Tag Archive for: Retires

Sharon Morris retires after 43 years at Mansfield Sand

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Sharon Morris retires after 43 years at Mansfield Sand: After 43 years of working for Mansfield Sand, the ever-popular Sharon Morris is retiring.

Sharon originally trained to be an accountant before working for Mansfield Sand. She started as a credit controller for the company and worked her way through the accounts department in various roles before eventually becoming the office manager. Sharon didn’t stop there, however.

Sharon Morris retires after 43 years at Mansfield Sand

Sharon Morris retires after 43 years at Mansfield Sand

“I had so many different positions to start with because I wanted to learn absolutely everything about the business,” she said. “At some point I was offered the opportunity to get out on the road and the rest is history. I had so many years of doing figures and sitting in front of a computer so going out on the road and being involved in sales was something I was really interested in. It was a bit of a lightbulb moment.”

Sharon’s professionalism and personality quickly shone through in her new role. In fact, she grew her first account into a million-pound-plus customer. She admits that it wasn’t easy and at her first show, BTME Harrogate, she went with colleagues who told her to basically forge her own way and get to know people which she did by visiting every stand at the show and introducing herself. In reflecting on the advice Sharon believes that it was probably the best she ever received.

After that it was a case of visiting all the reps and customers, giving them the confidence that Mansfield Sand was the company they needed to deal with. It was all about getting to know people and going to shows was a golden opportunity.

Throughout her career Sharon specialised in sports turf and most of her customers were based at football and golf clubs. As a huge sports fan there couldn’t have been a better job.

“It gave me a special tingle whenever I went into those wonderful stadiums and golf clubs that I would see on television all the time. I felt so privileged and never once took it for granted. One of my proudest moments was when we started dealing with Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC via a contractor. They were two clubs that had been a goal of mine to work with for many years, so it felt like a huge personal achievement when the clubs and the contractors’ showed faith in myself and Mansfield Sand.”

Sharon admits that the prospect of retirement is daunting, but she is looking forward to the next chapter. As a Nottingham Forest FC season ticket holder since the age of 9, she is planning on watching more games and she revealed that her and her partner will become members of Nottinghamshire Cricket Club. She will also be taking more holidays abroad and she is looking forward to being able to attend concerts and theatre shows during the week without the worry of having to set the morning alarm clock. Her 91-year-old mum will also be getting a lot more of Sharon’s attention.

Although Sharon will have plenty of activities throughout retirement to keep her busy, she will always hold a special place in her heart for her former customers and colleagues.

“It has certainly been a very unique job and I’m proud of the career I’ve had,” she said.  “No one knew me at first, but now wherever I go everyone makes me feel so incredibly welcome.

“Special thanks must go to Mansfield Sand Company and everyone I have worked with over the years, all who have contributed to making my 43 years so enjoyable.”

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

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Golf club greenkeeper retires

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Golf club greenkeeper retires: A small celebration to mark nearly six decades of green keeping at Sutton Bridge Golf Club has taken place.

The greenkeeper, Andrew Norton, retired after almost 58 years at the club .

Read the full article from Lynn News here

Golf club greenkeeper retires

Golf club greenkeeper retires

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Neil Pullen retires from Agrovista Amenity

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Neil Pullen retires from Agrovista Amenity: Neil Pullen, Product Development Manager at Agrovista Amenity has announced his retirement. Neil has been instrumental in the development of a number of leading turfcare brands and his legacy is set to live on through the next generation of amenity experts.

Neil started his career as a fruit farmer, a position he held for just over 11 years before he joined Kings Horticulture. As the name suggests, the company largely focussed on horticulture, but it had a very small amenity division and Neil saw huge opportunity.

Neil Pullen retires from Agrovista Amenity

Neil Pullen retires from Agrovista Amenity

From having just one trading customer, Neil developed Kings Horticulture into a strong amenity business with a large customer base and this continued when the company became United Agri Products (UAP).

Sherriff Amenity was the next destination on Neil’s career path and a merge with a company called Profarma resulted in the creation of Agrovista.

