ABudding CAREER Early Ransomes Tractor
The Budding Patented Mower
Always on the look out for a different story, I felt it would be interesting to find out what the Managing Director of a major international company got up to and the role he plays in running such a company. Having spent some time with David Withers at this year’s GCSAA show in Atlanta I decided he would be my ideal candidate. David is the Managing Director of Ransomes Jacobsen (UK/Europe/Middle East/Africa and India) a position he has held for three years. Under the umbrella of Textron Inc., whose portfolio also includes Bell Helicopters and Cessna Aircraft, Ransomes Jacobsen form a formidable partnership in the making and supplying of equipment for the turf care industry.
Ransomes and Jacobsen were formerly two separate mower manufacturers, from either side of the pond. Jacobsen started life in Racine, Wisconsin in 1921, whereas Ransomes roots go as far back as 1784 in the East Anglian town of Ipswich.
Ransomes cylinder mower c1920
RANSOMES started out as an agricultural machinery manufacturer founded by Robert Ransome. His grandson, James Allen Ransome, went on to make the first Budding patented lawnmower under licence in 1832. Within 20 years Ransomes had sold well over 1,500 mowers. In 1901 they were granted their first royal warrant and, in the following year, were the first company to make a petrol engine powered mower.
In 1911 Ransomes became a Limited company and were, at this time, employing 2500 people. In 1939, it acquired its present factory site at Nacton, Ipswich. A self propelled Auto Certes mower was first produced in 1958 and remained in production up until 2001. In 1964 Ransomes produced the world’s first tractor-mounted, power- driven, five unit, gang mower. During the 1970s, the company extended its range to include a self propelled, high work rate, ride on triple mower. This machine became Ransomes’ mainstay and was used in many parks and open spaces for the following 20 years.
JACOBSEN’S history began when Knud and Oscar Jacobsen decided to focus on grounds maintenance equipment. One of their early models,
the 4-acre, was the first mower equipped with a motor specifically designed for cutting and maintaining turf. The 4-acre had such an abundance of power that it became popular in, of all places, Switzerland because of its ability to climb heavy mountain grades.
In 1923 the first cast aluminium
greens mower was produced to cut fine turf and bent-grass greens without damaging the surfaces. The first rotary mower for home use was introduced in 1955, with four reversible cutting blades. In 1968 the first riding greens mower was introduced, The Greens King™, and quickly set the standard for the turf maintenance industry. In 1998 Textron, a multi national corporation and owner of Jacobsen since 1978, acquired Ransomes, bringing together two of the world’s largest mower manufactures. Ransomes Jacobsen now operate globally with three distinct market areas: • America, Canada, South America
• UK/Europe, Middle East and Africa • India and South east Asia
DAVID Withers began his career with the company in 1992 when he was appointed Regional Sales Manager for the South. Within four years he was promoted to National Accounts Manager, followed by the position of UK Sales Manager in 1998, Sales and Customer Care Director in 2002 and subsequently his current position. David has been involved in all of the company’s restructuring and streamlining activities in recent years. Like many companies they have had bad times as well as good. At the turn of the Millennium they were losing money but, by 2003, they were breaking even. Ever since then, their profits have grown year on year.. Ransomes Jacobsen are now a completely integrated business, fully accountable for all their own actions and operations which include design, development, manufacturing, sales, distribution, promotion, training and education. The turnaround in the fortunes of the company have been largely due to the changes made by David and his fellow directors. They began by introducing new working practices
The turnaround in fortunes of the company has been largely due to the changes made by David and his fellow directors
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