THE MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH AGRICULTURAL AND GARDEN MACHINERY ASSOCIATION ISSUE 10 | MAY/JUNE 2018
In tune with the industry Meet Georgina Cornock-Evans, the harpist pulling the strings at a leading dealership
TRAINING SPECIAL | INDUSTRY NEWS | NEW PRODUCTS
LOOK OUT, LOOK UP! call 105 in an emergency
IN THIS ISSUE
The problem of recruitment
ISSUE 10 MAY/JUNE 2018
Are we simply burying our heads? How hard are we trying to promote the apprenticeships and careers that we have to offer?
We need to ask ourselves if the children who are about to make career choices have BRIAN SANGSTER actually heard about landbased engineering, PRESIDENT and if they have, do they actually know what’s BAGMA on offer and what career paths we have available in our industry? But how do we spread EVERYWHERE I GO I hear and read about the word? the lack of apprentices coming into our indusLE-TEC has rewritten its World of Opportry with a consequential lack tunity careers leaf let and of qualified engineers and updated its website, landbatechnicians. But the lack of sedengineering.com. Both of apprentices is not just in our these resources have a wealth industry, it appears to be a of material and information widespread problem. about landbased engineerHas the government got its ing careers. But they’re only strategy so wrong that employas good as the people who ers no longer see the benefit read them, so I would of apprentices, or is the new firstly ask if you’ve apprentice levy scheme too seen or heard of complex and time-consuming them, or have you for the employers who now ever handed out a have to work out how they can copy to a potential claim back the apprenticeship apprentice or parfunding for themselves? We The Landbased Education Training and ent? know there is no longer a read- Education Committee (LE-TEC), which If you haven’t got copBAGMA, the AEA and IAgrE, ymade source for apprentices comprises ies of the World of Opporhas produced this World of Opportunity from farm working families, so brochure for careers in landbased engitunity, why not contact the are we still expecting potential neering. It can be viewed on BAGMA’s BAGMA office and get some website, www.BAGMA.com, or you can apprentices to just arrive on request a copy from admin@letec.co.uk. for your next local careers our doorstep? Are we simply event or why not have some burying our heads and not even trying to proavailable at your next local show or simply mote the apprenticeships and careers that we put some on the parts counter to hand over do have to offer? the next time someone asks about jobs repairing tractors? And why not add the www.landWE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES IF basedengineering.com web link to your own THE CHILDREN WHO ARE ABOUT website's career opportunities page? COMMENT
Cover: Adam Davies/Professional Images
TO MAKE CAREER CHOICES HAVE ACTUALLY HEARD ABOUT LANDBASED ENGINEERING 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 MAY/JUNE 2018
l Turn to page 12 for more inspiration on training.
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NEWS AGCO’s digital journey, Pugh’s reward, Ben Burgess GroundsCare’s successful demo day
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COVER STORY Meet Georgina CornockEvans of 2016 Machinery Dealer of the Year Arwel’s Agri Services
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TRAINING SPECIAL The answers to five key questions
OUT & ABOUT Celebrate with the BAGMA team in Edinburgh
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 2016-18 Vin Vara
BAGMA director Keith Christian
CEO Alan Hawkins Finance director Beverley Long
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 Stephens & George.
Commercial director Jeff Moody Marketing & membership director Bob Jarrett Regional sales managers Joanne Arthur 07572 790337 Lorna Lewis 07814 767925 Gary Mitchell 07814767910 Janine Redford 07870 970856
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BAGMA NEWS
BULLETIN BOARD
TRIBUTES POUR IN FOR JOHN BUFTON
“A true gentleman with a wickedly dry sense of humour.” “A great industry character who will be missed.” The tributes have been pouring in for garden machinery and chainsaw dealer John Bufton of Morris Bufton, who has died aged 71. John leaves a wife Dorothy, daughters Cindy and Johanna, and sons Steve and Dan, who both work in the Ludlow-based business.
NEW GDPR VIDEOS FOR MEMBERS
A series of videos have been commissioned for members to provide guidance on becoming GDPR compliant. They offer practical advice in readiness for when the General Data Protection Regulation comes into force on May 25. The videos cover key issues that have been reported to us including how to become compliant, sharing data with third parties, how to do a data audit, training staff and dealing with a breach. Visit bagma.com/resources/ for more information.
INDIAN FIRM BUYS EUROPEAN BRAND
India’s TAFE (Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd) – the world’s third largest tractor manufacturer (by volume) – has acquired Serbia’s struggling tractor and farm equipment brand IMT (Industrija Masina i Traktora). TAFE and IMT have been cooperating for several decades in providing components and technical support. “This acquisition will play a key role in our strategic and growth plans for the future,” Mallika Srinivasan, chairman and CEO of TAFE, told the Times of India.
NEW BRANCH FOR CLAAS AGENT
Family-owned agricultural machinery dealer Morris Corfield, which is based at Broseley in Shropshire, has opened a new branch near Hereford. The 2-acre site has plenty of space for the display and storage of machinery, as well as a new 80 x 100ft building containing offices, shop and a five-bay workshop. It replaces the CLAAS agent’s smaller branch in Docklow, near Bromyard.