“It was an exciting time,” said Neil. “The merger brought a lot of backing to the table and allowed the amenity side of the business to grow massively. Over time we bought Alpha Amenity, Amenity One, Terra Firma, and then more recently Maxwell Amenity.

“This acquisition enabled the launch of Agrovista Amenity and it has made us a much stronger, more focussed group of individuals,” continued Neil. “I can safely say that the group of individuals we have working for us now are some of the most technical agronomists in the country. We are moving more towards an advice-driven business and away from a sales-driven business – and it is great to see.”

Neil rightfully admits to feeling proud when he reflects on his career to date; after all he started as a trainee amenity salesman and progressed through to middle and then senior management. In his current and final role, he is now one of three people that oversees the amenity division for Agrovista. However, there is one stand out moment in his career that he is particularly proud of.

“Mark Pyrah (now at ICL) and I introduced fungicide and chemical mixing and I feel that it changed the amenity market for the better,” said Neil. “We were the first to do it and it has now become standard practice in the industry.

“At the time we faced a lot of opposition from manufacturers, but we were determined because we could see so many benefits. It would reduce costs for the user because they would be using different active ingredients from different chemical groups, but more importantly it would prevent chemical resistance and offer a better control of diseases.”

Neil has always had an eye for innovation and is renowned for working with a wide range of manufacturers to bring new ideas and products into the marketplace. He does however admit that the process has changed somewhat over the years.

“15 years ago, we would always visit the American trade show – GIS,” said Neil. “New products in America used to be four or five years in front of us and so my mission was to look for new ideas and innovations. I used to identify the best ones and then introduce them into the UK market.

“This of course has changed over recent years due to the rise of the internet. New products are not as hard to find, and you can get information very quickly at the click of a button.”

Neil reflects fondly on his successful overseas missions and is responsible for introducing many turf and amenity solutions into the UK market. However, the industry, and Agrovista in particular, will give thanks to Neil for nurturing the next generation of turf experts.

In fact, anyone that has joined the company in the last twenty years would have been trained by Neil at some point.

“It is a nice feeling to take somebody with little or no experience through to becoming an experienced, top performer,” he said.

John Marland, Head of Amenity at Agrovista Amenity, believes that Neil has laid the foundations for a bright future.

“To summarise Neil’s career, I think of a quote of which its origin I believe is lost,” said John. “It reads…

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”

“Neil has planted an awful lot of trees. His legacy is what Agrovista Amenity is today and what it will be in the future.”

After a hugely successful career, Neil can now enjoy his retirement with his wife Kim of 39 years but admits that there will be times when he will miss the job.

“I’ve met so many wonderful and varied people and I’ve been fortunate enough to visit many great places and top sporting venues – it’s natural to miss that. But now I’m looking forward to having more time to myself – to play more golf and take up fishing again. More importantly, my wife and I have so many places we want to visit, and we fully intend on working our way through the bucket list.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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Greenkeeper retires after 43 years

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Greenkeeper retires after 43 years: Cochrane Castle Golf Course head greenkeeper Lachie McGill is leaving the club after more than four decades of ensuring its fairways and greens remained in superb condition.

Read the full article from the Daily Record here

Greenkeeper retires after 43 years

Greenkeeper retires after 43 years

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Chris Hamley retires from Agrovista UK

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Chris Hamley retires from Agrovista UK: Agrovista UK has announced the retirement of Chris Hamley, Supervisor at the Liskeard depot in Cornwall, after an incredible 44 years of service.

Born and bred in Cornwall, Chris Hamley is a highly respected man in the South-West. He started working for the company back in 1976 after seeing an advertisement in the local newspaper. His first role was as a delivery driver and then he went on to cover most positions in the Liskeard depot including an assistant, a manager and now as the overall supervisor – which he admits was a proud moment in his career.

Chris Hamley retires from Agrovista UK

Chris Hamley retires from Agrovista UK

“It was a great personal achievement especially as I started out as a driver,” he said. “Over the years I have seen so many changes – different logos, new vehicles, name changes, products – but to be honest, being tucked away down here in Cornwall, it didn’t have much of an effect on us. We’ve just always done the job we’re supposed to do.”

