THE MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH AGRICULTURAL AND GARDEN MACHINERY ASSOCIATION ISSUE 12 | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
The apprentice Cameron Howie, the Engineering Learner of the Year, explains why he chose a career in agricultural engineering DEALERSHIP MERGER | SOFTWARE UPGRADE | SALTEX PREVIEW
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IN THIS ISSUE
Welcome Andrew
ISSUE 12 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
bira’s new CEO is getting ready to take Alan’s place
ting yields. Yet tractor sales are up, but for how long? Could we be heading for a lean time over the second half of the year and early next year? And that’s before we know the effect that Brexit may deal us!
COMMENT
BRIAN SANGSTER PRESIDENT BAGMA BIRA’S NEW CEO has started and met up with our Council and BAGMA staff. On behalf of BAGMA, we wish Andrew Goodacre, who has previously worked for the Residential Landlords Association and Federation of Small Businesses, all the best in his new role. As CEO of bira, Andrew is automatically invited to all our BAGMA Council meetings. It is to be hoped that he will find the time in his busy schedule to attend most of our meetings and will very quickly get an understanding of how our industry ticks. There will be a handover period during September before Alan Hawkins, current bira CEO, finally hangs up his calculator. Alan has been with the trade association for 33 years, during which time he has carried out a number of roles before becoming CEO 12 years ago. During this period he has overseen mergers, name and brand changes, property accusations and refurbishments, all with the aim of fine-tuning the business. On behalf of BAGMA, I would like to wish Alan and his wife Madeline a long and happy retirement.
Cover: Murdoch Ferguson- Professional Images
Funny old year It’s been a funny year in agriculture, so far. Earlier in the year we were expecting a late harvest because of the late spring. The weather then turned around completely and fed us the drought conditions which have been hitThe 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
Trailblazing? It looks like Trailblazer Apprenticeships are finally up and running after years of writing and rewriting, with regular changes to the guidelines and the numerous changes in government departments and ministers. A huge vote of thanks must go to David Kirschner for his perseverance with his ability to understand the minefield that seems to keep blowing up in his face. David, Keith and a number of industry specialists recently had a very productive meeting with Sir Gerry Berragan, chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships, where they stated our case in appealing the recently reduced funding levels while outlining how much the whole process has cost our industry to implement. I’m sure David will enlighten you in his article later in this BAGMA Bulletin (page 6). However, all the work, time and costs of setting up Trailblazers actually only applies to England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland still have their own individual apprenticeships. So, we basically now have four apprenticeship schemes for landbased engineers who’ll be repairing the same John Deere or Massey Ferguson tractors. It might raise the question as to how comparable the standard of these apprenticeships are? We once had an apprenticeship with a City and Guilds qualification that was recognised worldwide. Do our apprenticeships still have that same worldwide attraction?
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NEWS German firm buys English garden machinery supplier; New Forest Machinery and R Hunt merge; TYM appoints second dealer for Sussex
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COVER STORY Cameron Howie, the Engineering Learner of the Year, explains how he won the award and how he’s getting on with his career in agricultural engineering...
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SPECIAL FEATURE How will new software help your business?
OUT & ABOUT The BAGMA team has been meeting members at county shows around the country and discussing key issues with other dealer trade associations in Paris
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 2018-19 Surinder Josan
BAGMA director Keith Christian
CEO Alan Hawkins
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.
BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
CEO Designate Andrew Goodacre Finance director Beverley Long Commercial director Jeff Moody 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
ROYAL HONOUR FOR RTM
Tim Hunt (left), managing director of R Hunt, and Ed Smales, managing director of New Forest Farm Machinery
Family-run business RT Machinery has been awarded a Royal Warrant for supplying and servicing groundscare equipment. The Buckinghamshire dealer began serving the Royal Household and the Queen in 2001 – when it started trading. “To have received this recognition really came as a surprise and it has certainly been a team effort: we have a fantastic range of products but these would be nothing without the expertise and commitment of our staff,” said Richard Taylor, managing director.
SMOOTH SWITCH
Southwest dealer Medland, Sanders & Twose (MST) has joined the ISEKI network. Director Nigel Godefroy said: “Having been with a competing brand for the last 40 years we were concerned that this might be a big upheaval for us and our customers, but the transition has been really smooth and we have already had customers change orders from our previous brand to ISEKI.”
PROMOTION
Ernest Doe & Sons has promoted Greg Forrest to chief financial officer. Greg, a chartered accountant, has been the company’s financial controller for the past five years.
EXPANSION
Following the purchase of 99-year-old Lincolnshire Motors business, New Holland dealer The Burdens Group now covers nearly the whole county of Lincolnshire. The former Lincolnshire Motors territory in North Lincolnshire will be managed from the existing Louth and Brigg depots, and continue to use the same trading name. Burdens’ managing director, John Southern, said: “All staff at both businesses will be retained, and all are excited by the opportunity that this expansion brings.” Kevin Bell, who has managed Lincolnshire Motors for the past 15 years, has joined The Burdens Group as a director and will continue his involvement in the business that his father, Eric Bell, served for 61 years.
NEW ROLE FOR WYATT
BAGMA’s former technical training and dealer development manager, Adam Wyatt, has been appointed product technical manager at Valtra UK and EIRE. He joined Valtra in 2014 as a technical training instructor.
