Jacobsen, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today (14th February) that it increased global sales of its full line of quality turf equipment 12.7 percent in 2012. In addition to global sales being up nearly 13 percent, 63 percent of Jacobsen’s North American sales territories saw year-over-year sales growth.
In the United Kingdom, Jacobsen posted record growth of 25%. In China, the company nearly doubled sales in 2012.
Jacobsen says the increase is partly the result of significant investments the company made in new products, sales staff, customer support and dealer presence.
“In 2012, we hired twelve field sales representative, added four more Jacobsen dealers in North America, and launched innovations like the TrueSet™ cutting unit,” said Ric Stone, Vice President of Sales for Jacobsen. “The increase in sales validates that we are doing the right things. Jacobsen is now more visible and relevant in the market than ever.”
This news comes on the heels of Jacobsen’s launch of the new LF510™ fairway mower, a machine that offers a superior quality-of-cut with surprising affordability. Because of continued economic strain on the golf industry, Jacobsen believes a wide spectrum of golf courses will find the LF510 attractive.
Jacobsen will continue its expansion strategy in 2013, adding to its sales force; working with channel partners to expand and improve sales and service; and continuing to launch additional product innovations and enhancements. Later this year, Jacobsen will begin offering its award-winning ECLIPSE 322 riding greens mower with advanced Lithium power. This new power source allows superintendents to cut 18 greens and practice greens on just one charge.
“Double digit sales growth is always a good thing, especially in our industry” said David Withers, President of Jacobsen. “But what I’m most excited about is that nearly half of the customers we sold to in 2012 were new to Jacobsen. That means our strategy of building relationships is working. As we welcome more customers into the Jacobsen family, we expect our success to continue into 2013 and beyond.”
Jacobsen www.jacobsen.com