When he is not managing the Liskeard depot, Chris volunteers as a first responder for the South-West Ambulance Service and says that he is looking forward to dedicating more time to this in his retirement. He will however miss both his colleagues and customers whom he has worked alongside for so long.

“I don’t have any big plans for retirement,” Chris said. “I will just take it as it comes but I will be doing more responding for the ambulance service.”

“I have really enjoyed my time working for the company and I’ll always remember the people that I’ve worked with. There are customers that I still see who I first started working with back in the very early days. A lot of my friends from my generation have retired already – and now it is my turn!”

Those who have worked with Chris are full of praise for him. Commenting on Chris’ retirement, Line Manager James Seabrook, said: “It is a very busy depot, but I just leave Chris to get on with it. He has been an absolute pleasure to work with and he is a real company man. 44 years of service is phenomenal, and he will be missed by all.”

Echoing James was Martin Stuart – an Agronomist for Agrovista UK: “Chris is an incredibly modest man. He has been out there on the road and in the office and has grown up with the job. Chris is very customer focussed and he knows so many of our customers by name – just as they know his. He will pull out all the stops to ensure that the customer is always satisfied, even if that means going in on a Sunday morning to open up for somebody who needs a product.

“I wish Chris a very happy retirement and I am sure he will be sorely missed by the agricultural community in Devon and Cornwall. He is certainly leaving behind some big boots to fill.”

The man filling those boots is the experienced Daniel Clarke, who is making the most of Chris’ last few weeks to prepare for his new position.

“He probably has the best product knowledge throughout the company, and he certainly has the best knowledge of the area I have ever known,” said Daniel. “I’m looking closely at how he works, how he interacts with customers and trying to learn as much from him as I can.

It is fitting that Daniel is somewhat of a Cornishman as well after moving to the South-West when he was just eleven. His previous positions have included working in a logistics role for celebrity chef Rick Stein, leading wholesale provider Booker and a memorable experience of working on an almond farm in Australia.

“The job really appealed to me because I have always been in this line of work and to become a supervisor is progression,” he said. “Also, the products and the sectors which Agrovista specialises in piqued my interest.

“It is one of the biggest companies I have worked for, and everyone has been incredibly welcoming. I am driven and motivated and looking forward to putting my own stamp on the role – in time. Overall, I am just incredibly pleased to be on-board.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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TNS groundcare stalwart retires

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TNS groundcare stalwart retires: After 46 years with Kubota ground care machinery dealer Thurlow Nunn Standen (TNS), machinery stalwart Laurie Brown is to retire.

“I’ve now decided to practice what I’ve been preaching, by investing in a walk-behind Kubota W819R-Pro so I can continue to keep my lawn presentable during my retirement,” explains Laurie, who steps down from his role as branch manager of TNS Kennett, near Newmarket, Suffolk, in May 2021.

TNS groundcare stalwart retires

TNS groundcare stalwart retires

“I wouldn’t buy anything else, and based on the reliability and durability of Kubota equipment I’ve seen over the years, this is likely to be the only mower I’ll need,” he adds. “I’m proud to say that I have two customers who still use their G3 HST mowers that were bought new in the late 1970’s.”

“Japanese reliability is legendary and the machines are still serviceable; so it is down to us, as the supplying dealer, to deliver with aftersales and service,” he says. “I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some fantastic people along the way, and I’ll certainly miss the camaraderie from our suppliers, and our customers.”

Mr Brown has worked with Kubota since TNS became a ground care dealer in the late 1970’s supplying products up to 100hp. He says it’s been a journey that has also led to developing extremely enjoyable working relationships with customers.

“When you enjoy the job this much, it’s not a chore – it’s a way of life,” he says.

Having joined the business straight from school in June 1975 and worked his way up through the business, Mr Brown has spent time as regional aftersales manager, and enjoyed being branch manager of several TNS depots including Littleport, Melton and Hinderclay, before moving to Kennett four years ago.