MARKET GROWTH
The worldwide market for lawn and garden equipment is expected to grow by 3% over the next five years, according to a new study by Orian Research.
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Hunt, New Forest agree dealership merger THE FAMILIES BEHIND the John Deere dealerships R Hunt and New Forest Farm Machinery have signed an agreement to merge their two businesses under the new name Hunt Forest Group. The agreement will take effect on January 1, 2019 and until that time the two dealers will continue to trade as they do today. Tim Hunt will become managing director of the new business while Ed Smales, the current dealer principal of New Forest Farm Machinery, will take a director’s role. Hunt Forest Group will continue to operate from the same outlets across southern England, with the same staff. R Hunt is a longstanding John Deere agricultural and homeowner equipment dealer with four outlets covering Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey and the Isle of Wight. It has been a John Deere dealer since 1971 and currently employs 71 staff. New Forest Farm Machinery is an agricultural, professional turf, homeowner and construction equipment dealer employing 43 people and trading from two outlets, one in
Hampshire and one at recently opened turf premises in Somerset. It has been a John Deere agricultural dealer since 1979 and has held the company’s turf franchise since 1986. “This will provide the new business with more resources for both customers and staff, more inventory, more product support capability and a greater knowledge base, all of which will help deliver an even more distinctive customer experience,” commented Joedy Ibbotson, John Deere’s division sales manager. R Hunt managing director Tim Hunt said: “Both families feel confident that this merger will help to establish Hunt Forest Group as a frontline ag and turf dealer in the UK.” New Forest Farm Machinery managing director Ed Smales added: “We are excited about working with the Hunt family to further grow our business as Hunt Forest Group. Their experience in large ag machinery and precision farming will enhance the customer experience within our existing territory and help us create a more diverse and robust dealer business for the future.”
Ram-raiders hit dealer for £30,000 A GARDEN MACHINERY dealer lost about £30,000 worth of equipment when a gang ram-raided his business. CCTV footage posted on Facebook shows a Lexus car smashing through the shutters and main doors at the front of the shop in Ma rket Ha rborough, L eicestershire. “ Then a
va n comes up a nd four masked men just empt y the place of anything that’s easily portable - chainsaws, hedgecutters, trimmers etc,” said Colin Smith, owner of Diamond Mowers. Colin said as well as the cost of replacing stock, the knocked-out doors, which cost the business £10,000,
will also have to be replaced. “It’s devastating really,” he said. “It’s a big knockback to all your hard work.” The premises were burgled two years ago, and since then Colin has spent thousands upgrading the security. “There’s not much you can do about a ram-raid though,” he said.
BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
BAGMA NEWS
German firm buys English garden machinery supplier GERMAN MANUFACTURER AL-KO Gardentech is buying English garden machinery supplier Rochford, but plans to keep the same management team. No one has revealed the sale price yet. Rochford, a BAGMA member, is a family-run business based in Wincanton. It was founded in 1976 in Bruton, Somerset, by Peter Rochford and has been importing AL-KO products for almost 15 years. Peter’s wife Elizabeth said the new owners will “take Rochford to a new level of profitability, sales and market penetration. With this merger, we have taken the necessary step and passed our business on to experienced hands to ensure sus-
tainable future development for employees and customers. We have every confidence in AL-KO Gardentech that our company will be led into a stable future and that Rochford will remain a professional home for our employees. Furthermore, the management team around managing director Stewart Anderson will stay the same.” This management team includes Elizabeth’s son Mark Rochford and daughter Kerry Moore. Dr Wolfgang Hergeth, boss of AL-KO, commented: “We are pleased to be able to win Rochford, one of the strongest trading partners in the UK garden machinery market for the AL-KO Kober Group. Like the acquisition of the New Zealand garden equipment manufacturer Mas-
Dr Wolfgang Hergeth (president and COO, AL-KO Gardentech) with Elizabeth Rochford, Mark Rochford, Sergio Tomaciello (senior vice president sales, AL-KO Gardentech), Kerry Moore, and Stewart Anderson
port last year, this investment is a clear signal for a strong future of AL-KO Gardentech. The transaction significantly enhances our organic and inorganic growth targets.” Dr Hergeth sees great potential to grow the Rochford business in the DIY and robotic garden machinery sectors, and online. “With this merger, we will now be able to further develop the DIY and e-commerce business and, at the same time, consistently force the innovations of smart gardening and future battery technologies,” he said.
bira’s new boss THE BRITISH INDEPENDENT Retailers Association (bira) has appointed Andrew Goodacre, formally of the Residential Landlords Association and Federation of Small Businesses, as its new CEO. Andrew will replace Alan Hawkins, who retires after 33 years with bira. bira member Chris Patterson, who led the recruitment committee, said: “Andrew’s rich experience of lobbying government and increasing membership levels will help put bira at the centre of the High Street debate, while his relaxed collaborative style will encourage engagement from both members and staff alike to ensure independent retailers can not just survive, but thrive once more.” Andrew will begin his role formally in October, after a month as CEO designate working alongside Alan Hawkins.
