Ariens appoints new Director of Sales and Marketing

/in , /by

Ariens appoints new Director of Sales and Marketing: AriensCo has announced the appointment of Brad Stiles as Director of Sales and Marketing EMEAA, reporting to Vice President Darren Spencer, who adds “The appointment reflects the strategic importance of growing the EMEAA business.

Brad’s priority will be on building upon the existing footprint and successes.” Massimo Caner, European Sales Manager, Matt Wilson, UK Sales Manager and Jef O’Riley, Marketing Manager EMEAA, will report to Brad.

Ariens appoints new Director of Sales and Marketing

Ariens appoints new Director of Sales and Marketing

Brad grew up in the industry, with a father at AriensCo for 25 years. Brad himself has been with the business for 9 years and started in 2011 with Stens, which was owned by AriensCo at the time. He specialised in parts programmes and strategies with dealers to grow their overall parts business.

In 2014 Brad was promoted to a District Manager representing a territory in Indiana, where he specialised in creating plans to grow dealer business, regional marketing programs, commercial product sales, and new dealer acquisition and growth. He was subsequently promoted in August 2020.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Brad to our team.” Says Darren Spencer. “We very much look forward to working together on this new stage in the development of the company. Brad brings a wealth of experience with a fresh view of our marketing future and he will be out to meet customers as soon as possible.”

Brad is exceptionally pleased to have this opportunity. His wife, Hannah, is from the UK and they have a 3-year-old daughter, Madeline, both of whom are already in the UK awaiting his arrival.

AriensCo UK manufactures the Ariens ZENITH, APEX and IKON X range of zero-turns, as well as Countax and Westwood garden tractors from its EMEAA headquarters in Oxfordshire, UK. The business also distributes ECHO outdoor power tools through a network of UK dealers.

For more information call Ariens on 01844 278800 or visit www.ariens-uk.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Reesink’s John Pike retires

/in , , /by

Reesink’s John Pike retires: Reesink Turfcare has announced with sadness and genuine gratitude for the role he has played in the company, the retirement of regional manager John Pike. After 17 and a half years working with the Toro UK distributor and its predecessor Lely UK, and close to half a century working in the turfcare industry, it’s certainly been an interesting career.

John first started work straight out of school and made the move to Triumph Motorcycles in the West Midlands, but after completing his engineering HND he soon realised he belonged in his home county of Dorset. He moved back and began working as a warehouse assistant at J.T. Lowes Garden Machinery, part of the Flymo company (the original importers of Toro), in what was originally meant to be a summer job, but soon saw him work his way up to trade and retail sales manager, and then area sales manager for Flymo in 1986.

Reesink's John Pike retires

Reesink’s John Pike retires

It wasn’t until 2001 that he joined the then Toro UK distributor Lely as a business development manager, and it was his passion for Toro machinery that inspired him to join, says John. “I had been involved with Toro since 1972, and enjoyed demonstrating the Toro70, 58, Trojan, GM3 and GM72 through the 70’s and 80’s and saw the brand develop and progress. I’ve always had faith in Toro’s quality and its place as an industry leader within turfcare.”

Coming from a consumer machinery company, John was one of the first to join Lely without full commercial experience. “I had to go from selling many thousands of inexpensive mowers a year, to selling hundreds of Toro machines at a much higher price point, so that was definitely a learning curve for me.”

But that didn’t stop John from making his mark with both Lely, and later Reesink, playing a fundamental role in the appointment of new Toro dealers and service centres in the South West region, a career highlight for him.

“I’m particularly proud of the work I did appointing service centres, some of which I had to really fight for,” says John. “And of course whenever I was able to convert a customer to Toro that gave me a real buzz. The harder the challenge, the more satisfying it was!”

John has seen many changes throughout his time in the industry, but the move towards finance deals he says has been the biggest. “It used to be that clubs would buy one or two machines a year on a rolling basis, which would mean they’d end up with a fleet of both brand new and 10-year old machinery! When I started, I would only get two or three fleet deals a year, and only really with the bigger clubs. Now, the introduction of finance options allow more clubs, irrespective of size, to secure fully modern fleets for course maintenance, which has been a really positive change to see.”

David Cole, managing director at Reesink says: “John has been the stable bedrock of our Midlands and South West regions forever, it seems. So, replacing him will be an obvious challenge – but he leaves his many colleagues and dealer partners in good shape for the next step. We wish John a long and happy retirement and thank him for his excellent contribution to the Toro profile and customer service in his region.”

