Tag Archive for: John

John Deere dealer Sherriff acquires Greenlay

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John Deere dealer Sherriff acquires Greenlay: John Deere agricultural and turf dealer Thomas Sherriff & Co Ltd, whose headquarters are based at Haddington in East Lothian, has bought the professional turf business of Greenlay Ltd in Cramlington, south Northumberland.

This development extends the dealership’s trading area and takes to seven the total number of Sherriff outlets serving customers from the River Forth in Scotland, down through the Borders to Durham in north-east England and reaching out west to the Cumbrian border.

John Deere dealer Sherriff acquires Greenlay

Sherriff’s head office site at Backburn in Haddington, which replaced the previous facility in Dunbar at the beginning of 2017, brought both the dealership’s agricultural and turf divisions under the same roof for the first time. The other Sherriff outlets are based at Alnwick, Coldstream, Hexham, Jedburgh and Stow.

All 17 Greenlay employees have transferred to the renamed Sherriff Cramlington business, with outlet manager Eric Pattinson continuing to lead the dealership’s experienced sales, service and parts team.

“Originally founded by David Lowes and his wife Judith in 1972 before becoming John Deere Limited’s first professional groundscare dealer in 1986, Greenlay is а well-established, successful family business,” said John Deere Limited division sales manager Chris Meacock. “We would like to thank the Lowes family and especially Geoff Lowes for their commitment to John Deere over the past 33 years – it’s great to see this positive outcome for his team.”

Sherriff managing director Colin Weatherhead added: “This is а key addition to our business and а great fit for our organisation. Following the development of our head office at Haddington as part of our overall expansion and restructuring plans, this latest acquisition represents another considerable investment in our business, allowing us to expand our geographical presence in the north-east of England and the Durham area.

“Most importantly, this means that we will now bе serving our total John Deere area of responsibility with both agricultural and turf equipment, from the Forth to Teesside and out to the Cumbrian border. It ensures that we can maintain the highest level of support to our customers in both the important business sectors of agricultural and professional turf equipment sales and service.”

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John Deere training sets record

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John Deere training sets record: A record-breaking total of 66 young parts and service technicians are being trained in this year’s John Deere Ag Tech, Parts Tech and Turf Tech advanced apprenticeship programmes, the highest total intake since the first Ag Tech induction in 1992.

The group includes for the first time apprentices from Ireland, the John Deere Forestry division and the Wirtgen road construction business, which Deere acquired at the end of 2017, as well as more female apprentices than ever before (five altogether). These annual, award-winning programmes are run in partnership with the dealer network and national training provider ProVQ at the purpose-built John Deere Apprentice Training Centre in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire in the UK.

John Deere training sets record

“There’s never been a better time to consider an apprenticeship with John Deere,” says the company’s training centre manager Allan Cochran. “The increasing levels of automation used throughout our products, including artificial intelligence, advanced electronics, satellite guidance systems and telematics, give us the ability to diagnose and repair machines without even laying a hand on them. All this technology, as well as cutting edge engine and transmission design, means the need for skilled people within our dealerships is ever present.

“It’s not just about the machines either – sophisticated parts and service systems require the same skills too. The John Deere dealer of tomorrow is a challenging business, with a wide range of opportunities and exciting prospects for talented, enthusiastic people from any background.

“Like all apprenticeships, the programmes combine on-the-job training with paid employment at the dealership, leading to nationally recognised and valued qualifications. Apprentices undergo fully supported training, assessment and guidance, gaining valuable workplace skills by undertaking practical tasks and experiencing real-life challenges. They also spend eight weeks each year at the John Deere Apprentice Training Centre and at our head office in Langar.

“We are delighted to expand the programmes for the first time to our dealers in Ireland. This will allow us to deliver the same consistent, high quality apprentice training across the UK & Irish network, to the benefit of all our customers in both countries.”

John Deere’s three-year Ag Tech and Turf Tech and two-year Parts Tech apprenticeships involve students being trained in engineering, electronics, hydraulics, diagnostics, communication skills, computing, sales and marketing. The programmes lead to IMI Level 2 & 3 Diplomas in Landbased Engineering and Vehicle Parts Competence, and registration at LTA Intermediate level in the industry’s Landbased Training Accreditation scheme.

In subsequent years qualified technicians undergo further education and adult training within the John Deere University programme, on a career path that can ultimately lead to the highest possible LTA Master Technician accreditation.

Now in its 28th year, Ag Tech was the first such scheme to be introduced in the UK and won a National Training Award at the end of 1997, the only one ever made to an agricultural machinery apprenticeship programme. John Deere is also the only agricultural and turf machinery company to have been recognised as one of the best 100 employers for school leavers in the UK.

Since the first Ag Tech programme started in 1992, approaching 800 apprentices have graduated through the three main schemes and are now working in the company’s nationwide dealer network. Further details of the apprentice training programmes and other career opportunities can be found on the following ProVQ and John Deere websites:

http://apprenticeshipfinder.co.uk/john-deere and https://www.deere.co.uk/en/our-company/john-deere-careers/

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John Deere expands fairway line-up

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John Deere expands fairway line-up: John Deere has announced two new additions to the economical 6000A Series fairway mower line-up, which will be previewed at BTME 2020 in Harrogate from January 21-23.

