WHAT GRABBED YOUR ATTENTION IN '21?

The Service Dealer Weekly Update popped into your inbox every Friday as close to noon as possible throughout 2021, documenting another extraordinary year for the industry.

As has become traditional in the first edition of the new year, we take a look back at the stories that caught your eye the most during the past 12 months. Once again the stories gaining the most click-throughs are surprising, unusual and contain a smattering of controversy.

Without further ado, in ascending order, here's what you read the most in 2021:

 
10.
NEW DISTRIBUTOR ANNOUNCED FOR ECHO PRODUCTS IN UK - 3rd December 2021
FGM Claymore announced that as of 1st January 2022, they would be the new distributor of the Echo and Shindaiwa brands for the UK market.

9.
KUBOTA MAKES ANOTHER ACQUISITION - 15th October 2021

It was announced that Kverneland AS, a subsidiary of Kubota Corporation, had acquired 80% of shares in the ROC Company, an Italian manufacturer of merger implements.

8.
DEALERSHIP TO OPEN NEW KUBOTA CENTRE - 29th October 2021

Lister Wilder announced the addition of a new Kubota centre in Bibury, Gloucestershire, which would bring the teams from both its Cirencester and Southam branches together.

7.
HUSQVARNA NAME THEIR TOP DEALERS - 8th October 2021

During its 2021 virtual dealer conference, the manufacturer announced the three winners of its annual dealer awards.

6.
HUSQVARNA FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST BRIGGS & STRATTON - 24th September 2021

Husqvarna Group in the U.S instigated legal action against Briggs & Stratton after the engine maker announced that they would only deliver a very small portion of the engines for ride-on mowers that Husqvarna Group had ordered in advance of the 2022 season.

5.
KEN BREWSTER LEAVES HUSQVARNA - 5th February 2021

Husqvarna announced that their UK sales & marketing director, Ken Brewster, who had been in the role for six years, had left the company "to pursue other career opportunities."

4.
BAGMA ADVISE GARDEN MACHINERY SHOWROOMS TO CLOSE - 15th January 2021

The Association had studied the guidelines at the time for retailers and was advising that any shop or showroom for dealers of garden products was likely to be considered ‘non-essential’ retail and was therefore required to close.

3.
BIGWOOD AGRI CLOSES ITS DOORS - 25th June 2021

Following 39 years of trading at Walford Cross Garage in Taunton, Somerset, dealers Bigwoods Agri Ltd closed their doors for the final time.

2.
HONDA REMAIN SILENT - 15th January 2021

Service Dealer editor Steve Gibbs wrote a blog addressing the decision by Honda not to respond to dealer concerns regarding the manner in which their termination and subsequent messaging to customers had been handled.

1.
ANGER AT HONDA'S TERMINATION LETTER; PART TWO - 8th January 2021

Service Dealer founder Chris Biddle penned an editorial regarding dealers who had been terminated by Honda who had been sent a threatening termination letter and had been forced to deny suggestions of closure.