KUBOTA DELIVERIES
Kubota UK has appointed Carousel as its sole distribution partner. Carousel will oversee all Kubota UK and European dealer deliveries, collections and returns and fulfil all spare part requirements for Kubota UK’s dealer network. Mike Ardolino, business development manager (parts) at Kubota UK, said: “Our partnership with Carousel will not only help us increase our service levels even further, but also helps us achieve new standards of customer aftercare.”
ROBIN NETTLE PASSES AWAY
Robin Nettle, co-founder of Winchester Garden Machinery, has passed away. The news reached us as we were going to press. Long-time BAGMA member Robin was well-known for his passion and dedication to the company and the groundscare industry. He will be remembered for his determination, unique character and sense of humour. Robin was still extremely active within the business and continued to be involved even after he was diagnosed with cancer at the end of last year. BAGMA would like to offer its condolences to Robin’s family and colleagues.
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DEALER’S DEMO DAY CH A RTERHOUSE TUR F MACHINERY and BAGMA dealer Ben Burgess GroundsCare Equipment entertained more than 80 groundsmen and greenkeepers at an open day at Thetford Golf Club, Norfolk. The day included a technical talk from the STRI and gave turf managers the opportunity to share best practices with other industry professionals, as well seeing several practical demonstrations
of products from Charterhouse Turf Machinery, BLEC, Rink and Graden. The va r ious present ations a nd demonstrations covered all areas of surface maintenance.” Nick Darking, sales manager at Charterhouse TM, said: “We find these sorts of gatherings very worthwhile, not only being able to show what our products can really do, but also to spend some time just talking to our customers.”
Partnership sets target to make farming safer THE FARM SAFETY Partnership (FSP) – of which BAGMA is a member – has set a target to reduce the number of farming fatalities by at least 50% by the summer of 2023. The move follows a meeting at the NFU headquarters at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, in which more than 20 representatives from all areas of the industry gathered to discuss this year’s health and safety campaign. They agreed the focus for the next 12 months should be on four key areas: l Summer 2018 – Children on farms l Autumn 2018 – Falls from a height and falling objects l Winter 2018 – Transport and machinery l Spring 2019 – Livestock After the meeting, NFU vice president and Farm Safety Partnership chairman Stuart Roberts said: “Our ultimate ambition is to reach a point
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The number of people who die every year in this country as a result of onfarm health and safety incidents.
where there are no deaths in the farming industry. Our target on the way to achieving this is to at least halve the number of deaths over the next five years. To do this the FSP has to up the ante. We must be bold and ambitious and push the farming industry to enact change quickly. “With FSP organisations delivering a co-ordinated campaign and looking at specific actions each season, we can really focus our approach and save lives in our industry.” BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
BAGMA NEWS
AGCO ploughs into digital world AGCO’S TEAM IN Europe and the Middle East (EME) is going to spearhead the group’s transformation into “a more agile, customer-centric and datadriven organisation enabled by new digital capabilities”. Dr Rob Smith, senior vice president and general manager, AGCO EME, says the company wants to create “a win-winwin” for its customers, dealers and itself. After launching the pilot Digital Customer Experience (DCX) program in the region, Dr Smith said: “2018 firmly marks the beginning of AGCO’s transformation to a digitally enabled, customer-centric, data-driven business.”
The program will be run by newlyappointed Dr Rainer Scholz, previously executive director and head of the Mobility, Innovation Group at Ernst & Young. Dr Smith said the new vice president of DCX will “steer us through this digital transformation journey”. AGCO has made two other changes to its EME team: Torsten Dehner takes over from Boris Schoepplein as vice president, global parts and EME parts & services, and Konstantin MeierKulenkampff has been promoted to vice president, purchasing and materials.
Double celebration for RVW Pugh RVW PUGH, A Massey Ferguson dealer since 2000, celebrated its 40th year in business – and the tractor manufacturer’s diamond anniversary – with an open day at the Cheshire branch. More than 400 people turned up for the event. RVW Pugh also hosted an exclusively Massey Ferguson road run. The trip started from the family business’s head office in Churchstoke, Powys, and took the entrants up over the Kerry Ridgeway to Clun where they were treated to a hog roast. The afternoon session saw the 46 tractors head over the very tops of the Kerry Forest. The tractors dated from new back to 1958, with the most photographed models being the MF 1505 and the MF 1200 articulated tractors. Caroline Pugh drove one of the new Massey Ferguson 4709 global tractors while daughter Emma Leah steered a vintage MF35. Mary Evans, RVW Pugh marketing manager, took the special edition black Massey Ferguson to prominent points along the route. Andrew Purnell, Massey Ferguson area sales manager, said: “It was a great day, everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.” Money raised during the event has been donated to the Severn Hospice charity.
The future of the association? Seven young managers gather in Birmingham for the first meeting of BAGMA’s new Young Managers Group. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce under-35s from garden machinery, groundcare and agricultural machinery dealerships to the business of trade associations, encourage some free-thinking and get a younger perspective on matters such as recruitment and retention. BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
A second meeting is scheduled for October and there may be a study tour to meet other young managers’ groups in Europe. Pictured from left to right are: Chris Wilkinson of Robertshaws Garden Machinery, Ben Sims of Sims Garden Machinery, Tom Richardson of Tools Today, Mary Evans of RVW Pugh, Elliot Prior of Masons Kings, Rosie Ward of WM Plant (Carlisle), and Chris Hughes of RVW Pugh.
