a new attraction at its centre, the Retail Lab. This will be the exhibition’s interactive hub to inspire the industry’s retailers and pass on the latest trend information. The show organisers say it will be “future facing”, and will combine interactive content, guided tours of the garden shop of the future, and self-learning material. The attraction will be split into four sections, focusing on four key consumer themes identified by the Retail Lab’s creative director, Romeo Sommers, and trend experts WGSN. These themes will be: Well-being, Family, Community, and ‘Re-wilding’. The show will be held at the NEC, Birmingham, from September 11-13. www.gleebirmingham.com
SALTEX organisers say it’s ‘Your Show’ SALTEX’S NEW PROMOTIONAL campaign carries a new message – a heart-shaped logo formed of grass complete with the words ‘Your Industry – Your Show’. This year, the SALTEX (Sports Amenities Landscaping Trade Exhibition) show floor will have everything a visitor needs to increase their efficiency and improve operations. More than 220 leading manufacturers and suppliers have already confirmed their attendance to showcase an extensive range of products and resources, and visitors can expect to see the industry’s newest trends and innovations, and compare the full array of equipment, products and services. More than 20 of last year’s exhibitors have increased their stand size for the forthcoming event. Learning LIVE, SALTEX’s educational pro-
gramme, offers a wealth of new knowledge to delegates as well as boosting their CPD points. Throughout the programme, more than 100 industry experts and leaders will share important information that could help a visiting groundsman or landscaper to further their career. SALTEX also offers its visitors free advice and guidance on specific turf challenges through the IOG regional pitch advisors on hand. Another highlight is the naming of the 22 winners of Institute of Groundsmanship industry awards. These will be announced at The National Conference Centre, within the National Motorcycle Museum, on Wednesday, November 1 – the opening day of the exhibition. SALTEX 2017 will be held at the NEC, Birmingham on November 1 and 2 2017. www.iogsaltex.com
FARM SAFETY IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Farm Safety Week (FSW) 2017 will be held later than usual, from July 24 to 28, as the Royal Welsh Show has replaced the defunct Livestock as the anchor event. Each day of FSW will focus on a specific
theme: Monday – latest HSE statistics released; Tuesday – machinery and transport; Wednesday – falls; Thursday – livestock and slurry; Friday – children on farms.
IAgrE to tackle decarbonising UK agriculture First speaker for Service Dealer conference CAROLINE DRUMMOND MBE, the chief executive of LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), is one of the speakers due to appear at the Service Dealer Conference at the Oxford Belfry Hotel on November 16. She is an ex per t on encouraging more sustainable fa r ming practices and building a better public trust and understanding of farming, food and the environment. The conference this year is entitled ‘The Challenge of Change: Embracing & Adapting To A Changing Market’.
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THIS YEAR’S IAGRE conference – on October 11 at the Rothamsted Centre for Research & Enterprise in Hertfordshire – will look at where the next innovative solutions will come from to reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint. “The carbon footprint for agriculture is complex,” said Alastair Taylor, CEO of IAgrE. “At one end tractors and mechanisation systems are big energy users whilst natural
resources such as forests and the soil can be managed to capture carbon. “The conference will explore a broad range of perspectives with a view to helping those responsible for policy and practice choose the right approaches.” Speakers include Dr Jonathan Scurlock of the National Farmers Union and Carlo Lambro, president of New Holland Agriculture.
TYM debuts at Game Fair TYM tractors from South Korea will make their debut at the 59th Game Fair in Hertfordshire, July 28-30. Distributed in the UK by Reesink Turfcare, TYM sales manager Steven Haynes believes the five sub-50hp tractors on display at the countryside fair “will be well received thanks to their lightweight but powerful capabilities, ease of use and economy”. BAGMA BULLETIN JULY/AUGUST 2017
OUT & ABOUT
AT THE 177TH Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, BAGMA hosted an evening reception on its stand to celebrate its 100th anniversary as a trade association. Over 50 visitors and guests attended, including a contingent from the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (The Royal Welsh Show’s president Brian Jones MBE and 2017 Lady Ambassador Georgina Cornock Evans), plus Ruth Bailey (CEO of the AEA), the CEO of the RHASS Alan Laidlaw, his assistant Louise Thompson as well as BAGMA members, guests and BAGMA council members. A special visitor was bira’s Scottish chairman Stewart Munro who made a special effort to attend despite his current illness. Stewart was presented with a framed picture from all the bira staff with a message of support. A specially prepared BAGMA 100th anniversary cake was ceremoniously cut on the stand by BAGMA president Brian Sangster, Alasdair Straker and Keith Christian to the skirl of the pipes playing happy birthday. Piper Alex MacAllister also entertained guests by playing hornpipes and a selection of jigs.
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OUT AND ABOUT WITH BAGMA 1: BAGMA member Fraser and Kate Robb with Keith Christian 2: BAGMA president Brian Sangster, with Stewart Munro (bira’s Scottish chairman) and Keith Christian (BAGMA director) 3: Brian Sangster, Alasdair Straker (BAGMA’s business development manager), and Keith Christian cutting BAGMA’s 100th anniversary cake 4: Alasdair Straker with piper Alex MacAllister 5: Lady ambassadors past and present from the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, including Georgina Cornock Evans (centre), with Alasdair Straker and piper Alex MacAllister
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British Independent Retailers Association (bira) is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Towergate Underwriting Group Limited. British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association (BAGMA) is a trading name of bira. Bira Insurance and Towergate Insurance are trading names of Towergate Underwriting Group Limited. Registered in England No. 4043759. Registered Office: Towergate House, Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3EN. Towergate Underwriting Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.