“There’s no doubt that reliability has driven the success of the Kubota product, and customers do keep coming back because of the service and support we provide,” he says. “Over the years, when customers invest in TNS-supplied Kubota machinery, they also invest in the people who look after them. And I’m pleased to say it’s rewarded me with many long-term relationships with customers – I consider a lot of them to be good friends.”

Aside from taking care of his lawn and creating those sought-after green stripes, Laurie is looking forward to spending quality time with his family, and embarking on travelling with his wife, when it’s safe to do so.

“We do like cruises, and we’re looking forward to doing many more of them,” he says. “Though if I could do it all again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

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Greenkeeper retires after 47 years

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Greenkeeper retires after 47 years: Clonmel Golf Club greenkeeper Sean Harte is retiring in 2021 after a fantastic 47 years of loyal service.

Read the full article from Tipperary Live here

Greenkeeper retires after 47 years

Greenkeeper retires after 47 years

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Dave Harrison retires from Campey

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Dave Harrison retires from Campey: Campey Turf Care Systems export sales manager, Dave Harrison, announced his retirement after ten years and left the company at the end of 2019.

Dave joined Campey in 2009 from Dennis Sisis with a wealth of experience and global industry knowledge. His remit was to develop further growth in sales throughout the European and world markets as well as introducing the Campey range of products into the Middle East and Asia. With Dave’s involvement, Campey has become an established presence in Asia, with Dave himself becoming very popular with all the customers he has worked with.

Dave Harrison retires from Campey

Speaking about his time in the industry, Dave said: “Forty-three years seems to have flown by, and I’ve loved my time in this industry. I’m really looking forward to spending time at home with the family and catching up on all the things I’ve missed out on in recent years, like getting on my bike again! We’ll be having another grandchild soon, so that is something that will occupy some time for us all.

“Working for Campey has been a brilliant experience, and I’ve been fortunate to meet some fantastic people from all over the world.”

Campey chairman, Richard Campey said: “Dave joined us in 2009 and was given clear objectives, and over ten years he accomplished a great deal. During his time with us, he has contributed greatly to the expansion of the company in Asia and the Middle East and the work he has done will be remembered for a long time to come.”

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Sid Arrowsmith Retires

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Sid Arrowsmith Retires: Well known in the greenkeeping industry for his work at Frilford Heath Golf Club and as a president of BIGGA, Sid Arrowsmith has now retired after 42 years.

With such a varied and impressive career, Sid has certainly left his mark on the industry and will undoubtedly be much missed by many. And he credits Reesink Turfcare and Toro as having played a part in some of his biggest achievements.

Sid Arrowsmith Retires

“One of the things I’m proudest of is what we achieved at Frilford Heath Golf Club, where I was course manager for 25 years,” says Sid. “From developing a third championship course, to obtaining GEO (Golf Environment Organisation) certification for our sustainability efforts and becoming an Open regional qualifying club, Frilford Heath has come a long way since I arrived. And the successful relationship we had with Toro really aided the club’s progression.”

With more and more Toro brought in to Frilford Heath under Sid’s tenure, the progress made is proof that a forward thinking club and equipment brand working together can achieve great things.

“And the same could be said for my time as Head Greenkeeper at Royal Portrush Golf Club. I was responsible for preparing the courses for the club’s centernary year and used Toro to get them up to standard. It speaks volumes that the club still uses Toro today and hosted The Open Championship this year.”

Sid continues: “As well as producing reliable and high quality machines, Toro is constantly investing in research and development to create new equipment that meet the needs of the industry. My partnership with Toro has meant I’ve made friends for life with those at Reesink Turfcare and also gave me the opportunity to go to the Toro Headquarters in Minnesota, USA which was a great experience.”

And it’s not just Toro that has helped to improve Frilford Heath. Five years ago Sid turned to Reesink and Otterbine to improve the club’s water reservoir. “We had a lot of algal growth caused by pollutants getting into the water source,” says Sid. “But with Otterbine aerators, the reservoir was transformed. In fact, using the water from the reservoir to irrigate the course allowed Frilford Heath to become self-sufficient.”