RW Crawford’s move offers room to grow FA M I LY- RU N A G R I C U L T U R A L MACHINERY business RW Crawford has relocated from South Woodham Ferrers to a purpose-built depot at Writtle, near Chelmsford, Essex. Managing director Wes Crawford says the old site “didn’t offer any opportunity to grow”. The new site and 1,765sq m building, which they own, cost about £3m to develop. The project took four years from design to completion. BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
One particularly interesting aspect is that the workshop, which has space for 12 tractors and is tall enough for combine harvesters, offers room to support neighbouring Writtle University’s engineering department. “We have a longstanding relationship with Writtle University, and our new premises also provide an opportunity to further the education and development of young engineers,” said Wes.
Ariens appoints AL-KO’s Masport US company Ariens, which acquired the Countax and Westwood garden tractor business in the UK in 2010, has appointed Masport to represent the Ariens and Gravely brands in New Zealand, Australia and Oceania countries. Masport became part of the AL-KO Gardentech group last year.
www.ariens-uk.com
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NEWS
CLAAS claims new mowing world record
Mick Challen, owner of new TYM dealer Rafferty Newman, with Reesink’s Scott Turner who is shaking hands with Rafferty Newman’s Joe Challen
TYM appoints second dealer for Sussex TYM TRACTORS HAS appointed a second dealer to cover parts of Sussex. Rafferty Newman, which is based in East Hampshire, will take on some of West Sussex. Mick Challen, owner of the 50-year-old Rafferty Newman business, said: “There was a demand to meet in our area. Tractors have been part of our range in the past and after hearing about TYM’s reputation for quality, we got in touch with its distributor Reesink Turfcare and joined forces with them.
“Often customers come into the shop without knowing exactly what kind of product they’re after but knowing the tasks they need it for. We’ve previously offered tractors but more recently, while we’ve been specialising in UTV and ATV vehicles, there have been times when customers’ tasks have called for more than a vehicle – for front loaders or PTOs.” Now Mick can cater to these needs again, as the TYM range extends from 25hp to 105hp.
CLAAS IS CLAIMING it has shattered the world record for mowing by 40.5ha. Using a Disco 1100 RC that was mounted to a 295hp Axion 870, CLAAS said the triple mower-roller conditioner unit processed 141.1ha of lucerne in eight hours with average work rate of 17.6ha per hour. The 100 RC is billed as the largest tractormounted mower-conditioner on the market. Tate Mesbergen of Mesbergen Farms, in Colorado, USA, set the record with the assistance of his support team and CLAAS staff. CLAAS says it will submit the necessary documents to Guinness for verification. Mr Mesbergen, who mowed four fields, also had to stop to check that the mower unit was correctly folded before moving to the last field. “Not all fields were close to one another, so it was a real challenge to quickly fold up the mower units for transport and hurry along the roads,” Mr Mesbergen said. CLAAS Harvest Centre product manager – Scorpion and Greenline, Shane Barratt, said the new record eclipsed the previous benchmark by 40.5ha. “The previous record was set on grass, not lucerne, and using a mower without a conditioner, so it was clearly an easier task,” Mr Barratt said.
JDLink software helps ‘Larger than life’ character dies to verify world record S I M O N T U L L E T T , A statement on behalf of PRISON OFFICER ANDY Maxf ield’s record-breaking journey from John O’Groats to Land’s End on an unmodified lawn tractor has been verified by JDLink software. John Deere’s Operations Centre was able to track Andy’s entire journey and the resulting data has now been accepted as proof of the route and travelling time by Guinness World Records. The story of Andy’s epic journey also features in a new display at the Land’s End Visitor Centre in Cornwall, and also at the British Lawnmower Museum in Southport. The 874-mile record attempt in July 2017 took Andy five days, eight hours and 36 minutes, making it the fastest time for the journey on a ride-on lawnmower. Andy embarked on the challenge to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s Society after his father was diagnosed with the disease. Andy’s initial goal was to raise £1,000. “So far we’ve collected over £9,000 and now I’m trying to reach our new target of £10,000 by the end of 2018,” said Andy. Sadly, Andy’s father lost his battle with dementia in January 2018, unaware of his son’s record-breaking exploits. BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
FOUNDER of STM of Warwickshire, has died in hospital. He had been suffering from health problems for a number of years and was awaiting heart surgery, but sadly succumbed to kidney failure. Simon founded the supplier of SCAG equipment in 1990. Dominic Mason took over as owner in January 2015.
the company, expressing great sadness at his passing, said: “His was the vision that saw the arrival of SCAG machinery in this country, and their popularity is testament to the product and the company that he created, now with over 30 years of trading to its name. “He was a larger than life character and will be missed.
“He leaves wife, Jayne, who helped tirelessly at SALTEX for many years, and his daughter Olivia.”
Don’t stop the press
It has been nearly two years since the BAGMA Bulletin underwent a total rebrand, gaining a new Editor in Chris Boiling, a new designer in Alan Bingle of agency Forty6 Design and a new team at Head Office. To increase efficiencies the team began working with Stephens & George six months ago, a family-owned printer based in South Wales. To mark the occasion, the Publishing Team visited their impressive premises to see what’s involved in the printing process.
