SDZT at the CLIMMAR Annual Congress in Gdańsk

From October 11–13, 2023, the annual congress of the international organization CLIMMAR took place in Gdańsk, Poland. CLIMMAR brings together national associations of agricultural machinery dealers and service providers from across Europe. Representatives from 16 member countries, including the Czech Republic, attended the event. The Czech Association of Agricultural Machinery Importers (SDZT) was represented by Tomáš Kvapil and Martin Jurkovič.

The congress program was content-rich and addressed the current challenges facing the agricultural machinery sector throughout Europe. Participants presented reports on market developments in their respective countries, discussed current trends, and shared experiences related to sales, service, and staffing.

A key part of the program was the presentation of two important surveys: the Branch Report, which maps the structure and development of sales and service organizations, and the Dealer Satisfaction Index (DSI), which monitors dealer satisfaction with their cooperation with individual manufacturers. The results showed that the shortage of qualified technical staff continues to be a problem across Europe, and that growing equipment inventories are putting pressure on the financial stability of dealerships.

Attention was also given to the work of CLIMMAR’s various working groups, which focus on topics such as staff training, service digitalization, trade fairs, and technical standards. A significant point of discussion was the future direction of the CLIMMAR organization. Delegates agreed on the need to strengthen the role of the common European secretariat, based in Brussels, to more effectively represent the interests of member organizations to European institutions and regulators.

SDZT’s participation in this international forum provided an opportunity to build connections, exchange experiences, and strengthen the position of Czech agricultural machinery importers within the broader European dialogue. The congress also delivered valuable insights that can support national strategies in the areas of trade, service, and education.

The next CLIMMAR congress will take place in October 2024 in Hamburg, Germany.