Reward offered for return of stolen Fendt equipment A F T E R BE I NG H I T by thieves for the second time in a year, Mid-Wales dealer RVW Pugh offered a £5,000 reward for the recovery of goods or arrest of the individuals involved. In the latest attack on the AGCO dealer, more than £20,000 of joystick s, screens and other specialist
equipment was taken from three used Fendt tractors. But, so far, the goods and thieves have not been found. Mary Evans, Pugh’s marketing manager, told BAGMA Bulletin: “There have been some murmurs from our trade contacts in Eastern Europe – they are keeping us up to date.”
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BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
NEWS
Deere celebrates 100th anniversary JOHN DEERE TRACTORS this year will carry a 100 years anniversary badge to mark the start of the company’s entrance into the tractor market with the $2.25m acquisition of the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company in Iowa. In addition, dealers will have a range of special offers available throughout the year. The company will also celebrate the centenary with a tractor parade through Mannheim in Germany on June 16. l The American manufacturer, which expanded into Europe in 1956 with the purchase of Mannheim tractor producer Heinrich Lanz, is buying King Agro, a manufacturer of carbon fibre technology products, such as spraying booms (pictured), with headquarters in Valencia, Spain, and a production facility in Campana, Argentina. King Agro will retain its brand name, trademark and commercial relationships.
The number of tractors over 50hp registered in the UK in April. That’s 10.9% more than in April 2017.
TYM expands in Devon
Country Machinery continues to grow FAMILY-RUN COUNTRY MACHINERY, which was established in East Yorkshire in 2012, continues to grow. And now managing director Karl Terry has added Etesia products to the mix. Karl explains the story behind the Driffieldbased company’s rapid growth in the world of groundscare machinery: “Initially I started working for a local dealer and then I came out of the trade for a short period before setting up by myself. I started with a single garage, then went to a triple garage and as of September last
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year I took the plunge and rented a purposebuilt retail unit. Also, last year, Thomas Sissions, an agricultural engineer who has worked with Claas, McCormick, Case and New Holland, came in as my business partner.” After joining the Etesia UK network, Karl said: “It’s a sign of how far we have come. Everything is just going in the right direction.”
TYM TRACTORS’ NETWORK continues to expand. The latest dealer to sign up is familyrun KJ Stoneman, covering mid and north Devon. Scott Turner, southern regional sales manager at Reesink Turfcare, said of the move: “KJ Stoneman was looking for a tractor range suitable for its customers’ needs and TYM fit the criteria. Not only does the partnership see our plans realised in continuing to grow the dealer network, but it also fulfils KJ Stoneham’s plan to offer the choice of a reliable tractor to its customers.”
Autonomous tractor wins top award K U B O T A’ S A U T O N O M O U S TRACTOR Agri Robo has received the FIMA Technical Novelty Award in the Agricultural Management Solution category at the FIMA show in Spain. The Agri Robo has an integrated remote control system, allowing a farmer to monitor up to two autonomous Kubota tractors at the same time.
Let’s be careful out there COMMENT
KEITH CHRISTIAN DIRECTOR BAGMA I AM A director of the Farm Safety Partnership which brings together a number of organisations under the stewardship of the NFU to address long-term issues of health and safety on farms and to help reduce the high number of fatalities in farming. Recent meetings have highlighted the need to encourage existing members to be more active and enlist other interested groups as the number of serious accidents and fatalities is not reducing. BAGMA’s role is on the machinery safety side of the partnership and we encourage dealers to ensure their staff are trained in installation BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
and handover of equipment which will help the user to be more aware of the safety aspects when operating machinery. The number of fatalities due to careless or improper use of machinery is shocking. Maintenance can be a big issue with things like broken or non-existent PTO guards, vehicle handbrakes not working or not being used, trailer brakes improperly set up or simply not working. A farm business has just been fined £400,000 plus costs due to a death in 2014 caused by a lack of maintenance on a trailer that was used on the road. This is tragic and completely avoidable as is the case with all ‘accidents’. All dealers can contribute to farm safety by ensuring that their staff are aware of correct installation and handover procedures and have a recording process to prove they have done this work correctly. Also, it is important that staff are
made aware of general health and safety issues on farms and the dangers that are inherent in this occupation. Safe Stop should also be practiced by those delivering or using machines on the farm. Handbrake on, engine off before you leave the cab. It’s simple but around eight people a year, including children, are killed by tractors rolling back on to them. Remember that whatever the equipment you are supplying, whether it be a lawnmower or a combine harvester, the supplier has a legally enforceable duty of care to ensure this is done safely and the equipment is safe and fit for purpose. It is dangerous out there, be aware and be safe. Or, for those of you of more senior years, the mantra from Sargent Phil Esterhaus of Hill Street Blues fame, “Let’s be careful out there”.
