FEATURE STORY
Equipment purchases have been delayed
due to this year's uncommon weather
pattern. Traditionally, most people purchase
snow and ice management equipment
before Christmas. This year, however, many
purchases came later, since most of the
country's snow and ice events happened
after the holidays. And because we had
a longer winter, purchases of turf care
equipment were delayed as well.
— James Truan
vice president of sales and marketing
for SnowEx and TurfEx products
Weather has had a significant impact
on equipment sales in those areas that
are experiencing a late spring. Driven
by unseasonably lower temperatures and
higher rainfall amounts, the season has been
directly affected. The question is when and
if the projects in those areas will get back
on anything that resembles a normal track.
How many projects will be placed on hold
because of re-adjusted priorities or the
inability to start and complete them within
the desired timeframe?
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— Dennis Von Ruden
president
General Equipment Company
It's been a late spring this year
throughout most of the country. I think
everyone in the landscaping industry is
feeling the effects of that.
— Ryan Moorlag
associate marketing manager
Toro
2013 had a slower start in comparison
with last year. The 2012 year warmed
very early, and, as a result, we had an
accelerated purchase and sales increment.
In 2013, as temperatures slowly started
to rise, we have seen a steady level of
sales. After the massive devastation that
Hurricane Sandy left at the end of 2012,
2013 has been a year of rebuilding.
Landscape/lawn care company owners
and rental stores started to renew their
fleets and move dynamically a variety of
machines serving not just contractors but
also do-it-yourselfers.
OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT
— Andy Van Soelen
rental solutions specialist
Vermeer Corporation
The landscape market for us ties
closely to snow removal. We didn't see a
ton of snow in October, November and
December, so we didn't see a spike in
snow removal in 2012. But rolling into
January, February and March 2013, we got
snow. Looking at our retail data, we saw
some of that typical end-of-year buying
trend we expected for late 2012 actually
occurred in early 2013, and we saw sales
go up. Rolling into the actual landscape
season, we're still seeing sales on the
upswing. That's pretty typical for us, if the
weather's really good, all the contractors
are working and not buying equipment.
But with the rain, contractors are focusing
on growing their fleets. The expected
outcome of a wet spring would be to see
a lag in sales, but we're not seeing that.
— Rob Gilles
marketing manager
Bobcat
www.outdoorpowerequipment.com
