LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE
effectively complete outdoor landscaping maintenance and projects .
Customers also remain on the lookout for ways to make their businesses and operations more environmentally friendly . This means that fuel-efficient and zero-emissions products are proving to be attractive , along with battery-powered products .
Noise abatement , both for operators and consumers , is an increasingly important aspect of environmental sustainability . As people in the community are asking for less noise from landscaping activities , quiet operation reduces sound pollution . – Elisha Lipscomb , senior marketing strategist , lawn & garden for Honda Power Equipment
Over the past year , ride comfort and productivity enhancements continue to be key trends within the commercial mowing industry . With this , manufacturers are delivering equipment equipped with features to cater to those needs . As the labor shortage continues nationwide , professional landscape contractors are forced to do more with less , making productivity and efficiency a major priority in their purchasing decisions .
– Chase Tew , product line manager , John Deere Commercial Mowing
Based on industry trends , the commercial ZTR mower market shipments have been flat compared to last year , while the stand-on segment has seen a 10 % increase over last year ’ s results . Some manufacturers are experiencing supply chain issues , which are impacting commercial mower deliveries and , in turn , the overall commercial mower segment .
– Tom Vachal , Kubota Turf senior product manager
Battery-powered products continue to make inroads into the traditional gasoline-powered machines market share for consumer mowers , and the same is starting to be evident
Photo provided by Exmark
Photo provided by Briggs & Stratton
for the commercial market as well . Power and runtime are still though the Achilles heel of many battery mowers targeted at commercial users , but each season improvements continue to be made in addressing these weaknesses .
– Steve Hughes , managing director , Masport Ltd
LB : How did the global pandemic impact mower manufacturing and sales , and what impact will it have on the mower market in the future ?
The pandemic certainly affected us on the manufacturing side , as some components were unavailable from our suppliers , due to plant shutdowns , which forced us to be more specific on commercial product production to help meet our customer ’ s needs . On the sales side , while the overall commercial market was down due to the pandemic , we saw growth on that family of products . In the future , I think landscapers will be analyzing their purchasing decisions more to determine what commercial products in the market will aid them in getting their job done with a smaller workforce .
– Ron Scheffler , senior product manager , Bobcat Mowers
The impact of the pandemic was felt in different ways .
First , more time spent at home meant that homeowners wanted their yards looking great , whether they were taking care of it themselves or hiring a contractor to handle it . And in many parts of the country , lawn and landscape workers could continue to work throughout the various quarantine orders , so companies in those areas didn ’ t see the slow down that others might have experienced .
As an industry , one of the bigger challenges the pandemic created for all manufacturers was supply chain issues , as plants globally slowed production or shut down for periods of time . While some of these issues persist , we are committed to working through them and supporting our dealer and distributor partners to make sure that their customers ’ needs are met .
– Joe Ferris , product manager , Briggs & Stratton
Although the events of 2020 and into 2021 have disrupted markets across the globe , overall , we have a positive outlook for the future . Specifically , one byproduct of people spending more time in their homes and opting for small , outdoor gatherings over large , public events has been an increased importance in the beautification and maintenance of their own outdoor spaces . This actually translates to increased residential mower and tool sales , but also an increased demand
32 SportsField Management | May 2021 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com