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EXPERTS VIEW
The benefits of safety training BY LAW, A basic knowledge of H&S and fire PAUL MARSH Office manager awareness is essential for SafetyAide ALL employees, in ALL industries. Of course, this costs money and time (both of which are likely to be in short supply). But, remember, there are major business benefits to be gained from safety training. By cutting accidents and ill health and by helping to ensure faultless operations, safety training can make a major contribution to the success of your business. SAFETY
Why investing in training matters! Accidents and ill health associated with work lead not just to needless pain and suffering, but to huge costs and loss of business continuity. Key figures for Great Britain (2016/17): l 1 .3 million working people suffering from a work-related illness l2 ,542 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2015) l 1 37 workers killed at work l6 09,000 injuries occurred at work according to the Labour Force Survey l7 0,116 injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR l3 1.2 million working days lost due to workrelated illness and workplace injury l£ 14.9 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2015/16) Ensuring safe and healthy working must be a key priority for everyone at work and this requires real competence, not just commitment and good intentions. If you are a director, owner or H&S manager of a business, you will appreciate that you personally need to be competent to lead the management of the business safely. And you will also understand the importance of being systematic in ensuring that your employees and your contractors’ staff are competent when it comes to health and safety. The way you approach health and safety training speaks volumes about your business, your values and your professionalism. It also: lH elps your employees to identify hazards and adopt safe and healthy working practices lH elps to avoid the pain, anguish and financial costs that accidents and ill health cause BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
l Fosters a positive culture of health and safety, in which unsafe and unhealthy working are not tolerated l Enables you to meet your legal duty to protect the health and safety of your employees and others. Safety Aide is here to help... Our e-learning system will enable employers to meet their statutory obligations for training and help to develop a health and safety culture, where staff takes an involvement in health and safety to ensure safe working practices are standard. You can access the online health and safety e-learning training system that delivers professional and highly effective employee H&S training at affordable prices. Our e-learning health and safety training system is a powerful tool in training new and existing staff on the mandatory aspects of workplace health and safety issues. The benefits of e-learning E-learning offers significant benefits to both the organisation and the employee: l Enables employers to meet their statutory obligations for training l Very low costs l Training can be completed online from work or home l Continuity in H&S training at all times across multi sites l You can track and monitor employee progress and completion l Reduces chances of costly litigation l Investment in staff training increases staff retention l Reduces absenteeism l Ensures that employees act safely, stay healthy and are more productive l Interactive and engaging l Can be used as refresher training The online system offers many unique functions to ensure that the user gains the most they can from their training experience. The training modules are interactive, informative, exciting to use and completely up-to-date with current health and safety legislation and directives. Your system is hosted externally on our secure servers and means that you don’t have any worries about maintenance, security or IT issues. The online training is delivered via a normal web browser and does not require any additional software or plugins.
New protection against cybercrime CYBERCRIME IS A fact of life. It’s in the news every day and there’s no BAGMA Client services manager getting away from it, we’re all at risk and this includes BAGMA members. A recent bulletin issued by the Office for National Statistics has identified that cyber fraud could account for more than half of all fraud, with a massive 1.9 million incidents in England and Wales alone last year. Their statistics suggest a further 1.6 million cases of computer misuse, including computer virus attacks and unauthorised access to personal information. This is based on test statistics, but give a feel for the scale of computer misuse and cybercrime. BAGMA members should be concerned about theft of money and goods, including funds transfer fraud, fake customer orders, telephone system abuse and cyber extortion. Most of these are discovered quite quickly. Potentially more serious to members is theft of personal information about customers and employees. Loss of data is much harder to detect. In a recent case involving Jewsons, the builders’ merchant, it is thought that a hack and possible access to as many as 1,700 customer records happened in August 2017. This was not discovered until November, by which time any lost data could already have been used by cyber criminals. Where would you start if this happened to your business? Who would you talk to for advice and how much would you pay for the cost of a data breach? It’s not just the cost of IT security, forensics, legal and PR advice, customer credit monitoring, business sales downtime and damage to reputation. Customers may suffer financial losses. Under new legislation coming into force in May 2018, the Information Commissioner could investigate and, in the worst case, fine you up to a staggering £17 million. You may also face fines by your payment card processor for breach of Payment Card Industry Security Standards. It’s a bit of a minefield to say the least. Fortunately, help is at hand with the launch of a new cybercrime insurance policy with special rates for BAGMA members. This includes 24/7 dedicated help. The policy will pay for IT security and forensics, legal advice, crisis communication support, systems damage and consequential loss, regulatory costs and, where legally permitted, fines, theft of money and other assets, as well as liability to others. For more information, contact Debbie Reid, BAGMA client services manager on 0344 8921330 or by email: info@birainsurance.co.uk. INSURANCE
DEBBIE REID
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MEMBER PROFILE
Getting in tune with the industry
The 2016 Machinery Dealer of the Year Arwel’s Agri Services will be celebrating its 10th year in business this September. The McCormick Tractors dealer is based in Harford, Carmarthenshire, and run by a husband and wife team. BAGMA Bulletin caught up with company secretary and director Georgina Cornock-Evans… What’s it like working with your husband (Arwel Evans)? It’s not easy living with your husband and working together, I’ll be honest. However, Arwel and I have our own roles within the company. Arwel oversees the sales and parts and I work closely with the accounts and workshop. We have to work together on many occasions when paperwork is involved. I can’t say we always agree but there is a positive result in the end, which is what matters. We wouldn’t like it any other way.
How did you end up in this industry? Arwel used to work with Riverlea (the CLAAS dealer) and ever since I met him he wanted to set up his own business. I did business management in college and used to work for Ceredigion County Council before coming home. The business started in September 2008. It got busy and grew fast so I had to leave my job in the council and come home, which was very nerve-racking. McCormick Tractors soon approached us, asking would we be interested in becoming main dealers for west Wales? This was like a dream come true for Arwel and we haven’t looked back since.
