Textron to relocate Jacobsen production

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Textron to relocate Jacobsen production: Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, will relocate all manufacturing of Jacobsen professional turf equipment to its facility in Ipswich, U.K. The move will begin this fall and be completed in stages over the next several months.

This move will enable the company to focus its investments, skill, and improvements in mower production on a single facility, and leverage existing resources and expertise at its Ipswich facility. The plant, which currently builds Jacobsen and Ransomes mowers, is the oldest manufacturer of motorized lawn mowers in the world, in operation for more than 187 years.

Textron to relocate Jacobsen production

Textron to relocate Jacobsen production

The U.K. facility will produce mowers for all regions, including North America. Jacobsen will maintain its sales and customer-care teams in North America, and its network of North American distributors, to serve its customers in the United States and Canada.

“We are excited to establish our Ipswich, U.K. facility as the worldwide manufacturing center of excellence for Jacobsen equipment,” said Simon Rainger, Vice President, Turf for Textron Specialized Vehicles. “This move will enable us to operate more efficiently, and expand on the legacy of innovation and quality that our Ipswich plant has built over its long history.”

Jacobsen continues to develop new products to serve its customers around the globe. The brand will launch a robust slate of new mowers this year, including the quiet, highly efficient Eclipse 360 ELiTE electric greens mower powered by Samsung SDI lithium-battery technology, and the new AR530 and AR730 contour rotary mowers, designed to be safer, easier and more cost-effective to maintain and operate.

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Control Husqvarna robotic mowers with IFTTT

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Control Husqvarna robotic mowers with IFTTT: Husqvarna announces that Husqvarna Automower® owners are now able to control their robotic mowing experience through the Automower® Connect app compatible with the integration platform IFTTT (short for If This Then That).

This lets Homeowners with Husqvarna Automower® robotic mowers and the Automower® Connect app personalise their mowing process depending on weather forecasts and calendar activities.

Control Husqvarna robotic mowers with IFTTT

Control Husqvarna robotic mowers with IFTTT

Furthermore, the user can activate the Calendar Activities Connection that parks the robotic mower if a defined key word appears in the customers calendar. A key word can be “Watering” or “Sunday football match”.

“We see that more and more customers are using smart services to control their Husqvarna robotic mowers. This complements our offering of voice controlled smart home services and offers another level of automation. Through IFTTT we give our customers more control over the Automower® experience and ability to adapt it to their personal situation and needs. We will continuously add more connections to give our users even more flexibility,” says Linda Lindqvist, product manager of concept and solutions at Husqvarna.

“As a teenager I slogged through many sweltering Texas summers push-mowing our lawn on Saturdays. It’s because of this experience that I can genuinely say how exciting it is that Husqvarna’s robotic mowers are poised to rescue countless weekends for an entirely new generation of lawn tenders” says Linden Tibbets, IFTTT CEO.

“Husqvarna understands that our connected future is all about working smarter, not harder. In bringing IFTTT powered integrations to their Automower® Connect mobile app, Husqvarna customers can integrate directly with their connected sprinklers, personal calendar or local weather and more. IFTTT is thrilled to partner with Husqvarna towards helping their customers save more than just the time spent mowing.”

How does it work?

The smart functionality enabled by IFTTT is now available in the Automower® Connect app. IFTTT Connections are available from the Smart Home tab in Automower® Connect. As soon as the connect button is pressed, connection is established to the Automower®. Right now, Smart connections in Automower Connect are only available for iOS users and works with Husqvarna Automower® X-line-models as well as models equipped with an Automower® Connect Kit.

About Husqvarna Automower® 

Ever since Automower® was launched 25 years ago, Husqvarna has been a global leader in robotic lawnmowing. Husqvarna Automower® has been mowing public and residential lawns since 1995 and is known for its quiet and reliable handling of complex lawns.

About IFTTT

IFTTT is the leading integration and discovery platform for businesses to continuously connect, grow, and maximise the value of their customers. IFTTT helps over 600 global brands accelerate the digital transformation of their products into integrated services, dramatically reducing their development costs while extending compatibility and lifetime value. IFTTT is the connectivity standard and low-code alternative to building your own integrations in-house. IFTTT’s products have attracted 20 million consumers across 140 countries and served over 100 million connections.

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John Deere announces management change

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John Deere announces management change: John Deere has announced a change to its senior management affecting the leadership in Region 2 (Europe and the CIS). Alejandro Sayago is appointed Vice President, Ag & Turf Sales & Marketing, Region 2, replacing Denny Docherty who has elected to retire on October 31, 2020.

In his new role Alejandro Sayago will continue to manage the team responsible for execution of Deere’s Grow Time strategy across the region, ensuring the successful implementation of the new Smart Industrial Operating Model.

John Deere announces management change

John Deere announces management change

He will also focus on the transition of the central sales and marketing organisation from Mannheim to Walldorf in Germany. In addition, he will drive forward the company’s continued efforts to build the strongest dealership network for agricultural and turf equipment in the region. Alejandro’s appointment will take effect on October 1.

Alejandro (Alex) Sayago joined the company in 1992 as an engineer at John Deere Industrias in Mexico and later held supply management and operations roles there. He had subsequent assignments in marketing, sales and strategy in the US, Uruguay and Brazil.