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EXPERTS VIEW
Have you assessed your first aid needs? Here you must give details of your location, the Tip 1: Read the HSE’s guidance as you work name of the manager completing the assessment through these sections. This will help you to PAUL MARSH Office manager and its verification, the date of completion and identify particular facilities and equipment SafetyAide the planned review date. Following this, you which are needed, beyond a standard first aid are invited to explore four factors which affect box. It will also help you to decide the degree of your first aid needs. The headings are: (1) “Risk training needed for staff. of injury”; (2) “Persons at risk”; (3) “Location/ accessibility to emergency personnel”; and (4) Tip 2: In the final box, summarise any “Further “Hours of work”. action required”. This might include equipment Is this necessary? In completing the form you’re guided through to be purchased, training requirements and EMPLOYERS MUST COMPLETE an the process, considering what types of medical refresher courses, routine checks of first aid assessment of their ‘first aid needs’ in order to need might arise, how quickly professional help boxes, etc. comply with the Health and may arrive, and the hours of cover Our form helps you to review key factors, Safety (First Aid) Regulations WHEN CONSIDERING required by first aid personnel. including the site location, type of workplace, 1981 (HSFAR). There is no WHAT INJURIES hazards and risks, the convenience of legal requirement for you to MIGHT HAVE TO BE Tip 1: When considering the emergency services, first aid equipment and have written evidence of your DEALT WITH, REVIEW types of injury or medical the number and training of first aid personnel. assessment, but it’s a good idea PAST ACCIDENTS incident which might have to be Your completed document provides proof that to do so. Having your assessment AND TALK TO FIRST dealt with, review past accidents the exercise has been undertaken properly. documented provides a record AIDERS ABOUT THEIR and talk to first aiders about their that it was undertaken and it’s EXPERIENCES experiences. easier to review your provision in the future. Safety Aide provide this assessment Tip 2: There is no direct legal requirement document free of charge on our website. for your first aid arrangements to cover non-employees, but you may wish to do so, Tip: The manager completing the assessment particularly if your premises are open to the should have sufficient knowledge of the business public, or your services are provided for residents to ensure all circumstances are considered. For or customers. example, they should know about employees with health conditions, specific hazards, shift Ready for action patterns and the frequency of lone working. Having thought through all NEED HELP? the factors which affect your Safety Aide provides Completing our document decisions, you’re then invited competitive first aid training Our first aid needs assessment is based on to draw conclusions across the UK to all HSE guidance to enable you to meet the legal about the required BAGMA members requirements. It begins with an explanation of first aid equipment at a local centre the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations and the numbers or on-site. 1981 (HSFAR), followed by a section outlining and level of training of the basic details of your business and premises. first aid personnel. SAFETY
U N DE R H E A LT H AND safety legislation, employers are required to assess their first aid needs and implement the findings. Why not use our document to prepare for a medical emergency?
Apprenticeships: The employer’s role SEP TEMBER IS HERE again, traditionalDAVID ly the time of year that the KIRSCHNER Independent new intake of apprentices consultant and LTA start attending the chosen scheme co-ordinator training provider to gain the ‘off the job training’ that lays the foundations of their career. The intake of apprentices in England should be signed up to the new Level 2 and Level 3 trailblazer apprenticeships which, for many of you as employers, will be a new experience. The employer and the training provider TRAINING
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are required to enter into a contract for each apprentice taken on. Training requirements could be bespoke to individual apprentices and prices will vary. As employers, you will be required to become more involved with the apprenticeship and have a greater interaction with the chosen training provider. The apprentice’s success will rely heavily upon close communication and support from both parties. The government expects employers to negotiate the best possible price with the training provider for the delivery of the ‘off the job’ element of the apprenticeship. I would strongly urge that as employers you seek the best value as opposed to the best price.
Quality apprentices are what this industry badly needs. If training providers are chosen on price alone we will return to the old ‘race to the bottom’ scenario. Training providers must maintain standards that are acceptable to industry, to enable them to do that they need to invest in staff who are at the top of their game and resource their training facilities to enable them to deliver what industry needs. This cannot be done by charging the cheapest price. You might think that this is opening the door to training providers to charge what they like for apprenticeship training. Think again, you are the customer! You have a contract with BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
EXPERTS VIEW
Europe is talking about apprentices too ‘It’s an industry-wide problem that will not go away’ COMMENT
KEITH CHRISTIAN DIRECTOR BAGMA
EMPLOYERS SHOULD SEEK THE BEST VALUE FROM TRAINING PROVIDERS AS OPPOSED TO THE BEST PRICE the training provider! If you are unhappy you have a voice, please use it! The quality of the apprenticeship is in your hands in more ways than one. 20% of the apprenticeship is with the training provider and 80% with you, the employer. If apprentices fail, employers will need to look inwardly as well, examining any training provider shortcomings. It’s really important that we get this right for the future of individual businesses and industry as a whole. BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