Is it something to be recommended for couples? It all depends on the couple. We both are quite strongminded and know what we want. However, this does not always help as we may both want something that the other doesn’t. Arwel enjoys investing in machinery and I’m not so keen due to the cost of stocking machinery on the yard – as it puts pressure on myself as accounts manager to find the cash flow and make sure stock keeps turning. You have to be confident in your roles and then you can trust one another.
Will you encourage your children to enter the family business? It will certainly be offered to both of them. Trystan Bryn is very talented and enjoys his music and school work. He also enjoys working on the family farm and enjoys going out with our mechanic Dafydd in the van. On the other hand my daughter Lynwen Delun Mair enjoys her days with Daddy in the workshop and is more than happy to get her hands covered in oil. She also enjoys spending time with our service manager Huw Richards doing the paperwork.
Who’s the boss? If you asked Arwel, he would say he’s the boss. If you asked my two children, they would say Mum’s the boss in the house and Dad’s the boss in office. So I think I’ll leave it like that.
Good – because there is a shortage of skilled young people coming in to the industry. This is a major concern and needs looking further into. JCB has an excellent academy college
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for teenagers and Reaseheath has a good college which some apprentices of ours have attended. This year there were only 49 pupils studying at Reaseheath College which covers the UK. The concern is not many youngster are looking into the industry and machinery is getting more complicated and mechanics need to be trained carefully to maintain the machinery. Hopefully the government will start taking note of this over the next year with Brexit and consider it as a concern within the agricultural industry. You’ve had success with apprentices – what do you do that’s a bit different? I have to say most of our trained apprentices have stayed with Arwels Agri. Arwel is very keen to train them and be like he is from day one. Many apprentices are stuck in workshops day in day out. Arwel does sometimes have apprentices within the workshop when we need to give them challenges, this is so we can overlook their work and make sure their safety is under control as well as the workshop manager being able to help. However, no apprentice will enjoy being stuck in a workshop all the time, so from day one they will go out with qualified mechanics who oversee their work. It is surprising how quickly they will learn on the job repairing machines, doing it in a field or at the farm. Every job is different and they get to meet people and improve their social skills. Apprentices soon learn whether the job is for them. BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
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MEMBER PROFILE
Tell us about your role with the Royal Welsh show. I was the 2017 Lady Ambassador for the Society. I worked closely with people within the Communities of Carmarthenshire when fundraising for the 2017 Royal Welsh Show. I have to say one reason I went for the role was to familiarise myself and the business more in the county and across Wales. We had an excellent show and winter fair selling machinery as well as getting a bigger client base through networking. Are county shows a good way of promoting the business? Yes, of course. The county shows give us an ideal shop window to show farmers what brands we sell. We have experts in each brand of machinery available to talk with farmers at the shows. Grassland events and machinery shows prove to
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be popular as it gives the farmer an opportunity to see the machines in operation. The only concern is the climate has changed and getting silage and corn is never planned ahead anymore. Due to this it has resulted in a fall in numbers attending these shows.
guaranteed funds until 2022 but Wales has not been allocated an exact amount, if any. Until then, farmers cannot plan too far ahead.
Why did you take up the harp? I took on the instrument when I was seven and received lessons at school. It soon became What else do you do to a part-time job after playing at my IT’S NOT EASY promote the business? uncle’s wedding at the age of 10. LIVING WITH Not that I am a massive fan, but YOUR HUSBAND Since then I have always played at Facebook is one of our fastest sellAND WORKING weddings, concerts, funerals, cruise ing networks. I can guarantee our ships and even entertained the TOGETHER secondhand machines would sell Duke of Edinburgh. I work in the on this. We have a strong website page (www. office in the day and teach the harp and piano arwelagri.co.uk) which we also use to promote three nights a week. our business. What’s your favourite piece of music? You’ve recently joined BAGMA. Why? I enjoy playing Welsh music – my favourite piece I found our business is growing fast and I need- being Myfanwy. But I have started to play more ed a firm to help me with guidance whether it be modern pop songs, which I find is a big hit at on the parts or employment law. We also receive weddings. the magazine throughout the year which keeps us up to date with the latest machinery news. Do you do anything else to relax? Before having children, I loved swimming but What’s the biggest challenge facing your it soon went out of the window. Unfortunately, business (or the industry) today? when you run your own business from home I’d have to say Brexit. Tractors have already and have customers like farmers it’s a 24-hour increased in price before even leaving the EU. business. The phone can ring anytime machines Farmers are also uncertain as to what direction need repairing straightaway so that animals can the industry is going over the next year which be fed. This results in me not having much free results in not knowing how much funding they time. I also enjoy helping on the family farm and have to spend on new machines. The EU has working with the ponies. BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
BAGMA PROMOTION
Meet the team: Dave Baker It’s one year since the launch of BAGMA’s very own bank. In this special Q&A we meet the man who looks after BAGMA members – Dave Baker. What brought you to bira? I joined bira in November 2016, having decided to have a (slight) career change after spending some 38 years with NatWest/RBS in commercial banking in various roles including relationship directorship and credit underwriting. After spending 12 months on a Government-funded project helping SMEs in the West Midlands, the opportunity came to join bira as a business development manager, with a remit of developing and growing BAGMA bank.
