With more than 30 years at his family’s business, Tyler’s Small Engine in Antrim, owner Mike Tyler has seen hard times.
“Back when I was real young, the mid-’80s, people couldn’t afford to buy new chainsaws,” he said. “All we did was fix them, and we survived.”
But Tyler said no one in his business has ever seen anything like the current problem of inventory just not arriving.
“Chainsaws and trimmers are in good shape; tractors and mowers are the problem,” he said.
At Coll’s Garden Center & Florist of Jaffrey, manager Beth Coll said the spring items she booked in November and December should have arrived in early March and gone on sale in the middle of the month, but have not arrived. Like Tyler, she said handheld items are fine, but the tractor supply is not.
Coll said she gets a date from the supplier, but then it gets pushed out a little more, and a little more.
“There’s no definite date,” she said. “It just keeps getting pushed back and pushed back. It’s very frustrating.”
Coll described the cause as “Don’t have help, don’t have components. Pick one,” while Tyler said the problem is getting items out of Europe because manufacturers don’t have the electronic components they need to finish building their products. He compared the problem to the automotive industry, where vehicles are almost built but one piece is unavailable.
“The same is happening in the lawn and garden industry,” he said.
Tyler said he has about 85% of the models he offers, but only 25% of the inventory he would want in stock, which he called “way more than what most dealers have.” He said the problem started more than a year ago, but it wasn’t an issue until now because he ordered so far in advance.
“We’re ordering some models of products nine months in advance. Everything that I’m ordering right now, those orders aren’t being filled. The days of just-in-time inventory, we will never see again,” he said, referring to the practice of keeping as little inventory on hand as possible and only ordering more as needed. “You have to think so far ahead now.”
Last year, Coll said she got an early order of tractors that sold quickly, as did another order that arrived in April. However, after she sent another order for 13, one arrived in January.
“And they were all spoken for, so nobody got them,” she said.
Out of an order of tractors she booked in December, Coll said she only got 14 out of 37.
Tyler’s Small Engine started as a repair business before adding sales, and Tyler said the business is still in good shape because of its service department.
“If it breaks, we can fix it still,” he said. “We’re keeping people going, whether you’re a landscaper or just the average homeowner.”
Coll’s also does complete service on all brands, and Coll said she is not accepting deposits from customers on new items because it would not be fair to take people’s money without knowing when their product will be in stock.
“I have a list of people to call when the tractors arrive,” she said.
Coll said she was fortunate during snow season because she got all the units she ordered except one. She has already booked 18 to 20 snowblowers for next season. Those are supposed to arrive in August, and she is confident she will get those in time because each sales representative is only allocated a certain amount.
“They’re only taking orders on what they can build,” she said.
As for getting through the current trouble, Tyler said he talks to his suppliers every day.
“They’re trying. Everybody’s trying,” he said. “You jut have to be patient. Stuff will come eventually.”