I HAVE JUST spent a few days with our European colleagues at a CLIMMAR meeting in Paris (see page 15). One of the topics high on the agenda in Europe – one that will take up nearly a day at the next CLIMMAR conference in October – is the future proviSOMETHING sion of good quality trained TO SAY? technicians and the aging We cover a wide selection of our technician base of topics in the pages of (current average age: 55). BAGMA Bulletin, but please It’s something Brexit or let us know if we are missing Remain will not fix! something or you have a In the UK, LE-TEC The new World of Opportunity story to tell. Email me at (Landbased Engineercareers brochure is available from editorial@bagma.com the BAGMA website and will help you ing Training and Education if you are giving careers talks and advice Committee) has worked for the past four years to ensure if you are a large company WE NOW MUST that we have an apprenticeMAKE SURE THAT THE employing apprentices or ship scheme that meets the a small one thinking about DEALER NETWORK new government requireit. Check out the following UNDERSTANDS THE ments following the Richard websites, use BAGMA, the IMPORTANCE OF Report. Four years on, four AEA, IAgrE, a local college APPRENTICESHIPS government departments, or a supplier for some direcAND ARE WILLING five ministers, and several tional help, talk to your local TO INVEST IN THEIR rewrites later, we have got college or school about helpFUTURE there at a cost of something ing them understand careers like £50,000 – funded by the industry and in our industry. Do something, don’t just sit worked on by a very small number of dedi- on your hands and hope that in ten years’ time cated people. you will still be able to find a technician locally ‘Nothing happens unless we make it who has the training to satisfy your customers’ happen.’ We now must make sure that the needs. As an employer you may find yourself dealer network understands the importance back on the spanners if you don’t take some of apprenticeships and are willing to invest action now. in their future by recruiting and developing l All Trailblazer apprenticeship documents young people into what is a very specialised can be viewed on the IfA website www. trade. We must market our industry to school instituteforapprentices.org leavers, further education establishments and l T he industry's Landbased Trainuniversities to ensure we have the seed corn ing Accreditation Scheme and LEfor the future. This is an industry-wide probTEC information can be found on’ lem that will not go away unless the industry www.landbasedengineering.co.uk. itself gets together to ensure we have a workClick on ‘get more information’ to see the force for the future. World of Opportunity careers brochure or What can you do? Firstly, make sure you request a copy from BAGMA, the AEA or understand what is going on regardless of IAgrE.
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COVER STORY
Making the right career choice Cameron Howie, the Engineering Learner of the Year, explains how he won the award and how he now knows he made the right decision to go into agricultural engineering... CAMERON HOWIE, THE Engineering Learner of the Year, works for one of Ayrshire’s leading independent agricultural engineering firms, John H McNae. The teenager from Mauchline studied for his modern apprenticeship in land-based engineering at Barony College in Dumfries while working at McNae’s. Cameron received his award earlier this year from Deacon Blue drummer and TV presenter Dougie Vipond at a ceremony in the Dunblane Hydro Hotel. The awards are staged by Lantra, a leading organisation for land-based and environmental training courses and qualifications. Cameron also won the BAGMA Shield for being the top student at Barony. After the awards ceremony, Cameron said: “It’s always nice to be recognised for your efforts and this gives me the confidence that I have made the right career choice. I’d like to thank my employers at John H McNae and tutors at Barony College for all their continued help and support.” Tell us about the award and how you won it. Cameron: “I managed to win the award by just sticking in at college, trying to do my best and just taking a general interest in the college and all about my subject. “Also, I was always willing to contribute to the conversations in class and also help others if they needed it.”
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How did you become an apprentice at John H McNae? “The college helped me get my job there by letting me know that they were looking for a worker, so I went for work experience and ended up getting the job through it.” How’s it going? “I am really happy because they are a great company to learn off. I have been trusted with my own van already and I get trusted to go out and do my own jobs. It’s a big responsibility to be trusted like this when I am still an apprentice.” Do you recommend it as a career? “I think agri engineering is a really good line of work to get in to because it teaches you everyday things. It also needs a lot more younger people because it's becoming a lot bigger and more demanding and there's not a lot of people going into this line of work. I think there could be a problem in time because the industry is only going to grow and will need a lot more people to keep up with the work.” What do you do in your spare time? “I like to do things with the young farmers when I am not working. I am in Mauchline Young Farmers Club and I also like to help out on the family farm at home.” BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
COVER STORY
John H McNae John H McNae started the agricultural engineering firm that bears his name in 1985. As well as offering southwest Scotland farmers a repair service, the independent dealer has a large range of machinery from leading brands, such as Fendt, Krone, Bobcat, Kuhn, Efco, Dairymaster, Mud Hog, Hudson Trailers, Abbey Machinery, Trioliet and Mastek. John first started in the agricultural trade in 1964 as an apprentice engineer. His love of machinery drove him to set up his own business in 1985 with the support of wife Maureen, who provides administrative expertise as the company secretary. Their two sons, Drew and Neil, are
BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
also involved in the business. Drew is an expert in modern electrical and engineering technologies while Neil concentrates on the management of the parts and warranty areas of the business and Polaris ATVs.
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Is it time to update your software? A dealer explains how new software has helped support the business’s growth KALEHURST GARDEN MACHINERY, a family-owned business based near Newbury, has experienced remarkable growth under ‘the new generation’. Here, managing director Neil Taylor tells us about the company and how new software has helped. Can you tell us a little about the history of the business and how you came to be involved? Neil: “My father started the business 37 years ago. Eventually he reached a point where he was either going to effectively close it down or sell it off, and I just thought it was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse, so I bought it off him. My dad was less sales-oriented and more into the mechanical side of the business, so a lot of his focus had been on managing the workshop. When he went into retirement though, I learned how to run the business myself and I focused heavily on sales. “These days I run Kalehurst with my wife, Jill, so it continues to be a family-run business.”