One of the biggest tests of Sid’s career was obtaining BIGGA Master Greenkeeper certification, but he says he “loved the challenge”.

“The Master Greenkeeper certification means an awful lot,” he says. “It’s a demanding and lengthy process which isn’t for everyone, particularly the two exams – they’re definitely not for the faint hearted! But the fact I was able to test myself at the highest level possible and be successful, is definitely one of my proudest moments.”

Imparting his knowledge is something Sid also had chance to do during his time as president of BIGGA, while attending the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards. “Seeing the stars of the future developing their knowledge and getting to speak to them was very rewarding. It’s wonderful Toro and Reesink sponsor these awards and involve themselves in the industry this way.”

With such an incredible career behind him, Sid is now taking some much deserved time off. “I’m going to really miss working with the guys at the club every day, but I’m looking forward to spending as much time with my wife as possible. We’re spending a lot of time travelling and have three trips booked for this year alone!”

But Reesink Turfcare couldn’t let Sid retire without a proper send off – presenting him with a personalised decanter to commemorate such a fantastic career.

“I was absolutely honoured,” says Sid. “It was such a lovely gesture that I wasn’t expecting at all. I have some great friends at Reesink, and I know those friendships will continue.”

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Ransomes’ Nigel Church Retires

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Ransomes’ Nigel Church Retires: One of the UK’s most respected and valued members in the turf industry, Nigel Church, is retiring at the end of June after almost 50 years in the sector. We had the pleasure of working closely with Nigel for decades and his knowledge, technical ability, eloquence and downright likeability shone through in everything he did.

Nigel joined Ransomes Sims & Jeffries as an apprentice back in the 1970s along with other industry notables such as Bob Buckingham, Bob Bevan, Paul Watson, Richard Bishop, Richard Walne, Graham Dale, Jeff Anguige and Barry Beckitt.

Nigel Church Retires From Ransomes

Readers of a similar age will recognise many of these names demonstrating that this generation of apprentices were the base for the new Toro European distribution – all built on the Ransomes skills they had been taught by John Wilson, Ken Buckledee & Guy Catchpole. In its day, Ransomes was considered the ‘university’ for the UK turf industry.

Nigel fulfilled many roles within the Ransomes business and the industry in general. In his time, he has been a demonstrator, technical rep and area rep; had responsibility for export sales, national accounts, regional sales management and training.

Included in his impressive CV is an eight-year sojourn, when he left Ransomes to work for one of their dealers, Kingston House Mowers in a sales role. He was back at the company in 1998, when it was purchased by Textron, became Ransomes Jacobsen and played a significant part in providing continuity as the two businesses merged together.

Later in his career he joined the new Cutting Edge Training division at Ransomes Jacobsen with a remit to pass on his extensive knowledge and experience to the next generation of sales and technical professionals within the dealer network. This was another area where Nigel excelled and the quality of training delivered by him and his colleagues was arguably the most concise, detailed and effective across the entire industry.

In the past few years he has continued to expand this role travelling to all points of the globe delivering training in his enthusiastic, effervescent manner and has recently returned from his final visit to the Far East. Many of us will never forget the long days and short nights at exhibitions and shows, where we enjoyed the camaraderie of a close-knit team in which Churchy was often the pivotal point … with a beer or gin and tonic in hand.

Nigel has forgotten more than many people in this industry will ever know and he will be sorely missed as he rides off into the sunset (probably on a Ransomes Highway 3). It has been an absolute pleasure to work with a man of this calibre – kind, knowledgeable, dedicated, humorous, affable –  and who is instantly recognised across the industry. Just try walking with him across the halls at SALTEX, BTME, GIS and any other international event and see how long it takes to get from A to B!

The global turf industry’s sincere best wishes go out to you Nigel, to Sylvia, your family and grandchildren, for a very long and happy retirement. It is well deserved.

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