How are you helping BAGMA members? We know many members have arrangements for stock funding with suppliers at preferential rates, but opportunity exists for BAGMA bank to complement these finance arrangements by looking at the vehicle, equipment or general working capital (refurbishment) requirements without affecting your stock finance capacity. We also provide complementary lending and deposit products to those of your existing bankers, but we do not provide dayTHE FEEDBACK to-day banking and HAS BEEN do not look to disturb FANTASTIC AND your existing arrangeSHOWS HOW ments here.
How come you’re BAGMA members’ man at the bank? I was delighted to have been chosen to EASY WE ARE TO become the focal point DEAL WITH for BAGMA members Where does BAGMA after it was decided to provide a bank’s money come from? branded banking solution. A num- Our lending capital comes solely ber of you will have met me at the from our members’ deposits BAGMA mini-conferences in York where we pay between 1 and 2% and Ledbury last year, at the Royal interest for deposits (see website Cornwall Show in June last year or for full details). The money is lent from the visits I have undertaken (fee free) to members seeking following the launch of BAGMA borrowing and the profit we earn bank. The majority of you will have after costs is passed back to bira received my introduction letter and the members as a whole to which will be followed up by a per- allow us to provide and improve sonal call over time by me or Bob membership services. It’s a model Campbell to discuss your needs and which has stood the test of time how we may help you. and serves the members well. How has the first year been? The results since the launch are encouraging and I am delighted to have helped many existing and new members. The feedback has been fantastic and shows how easy we are to deal with, how efficient we are and how people like the personal approach and touch that we give – BAGMA members are more than a number! BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
What’s your aim for the second year? It’s to contact as many members as I can (with Bob’s help), understand your business needs and try to find a solution that will help your business to grow. I look forward to chatting with you at events or on the telephone or visiting you when the opportunity arises.
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03/05/2018 13:57:25
SPECIAL REPORT
TRAINING: THE KEY QUESTIONS
And the thought-provoking answers from leading figures in the industry... the Q What’s problem?
It has been said that an agricultural technician needs to know more than a Formula One mechanic. This may prompt scoffs within motorsport circles but not in the agricultural engineering world. When you consider that a fully qualified agricultural technician needs to be an automotive electrician, an hydraulics specialist, a diagnostic engineer, a computer expert, a mechatronics guru as well as be able to weld and make the best use of a hammer – in all weathers, often on a muddy site, on his/her own, at any time of the day – then it does make a Formula One mechanic look a little pampered. All these skills require a great deal of training and commitment from the industry itself and from the individual. Full apprenticeships can take up to four years and require training at college level and through manufacturers’ training schemes. Whilst this goes on there is a need for both on-the-job and off-the-job training and in the background there is likely to be an employer paying a salary and covering some of the job training costs. After such a long period of training it is expected that the individual will gain by securing a lifetime career in the industry and the employer will have secured a productive member of staff. Larger companies can carry apprentice and training programmes where individuals can be mentored by experienced staff. It is more difficult for a smaller company to provide the time and resources to train a technician and they are affected more if the person in question decides to leave after their training has been completed. With a shortage of engineers in the
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industry, ‘poaching’ can be a problem for companies at the end of a training period. This can be partly mitigated by using an apprenticeship contract with a training costs ‘clawback clause’ to recoup some of the training costs should a person leave within a set period of time after their training is completed. The landbased engineering (LBE) sector has an aging population of technicians with an industry average age of 55. It must compete for new recruits with other engineering sectors that may appear to be more attractive and offer better rates of pay. “All engineering sectors are faced with a shortage of new recruits and this is not expected to get better in the near future, so the agricultural and horticultural machinery sector needs to promote itself in a more dynamic way to attract newcomers and ensure its future. Several years ago the government introduced the new Trailblazer Apprentice programmes. These were to be designed by employers for employers with a target of three million new apprenticeships across 15 employment categories by the year 2020. LBE was one of the first groups to have a level 2 and level 3 Trailblazer but subsequent ministerial and education department changes and funding changes have set this programme back a long way and LBE has only just got approval after nearly three years of negotiation. Keith Christian, director of BAGMA
do we retain Q How trained staff?
For many, recruitment isn’t the issue – the challenge is retaining staff once we’ve invested time, energy and money into their career paths. There are ways around this with training but, invariably, this training also provides the means for individuals to move onto pastures new. The net effect is an understandable concern on who to train and how much should be provided. Few brands in our respective industries have the allure or recognition of other UK engineering companies such as Bentley, Jaguar-Land Rover, Rolls Royce or Airbus. We need to communicate the opportunities and nature of our industries. Technology in our industry has never been more advanced – I would estimate the technology we’re adopting now is similar to where the automotive industry was less than 10 years ago, and that gap is closing all the time.
I employ Q Should an apprentice?
Yes. Finding skilled service staff is difficult. Technicians ready and waiting to step into a job fall into the same category as hen’s teeth. Apprenticeships are a necessity to fill industry recruitment shortfalls and there has never been a better time to start the process of training the next generation for your business. This coming year will see a greater uptake of the new Landbased Engineering Trailblazer ‘Service Engineer’ and ‘Tech-
We should use this to our advantage, we should highlight what we do for the environment, the customers we work with and the technology we use and how that is evolving. We need to find the catalyst that provokes a thought. Everyone has their own interests, passions or indeed ‘needs’ to remain in an industry. In my opinion there is no one solution that will solve this issue, but every employer who knows their staff has the ability to determine what motivating factor is needed. This is an extract from his inaugural speech as new president of the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA).