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Tell us about the machinery you sell and the services you provide. Neil: “We sell everything from lawnmowers, chainsaws and hedge cutters, to shredders, stump grinders and chippers. We supply and service equipment made by major manufacturers at very reasonable prices.” How does having a large showroom help you provide a good customer experience? Neil: “These days, customers can purchase just about anything online. The problem with this is that you really don’t know exactly what you’re getting and you can’t really tell anything about a company just by looking at their website. “You certainly can’t tell if they’ve got what you need in stock. The question people have always asked us most is ‘do you have this machine in stock?’ and because we have the largest showroom in the area, the answer is always ‘yes’. “Customers can come and not only see the item they need, they can also ask questions about it, compare it to different models and machines and, of course, try it out, all before they decide to buy. It’s about educating the customer in a language they can understand, and it’s about providing a personal touch.
And we wouldn’t be able to give customers such a confident response if our inventory wasn’t updated in real-time.” What most impresses customers after they’ve made a purchase? Neil: “I’m going to give you an old-fashioned answer: good service. The minute you walk into our showroom, Jill greets you with a big, beaming and genuine smile. She has a fantastic memory and never forgets a customer’s name or what they’ve purchased in the past. “It’s paying attention to the small details and the human element that turns one-off customers into regular customers.” What type of dealership management system were you using before you installed the new software, Ibcos Gold? Neil: “Everything was done on paper and kept in huge files. We used a triplicate invoicing system for the workshop and sales, which was just about manageable when we were a much smaller business. After 25 years in operation, however, we had a 65% increase in turnover and our demand for parts increased dramatically, making it much more difficult to run the business on a paper-based system.”
BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
SPECIAL FEATURE
How did you hear about Ibcos and which other vendors did you consider? Neil: “In the past, we didn’t have the time to sit down and do the figures, so we went on instinct. As I saw it, I needed help with the management side of things, and with the end of year accounts; I wanted to press a button at the end of each month and see exactly where we were. “Prior to Ibcos, I was looking at Sage accountancy software, amongst others, hoping for a good fit for our rapidly growing business. It was around then that our recently hired accountant, Lee, recommended Gold. She’d used it in a previous job at a John Deere dealer and had been very impressed. We also asked other dealers what they were using and it seemed that Ibcos was the default software in the UK agriculture industry.” How has it helped you provide your customers with a competitive service? Neil: “Twenty years ago, everything was slower and with no competition from the internet, it was actually a lot easier. People didn’t know where else to go, so even if they
got bad service, they’d still return to that same dealer. Now, unless you give customers really good service, they go online, search all the dealers in the area and take their business to a competitor. It was a much simpler time back then. Now you have to do far more for less and you spend a lot more time managing your business and serving customers. “What I like about Gold is that it gives me the information I need, right when I need it. Just like my customers, I also want information quickly and I don’t want to do too much work to get it. Whether it’s at the point of sale or in the workshop, I can pull up whatever information I need fast. Gold is really simple to use.” What was your experience with the implementation? Neil: “The Ibcos team came to install Gold at our location and the implementation was both flawless and relatively fast.” What results have you seen since you implemented the software? Neil: “It has given me the security in knowing exactly where we are. It’s very reassuring. Since
‘I want information quickly and I don’t want to do too much work to get it’ turnover is every three months, it’s critical for cash flow purposes that you know where you are at certain times of the year, and Gold helps me do that. In fact, I wouldn’t be able to do that at all without Gold. “Whenever I need to, I can just interrogate the figures. Knowing where you are gives you the ability to plan ahead, so if you know you’re 20% behind on sales, for example, you know something needs to be done.” In general, would you say it has improved the way you run your business? If so, how? Neil: “It does exactly what needs doing. At the end of the year, you can pretty much have all the results you need at the push of a button.” www.ibcos.co.uk
The other suppliers There are a few key companies supplying dealer management systems (DMS). As well as Ibcos (see main feature), the other key providers are:
Evopos
Evopos has been producing software for more than 30 years. It all started back in 1985, with Barclays Business Systems. Bill Barclay, currently head of development at Evopos, developed the original dealer software. Originally a mechanic, he brought computers into the workshop. Bill says: “Many times I have heard dealers mention that the workshop doesn’t make the profit it should. Investigating this further, I have found that often the overall figure
for sales, parts and workshop is not necessarily true to the actual activity that had taken place. This was mainly due to internal work and parts not being booked to jobs correctly or internally. “For example, a mechanic could spend hours working on sales vehicles but because the internal transactions were not being reported accurately it showed that sales were making artificially high profits and the workshop (and parts) making artificially low profits. Once we had a system with accurate figures to work with it was easy to make decisions to improve not only the workshop but business efficiency everywhere.” The workshop features in Evopos are easy to use and show the proficiency, efficiency and productivity ratios for each engineer, so you can reward good performance and give additional training when
BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
an engineer needs it (eg, if taking longer on electrical jobs). Evopos also helps ensure parts are not missed off the invoice and it helps to control sundries and consumables. Your customers will appreciate features like the automatic SMS or email reminder when their job is ready or parts are in. And with the automated ‘story’ generation, a detailed description can be created in a few key presses which can help enormously with the understanding and acceptance of labour charges. www.evopos.com
Catalyst Catalyst’s Platinum DMS has been extended with a new Hire and Bookings module which the company says will help dealers to manage their hire fleet, bookings, deposits, invoices etc. The new features allow
dealers to create and manage plant, vehicle, wholegoods and equipment items for hire. Key features include: Viewing all current and upcoming bookings; Managing hire items and availability; Managing booking and security deposits; Printing hire agreements and associated documents; Invoicing and processing payments. Mike Cameron, sales manager at Catalyst, said: “Of particular interest to groundscare and arb dealers, the release of this new module has generated a lot of interest with both existing and prospective users of our system. “Creation and release of this module was an important task for our team and is just one of many features being developed with dealers’ needs and aspirations in mind. We already have several dealers that do not currently use Catalyst Platinum DMS asking us for demonstrations.”
