Ariens Winning Dealer Meeting: Ariens Company gathered all their dealers for Countax, Westwood, Ariens and ECHO at Whittlebury Hall, Northamptonshire on the 12th September for their annual dealer meeting. The theme of the meeting was ‘Shifting Gears’ and the day was led by Darren Spencer, Vice President for EMEA and Asia, beginning with talks on the new products available early in 2019. These included the Ariens Zenith, the largest zero turn in the portfolio, aimed at the commercial market. The new Countax C40 and Westwood T40 garden tractors were also launched along with an interchangeable cassette system attachment which allows customers to scarify and sweep their garden and grounds. The new range of ECHO Lithium Ion 58V outdoor power tools was also on display for dealers to try including chainsaws, brushcutters, hedgetrimmers and an innovative walk behind 21” lawn mower. The new product introductions are in keeping with Ariens Company’s policy of ‘continuous improvement’
Following a short introduction, the day was structured to provide dealers with ample time to demo products and to introduce useful tools to help grow their business. There were various breakout sessions, which included a Marketing Update and focus on the latest innovative marketing tools available to dealers, including the announcement of the Ariens Market Hub. The Hub is a revision of Ariens highly innovative ‘Marketing Materials Site’, a system that enables dealers to order customised marketing materials, merchandise and promotional items. At the core of this is the latest multi-brand leaflet which allows dealers to customise their own catalogues.
“This year’s dealer meeting has been a great success with excellent attendance,” says Darren Spencer, “our dealer network is at the heart of our business, so it is imperative that we provide them with a new generation of products, services and sales tools to best serve the end user.”
During the afternoon session dealers were given the opportunity to test a range of machinery including the new C40 and T40 garden tractors, the Zoom, Ikon, Apex and Zenith zero turns and the complete range of ECHO outdoor power tools. As the UK distributor for ECHO, this was the ideal opportunity for Ariens to showcase the new 58V Lithium Ion battery series comprising hedgetrimmer, power blower and brushcutter. Each dealer was also encouraged to show off their driving agility by entering the Zero Turn challenge for a chance to win a Supercar Driving Experience track day and the prestigious ‘Zero-turn Cup’!
During the day the Ariens Dealer Advisory Council (DAC) led a closed discussion with dealers exploring industry issues and ideas to support the dealer network. The DAC will work with Ariens Company over the coming 12 months to devise action plans to counter these issues.
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