It would be excusable to look from the outside at Hayter and think that nothing much has changed, but that view could not be further from the truth.
PETER BRITTON talks to DAVID STURGES about changes at their Bishop’s Stortford headquarters
HAYTER On the money
Toro saw Hayter as the ideal partnership giving them a share of the Amenity Turf market
OVER the past decade, ownership of Hayter has changed from a US based conglomerate that included firearms manufacturers Smith & Wesson in its portfolio, to a Chinese investment company and, more recently, The Toro Company. During these turbulent years, Hayter lost key staff who were well known and respected in the industry. Filling the gaps left would not have been easy. In true Hayter style though, a new MD was appointed in Derek Boulton and promotions from within ensured a smooth transition of responsibilities. David Sturges, Sales & Marketing
Director explained that it is the latest ownership by Toro that has brought about significant change for Hayter. “Our previous owners saw Hayter purely as a money making exercise. Therefore, our hands were somewhat tied when it came to investing in new models and manufacturing equipment. With Toro this has all changed.” As one of the most respected manufacturers of golf course and landscape
maintenance equipment, Toro saw Hayter as the ideal partnership for their range, offering them an immediate share of the Amenity Turf market that their main competitors, John Deere and Ransomes Jacobsen, already had a strong foothold in. Investment in Hayter has, to date, been
impressive. New robotic welding equipment, a laser cutter and a modern paint plant have been installed at the factory in Bishop’s Stortford. This has enabled Hayter to streamline their manufacturing processes by improving further their 'just in time' production. Developments to the CAD design systems have also been installed and this is linked to the production line. “We maintain a staff of around 200,” said David. “In the past it was often difficult to find new staff but, with the introduction of more mechanised processes, it has opened up the production line to women employees.” “We operate an annualised hours system for our factory employees. At busy times of the year, like now for instance, our
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