Feature
Photo provided by Exmark
CUTTING THROUGH CURRENT CHALLENGES
MANUFACTURERS SHARE ADVICE for a productive 2022 mowing season By John Kmitta
I
ndustry experts from major commercial mower manufacturers agree that the biggest challenges this year for mowing professionals in the green industry will be supply chain issues, rising fuel costs, higher prices across the board, and, of course, the continued shortage of labor. “The industry was facing a worker shortage prior to the pandemic,” said David Dwight, director, Briggs & Stratton – Turf and Consumer Products Group (Ferris Mowers). “The pandemic further limited the overall available labor.” “Finding reliable employees continues to be tough,” said Brad Unruh, director of new product development, Stanley Black & Decker Outdoor (Hustler Turf). Steven Benedict, turf care product line manager, Kioti Tractor, added that labor challenges make it even more critical to have reliable and efficient equipment.
24 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2022 www.vaturf.org
According to Josh Sooy, director of the professional business segment for Cub Cadet, those impacted by labor shortages are looking for solutions and equipment that can help increase the efficiency and productivity of their operations. This includes exploring viable autonomous technologies and continuing to invest in stand-on mowers. Ron Scheffler, senior product manager, Doosan Bobcat North America (Bobcat, Ryan and Steiner), added that mowing professionals should identify products that will best help their needs. “For example, which commercial mower will allow me to clean my equipment quickly, make standard maintenance updates as fast as I can, and overall, be the most efficient product,” he said. “One of the best ways operators can combat labor challenges is to have a partner in their dealership,” said Chad Carney, go to market manager, B2B PLC segment, John Deere.