Christopher Cooper, product marketing manager at Hayter and Toro.
nician’ apprenticeships. These apprenticeships are funded at a level that allow our apprenticeships to be delivered up to a standard as opposed to down to a price. The first step is to contact a training provider. Remember, you can negotiate bespoke add-on packages to suit your apprentice and company. David Kirschner, independent training consultant and BAGMA columnist
BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
SPECIAL REPORT
“Agriculture is a vital industry supplying food for this country, and we will always need food. Therefore, with the right work ethic, job security will never be an issue. I have learnt that there is not one machine man can’t damage!” That’s what David Kirschner, independent consultant and author of engineering apprenticeship programmes, told these AGCO apprentices during a presentation and awards dinner at the Forest of Arden Hotel, near Birmingham. For the third year running, B&B Tractors supplied the Apprentice of the Year. This time it was Bradley Smith. Luke McDaid, who works at the Attleborough branch of Thurlow Nunn Standen received the Most Improved Apprentice of the Year title, while Jack Huckstep of Lister Wilder of Wallingborough, Oxfordshire, was voted Apprentices Apprentice of the Year by his fellow peers.
Should training Q be an ongoing process?
Investment in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a vital aspect of training and, like all training for your staff, is just that – an investment. Too many organisations view it as an expense, or just something you have to do to jump through so-called hoops. Good quality training is a precious commodity and too valuable to ignore. I remember a colleague once commenting that “whatever the course or event you go to, and however tedious it might be, you will definitely have learnt something new – it is often well after the event that you realise this!” How true that is. For me, it is often the drive home from the training event when I reflect on the day that I work out how I will make use of my new learning. That period of personal reflection is often the most important part of the training process. Activities which can be counted as CPD include conferences, courses and seminars, organised visits, writing articles or papers, committee work, technical meetBAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
ings, professional updating by reading or private study, secondments and exchanges, further education, distance or open learning. The real skill is in reviewing what has been learnt and how this can be applied. This is an area where we all need to improve, especially when you consider the costs involved. It might be worth asking yourself the following questions: When I send a staff member on a training course, do I ask them to ref lect upon what they have learnt and how they will apply it? If the course was in something very practical and hands-on, do I give the staff member an early opportunity to practise the new skills they have learnt? Do I review the training a number of months down the line to see if it is having a positive impact in terms of more efficient operations or higher levels of customer satisfaction?
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Alastair Taylor, CEO of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE)
How do we Q develop management skills?
BAGMA is part of the same group as the Oxford Summer School (OSS), bira. The OSS has been developing confident team leaders for more than 90 years. Alongside world-class speakers and highly interactive sessions, it provides an opportunity for agricultural, garden and groundcare machinery dealers, independent retailers and employees of multinational companies to learn together and from one another. BAGMA membership entitles
you to a 25% discount across all OSS management development programmes. In June the OSS will be running the Foundation programme which is a five-day City & Guilds accredited course for managers and management trainees. The aim of the course is to help managers develop the skills they need to become confident retail leaders. Neil Moss, director of the Oxford Summer School
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Landbased Engineering Training and Education Committee (LE-TEC): www.landbasedengineering.com David Kirschner: info@letec.co.uk BAGMA: info@bagma.com AEA, Training for Business: aea.uk.com/aea-training-for-business IAgrE: ceo@iagre.org Institute for Apprenticeships: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ institute-for-apprenticeships Landex, Land Based Colleges: www.landex.org.uk Oxford Summer School: 0121 4466688; neil@oxfordsummerschool.co.uk
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Strength
in numbers
Big benefits like Health & Safety advice
We work with Safety Aide as our preferred partner offering Health & Safety consultancy services, specialising in agricultural, ground care and garden machinery dealers with substantial savings for BAGMA members. How you can benefit: • Fully qualified competent person to complete all your workplace risk assessment • All remedial actions prioritised to gain compliance • ‘Responsible Person’ assistance with legislation changes
• Bespoke Risk Assessments / H&S Policies / Employee Handbook • Supply evidence in the event of an accident/incident • H&S training classroom & online
• Bespoke Fire Risk Assessment and Auditing Service • Assistance with tenders and accreditations
BAGMA members get discounts on ALL Safety Aide consultancy services & training courses 01295 713 344 info@bagma.com
To view all of our Safety Aide benefits as well as the excellent and extensive range of services we offer,
bagma.com
BAGMA Membership Advert May-June 2018 idea 2.indd 1
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you can visit the BAGMA website or contact the BAGMA team directly.