Sharing technologies with the award-winning A Model mower range, the 6080A and 6500A E-Cut hybrid electric fairway mowers feature high-performance electric reel drive, which greatly reduces the number of potential hydraulic leak points to ensure maximum productivity and performance. In addition to their economical price, these new mowers can be operated at lower engine speeds, which further reduces operating costs by decreasing fuel consumption.

John Deere expands fairway line-up

“We’re excited to bring the E-Cut hybrid mowing system to the 6000A Series fairway mowers,” says John Deere’s European turf sales & marketing manager Carlos Aragones. “Powerful and full of premium features at an economical price, the 6080A and 6500A combine our proven E-Cut hybrid electric technology with the popular 6000A Series model design.”

John Deere was first to market with its electric reel drive system in 2005 on the 2500E triplex greens mower, and this was added to the fairway mower range in 2009 with the 7500 and 8000 E-Cut hybrid models. By removing all hydraulics from the reel circuit, the risk of hydraulic leaks has been reduced by over 90 per cent. In addition, the hybrid system is powered exclusively by an alternator, which offers consistent performance without additional batteries to maintain.

Equipped with a powerful 24.7hp (18.4kW) diesel engine, the 6080A and 6500A E-Cut hybrid mowers feature a three-wheel smooth tyre configuration on a durable chassis, with premium performance and comfort features for all-day mowing. Width of cut is 80in (2m) on the 6080A and 100in (2.5m) on the 6500A, with 18 and 22in (46 and 56cm) QA5 cutting units respectively.

These new models include the proven eHydro transmission and LoadMatch as standard, which maintains a high quality cut even when working on slopes. A mowing speed of 8mph (13kph) on both models allows operators to be more productive by covering larger areas in less time.

Another advanced technology feature adopted from the existing A Model range is the innovative, password-protected TechControl display. This gives turf managers and technicians complete control over cut quality and performance by enabling them to input commands such as mowing speed, transport speed and service times, while also capturing on-board service diagnostics.

Cut quality on the new John Deere 6080A and 6500A E-Cut hybrid electric fairway mowers is further enhanced with rear-attaching yokes on the cutting units and standard hydraulic down pressure, which can tackle even the toughest mowing conditions. Additionally, the hybrid reel drive system allows more power to be available for the standard GRIP all-wheel drive traction system, to further improve performance on slopes.

Other operator friendly features include internal hydraulic wet disk brakes, which eliminate linkage adjustments and grease points in the brake system, and a comfortable operator station with CommandArm-mounted controls that move with the seat.

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John Deere Launch New Battery Mower

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John Deere Launch New Battery Mower: John Deere is launching its first commercial electric battery powered walk-behind rotary mower at Saltex 2019 at the NEC in October.

The new PRO 43B not only produces zero emissions, but also offers intuitive handling, fast charging and a high level of operator comfort. It is designed to enable professional users to easily cut smaller grass areas and clean up edges in public spaces, without the disturbance and nuisance caused by noise and fumes.

John Deere Launch New Battery Mower

Built around an aluminium mower deck with steel reinforcement and alloy wheels for extra durability and reliability, the PRO 43B has shown impressive cutting and bagging performance in pre-production field tests, says John Deere, with no compromise in performance compared with petrol engine driven mowers.

The 36V mower’s new Powerhead carries two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and switches automatically to the second battery when the first one is empty. Charging capacity is 6Ah as standard, with a full electric charge taking 2 hours 20 minutes and providing up to 500m2 mowing capacity. A spring-loaded battery release system adds to the ease of operation.

Cutting width of the PRO 43B is 43cm and there is a choice of seven cutting heights from 22 to 80mm, easily set by a central lever. The mower comes with a 45-litre capacity grass bagger that features a simple TurboStar ‘bag full’ indicator flag, and a height adjustable handlebar that can be folded for storage. Overall weight with an empty bagger is 32kg.

The new John Deere PRO 43B commercial battery mower will be sold with a two-year warranty (one year on the batteries), and will be available from UK and Irish dealers in 2020.

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John May Elected By Deere & Company

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John May Elected By Deere & Company: The Deere & Company board of directors has elected John C May as a member of the board, effective immediately, and to the position of chief executive officer, effective November 4, 2019. May has served as Deere’s president and chief operating officer since April 2019.

“John’s record of success and proven leadership skills make him highly qualified to lead Deere and guide its success in the years ahead,” said Samuel R Allen, chairman and chief executive officer. “His experience in precision agriculture, information technology and overseas operations will be instrumental in driving the company’s digitalisation journey and extending its success in agricultural and construction equipment.”

John May Elected By Deere & Company

Allen will continue as chairman of the board of directors after he steps down from the CEO position. May becomes the 10th chief executive in the company’s 182-year history.

The 50-year-old May joined Deere in 1997 and became part of the senior management team in 2012 as president, agricultural solutions and chief information officer. Last year he was named president, worldwide agriculture & turf division, with responsibility for the Americas and Australia, the global harvesting, turf & utility and crop care platforms, and the intelligent solutions group.

Earlier in his career, May headed the company’s China operations, served as factory manager at the Dubuque (Iowa) Works, and was vice-president of the turf and utility platform.

A native of Maine, May holds a bachelor’s degree in health information management from the University of New Hampshire and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Maine.

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