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PRODUCT NEWS
Ring of steel
Easy lifting New from Draper Tools is the 1.5-tonne Hydraulic Vehicle Lift. This easy-to-use lift is operated by simply attaching an airline to the foot pedal to raise up a vehicle by the wheel or seal. The heavy-duty steel frame is attached with a pneumatic foot pump and hydraulic lifting ram, providing a maximum lift range of 785mm and five locking positions. The lift is fitted with heavyduty castors for easy manoeuvrability. www. drapertools. com
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KUHN’S RANGE OF mounted ploughs has been extended with the addition of the Vari-Master L series of on-land ploughs. Available in 4, 5 or 6 plough body versions, the new range is designed for use with 200 to 300hp tractors and is compatible with tracked tractors. The Vari-Master L’s on-land design reduces the effects of drift caused by a change in offset or when working in-furrow: the plough always remains perfectly aligned with the direction of travel, not only ensuring greater ploughing accuracy, but also reducing fuel consumption and wear and tear.
HE-VA CAST STEEL 620mm roller rings, with 10 spokes, were the strongest and most robust in trials carried out by Swedish machinery magazine NielehnTeknik. The research looked at roller rings from three different agricultural machinery manufacturers, including HE-VA. The strength of the rings was put to the test by mounting them in an axis under a guillotine, where a heavy block was plunged down onto the ring from a height of 70 and 90cms, with 96 and 156 tons of weight respectively. The HE-VA cast steel roller ring was still intact after the weight was released 150 times in the first test, with similar products lasting only seven strikes. James Woolway, OPICO managing director, commented: “I am impressed, but not surprised, by how well the rings performed as they have been designed to be robust enough to cope with the demands of traditional and min-till cultivations across a range of soil types.”
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BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
EVENT NEWS
Innovation on show at SALTEX THE 73RD EDITION of SALTEX has some new exhibitors and a new feature. Among the newcomers is Sports Metals, manufacturer of the Extracut-brush and supplier of tines and bed knives. This family business is run by husband and wife, Richard and Jane Jades. Richard explained the decision to attend by saying: “With SALTEX being held at the end of October, early November, visitors will be thinking about what equipment and products they need going into the new year. If I started going round to see all of those customers, it would probably take me until spring and by that time the majority of them would have already placed orders.” He added: “It’s also about industry awareness. It is about letting groundsmen know that we have a product that could really make a difference. For the people that have already bought SALTEX October 31 and November 1 NEC, Birmingham
from us, I think it is good for a customer to see us at a show because it backs up their purchasing decision.” The new feature is an area on the show floor dedicated to innovation and new concepts in grounds management. According to the SALTEX 2017 visitor survey, 97% claimed that their main reason for attending the exhibition was to see the latest innovations. So the event organisers are going to create a dedicated Innovation Hub. It will involve interviews with industry experts and those at the forefront of new groundscare innovations. Some speakers will also explore current groundscare trends such as cordless/environmentally friendly equipment, robotics, GPS control machinery, pesticide alternatives, pitch lighting (including watering systems and oxygen) and pitch monitoring systems. The Innovation Hub will also play host to the SALTEX 2018 Innovation Award ceremony, which highlights new groundscare technology.
Who will win the industry ‘Oscars’? THE WINNERS OF the Institute of Groundsmanship Industry Awards 2018 will be announced Oscar-style by Mark Saggers from talkSPORT radio during a gala dinner at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, on Wednesday, October 31 – after the opening day of the SALTEX exhibition. Speaking of the entries, IOG chief executive Geoff Webb said: “The quality has really been exceptional – with the judges commenting that some of the applications have been the best they’ve seen in the awards’ history – and a host of new nominees have come to the fore, too.”
www.iogsaltex.com
EVENT NEWS
The Makita UK stand (K190d, Hall 6) will showcase the company’s ever-growing garden machinery range. “There will be a focus on our expanding cordless range but visitors will be able to learn about the entire collection including our petrol
and electric models,” said Mark Earles, business
development manager. Joining Makita in the BALI Zone are exhibitors such as Boningale Nurseries, Green-tech, British Sugar TOPSOIL, EverEdge and YMCA Training.
Registration opens for LAMMA ’19 THE NEXT LAMMA LAMMA show, in January 2019, NEC, will be held fully underBirmingham cover for the first time, Tuesday 8th and at the NEC in BirmingWednesday 9th ham. The organisers are January 2019 calling it an “exciting new era” for the agricultural event. Advance registration is not compulsory – visitors can register at the entrance but may face a delay entering the event. Elisabeth Mork-Eidem, group events director BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
at show organiser AgriBriefing, said: “By making LAMMA a register-to-attend event, we can continue to develop the show – the more we know about our visitors, the better we can tailor future shows to meet their needs.” More than 500 companies have already booked stand space, according to AgriBriefing. In a statement they said the event “will stay true to its roots, attracting not just large companies but also hosting smaller agricultural engineering and machinery firms from across the UK”.