27/04/2018 15:36:58
BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
NEW PRODUCTS
EXCITING LAUNCHES
Deere’s new compact tractor JOHN DEERE’S NEW 3038E compact tractor is equipped with a Stage IV diesel engine developing 37.3hp, a hydrostatic transmission with Twin Touch foot pedals, power assisted steering, independent pto which can be engaged on the go, and an easy-lift bonnet that provides wide-open access to the engine bay for maintenance. A new 300E front loader has been designed to complement the 3038E and features a curved boom and durable components. www.JohnDeere.co.uk Toolbank, one of the key supporters of bira, wants more BAGMA members to become tool suppliers and become involved in its Real Deals for You campaigns, which are focused on driving consumers back to stockists. Toolbank offers: top brands, a wide product range, professional marketing and sales solutions, a targeted advertising campaign, social media promotions, and year-round support. 01322 321400
Ransomes’ new flail mower
TEXTRON SPECIALIZED VEHICLES has launched the Ransomes HM600 flail mower. The mower features heavy-duty flail heads from German manufacturer Müthing and a 65.2hp Kubota turbo diesel engine. The HM600 has been developed to bring new levels of versatility to flail mowing and meet the expanding needs of groundscare teams. The machine has a cutting width of 3.2m (1.6m at front) with all mowers engaged, and is highly manoeuvrable. Lee Kristensen, product manager, said: “We have developed the HM600 to tackle some of the issues that grounds maintenance teams face, such as extended cut cycles and an increase in the variation of topographies. www.ransomesjacobsen.com
Jacobsen’s new aerator series JACOBSEN HAS INTRODUCED new models of its GA Aerator Series. The GA450 and GA580 aerators will join the GA600, creating an extensive line of tractor-mounted aerators, with each model having a specific width and working depth that can be used in a multitude of applications on golf courses. Each model features Jacobsen’s PerfectStrike technology, which ensures tines enter and exit the turf vertically and from an optimal height. ww w.jacobsen.com
SPAL UK joins bira buying group SPAL IS DELIGHTED to announce it has joined bira, as a bira direct preferred supplier, so its world-leading range of axial fans and centrifugal blowers for agricultural equipment can be made available to a wider audience within the BAGMA membership. According to SPAL Managing Director Matthew Morris, BAGMA members will be able to purchase parts direct from SPAL’s UK warehouse at a competitive price, with no minimum order and often next day delivery, all backed up by the promise and security of a long-established trade association. “We are aware of the challenges experienced by independent operators in sourcing service and replacement parts from the major agricultural distributors, especially if they need a part in a hurry and plan to fit it
BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
themselves. In partnership with bira direct, our focus will be to address this issue and ensure customers get the best price and service for their money,” Matthew said. An additional advantage to SPAL customers is the free technical expertise on offer. SPAL, as a recognised leading designer and manufacturer, offers unrivalled knowledge of fans and blowers, so is able to advise on the correct product, whether it is a like-for-like replacement or a compatible component. Commenting on the partnership, Matthew confirms: “By joining bira as part of its buying group, we aim to bridge the gaps in service, pricing and availability that previously affected some agricultural customers so that BAGMA members can buy SPAL with confidence under terms and a deal that suits their business.”
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EVENTS
Network with BAGMA
BAGMA IS SPONSORING the networking session at the 2018 Service Dealer Conference and Awards at the Oxford Belfry Hotel on Thursday, November 15. BAGMA’s director Keith Christian said: “We are very excited to continue sponsoring the Service Dealer Conference and Awards. They are both important events and a great way for the industry to get together, learn something and to celebrate success.” Service Dealer owner Duncan MurrayClarke commented: “We are delighted to welcome back BAGMA to the Service Dealer Conference & Awards.” The theme for this year’s edition is tied in to the fact that Service Dealer magazine is celebrating 30 years of publication. So the key idea is to look forward to what the next 30 years could have in store for the industry. The title for the event is: ‘To 2048 – Insights For Our Industry: Helping You To Prosper Over The Next 30 Years’. The content will include industry speakers and experts, panel debates and breakout sessions. Topics to be tackled include Succession and Urbanisation, and what large spending customers expect from a dealership.
JUNE 21-24
Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh
JULY 17
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 1 DECEMBER 4
BAGMA Council Meeting, Birmingham
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OUT AND ABOUT WITH BAGMA
ONE OF THE highlights of the year for the BAGMA team and many members – especially those in Scotland – is the Royal Highland Show. BAGMA will be in its usual place in Avenue Q. Regular attendees Brian Sangster (BAGMA president), Alasdair Straker (BAGMA’s man in Scotland) and Keith Christian (BAGMA director) will be joined by Ruth Bailey (CEO of the Agricultural Engineers Association), Alan Hawkins (CEO of bira) and new bira president Surinder Josan. Catalyst Computer Systems will be on the stand for the duration of the show and a representative from DLG, the show organisers for Agritechnica, will be there on the Thursday. That evening there will be a reception from 5pm to say goodbye to Alan Hawkins, who is retiring from his role as bira CEO later this year. All bira and BAGMA members and their guests are invited to stop by and share a wee farewell dram.
DIARY DATES
BAGMA Council Meeting, Birmingham SALTEX 2018, NEC Birmingham
Heading for the Royal Highland Show
The 178th edition of the show will be held June 21-24 at the Royal Highland Centre, in Edinburgh. As well as a large number of tractors and farm equipment, the four-day event offers more than 6,000 farm animals and horses, rural crafts, a dedicated forestry area, award-winning farriers’ display, a busy countryside arena with a wide variety of displays and the biggest food festival in Scotland. One of our members, Pollock Farm Equipment, will be launching its own book at the event. The book celebrates the business’s first 150 years and was written by Jimmy McGhee while he was off work recovering from major heart surgery. He has been working at the Lugar-based firm for 50 years.
FOR FURTHER DETAILS
contact Alasdair Straker alasdair.straker@ bira.co.uk
BAGMA BULLETIN MAY/JUNE 2018
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