John’s retirement plans have changed somewhat due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, however this isn’t going to stop him from enjoying all of his hobbies.

“Originally I was meant to be flying off to the sunny Maldives to spend a couple of weeks detoxing the workaholic out of me! But that will have to be postponed for now. Instead, I’m looking forward to enjoying my hobbies; shooting, water skiing, off-road driving and photography – definitely enough to keep me busy!”

Having “loved every aspect of the job” it certainly is bittersweet for John to be saying goodbye. “I will miss most the relationships I’ve made during my time at work. I’ve made so many friends, and I’ve had so many lovely comments and well wishes already from customers and colleagues alike. In return, I wish them all the best for the future.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Nick Brown Joins Campey

/in , , /by

Nick Brown Joins Campey: Campey Turf Care Systems has appointed well known industry figure, Nick Brown, as their new Export Sales Manager.

Nick has over 20-years of experience in golf, and sports turf and through his previous role at Ransomes Jacobsen has extensive knowledge of the international markets. His understanding of these areas doesn’t only come from work. Four generations of his family were born and worked in the Far East, and he has lived in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and predominantly Indonesia across 25 years.

Nick Brown Joins Campey

Nick Brown Joins Campey

His experience in this part of the world, in particular his knowledge of local cultures, makes him exceptionally well suited to the role, and his decision to join the company is centred on Campey’s innovation and creativity as well as the core value of building and maintaining long lasting customer relationships.

Nick Explained: “Campey is a highly regarded company in the turf industry here in the United Kingdom and across the world. They have earned that reputation by providing innovative, reliable and robust machinery that meets the needs of customers through an excellent distribution base.

“In my new role, I want to build on the consistent and well-known message that Campey is always willing to go the extra mile to help. I have always worked on the basis of ‘making a customer, not a sale,’ and that matches perfectly with the common goals and message the Campey team has.

“By listening to customers and what they need, we can continue to make machines that solve common issues while thinking one step ahead and finding more creative solutions to improve turf quality. I think by putting these aspects together we can grow the Campey brand into new territories and I’m looking forward to working with everyone in the team.”

Nick joins Campey during a challenging time for global travel and distribution, but Campey chairman, Richard Campey, believes Nick’s knowledge and enthusiasm will bring a fresh approach to the situation.

“Nick is someone who comes with a lot of experience and will be a great asset to our company, and we’re delighted to welcome him to Campey,” Richard began. “He joins us at a time of constant change in terms of global travel, in particular the restrictions we have to work with while still providing the best service to our customers. With support from our Director Lee Morgado, who is already well-known to our dealer network and end users from the middle east to Australasia we hope to continue to grow in these established and new markets. That will require a different approach in terms of connecting with our export markets, and I’ve got no doubt that Nick will take that challenge on with enthusiasm.”

Campey currently has 53 distributors across Europe, Asia, North and South America and the Middle East. Their wide range of product lines has allowed them to assist turf professionals across the world in improving turf standards through innovations in fraise mowing, aeration, spreading and seeding.

For any international enquiries, contact Nick at nick@campeyturfcare.com or phone +44 7974 318 584.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

A spotlight on Martyn Parrish

/in , , /by

A spotlight on Martyn Parrish: Prior to the launch of Agrovista Amenity, Martyn Parrish was a technical area sales manager for Maxwell Amenity. He had been in the role for two years before the acquisition.    

“We’ve become one of the largest companies in the sector, and are able to support the industry and create something very special,” he said. “Merging two companies of that size is no easy task but I have been extremely impressed with the work that has been done. I feel proud to be working for this company.”

A spotlight on Martyn Parrish

A spotlight on Martyn Parrish

Martyn has spent most of his career in greenkeeping and started working at his local golf club at the age of 16. During his time as a greenkeeper, he completed his foundation degree in Sportsturf Management at Myerscough College and participated in the Ohio State Programme on a 12-month internship in which he worked on a Jack Nicklaus course construction and a grow-in in Texas – something which he pinpoints as a career highlight.

Before moving to Agrovista Amenity, Martyn was tempted away from golf for six years working as a grounds manager on an ambitious landscape construction project of a 400 acre site in Henley on Thames. Commenting on this role, Martyn claims that it was “extremely challenging but ultimately a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

He admits that moving into sales was a transition which took some time adjusting to. However, in the past three years Martyn has built up an impressive portfolio of clients and now looks after an area spanning from Berkshire across to Essex and up to Northampton.

