Golfdom, January 2012

w w w g o l f d o m c o m Golfdom 29 Its all about getting out of that shadow and saying That was 10 years ago we are a very different company now months were putting additional sales guys out there actual Jacobsen employees Ive also added a new position vice president of customer care I believe its important that we have one point of contact to look after our customers post sale Golfdom Back in the late 90s early 2000s there was a lot of confusion surrounding Jacobsen There seemed to always be a new name there were problems getting parts to customers is that shadow still cast on Jacobsen Withers I think its patchy In some places we are definitely out of that shadow I think for some people we let them down so badly in the late 90s and 2000 even though it was 10 years ago the scars are still there Its all sorted and it has been for a few years now Its about getting the perception right We want to look to some thought leaders people who are looked up to and respected Maybe we cant get them to buy our equipment right now but we definitely want to be to the point where theyll look at our equipment as a credible alternative We know if we can get into a golf course and sell them one bit of equipment weve got a very good chance of selling them a second piece Theyll be surprised not only by our performance but also our support Its all about getting out of that shadow as you rightfully put it and saying That was 10 years ago we are a very different company now Golfdom So lets talk about today What excites you about the Jacobsen line right now Withers Our riding greens mowers are a great story The 322 theyre scientifically shown to give a superior cut and superior playing conditions But obviously you pay for that But we also offer a value end and thats something we want to continue We still sell the Greens King IV I wonder how many thousands of those weve sold We want to be relevant to both markets premium but also value Golfdom I read that you were once a mechanic Do you still like to get under the hood Ill tell you a story My granddad owned a big Volvo garage When I was 10 Id go and muck about with cars and motorbikes In high school I went and worked in Kenya for two and ahalf years fixing equipment helping build schools hospitals things like that When I came back to the UK my friend and I started a little business buying and selling cars and used equipment that we fixed We sold that business to a subsidiary of Redexim So I worked for Redexim for two three years Then I joined Jacobsen So Ive always wielded a spanner wrench Though I do less of it now than I used to but I certainly know how our products work Golfdom Any parting shots Withers I have a clear message to our group on how to succeed I call it the three Bs Build a relationship Build a good product Back it up for the whole of its life If we do those three things correctly well be in the game and well win But if we muck it up well be in trouble Ten to 12 years ago we werent doing any of these things well Weve since sorted out the last two the back up and the machinery Now our focus is on building relationships with customers Thats what Jacobsen brought me in to do and thats what Ill be concentrating on in the next weeks and months