In 2012 he was named Director, Corporate Business Division for the Ag & Turf Division, in which he led a business focused on serving large strategic accounts. Two years later he became Director, Sales & Marketing for operations in Latin America (Region 3). Since February 2019 Alejandro has been Director, Corporate Strategy & Business Development, a role in which he has helped develop John Deere’s Smart Industrial Operating Model.

“Alejandro has been one of my trusted advisors who helped to develop our Grow Time strategy, which fully aligns with the Smart Industrial Model,” said Denny Docherty. “I’ve known Alex personally and professionally for 15 years and I promise you, the region and John Deere dealers are getting an outstanding leader and person to work with.”

Denny Docherty joined Deere in 1998 and has held numerous leadership positions in sales, marketing and strategy. In January 2019 he assumed his most recent duties, heading sales and marketing in Region 2. He led the team responsible for executing the Grow Time strategy, which made significant gains under his leadership and is on track to largely achieve its goals.

Highlighting Denny’s career has been his broad sales and marketing experience, proven passion for serving customers, thorough understanding of the importance of the dealer channel and consistent success in driving for results. Denny has elected to retire for family reasons.

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User feedback key for Simon Richard Ltd

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User feedback key for Simon Richard Ltd: Simon Richard has recently celebrated 30 years trading in the Agriculture and Ground care Industries. Simon says, “our business was established selling fertilisers sprayers and toppers but diversified 20 years ago when we were appointed as UK Importers for the Muthing flail range.

This fitted very well as we had been involved with another flail manufacturer for 10 years prior.

User feedback key for Simon Richard Ltd

User feedback key for Simon Richard Ltd

Working closely with Dr Michael Muthing, owner and Managing Director of Muthing GmbH, allowed us to help develop, test and assist in the launch of a range of ground care products using design features which have become the basis of our current Muthing ground care range. The product range has evolved and developed primarily based on feedback from our UK client base that has enjoyed the benefit of flails developed and tested in the UK and built in Germany.

Leicester City Council, in particular, played a huge part along with Mitchell Industries, when in 2005 they added the yellow Muthing flails to their fleet. This was the start of a long term relationship and the continued growth and product development of the now firmly established Muthing brand within the UK professional ground care sector, demonstrating the benefits afforded by the flail when compared with a cylinder mower or rotary, for a range of amenity tasks. Financial restraints mean more and more customers are looking at out-front flail mowers in preference to cylinder and rotary mowers as they can deliver the required cut quality. The Muthing Range is also proven to consume less power and be easier to run, making it a perfect match for a range of power units, be it a John Deere, Kubota, Shibaura, Iseki, amongst others.

Year on year sales growth requires a fast and efficient parts support service and we pride ourselves on 92% of orders being dispatched on the same day. We look forward to continuing to support an expanding dealer and end–user client portfolio, based on product knowledge, continued development and after sales service.”

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Agria 9600 boosts productivity

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Agria 9600 boosts productivity: Contractor, GMC, is the latest purchaser of the agria 9600 hybrid banks mower. The family run business, which has over 15 years’ experience of commercial grounds maintenance and landscaping in the Scottish central belt, says the all-weather machine has revolutionised much of their work.

Director, Stephen Walker, said: “It’s been here two months and instantly it’s made everything easier and safer. Safety of the team is prioritised. Dangerous banks and slopes can be tended from a healthy distance using the remote control pad. I’m so much happier knowing we can deal with work on steep areas with a lot less risk to everyone.”

Agria 9600 boosts productivity

Agria 9600 boosts productivity

The distinctive red agria 9600 has balanced weight distribution, a low centre of gravity and robust build quality. Continuous tank treads help it power up and down slopes with gradients to 50°.  At 1.12 m wide it covers ground quickly and accurately, cutting and mulching in two directions.

“I can honestly say I can’t find any negatives with the machine.  It does far more than I ever thought it capable,” continued Stephen Walker. “Complicated mowing jobs are easier.  In the past we needed hedge cutters, strimmers, chippers and ride on mowers, with safety planning and briefing beforehand, Now it takes less time, often with neater results. You don’t even break sweat.

“It’s actually changed so much for us. The team has been freed to concentrate on other detail so we’re far more productive, delivering a better all-round service to our clients.”

“Because it can operate in the wet we’ve been able to keep going throughout these last few weeks. Previously you’d never dream of getting your team to stand on steep banking on a damp, let alone wet, day.  However, with the remote feature you take up safe position on the level.  We’ve been outside distilleries, hospitals, food production plants, riversides, ponds, preparing school sites, you name it we’ve been there… on really steep banks, in long grass, short grass …and then often out on the flat as well. It’s great; the more experienced you are with controls it absolutely opens up more and more areas and opportunities. When talking to prospective clients I’ve brought out pictures of the machine showing what it can do and it’s being received well.”

GMC who have 24 employees are based at Bathgate, West Lothian and purchased their machine from Scottish dealer Fairways GM.  Fairways GM is a sister company to both Agria UK and Wiedenmann UK.  Installation and operator training were carried out by Agria UK’s Andy Kerr.

Wilson Morrison, Sales Manager at Fairways GM said: “Can’t lie.  Stephen has become an expert operator in just a few months.  He’s at the stage where he can show us a few of its tricks.  Undoubtedly being able to work in the damp and wet has been such a benefit.”

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