Lely acquires turf company JSM

Toro turf machinery distributor Lely (UK) has acquired the turfcare equipment dealership, John Shaw (Machinery) (JSM). JSM will be merged with Lely’s turf division, based at St Neots in Cambridgeshire.

JSM was founded in 1985 specifically to represent the Toro Commercial brand in the south east of England and Lely-Toro has accounted for the large majority of JSM’s turfcare machinery business operations ever since.

Lely sees the region as important for future growth of sales of its Toro and other turf products, and JSM’s head office in Sheffield Park, East Sussex, will continue for the timebeing as a regional base for the merged business, with its employees’ jobs secured.

The merger will also result in JSM managing director David Cole becoming senior manager of the Lely turfcare business. He will be based at St Neots and report to managing director Graham Dale. He will succeed Peter Mansfield, who, in addition to supporting David Cole, will take on a new business development role overseeing and enhancing Lely’s national network of dealers and service centres.