“The commercial side of the industry was completely new to me,” he said. “I have some great colleagues that helped me a lot during my early days. With my background, I felt most comfortable in the golf sector to start with, however I was very conscious to get in there and experience all parts of the sportsturf and amenity industry. Sometimes you can get locked behind your own gate and you only see what is behind it.

“I quickly learnt not to be afraid of my weaknesses – the more you talk, the more you interact with people and the more you immerse yourself in education – the more you will learn about the parts of the industry that you didn’t know as well.

“I now have at least one customer that covers every area in sportsturf and amenity and can often have five visits a day that are radically different. My first visit might be a golf club followed by a local authority, then I might well move on to a football ground or a cricket ground and then visit a school in the afternoon.

“There are so many great people in the industry, and I love interacting with all the different people from the various facilities and sectors – it is the best part of my job.”

While Martyn is excelling in his current role, he admits that it is not without its challenges.

A spotlight on Martyn Parrish

A spotlight on Martyn Parrish

“The changes in legislation are probably the biggest obstacle to overcome,” he said. “It has changed the way we manage surfaces and it will continue to do so. The loss of products and the sustainable use of resources have been difficult. You have to change the way you think and the way you approach your job, but fortunately we have some amazing people in this industry that are creative and exceptionally good at overcoming problems.”

With the acquisition bringing together two of the most experienced and progressive teams in the amenity turf market, Martyn believes that Agrovista Amenity is now well placed to be at the forefront of these creative solutions.

“In terms of research and development, I feel we are in pole position,” he said. “The company is now able to lead the way in terms of introducing new ideas, new products and proven solutions to the market. We can also distribute these solutions and our products far and wide.

“Previously we only had ten people on the road – now there are well over 40 and that will continue to evolve.”

Outside of work, Martyn is recently married and admits to being addicted to sports and keeping fit. As well as playing football and golf regularly, he has completed three Iron Man races across Europe and has represented Great Britain in the World Triathlon Grand Finals.

For more information, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

AEA formally appoint new president

/in , , /by

AEA formally appoint new president: Mr Malin is Managing Director of Etesia UK and has been an active member of the AEA for over 14 years.

As President of the AEA Les’ role will be to lead the Board of Directors, while the farm equipment and outdoor power equipment councils and various technical and specialist groups focus on current issues and initiatives.

AEA formally appoint new president

AEA formally appoint new president

He speaks of the unusual circumstances of his appointment and the way forward for the Agriculture and Outdoor Power sectors.

Due to Covid-19 the 2020, the AEA Annual General Meeting was postponed, leading the Association to take the unprecedented step to nominate Mr Les Malin as its President-Elect. Now, however, and following recently introduced changes in legislation, Mr Malin’s role as President of the AEA has been formalised, as the AGM was allowed to be held virtually, with some 30 participants in attendance, as well as the company legal advisors to ensure all was legally binding.

Mr Malin commented on the alternative course of action, “First of all, I would like to thank the AEA Board of Directors for nominating me to be the next President of the AEA. It is, indeed, against a backdrop of very uncertain and difficult times. With COVID 19 now having taken over from Brexit as the focus of everyone in the UK, the work of the AEA has had to adapt like many other businesses and groups.”

Ruth Bailey, CEO and Director General of the AEA said, “It is indeed very strange times. We are delighted, however, to have Les as our President and welcome his knowledge and experience within the industry to guide us through.”

Les’ early background is rooted in agriculture, where in his early years he worked on a mixed farm and would also use the farm equipment for contracting jobs.  He then started his own contracting business in his 20’s.  In the mid 1990’s he made his move to outdoor power equipment as area manager for Polaris, after which he worked at Amazone Groundcare before finally moving to Estesia as an ASM, then General Manager and finally Managing Director.

Les has many years of experience both within agriculture and the outdoor power equipment sector and said of the future “This virus has shown us more than ever that Technology has to be the key forward for all of us, we have to embrace the  future forget the past and show our customers that we can offer expertise, money saving machinery, environmentally efficient solutions such as robotics in agricultural or the outdoor sectors. We as an industry must embrace these modern methods to safeguard our futures and entice the younger generation into a sector of employment that few people leave if they actively engage in its culture and history”

Mr Malin is due to receive his official chain of office in more certain and safe times but so he knows what to look forward to, we have mocked up his official image.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.