OCTOBER
31-NOVEMBER 1 SALTEX, NEC, Birmingham
DIARY DATES
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8-9 LAMMA, NEC, Birmingham 22-24 BTME, Harrogate
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biradirect.co.uk BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
22/08/2018 16:03:24
OUT AND ABOUT
No rest for BAGMA While many were on their holidays, the BAGMA boys were keeping busy…
BAGMA, A MEMBER of CLIMMAR since 1956, has participated in most CLIMMAR gatherings, as it brings together the different dealer trade associations from around Europe to discuss common causes and to share ideas and experiences – all with the aim of improving business conditions for dealers. In Paris, representatives from 10 countries gathered to finalise a number of projects prior to the CLIMMAR Conference in Prague in October.
Papers’ that will be presented by CLIMMAR to interested parties when completed. These will first be made public at the conference in October. The papers cover dealer contracts, smart farming and training and education within the industry. Having focused on agricultural machinery in the past, several countries will be working on a garden machinery and groundscare group within CLIMMAR to better represent this market sector and provide more membership benefits on a country by country basis. The ongoing legislation surrounding RMI (Repair and Maintenance Information) has been an agenda item for some time and recently a Danish technical representative has been appointed to sit on the ISO committee dealing with this. Training and education is a big agenda item, too, with concerns from all members about the future of recruitment and qualified technicians in the industry. Similar training programmes, standards OUT AND ABOUT WITH and assessment process exist in most countries and all have BAGMA issues surrounding funding. The objective of developing a Position High on the agenda was the National Paper for this area will be to identify Dealer Survey or DSI (Dealer Satisfaction the common issues, provide solutions where Index), carried out by 10 countries now. Since they exist and identify which countries have the the change from a paper survey to electronic, best benchmarks for others to benefit from. It will responses have been lower and the group also provide the basis for any lobbying that can be spent some time working through marketing done on a country by country basis. strategies, distribution of gathered information and the involvement of manufacturers in the Download the CLIMMAR magazine from the results of the survey. CLIMMAR website. www.climmar.com or The group has also been working on ‘Position contact BAGMA for a copy or PDF.
BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
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Keith Christian, BAGMA director, met his counterparts from Europe in Paris…
OUT AND ABOUT
Meanwhile, Alasdair Straker’s farewell tour continues…
BAGMA’s new business development manager, Richard Jenkins, has been meeting members at the county shows… AFTER THE ROYAL Cornwall and The Royal Highland Shows in June, July brought visits to The Great Yorkshire OUT AND Show and The Royal Welsh ABOUT WITH Show. BAGMA Both shows were rewarded with hot and dry conditions, maybe a little BAGMA’S MAN IN Scotland, Alas- are Willie Johnston (Police Scotland), Inspecwarm for walking around a large dair Straker, visited the Perth Show. He tor Andrew Dron (Police Scotland), Rory showground but we really shouldn’t spotted Police Scotland’s tractor on a mem- McKendrick (area sales manager, Reekie), complain. There is no end of attractions at ber’s stand. The Hamilton Ross Group stand Stuart Ward (Police Scotland), and Sam Merthese shows and all manner of food and won the show’s Best Stand Trophy. Pictured cer (director, Reekie). beverages to sample. More than 134,000 visitors flocked to the 160th Yorkshire Show, up on 2017. I found the agricultural machinery section to be busy and populated with many BAGMA members. I do feel the garden machinery dealers could do with a little help at shows to stand out. Perhaps their own designated section with demonstrations and something exciting, such as lawnmower racing? The Royal Welsh Show was also busy, with record numbers of public through the gates of the beautiful showground at Llanelwedd. The show has a very proud Welsh feel about it and rightly so. Again I spoke with many BAGMA members and although the agricultural area did not have huge numbers walking around, most dealers reported steady business. With an increasing number of visitors coming from a non-agricultural background, the shows act as a shop Alasdair also visited BAGMA member Doug Beattie of Farm & Forestry Equipment at the Black Isle Show. window for local services and the industry Doug told Alasdair he is planning to drive the North Coast 500 – the scenic 516-mile route around the north as a whole. The major problem seems to be coast of Scotland – on his vintage Massey Ferguson 135. He calculates it will take him five days at 20mph. the increasingly high cost of exhibiting at Doug, who plans to set off on September 25, is aiming to raise funds and awareness of MND and MS. A close such shows. friend was recently diagnosed with motor neurone disease and Doug’s two sisters-in-law both suffer from multiple sclerosis.
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BAGMA BULLETIN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2018
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2018
YOUR INDUSTRY, YOUR SHOW 31 O CTO BE R & 0 1 NOVE MBE R T H E NE C BIR M INGH AM
EUROPE’S LARGEST ANNUAL EVENT FOR GROUNDSCARE PROFESSIONALS • Discover the latest product innovations • Connect with industry suppliers • Network with groundscare professionals • Receive 1-2-1 advice on your specific turf challenges • Update your knowledge on the latest trends • Progress your career with expert guidance • Celebrate achievements at the IOG Industry Awards
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